If you have been watching the news, you're probably depressed after hearing how the economy sucks. Well, it's time to do some sucking of your own.

Instead of just calling your lover over to hop directly into bed, why not plan something cheap to do before heading to bed?

SheKnows.com has some cute suggestions.

Instead of eating dinner in front of the TV, grab a blanket, a baguette, and Brie and have a picnic under the stars. Or nibble on finger foods in bed.

Have a DIY dinner. Set up a taco bar with all the fixings or make homemade pizza. "Creating something together is interactive, so it brings you closer," says relationship therapist Sandra Anne Taylor, author of Act to Attract.

Since it's expected to be very cold tonight, light up a fire, either in a fireplace or at a campground and watch the stars. If you're inside near the fireplace, turn all of the lights off, play his or her favorite CD and sip some wine. Play a sexy strip game. By the time you two get naked, the news of the day will be off your mind.

Spice things up by trying some of these kisses. Chances are if you have great sex Friday night, you'll have even better sex Saturday morning.

The ultra chill in the air means there is no way in hell anyone wants to go out tonight.

That's why you should invite your partner over to your place (if you're single) or snuggle up with your partner underneath a blanket and stay warm.

But doing it the same way isn't going to keep you satisfied and occupied all weekend. Maybe you didn't have a chance to hit up your favorite adult store to get some things to make sex spicier, but you don't have to because you probably have everything you need in the kitchen.

1. Sugar: Smooth some sugar on your breasts, between your thighs or anywhere else you want to kiss or be kissed. Powdered sugar works very well for this; however, if you want to make your man's cock taste better, mix up some warm water with some sugar, dip his hardness in it and then lick him like a lollipop.

2. Fresh fruit: Lemons, oranges and berries all have juices that can be licked off body parts and lips. Try rubbing a piece of fruit across your lover's lips, tease him or her with the fruit then eat it. Next, kiss your lover and you two will be able to taste each other and the fruit.

3. Ice: Yes it's cold outside, but your heat is blazing and you're ready to give your man or woman some head. Why not make it hot and cold? Slip a piece of ice in your mouth and go downtown as if you're tagging the subway.

4. Peanut butter and jelly: This is going to get messy, but you can paint yourself with peanut butter and paint your lover with jelly and then make sandwiches with each other. Make sure you have plenty of laundry detergent on hand to clean the sheets once your session is over.

5. Whipped cream: Yes, it's cliche. But it's also fun to squirt this cream on to your lover's body and lick it off. For an added treat, don't squirt the cream in the typical places, like nipples, neck and navel. Let your imagination run wild.

While I was roaming around the city yesterday, I found myself taking a short cut to Northlake Mall by heading down (or up) Statesville Road.

As it turned out, this isn't a shortcut because of all the schools and buses, it's just stop and go. While floundering behind some old man who clearly needs to be stripped of his driver's license, I spotted a sign that read, "lingerie up to size 9X."

I took a closer look and realized that in the cut, there was a new lingerie shop. Who needs to go to Northlake now? I turned into the parking lot of Secrets Lingerie and Apparel and headed inside.

This shop has lacy things for women of all sizes, from small to 9X. They also have jewelry, sexy shoes, and lubes.

I asked the owner, Lisa, how did she get into selling lingerie for full-figured women (because most of the items in the store were for women with serious curves).

She said that she and some of her friends were going to a lingerie party a couple of years ago and they couldn't find anything to fit their curves. They went to many of the shops around town and one storekeeper actually said to one of the women who'd asked for an item in a larger size, "no one wants to see a fat girl in lingerie."

For most women, fat or not, that would have been a self-esteem killer. But for Lisa and her friends, it was inspiration. They began ordering and selling lingerie at private parties. It got so big that in June they opened Secrets.

Most of their customers, said Lisa, are men buying for their wives. And though the shop is open the owners still do private parties.

Want to check it out?

Secrets Lingerie and Apparel

5639 Statesville Road.

If you've been in a relationship for a while, sex is probably down to a science.

Though you have it down stroke for stroke, you can make it better with a little dirty talk. And it doesn't have to be the porno variety all the time. I mean, throwing in a "fuck me harder and faster" is cool, but it's going to get redundant.

If you want to talk dirty, take a few hints from books, not movies.

Or just use your imagination and think back to the days when your relationship was fresh and new. Remember the things you did, things that were done to you? Talk about it in lush details, maybe even act out some of it.

Throwing in a explict word is cool, but no woman wants to be called a slut, unless you're role playing. Some women also balk at being called a bitch, so it might be wise to have a conversation about what she likes before hand. Or if you want to keep the heat of the moment, just avoid certain words all together. If it's good, there is sure to be a repeat performance and a chance to try out other words.

So, I took one of those online sex quizzes today.

Here's my results:

YOUR RESULT: Wild Thing, You Make Your Man's Heart Sing!

Some people sky dive. Others bungee jump. Your adventure of choice is exploring the limits of sexual experience. You're completely open to new things, whether it's bringing edible body paint to bed with your partner, working your way through the Kama Sutra or daring to do the deed someplace you might get caught. So long as you're safe, more power to you. But even as you're twisting into the Indian Headstand or the Balancing Act, just be sure you're contorting for all the right reasons: Because it's fun for you, not simply because you want to impress a randy partner.

But if that's all it takes to be wild, then the author of said quiz must be some sort of prude.

So, I decided to come up with my own quiz. It's simple.

Answer the following questions yes or no. You get two points for each yes and one point for each no.

1. Do you suggest new things in bed?
2. Have you ever had an anal orgasm?
3. Do you swallow?
4. Have you ever shown up at your mate's house or place of work naked or dressed in a sexy costume--unannounced?
5. Do you send steamy text messages or e-mails to your partner and act out what you described to him or her on a weekly basis

Here's how to score yourself:

1-5: Maybe you should spice up your sex life; if you have one.

6-7: You have a healthy sex life and you will try anything once or twice. Three times is just overkill for you.

8-10: You are a true wild thing. There probably should be a warning label attached to your ass.