seasonal

Take your girlfriend/boyfriend on a picnic somewhere in the mountains or by the beach or at a nice park. Place a card for her/him inside the basket and have her/him open the basket so he/she can see the card. Guys: Or, at the end of the meal, surprise her with a flower, either a rose, a daisy, or a sunflower, something simple but cute.

A card...if you can't afford much, at least buy a card. It's personal and sweet, it shows thought. At the same time, only get just a card for a birthday or holiday if you really don't have a lot of money, if you can afford to get him or her something else little, get it, cause you could come off as cheap, but everyday cards by themselvews are great!

If you're crafty, cross-stitch or make an ornament. Include a picture of the two of you in the ornament.

Plan a full day with your special someone, take him or her out to their favorite amusment park and to their favorite place for dinner.

Buy him or her tickets to their favorite sporting event and sports team or to a show (musical, concert, etc).

#1 thing to always remember before going out and buying a gift - pay attention! Guys especially have a hard time with this. If he or she points something out that they like when shopping or mentions something they would kind of like or need, make a mental note of it, even if it's way before Christmas. Write it down to remember it if you have to. Also, pay attention to what he or she doesn't like or already has, you don't want to make that mistake!

Gift certificates aren't usually the best idea, you might think they are the safe way to go, but depending on the guy or girl, they may find it too impersonal.

For girls, things like Bath and Body Works baskets can be nice, but at the same time, make sure they are into that type of stuff. If they don't seem to be or you're not sure, get something else.

If you remember a special time or place you two had or went together get him or her something that might remind him or her of that time. Could be something that may be kind of funny (inside joke between the two of you), or something sweet and romantic and attach a little note with it to remind him or her what the gift stands for.

Try to stay away from generic gifts like boxes of candy. Those are good for families that maybe you don't know really well, but for your other half, it may seem too impersonal, unless you buy a type of candy he or she really enjoys and maybe something else little and more personal to go with it.

Make a tape or burn a CD with a bunch of romantic songs on it, songs that remind you of him or her, or songs you know she or he will really enjoy.

Create some type of video tape starring you. It could be as ridiculous or as romantic as you like. For instance, dance for him or her on it to make it funny, or just list reasons why you like him or her (especially good for someone that maybe doesn't live close by).

Get him or her one of those cute romantic games, and play it with him or her! If he or she likes board games or puzzles, buy one and make sure to help her or him put the puzzle together or play the game with him or her later.

Use these ideas for birthdays, holdiays, or anytime you feel like giving your girl or boy a little surprise. We'll add more ideas as we come up with them. Give us your ideas as well and we'll post them!