Up until recently, if anyone had bothered to ask about my sex drive (which they never did), I would have said it was normal. I enjoyed sex as much as the next woman. But like many urban professionals, I was often too busy thinking about, say, the implications of some new regulation to give much thought to the sexual impulses that spiraled through my brain each day like dust motes.

Now that I have traded in my dry-cleaned, button-down, inoffensively colored work shirts for a set of neon green pajamas, the dust is gathering attention.

If I'm any example, Read More

Two years ago I could go for days without setting foot in my kitchen. Work had taken over my life, and I didn't even make coffee for myself. I had lots of nice things—four sizes of pots, skillets, a stock pot, a wok, baking sheets, pie plates, a slow cooker, a rice cooker, a bread maker, a KitchenAid mixer—but they were just crowding my kitchen.

While fantasizing about a balanced life, I read the book Apartment Therapy by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan. To get the most out of your living space, it advises cooking at least one meal a week at home. So … Read More

Okay all you lovers out there, so what do you know about dating, living and loving in the recession? Budgets for lavish dates and gifts have shrunk; long-term plans for established relationships have been somewhat downsized; and we're all perhaps a little more deliberate in our dating than we were in the boom times.

Things have changed—not least in the way you appreciate your mate. Below, some of the new realities that have emerged in these tough times:

You don't need to spend a lot to get a lot. In a guest post, "Funky Brown Chick" … Read More

I wouldn't go out with a guy who refused to spend resources—time, energy, effort or money—on our date. It's not about the ka-ching. It's about value. I deserve a life filled with excitement, happiness and sexual richness regardless of mine or my lover's bank account balance. In case you want the same, I enlisted a few friends and fellow writers of the sexy stuff to provide tips that pump up the heat without pushing out a lot of cash. Date On A Dime Without Looking Like A Cheap Skate

Eat, Drink, and Be Sexy

"Human beings are social creatures … Read More

It's been a month since my husband Marco's ex-firm broke up with him. And, like a romantic breakup, it takes time to heal—for us both.

I was on the road to such healing, eating ice cream in the middle of the day, when the doorbell rang. I finished a work call and opened the door. It was Marco's ex-coworker, dropping off seven cardboard boxes filled with the remnants of Marco's life with Ex-Firm. I felt a rush of betrayal. The ex-coworker is chipper and sweet, a decade or two my husband's junior. The break-up is not his fault, but … Read More

I spent the afternoon yesterday dismantling my desk and bookcase and moving them out of our bedroom: We are staging our apartment yet again. It's been on the market for months, and we've redoubled our efforts to get it sold. New broker, new price, new priorities: we needed to let in more light and air, make the place roomier. Photos: Beautiful Master Bedroom Designs

Of course, I still have my other duties; as Debbie becomes increasingly immobilized by the pregnancy, I need to take up the slack and become more mobile. I've spent weeks perfecting the choreography: out … Read More

Love Bytes: Five must-click sex, love and relationship links.

Are home lives and work lives about to the collide? [Recessionwire]

The corporate office as safe haven from domestic reality is finally dying. Here are my pregnant wife and her friend, a newly single mom, venturing forth together into the wide world on the deck of a new business model. No doubt about it: this is Oz territory. Kansas is but a memory; the twister has struck, the house has been spun on its axis and the land visible in sparkling Technicolor through the doors and windows is enticing, but terribly … Read More

Love Bytes:  Five must-click  sex, love and relationship links.

Study shows that men mostly agree on who they find attractive whereas women have a broader range. [Asylum]

The ladies, on the other hand, didn't paint such a clear picture of what they desired. There were many cases of gals giving high attractive scores to the same picture others had trashed with low marks.

The divorce rate for women over 60, or the "Silver Divorce," is on the rise. [FirstWivesWorld]

3 ways to improve your relationship. [HuffingtonPost]

How to still look your best while saving a bunch of money. [Read More

Love Bytes: three must-click sex, love and relationship links.

Guys chime in on what a bikini wax says about a woman. [CollegeCandy]

Leaving a little patch is a big turn on for guys. Duh. Dude numero 3 tells me: "She takes care of herself and knows what a guy wants."

Eight tips to make sure you're not the one paying on a date. [TheFrisky]

How to talk about money with your partner. [Recessionwire]

Love Bytes: three must click sex, dating and relationship links.

Is It Cheating If Both Partners Do the Same Girl? [Lemondrop]

A few years ago my ex and i would hook up with this girl at different times while also including her [in bed with us] about 2-3 times a month. The reason my ex left me (with a text-message break up) is because she said did not like my sleeping with our mutual bed buddy on my own -- but meanwhile, she was also doing it without letting me know.

Cougars Go Gaga For Glambert. [The Frisky]

Now that … Read More