As much as I love getting gifts from my husband, I really don't need another sweater coat, which seems to be his go-to present for me.

So this year, especially since we're in marriage counseling, I thought it  might be fun for us to get a couple's gift, and one that we'll get lots of use out of ... in the bedroom.

If you're like me and would much prefer awesome sex over an awesome sweater, then take note of these 5 sexy gifts for couples. Even better, you can give some of them in front of the kids and grandparents and they'll never know.

Those of us with fur children will surely not forget them when it comes time to put gifts under the tree -- or perhaps high, high up on a shelf where our babies can't destroy them.

Sure, dogs can't open presents, but they get as excited as kids when given a new toy. Cats, well, they don't get excited about much -- but we love them so much, how can we possibly exclude them from the festivities?

In case you're stuck on what gifts to get your pets this year, here are some cool ideas for your fluffy little ones that will make them wag their tails -- or purr -- with joy.

Will you buy anything for your pets this holiday?

Image via Joanna Bourne/Flickr

Every year when the holidays roll around, I always joke about how I probably need to think about taking on a second job simply to afford the gifts for everyone on my list. With each passing year, it seems like everything gets pricier and pricier, and I wind up spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars without even realizing how much stuff is adding up to.

And I really think a lot of the reason most of us find our spending getting out of control is because when we go out shopping, we have a tendency to indulge in impulse buying, so we wind up with way more gifts than we need.

However, when we stick to ordering gifts online, it's much easier to maintain a budget -- even as low as $100 for the whole family.

Holiday shopping is hard enough as it is, but when you take picky tween recipients into consideration, the tough factor definitely gets bumped up a notch or two.

Those pesky almost teenagers can be virtually impossible to buy for, especially since things they find "cool," like electronics, gadgets, clothes, accessories, and the like, come with a pretty hefty price tag.

This Christmas will be my first as a mom, and let me tell you, it is taking a fair amount of will power to not rack up my credit card bill with things my 7-month-old daughter will have exactly zero appreciation for, but would look so cute wearing or playing with. Essentially, they'd be gifts for me. So, I'm not going to do that. I will not run out and spend a million dollars on her first Christmas, A) because I don't have a million dollars, and B) like I said, she's 7 months old. I'm sure she'll be fine eating wrapping paper.

Of course, I am going to buy her some things, though. I'm just going to be smart about my purchases -- a bit frugal even. And I've found seriously -- no, seriously -- cool baby gifts that won't cost you upward of $20. Seriously.

Whether you've got a little one of your own, or you need to buy for a friend, this list is all you need.

Image via Pinhole Press

From the first time I saw them and their blue and sliver poms poms shaking and big hairdoos bouncing, I desperately wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. For years I dreamed of the day I'd be out there high kicking and dancing along with them, and pretty much considered it to be my destiny. Though my home was in Nebraska, my heart was out there on the field in Dallas strutting my stuff.

The nuns at my Catholic grade school weren't so impressed with this ambition, and wouldn't hang my drawing of my future self on the wall with the others during vocations week. But they couldn't convince me that being a nun would be more fun. My best friend who lived across the street shared my dream, and we practiced routines we made up for hours on end.

Christmas means something extra special to us at The Stir this year. Launched just this March, it's the site's first one ever. But like most first-timers on the holidays, we don't really need presents. We've already got them -- in the form of the thousands of people who show up every day to read The Stir. You've given us the gift of your readership this year, and we're humbled by it. So now we'd love to play Santa and give a little something back.

Here are our Christmas wishes for the readers of The Stir (and if you don't celebrate Christmas, don't worry, there are gifts on here for you too):

Most people have an ex. Whether it’s an ex-boyfriend or an ex-husband or even just an ex-lover.

And not all break-ups, divorces, or one-night stands end badly. Some of us actually stay in modified relationships with our exes and care about them and how they live their lives. So we want to get them a present for the holidays.

But picking out the right present can be a tricky thing.

Because even if you have the best ex relationship in the world, a little passive aggressiveness in your choice would be understandable. A gift that might leave them thinking, “Is this for real or do I detect a huge amount of sarcasm here?”

Whatever your intent, here are 5 gift ideas for your ex: