Ready to sign up for your own petting project?

Making love is like making music: no matter how long you've been doing it, there's always room for improvement. With that in mind, the three assignments below offer something for everyone, whether it's a headboard-rattling orgasm or just a chance to be more intimate with your lover. (Sure beats hitting the books.)

Assignment #1
Beat body issues to rediscover we-just-met sex

Try: Use cushions and pillows to make sex more fun and alleviate anxiety. For example, soft wedge-shaped foam cushions prop you up and elongate your body so you can relax.

Make it work for you: Toss couch cushions on the floor and use them to inspire new positions. Better lighting can also boost body confidence, says Candida Royalle, author of 'How to Tell a Naked Man What to Do'. "None of us is perfect," she says, "but bright white bulbs are particularly unflattering." She recommends replacing them with amber-colored lighting, which casts a warm, sexy glow.


Assignment #2
Boost flagging energy levels during late-night stands

Try: Multitask your TV viewing by watching skin flicks during prime time. "Studies have shown that both men and women watching sexual imagery have increased blood flow to their hot spots," says Ducky Doolittle, author of 'Sex with the Lights On'.

In other words, it's a reflex--one with a very practical purpose: to promote the survival of the species. "It directs your attention to sex when you're distracted and pressed for time," Doolittle explains.

Make it work for you: Use sexy images and thoughts to kick-start a sleepy libido. If adult movies aren't your thing, e-mail each other lascivious ideas or sexy pics during the day (how about one of you?), then talk about it when you get home. If you flirt throughout the day, you're more likely to put sex on the plate - even before dinner.


Assignment #3
Tone down a super-hot sex life and connect emotionally

Try: To aim for a sexual encounter that's about intimacy, not orgasm. "The trick is to keep from always leaping into goal-­oriented sex," says Joy Davidson, Ph.D, a New York-based sex therapist and the author of 'Fearless Sex'.

Make it work for you: Make up some sexy rules to slow things down. "Really hot sex depends on the amount of pleasure and the height of arousal, regardless of whether you orgasm or not," says Dr. Davidson.

Try "creating specific scenarios in which you only use certain parts of your body to pleasure each other," she says. "For example, use only your mouths, or hands, or even toys." Take turns imposing playful limitations on each other.