By Martini Amour
Happy early Valentine’s Day my lovely friends. I’m giving out the ultimate holiday buying guide for the collegiate love life. We all have those scenarios that dwell without titles and without specific guidelines. And as Valentine’s Day comes around, many of those “relationships” are made or broken by the gifts you buy.
For the girlfriend or boyfriend of one to three months, how precious, you’ve actually reached the stage with a title and made it past two weeks. This gift, gentlemen, will define to the woman exactly how you feel about her and where you want this young romance to grow. If you think, in some warped way, that you’ve found your soul mate, then go out and splurge. We all know those annoying couples who had been “seeing” each other for months before they suited up to be in a relationship. It’s too soon for jewelry, and never a good time for clothing.
Men, do not buy your girlfriend clothes unless you’ve been married for 40 years. You never know how something’s going to fit and you don’t want her to get self-conscious. Perfume is always good, it shows a little more thought. Also ladies, if you’re buying for your new boyfriend, this is still a good cologne stage. Just be warned that you’ll never be able to smell that scent again if you break up, so do yourself a favor and don’t get him your favorite. Throw in a J. Crew sweater, or some clothing element, because guys normally need help in that area and his mother will love you.
For the girlfriend or boyfriend of three to six months, you both deserve a yacht for making it this far. Men, now is the moment to splurge and get the jewelry. The good thing about it is, depending on your financial state, you can get a nice piece of jewelry for a low amount of money, and she’ll still love you for it. Or if you’re big time, Tiffany’s is good, never underestimate the power of the little blue box. Jewelry is important, because it is a staple in romantic culture. Every time she looks at it, or puts it on, she’ll think of you. Not to mention, the moment Aunt Geraldine gets a look at it, she’ll have the opportunity to talk about you.
Now ladies, men are incredibly difficult to buy for. Thank goodness for the invention of electronics. Electronics to men are like diamonds to women. An iPOD, or some weird attachment to something they have will make them happy. This way, you know what they really want, and it’s not something they’ll throw in the back of the closet.
For the girlfriend or boyfriend of over six months, if you’ve been together this long, chances are you’ve at least been through a birthday already, and if longer, even a Valentine’s Day. In either case, you’ve lost your virginity for buying that significant other a gift and can note how perfectly or how badly that experience went. This is when you need to step up and do something or buy something they would never expect you to.
I have seen many occasions in which long-term couples go out and buy each other sweaters, DVDs and car washes. Do not get them things you know are on their Wal-Mart “to get list” or a “movie they liked.” You should know this person inside and out by now, and while your relationship may be comfortable, take the holidays to spice it up. Think way back now, to something that he or she mentioned that they love.
Concert or game tickets are a great idea, because the experience lasts longer than the opening of the package. You get the opportunity to share something with them that they love, and it truly shows that you care about them. At this point, it is all about the element of surprise.
No matter how long you are together, surprise is the key to a good present. The worst thing you can do is being predictable. Do the unexpected, buy her the Coach bag you know she wants but can’t afford, or buy him the framed
Allen Iverson autographed picture. Give them butterflies all over again.
The boy or girl you’ve been seeing and want to be with is the situation I love. We’ve all been in them, and the holidays are the time to define them. If you’ve been casually seeing someone for a period of time, now is the opportunity to bring it to the next level. Guys, I’m giving you the coveted secret of getting a girl to want you as a boyfriend: Build A Bear.
It sounds cheesy, I know, but it shows thought. The key to the bear, horse or cat, whatever it may be, is to record a message. Tell her something sweet, even propose the relationship question. The best part is that all of her friends will fall in love with you.
Ladies, this is harder for you. You don’t want to come off like you care more about him than he does about you, but you still want to be equal if he goes the romantic route. After having a conference with my good friend Shawn, he gave some amazing suggestions for what a guy would take as a nice gift.
“You generally want to surprise them to let them know that you were thinking about them when they didn’t think you were. The gift should be casual, however thoughtful, and should have obvious insight into what you decided to get,” he said.
Designer cologne again, a Lacoste shirt, something that shows a cost involvement but isn’t a tattoo with their name on you.
The hook up is the most difficult one. If you are a booty call to each other, should you buy a gift or does it just send mix messages? If you’re content with your arrangement and don’t want to make it any more complicated, then perhaps just offer to go to dinner together or something.
Twenty-one-year-old Alex suggested.,”A coupon book with one free massage or one free night of uninhibited, crazy sex. That’s kind of cute, cheap, easy and not too committal.”
Let me let you in on a little secret. Whatever you buy for the other person, they will read into it, their friends and family will read into it and everyone will try and decipher what it means. Don’t make gifts complicated if you don’t want complication in the casual relationship. But if you’re taking the opportunity to show the other person that you really do care about them, never forget that making something on top of buying is always well received. These gifts are between the two of you, so make them as special as you see that other person.