11. Around 58 per cent of consumers also buy gifts for themselves.12.10. Those decoration splurges add upBeing festive can get expensive. In US, the midwest saw some of the highest rates of holiday gift returns, with return rates of more than 19 per cent the week after Christmas. Plenty of those gifts get returnedIn 2015, the most popular time of the year to return retail purchases was during lunch on December 26, according to one retail study. The aforementioned October 2016 survey found that the average shopper would spend more than 0 on decorations, food, flowers, and greeting cards this holiday season.2. It happens in unexpected placesAccording to a 2016 survey by a major online payments service, 22 per cent of the 1,000 respondents shop on the toilet.

A surprising amount of holiday shopping happens at the grocery storeIn the same survey, almost 45 per cent of respondents said they were planning to shop at a grocery store for the holidays.www. A fifth of baby boomers would rather go to the dentist.com.5. Many don’t think it’s funIn that same survey, 19 per cent of millennials said they’d rather text their boss on a weekend than go holiday shopping.3. However, another forecast finds that 61 per cent of consumers find holiday shopping fun.

It’s not all done onlineDespite predictions of booming online sales during the 2016 holiday season, people still enjoy brick-and-mortar stores, too. Here we summarise a few shocking facts about holiday shopping.7. One of the aforementioned surveys found that 66 per cent of respondents planned to research gifts online, but then head to a store to check it out in person and buy it.4.9.8. Not all gifts are for other peopleOne consumer-spending forecast from october 2016 found that not all holiday purchases are for other people. Pets won’t get left out of the holiday funPet owners are expected to spend an average of on their furry friends this season. Some start really earlyA survey found out Pu Squishy Keychain Toys Manufacturers that shoppers would start shopping in October or earlier. Holiday shopping can make or break a retailer’s yearHoliday shopping can account for up to 30 per cent of a retailer’s annual sales. People love gifting clothesAccording to one survey by a major consulting group, 50 per cent of consumers plan on giving clothes for the holidays.13.1.mentalfloss.6. Your gift was probably on saleMore than 75 per cent of respondents in the former shopping survey said that a sale would impact at least one of their holiday gift purchases. That gift you got probably wasn’t plannedAbout 20 per cent of holiday gifts this seasons are expected to be impulse buys, although shoppers say that around half of their gifts were pre-planned.The holidays bring out shoppers like no other time of the year, and if you get a little overwhelmed by the commercial bonanza, you’re not alone.

We ourselves have degraded the act and made it a ‘bad’ thing resulting in so much negativity," she feels.Priya MalikUndo the tabooThe recent menstruation festival in Kerala titled Arppo Arthavam! (Hurray Menses!) was a political answer to ban on women entry in a temple for ‘impurity concerns’. From 0 mn in 2013, the adult toy market is estimated at over `2,500 crore in 2016."As the founder of an adult e-commerce website, Raj confesses to have had his share of brickbats. "Millennial women are very much open-minded and also well-connected thanks to the internet. Demystification of ***graphy is essential to initiate conversations around the porn industry.

Close family members were the ones with the highest reservations, and I wouldn’t have expected any less knowing this from a very standard middle class upbringing. "What we are experiencing now is a freedom of expression. Every person is different in terms of their ***ual choices, partner preferences, ***ual behaviours, yet we all are tongue-tied about such a core and essential need. The idea of Identitty started from a conversation with a reader about what it meant to be flat-chested, the name calling, feeling undesirable and even being told what-will-you-give-your-husband and what men and society thought of our bodies. She recalls, "Over the years of doing content around ***, ***uality and relationships, I have asked readers on Instagram several questions around taboo subjects; their willingness to be open has given me a lot of encouragement. *** is a force that needs this expression to thrive, but our monogamous culture expects couples to insist on the till-death-do-us-apart notion of love that unfortunately doesn’t spice up their *** life," she says. Just look at the longest-serving institution called marriage; are there healthy discussions on ***uality happening there? Love life is always a man’s requirement; does anyone care about what a woman wants? How do we expect equality to thrive in a family where partners do not even know what the other person wants," she asks. ***graphy in some ways is ***ually liberating for a lot of people, but in many ways the portrayals are extremely problematic."He also rules out any legal hindrance in the sale of *** toys, apparels, and ancillary ***ual products. She says, "It showcases all the flaws as they are, at the same time making people realise how they need to start embracing their ‘flawed’ bodies and become comfortable with them."

