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Make home where your romance is

Most long-term couples understand just how important it is to make time for each other. The tough part: How can you do a date night that will fit into your super-scheduled, over-tired, very budgeted (read: can't spend on gas or babysitters) lives?

Home, they say, is where the heart is, and all couples should find a way to carve some romantic space within the place they already spend the biggest part of their paychecks on. The kids have their own fun space and play dates at home -- do you?

Here's how to transform staying at home into a time to remember -- together.

Play hooky. Who says time together has to be a nighttime thing? Take a personal day from work -- when the kids are conveniently in school, so no sitters required -- to stay in bed, order in some food, rent romantic movies and cuddle. You'll be surprised by just how much fun you'll have when you hit the sheets without having to put in a hard day at the office.

Wish upon a star. Do a little stargazing in your backyard or on your rooftop or fire escape. (Skymaps.com can tell you if the heavens are due for a shooting star display!) Bring blankets, get cozy and take turns wishing out loud on every star you see. Write the wishes down and save them in a wish dish that you can each dip into regularly for a reminder of your special evening, or just enjoy that you two are talking about things other than household bills. Bonus: Get outside early enough to catch the sunset before twilight.

Love thy neighbor. Your child's pals often have parents who are just as in need of a date night as you are. See if you can schedule kid sleepovers at each other's homes -- say, once a week at your house, once at theirs.

Get cooking. If there's one thing I've learned from working with food guru Rachael Ray, it's that cooking is fun, and it's impossible not to be in a good mood when you are preparing a meal together. Think about it: You're side by side, brushing past each other to get to the sink or the stove. A glass of wine for the sauce, another for the cooks, and feeding each other take things to another level. Download romantic tunes to your iPod that you can play in the kitchen, and don't stop yourself if you're inspired to slow dance.

Now that you have some ideas about how to start reconnecting affectionately and domestically, don't forget the most important relationship tool: a lock for your bedroom, bathroom, guest room or basement door -- wherever you two think you could end up feeling frisky. Trust me, I get letters: Being walked in on can quell any thought of rekindling the flames.