Health & Sex

The Summer's Best Love Boosters

Now, let us guess: In the last few weeks, you've been to three barbecue block parties and trucked the kids to the local water park about a dozen times. That's all well and good, but before summer segues into fall, make sure you and your honey get some fun

Have a private starlit screening
Ditch the crowds and hold your own alfresco film festival. Just plug your TV and VCR into an extension cord and bring them out to your porch or backyard. Then set up a pair of lawn chairs or spread a blanket on the grass and snuggle up while you enjoy a little summer-inspired cinema. Try a classic surf flick, such as Beach Blanket Bingo or Elvis's Blue Hawaii; get scared silly with The Beach or Jaws; or soak up the stunning sunset scenes in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Cocktail or Stealing Beauty.

Rope him into a rodeo
Take your guy to see a bucking-bronco show near you: Check out www.prorodeo.com or www.rodeo.about.com. If you're lucky, you may even be able to sweet-talk your handsome stallion into wearing his tightest pair of jeans while you promise to sport a fetching cowboy hat. Yee-haw!

Lay it on thick
When he walks into the house all hot and sweaty after mowing the lawn, tell him how sexy he looks.

Plumb forget your panties
When you're at an outdoor concert, a play or a picnic (basically, anyplace you're surrounded by people), whisper in your lover-boy's ear that -- oops! -- you "forgot" to wear panties. Trust us: You'll reap the benefits of his eager anticipation later!

Give each other a head rush
Next time the two of you are on a secluded stretch of beach or alone beside a lake, wade into the deep end and exchange sensual scalp massages.

Make a grape escape
On one of those sticky, sweltering dog days of summer, feed each other frozen grapes.

Try a new kind of love note
When the moon is just a sliver in the sky, take a pack of sparklers outside and try to guess the mushy messages you're writing to each other in the air. Try "You light up my life," "You are my firecracker" or (our personal favorite) "Meet me in the bedroom now!"

Seekest some Shakespeare
Behold one of the bard's frisky romantic comedies on an outdoor stage: You can't go wrong with A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, or As You Like It. To find a performance near you, try running a Web keyword search for "Shakespeare in the Park" and your city, or call your local arts council.

Pack a predawn picnic
Before the sun comes up, coax your man out of bed and take him to a private spot for a wonderfully serene breakfast picnic. Bring along bagels with strawberry cream cheese, fresh fruit salad and last but not least, a Thermos full of premixed mimosas made with champagne and fresh-squeezed orange juice.