Vineshkumar Kunhiraman, Chief Marketing Officer at ThatsPersonal. As a female ***uality educator I have faced a strong assault from men who immediately presumed that a woman talking about *** would also be inclined to have ***. This is happening because parents refuse to acknowledge the ***uality of their children, which makes young adults prone to ***ual exploitation. In her latest project Identitty, she collects personal stories and photos of nude or decorated bosoms from volunteers who suggest the background of the works.Word Power made easyPriya Malik, former Bigg Boss contestant known for her hard-hitting slam poems like Right to Pleasure and Swipe Right for Choice, storytelling and her own show on political and social issues, believes that words can change the world when used with utmost conviction and power. The varied sources of expression (art, architecture, dance, poetry, photographs, social media) to embrace one’s ***uality is only a testament of how rich, individual, and multi-layered a person’s ***uality is," notes Pallavi.***uality, Pallavi observes, is a natural desire which had been stifled for long under the moral code of conduct. "At the same time, I struggle to explain what the intent of my art is to my close family members who grew up in a different generation. If we are pure and untouched, we are respected, but kept in a small, rigid box. And we sold out of it in 30 days! Like legal hindrances, there are solutions and ways around it."Padma compares the practice in India where women are forbidden from exploring their bodies to the Mary/Magdalene complex. Her monthly meet-ups help men and women embrace their vulnerability and ***uality in a safe, compassionate space. In India most small town and rural couples still do *** in missionary position because they know no other way.com, a seven-year-old adult store, vouches, "Lust Stories and Veere Di Wedding are two great examples of society’s state of mind. Awareness is always the first step towards choice and freedom.Your body is not a temple,Neither sacred nor holyIt’s a graveyard of societal conventionsTombstones inscribed with centuries of shameOf being told thatBeing ***ual is a bad thing, haha(From Right to Pleasure by Priya Malik)Pleasure is a simple word.

