These after-the-kids-are-in-bed quickies may be short, but they’re also sweet. Who says weeknights have to be boring?

Sitcom and a Massage
While watching a mutually favorite TV show (funny or dramatic), take turns rubbing each other’s shoulders or feet. Sparks are good here, but just relaxing works, too!

Conversational Foreplay
Light candles around your bedroom and agree to just talk—hopefully about pleasant things—for 30 minutes. Where it leads is up to you.

Friday Happy Hour
Plan for a weekly recurring evening to make a special cocktail or mocktail and enjoy it together as you cuddle on the sofa and catch up on the day’s events.

Source: Bill Doherty, PhD, author of Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That Pulls Us Apart