It’s well-known that an important way to keep a relationship going is keeping things hot in the bedroom, even during these Cleveland winters.

Whether you met someone new over break, are in a happy long-term relationship, or perhaps even recently got involved with a professional athlete who has some interesting takes on what “holding the stick” means, here are some tips to help you stay on your A-game.

A good way to “spice things up” (for those of us not into jalapeño poppers during foreplay) is sexting. The first thing people think of when they see that word is girls hopping up on the bathroom counter and taking mirror pictures of themselves contorted into a position that looks like they’re in Rack City. This does not have to be the case, especially if you’re worried about your nudies ending up on those sites you don’t want your parents to see.

You can get hot & bothered anywhere, anytime! No bathroom required! How convenient. Just got some lunch in Sears? Text your honey something like “Hey, you want 2 GRAB-IT later?” They’ll be working up a sweat just thinking about it. Going to class in the Wolstein Research Building? Let them know you’re thinking of them. “Hey, baby, I’d like to research your building later…if you know what I mean.” I am quite certain he or she will.

Put a little effort into being creative instead of using the same old come-ons again and again. Something that always struck me as odd is when a guy asks me what I’m wearing. Unless it’s nothing, why are you interested? Correction: unless it’s nothing, a bikini reminiscent of Princess Leia’s, or Padme’s ripped-up jumpsuit. But seriously, telling you about my fast-food-smeared band T-shirt and Star Wars pajama pants isn’t going to make your Millennium Falcon start any faster.

You need to keep in mind that sexting is a risk, though – especially if you are prone to accidentally texting the wrong person. This should go without saying, but apparently it doesn’t, so always double- triple- googol-check that you are sending your message to the intended recipient. You don’t want to end up telling your lab partner that you really liked his moves on the court Tuesday and are hoping for a 3-on-1 later tonight. No matter how good you think you may be at multitasking, I also would not recommend sexting more than two people at once because that could get tricky.

So next time, when you have a few minutes between classes, try some sexting with your significant other. Start subtle, and if they seem interested, go all out. Just make sure the “to” box says “Boyfriend,” not “Boy from computer lab with BO” and it could be the perfect way to end the day and start your after-hours.