Valentine's Day checklist: For her

1. Find out your mate's favorite tasty treat and offer it periodically, even in small amounts.
   
2. Bringing small tidbits when it's unexpected is not only fun and a nice surprise, it lets your loved one knows
   
3. Tell your partner that you were thinking of him (or her) even when there's no holiday involved! (And who doesn't like that?) says Mary Jo Fay, RN, MSN, author of When Your Perfect Partner Goes Perfectly Wrong The Seven Secrets of Love and Please Dear, Not Tonight: The Truth About Women and Sex.
   
4. The age-old cause for many fights in the bedroom -- the temperature -- should not be enough to ruin your Valentine's Day. Women are typically colder and want the heat turned up, while the men are sweltering. To ease this battle of the sexes, consider heated blankets and comforters with dual warming controls (Sunbeam makes a great one) -- so couples can individually control the temperature on their side of the bed. It even comes in pink!
   
5. If you look sexy, you'll feel sexy: Ladies, it's a great time to have your figure in top form. Step that diet up a notch and rejoin that gym!
   
6. Don't stress over your tresses! Tap into your inner bombshell no matter short or long the look can easily be pulled off -- but as a rule, the simpler the look, the easier it is to maintain!
   
7. Nail and toe grooming is a must -- it's a reflection of how well-cared-for the rest of your form is!
   
8. It's trite but true: If you keep those cheeks rosy, you will have plenty of reasons to blush.
   
9. Many men like their women to be smooth, soft, and hair-free... otherwise, they may feel like they are in bed with themselves! Make sure to shave, smooth, and exfoliate just before the big date.
   
10. While ideally the night will end with you out of your outfit, you may feel better -- and more confident -- if you buy yourself a new treat. So, use this night as an opportunity to break out a vampy new dress or pair of spiked heels!
    
11. Plump up those lips and then gloss with a pretty shade of red or pink. (Makes them more kissable!)
    
12. Wear a giant smile!

Bonus! Tips for Her from the expert of all sexperts, Dr Ruth!

• Help him cheer on his favorite team by watching a sports program with him.
  
• Next time he's taking a shower, jump in with him.
  
• Next time you know you're going to make love later on -- like on Valentine's Day -- write his name down on your breasts with some lipstick so that he'll be surprised by it when he takes off your bra.
  
• Create a dictionary of special words that you can use as substitutes for actual (naughty) words, and then send him sexy messages at work that won't get him into trouble.
  
• Role-play with him. Tell him that you'll meet him at a certain bar and that he's supposed to pretend he doesn't know you. Then you go meet him and do your best to seduce him.

Dr Ruth Westheimer's latest book, Dr Ruth's Top Ten Secrets For Great Sex: How to Enjoy it, Share it, and Love it Each and Every Time will be published by Jossey-Bass, in February 2009 -- just in time for Valentines Day. (It is coauthored with Pierre Lehu.)