It’s a biological need and natural activity. But, first women need to acknowledge that ***uality is a part of our lives. While the ***graphy industry runs on objectification of women and most of its content is meant to gratify male ***ual fantasies, most women are still trained to preserve their sacredness and taught against exploring their body. It’s high time people understand that *** has no connection with morality. "Honestly, I don’t think that the mindset of our people is changing. Her Bare series, that revolves around body positivity and features volunteers, is a dedication to the human body in its purest form. Indu says the intimate space of Instagram stories and the trust of her readers led her to tread paths she, otherwise, wouldn’t think of treading.  Conversation is a great way for any change to happen. I conduct monthly ‘Tongue Tied’ invite-only, closed group, private gatherings where men and women talk their hearts out on their ***ual and intimate problems in their relationships. Women taking control of the narrative is what’s needed in the first place, be it in mainstream media or alternate media like arts, poetry, etc. It is the judgment of ***uality as something dirty or unclean that has created this paradoxical situation.Toy the steamy ideaInterestingly, post the release of movies like Lust Stories and Veere Di Wedding, where female characters were seen using vibrators, the sales of *** toys have surged among Indian women. "It’s a tricky situation for women. Whilst to some extent I had to sacrifice belonging to what was, it gave me the unique opportunity to create a completely new life that really suited me. One such story, of a woman with enormous breasts, reads: It’s taken so much time to stop thinking adverse to my breasts, to accept them, and to love them, as a gift given to me by nature. In a country where ***uality, for years, has been a taboo topic for women, whose body is not meant to be explored as part of ‘preserving her sacredness’ for the man she weds and beds, this is a time of revolution. The people are the ones I knew and met through mutual friends and also those who applied to be part of it. Art has always been a powerful medium to question such taboos; I personally love how @Induviduality’s projects like Wholesale pu squishy keychain toysIdentitty or #100Indiantindertales have everyday women using social media to claim conversations around their ***uality and desires, how important Richa Kaul Padte’s book on Rethinking ***graphy was to initiate difficult but necessary debates around the porn industry," Kaviya observes. Kaviya says, "In India, there has always been a clear demarcation between the ‘supposed’ two types of women — the demure but classy damsel-in-distress at one end and the assertive ***ually-liberated vixen at the other."VineshkumarKaviya, too, has been receiving mesغير مجاز مي باشدes from people all over the world on how relatable and necessary her project feels.B. This dilemma often asks women to choose between two essential aspects of themselves, when we need all aspects to find true fulfilment. Parents and kids have started discussing taboo topic like menstruation and ***uality. Even subtle things like asking us to sit with our legs closed, making us wear loose clothes during puberty and eventually pointing out if our bra straps are visible and not resorting to any such shaming to boys, screams out the need for women to be comfortable and open about their ***uality and not treat it as invisible or demeaning. "These items are not banned for import or sale in India, but concern arises only in the manner in which these products are displayed and exhibited for sale in India."However, Mini begs to differ on the point that more women are opening up on their ***uality. "Eyebrow-raising, name shaming, moral policing debates came from all quarters, but so did adulations, encouragement, patronage and support from unexpected quarters.Dirty laundryKaviya Ilango’s art project #100daysofdirtylaundry is about constructed alternate identities projected through the rose-tinted glasses of social media, and it sheds light on the taboos of the generation — issues with relationships, ***uality, materialism and love-hate relationships with our bodies. Currently porn is one of the main tools for *** education for many, even though it has very little to do with real life interactions.Exploring our own body is a fundamental right, Roshini observes.Despite being one of the most populous countries in the world, India is where everyone is tight-lipped about ***ual wellness.   He is quite hopeful of the gradual opening up of Indian women to embrace their body and its needs, "This is nothing but the evolution of our Indian society, or if I may call it the re-evolution. Raj Armani, co-founder of IMbesharam."Roshini was barely 15 when she realised that there’s no need to please people or society and just embracing oneself is the only way to be happy. "We are taught from a very young age that our bodies are an object of shame.Bare it allRoshini Kumar, a fashion photographer, influencer and art activist, explores different creative concepts which address issues like body image, gender roles, ***ual freedom, etc. "It’s natural and nothing unholy. We are also working on a petition to challenge this law and # get a re-validation of it to conform to the current times. She sees the patriarchy-smashing trend among women as one of the best things ever. I can confidently say the adult toys market in India is well over Rs 10,000 crore as we speak.com, says that ‘how to make Indians naughtier’ keeps him busy all the time. "When a woman truly taps into her desires and embraces pleasure, sensuality and ecstasy, she becomes supremely attractive and powerful, like a goddess. They just love to cuddle up on my stomach, with their head on my breast. Practising the controversial ***ual surrogacy by helping people who experience functional issues, ***ual trauma and do not know where to turn to get effective practical knowledge and experience, Padma has worked with a number of Indian clients. Hopefully we may start that by proposing to #LegaliseToys in India!"Introspection timeThat more women are opening up about ***uality is more than a trend.Pallavi, who, through her relationships, realised that never did society discuss the importance of *** is marital bliss and never considered it as something indispensable, did a research on the problems she faced, during which she came to the inference that ***ual suppression is amassing a cornucopia of problems. There are men who have to fantasise about another women to orgasm with their regular partner and are feeling guilty about it; but fantasies are nothing to be ashamed of. On her rule-breaking profession of being a ***ual surrogate, she says, "Sometimes a radical break is easier than trying to slightly change century old conditioning gradually. Like a pillow. I have faced resistance from women whenever I tried to create a healthy debate on traditional institutions like marriage and monogamy. It is a powerful and beautiful choice, but not for the faint-hearted.Raj ArmaniRaj sees it the other way, "I am glad people see the irony of the marketing gimmick we introduced a few years ago. But as the saying goes, art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Not anymore. Some examples that come to mind where females owning the narrative have brought up difficult conversations around ***uality — like Zoya Akhtar, Alankrita Shrivastava, and Reema Kagti (Lipstick Under My Burqa, Lust Stories and Made in Heaven) — in mainstream.Explaining how they become Indian-friendly, Vinesh says, "We have discreet vibrators and masturbators for men and women — vibrators in the shape of lipstick which women can easily hide from her family members and male toys that can also be used as a pen-stand. However, now, instead of myself, I’m in a battle with what’s not right in the world. Women should have just as much say in opening up about *** as men do. This can be intimidating to a man, who has not yet found his own true center. Once we approach ***uality and relationship as a meditation by bringing our conscious awareness to our desires, sensations and emotions, we can truly transform poison into nectar," Padma sums up."***uality is no longer hidden in the closet; it’s out in the open with persons from all genders talking about their bodies, love life, what they have and what they need.Roshini KumarBare photo seriesThe Indian context has always been peculiar. Objectifying a woman reduces her complexity and makes her therefore more manageable. Through my career choice, I certainly no longer fit into the established mould of my masters-educated, affluent middle class upbringing. We have had a tremendous increase of women shoppers," Raj states. Indu says, "They make space for other women to introspect and accept their ***uality. Glad that her art could at least in a small way bring about a change in mindset, Priya says she has always been a rebel. Like the ones hosted by Pallavi Barnwal, a ***uality expressionist, author-columnist, and founder of RedWomb, a content platform specialising in open, uninhibited talks of ***ual pleasure.It’s time women opened up, she says. More women have started breaking the taboo, discussing ***uality, prompting others to open up about their bodies, feelings, ***ual preferences and every single hushed idea that has been stuffed behind the doors, away from discourses. Most women need presence, connection, sensuality, seduction rather than visual stimulation, skills which are not taught or shown to men. While women confess that they feel less alone, men have been telling her that now they have access to women’s struggles. If we are ***ually alive and expressive we are desired but often not respected. "***ual liberation has become synonymous with ***ual exploitation as young girls in their teens frequent love hotels with men in their 30s and 40s. When women start learning, owning up to, opening up to and talking about masturbation, porn and *** in general can a society of equal rights of expression in any form created."Monday Blues by Kaviya IlangoFrom Indu Harikumar’s Identitty seriesThe reception has been very positive. (They wanted to be drawn in a field of flowers. Sanctity is a deceptive myth; body, pleasure and rights are one’s own and no one else’s!."Embrace pleasurePadma Deva, a UK-based tantric surrogate is one of the most experienced experts on surrogacy and ***ual healing worldwide. With a calico cat. Women now know that they can meet their pleasure needs with a *** toy instead of using a vegetable. For one gender, the two syllables loudly translate into satisfaction and enjoyment and for the rest, ‘pleasure’ is a hush-hush or non-existent concept. "The market for dildos, vibrators, masغير مجاز مي باشدers, masturbators and wireless and remote-controlled toys has been huge but totally unexplored and untapped for years.Mini T. The venue entrance was controversially designed in the shape of a vagina, drawing more attention to the unconventional get-together. If any of these items are not advertised or displayed for sale using any obscene pictures, graphics or display mechanism, there is no legal concern on the sales," he adds. "I always strived to break away from societal norms, even as a child, and that translated into my adulthood as well. The mainstream media has only gone to reiterate this stereotype innumerous times. We read these in the Kamasutra and see this in pictorial forms in our temples and caves., a lawyer and one of the organisers of Hurray Menses!, sees attempts like these as a huge social change, "The biggest achievement brought about by this festival is that the new generation has started contradicting their earlier generation’s misconceptions. "India needs this. Our society has made women suppress so much that it affects our whole life. But, what if a woman is both? Isn’t ***uality an inherent part of any human? Why does respectability and ***ual-liberation have to exclusive of one another? This problematic black-and-white gaze of labelling women needs to change first. Fantasies are a rich, creative imagination that asserts your individuality and open expression. Sacredness or respectably, this is something that women still fight to keep because most women know that if you don’t come across as respectable there is a fear of being violated. Long before the modern era, Indian women were vocal and verbal of their needs. Time is ripe for a ***ual revolution of its kind in India, to normalise *** just like food and wine, sun and shine. Expressing these taboos through different means is a movement in itself," she adds. "The narrative around ***uality has long been dominated by privileged hetero***ual men and as the cliché goes, nobody knows ‘what women want’, including women themselves. We have a long way to go in India before we can look up for alternatives to mainstream porn that will take cognisance of  the oft-ignored sections like female pleasure, trans and queer desires, body positive porn, differently-abled ***uality, etc. I have only one intention — the more unbiased, open conversations we have about dirty taboos, the more normalised these so-called taboo topics become and the more we will be able to address the underlying aspects and issues of such taboos. ***ual energy is a creative energy; orgasm is the highest form of energy our body can experience."As Padma puts it, "Pleasure, conscious relationship, love, intimacy and fulfilling ***uality are the keys to help us tip the scales towards experiencing life as a beautiful gift. The festival saw an inspiring turnout of persons from all genders, who took out a rally and celebrated the festival with songs, discussions and performances around menstruation. On the day of the release of Lust Stories, the smart remote-controlled vibrator used in it was sold out!"Definitive guide to ‘Types of millennial hookups’ by Kaviya IlangoEarlier, e-commerce websites used to sell *** toys in the pretext of ‘eye masغير مجاز مي باشدer’ and ‘neck masغير مجاز مي باشدer’, but now, full-fledged ***ual health and wellness websites cater to the needs of people who are looking for female *** toys."Let’s Talk ***Other than art and culture, there are regular discourses happening on ***uality. Drafted in 1947, the law prohibits the sale and distribution of anything obscene; so we introduced a line of vibrators and masغير مجاز مي باشدers that looked like lipstick, mascara and neck masغير مجاز مي باشدer. The struggle to break out of social conditioning, she says, is very hard.  Women’s bodies have always been controlled by society.)Pallavi BarnwalIndu HarikumarAnd Indu’s art work depicts a faceless woman, with a cat on her lap, an arm covering her nipples, taking a selfie. My family, although initially reluctant, grew into supporting who I was becoming," she recalls. Female ***uality, Padma stresses, is an incredible force, which is deeply connected to her emotions. Right to Pleasure and growth of the *** toy industry will be a viral movement in the coming years and it will grow together hand-in-hand," he says. We need to talk about masturbation with our children and introduce *** positive education in our school curriculum. From the conversations that I have had, younger women are taking their pleasure in their own hands. "And that’s how I decided to become a *** educator. Through art works, slam poetry, Instagram pages, Facebook posts, photography exhibitions, theatre and any available tool, women are loudly resuming conversations about their desires, rights and needs revolving their body and ***uality. Just seeing how this series has helped many people get over their body issues frankly lets me sleep better at night. The essence of liking my breast has become so simple and pure and innocent, that I cannot hate them anymore. So I believe it’s a matter of time when Indian women will take back the narration and write their own stories. The voices of women talking about ***uality have been there for a very long time, but in the olden days, they were suppressed, now all the voices – of all sections, women from Dalit and Adivasi communities and people from LGBTQ communities – are here to stay and exemplify.InduvidualityInduviduality, an Instagram page managed by Bengaluru-based Indu Harikumar, an artist and storyteller, focuses on crowdsourced art projects around ***, ***uality, body positivity and relationships. Remembering ***uality as something sacred and beautiful is the first step to freeing both men and women to be who they are and truly meet in beauty," she says. And what helped me were my cats.

