You remember that you have that sexy pair of underpants in your drawer. You know the one I'm talking about, mamas. That one you bought pre-kids, the one that looks like it would make a wonderful garter for your THIGH, the one that could NEVER be worn on a normal day for more than one hour at a time because it lacks a crotch.
But then an overwhelming fatigue hits you, and not one directly due to your multiple night-time feedings, the stressors of your job, or the countless times you played hostage negotiator with your kids. This fatigue is borne from the exhaustion of just thinking about what would likely happen if you wore those panties tomorrow. That is, if you can get them up past your knees without laugh-crying yourself into a heap on the floor.
- Do you and your partner love laughing together? Watch this video about how Louis C.K. sets up a joke and try to come up with a 5-10 minute set of your own. It will get you out of your own comfort zone, make you a little bit more vulnerable and, hopefully, let your partner bask in the endorphins streaming through his/her bloodstream after a good, hearty laugh.
- No sex doesn't have to mean no spice. Arrange kid cover and try cooking up a spicy, ethnic, and totally adult meal together. I don't know about you, but if I see another chicken tender or apple slice, I might actually consider a hunger strike. Try this delicious chicken korma recipe. The great thing about cooking Indian is that if you don't do it on the regular, it probably requires at least a couple spices you don't have on hand. What parent doesn't pee a little at the thought of an adult-only trip to the grocery store? (If you're buying cardamon anyway, you may as well finish off dinner with a homemade chai.)
- Practice team bonding with some acroyoga. Get down to your best hot shorts and sports bra (or t-shirt and sweats if you fear hot shorts will have the same effect as those banished panties we talked about!) and take advantage of enjoying your partner's sexy bod while you support each other physically and emotionally. Remember to have fun, hold each other up, and laugh (aka pee in your pants) if you fall together. Need some inspiration? Check out this Instagram account or one of our personal faves, Chelsey Korus.
- Try one of the oldest forms of romance – love poems. You can each research a poem that reminds you of the other, or you could try your hand a writing your own. You could go super cheesy for a good laugh, or you can flex your artistic muscles and try to write something as legit as this guy describing his wife [swoon]:
- Ask all about Aliens. OK, you don't have to specifically ask your partner about the classic late '80s sci-fi horror film. But what you can do is ask all about something he or she is incredibly interested in that you couldn't give two shits about. Really indulge in it. Let your partner tell you every last detail and act like it's all genuinely interesting and that you can't believe your luck at finding the coolest person in the world who knows all about this thing. I bet your sweet piece done this for you at some point, and it made you feel pretty special.
If all else fails, mamas, just look at pictures of your kiddos together after they've gone to bed. It's a surefire way to simultaneously kill both of your libodos and surround you with immeasurable love.