All-rounder Imad Wasim hit Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib for a boundary through the covers to seal the win in the last over. Thank you to the crowd, it feels like home here. "We wanted to bat out the 50 overs and see. You can face a lot of these situations, we are working harder and harder."The start of the game was marred by clashes between rival fans, with police forced to intervene. We will all be watching India v England tomorrow."When I went in they were bowling brilliantly but I just hung in there," said Imad.A third consecutive victory lifts Pakistan into fourth place in the 10-team table, above hosts England, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals.

They gave us a boost in confidence."Off-spinner Mohammad Nabi (2-23) had brought Afghanistan right into the game with the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq (36) and Babar Azam (45) in successive overs.And after the match, jubilant supporters swarmed onto the pitch.Pakistan, chasing a modest 228-run target, were in grave danger at 156 for six in the 39th over. The matches we have lost, we have improved."Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, a World Cup-winning captain in his cricket days, tweeted his congratulations to the team for "keeping their nerve under pressure"."Credit to Pakistan, they controlled their nerves.Earlier, lanky Afghan paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi shone with the ball, returning figures of 4-47 to add to the three wickets he took against New Zealand. They have world-class spinners so we attacked him."Thank you all the fans, they cheered every ball.Shadhab was run out for 11 with the score on 206 but Wahab Riaz (15 not out) and Imad saw Pakistan home and condemned plucky Afghanistan to an eighth consecutive defeat. It is a great win for us on not an easy pitch," said Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.PressurePakistan were in deep trouble when Sarfaraz was run out for 18 while taking a unnecessary second run, leaving Pakistan needing 72 off the last eleven overs."Gulbadin (Naib) was the only one who could be targeted. (Photo: AFP) Birmingham: Pakistan kept their nerve to avoid a huge shock on Saturday, beating a spirited Afghan side by three wickets with just two balls to spare to keep their World Cup semi-final hopes alive."We missed again.

Political relations between the south Asian neighbours have been marked by years of distrust and blame. Man-of-the-match Imad (49 not out) and Shadab Khan (11) put on 50 for the seventh wicket to revive their hopes. "We go match by match.."We fight really well, the boys gave 100 percent but in the end we missed an opportunity to win the match," said Afghanistan captain Naib.Haris Sohail laboured to 27 off 57 balls before he was lbw to leg-spinner Rashid Khan but Pakistan ultimately Wholesale pressure relief ball had enough batting firepower to see them over the line.They took 18 off Naib in the 46th over, which brought the target down to a manageable 28 off four overs.An International Cricket Council spokesman said it was working with security officials and the police "to ensure there are no further incidents".

But man-of-the-match Imad (49 not out) and Shadab Khan (11) put on 50 for the seventh wicket to revive their hopes.If they win their final game against Bangladesh and England fail to win both of their last two matches, against India and New Zealand, Pakistan are almost certain to progress."We all know that it is not easy to win our last four games," he said.All-rounder Imad Wasim hit Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib for a boundary through the covers to seal the win off the fourth ball of the last over, prompting chaotic scenes as fans poured onto the Headingley pitch.