Relationships

How to Celebrate Your Semi-Labeled Love Affair

kissWe have all had that friend in high school or early college who seemed so deluded by their exaltation of their new flame, that they just couldn't wait to celebrate their three and three-quarter month anniversary. They poured over text messages, toiled over ticket stubs and spent their entire allowance on a shrine to a love that everyone with a lick of common sense knew would fizzle faster than a sack of pop rocks.

Now those days are over. Defining milestones is a bit more difficult. You don't want to be "that guy/girl" who goes overboard on someone you're just casually dating, nor do you want to make your “sig. oth.” feel looked over. The happy medium is showing you care without painting a more or less serious portrait of the relationship than you'd like. If you're not married and the line of when you started dating is a bit grey— then it's best to base it off of one of your favorite early memories of being together, or even make some fun new personal ones.When the approximate date arrives, you can't lose as long as you’re slightly prepared and you do something clever like. . .

The Simple Show of Affection: for ‘Maybe The One,’ It’s Too Early to Tell But Too Late to Ignore

A generic Hallmark card won't do the trick here. It's not personal enough. You don't want to launch 10 thousand ships, but the simple act of sending flowers to her work will do quite nicely. Preferably send her favorite flower, even better if it's a non-cliché flower like Daffodils or Sunflowers.

Or, maybe he likes pocket knives— find a rare one on ebay and have it waiting for him (you don't even have to wrap it). Think about his favorite childhood pastimes, comic books? GI Joe action figures? A basketball anthology perhaps? This sort of gift shows you pay attention to what matters to him— without expectation of something grandeur.

The Clever Ruse: You’re Definitely Into Them, You Want to Flex Your Awesome Muscles

This tactic has to be very carefully carried out. You have to play it off like you hadn't thought of a thing, and you might get some initial frustration, but when they realize you spent time creating a concept, doing the research and putting it together, you'll be the guest of honor in their heart.

The clever ruse can be a scavenger hunt set up in your/their home, little cards with clues leading them to the next location and each location contains a small token of your time together or their favorite [fill in the blank] (candy, fragrance, record, snack, DVD, etc . . .) the brilliant part of this is that you can flex your creative muscles without spending more than a few dollars. Experiences are priceless, and when they're tailored to your boy/girlfriend, even the most lavish of gifts often pales in comparison.

The Hipster's Retreat: It’s Time To Step Up and Explore Other Comfort Zones

We all dream of island hopping in the Seychelles or going on an adventure tour of the Australian Outback, but that's not in the cards for most of us. There are, however, equally special ways to give your love du jour a mini-vacation they won't soon forget. Exploring the little nooks and crannies of your state can often make the most unforgettable memories.

Exploring campsites in your area almost always ends in laugh-worthy stories, "The tent fell down in the middle of the night, so we made a love fort," or "you wouldn't believe what happens when you offer a marshmallow to a porcupine." Plus you get the beauty of the great outdoors, which is priceless. If camping isn't your thing, almost every state has a winery that's just begging to be visited, which you can find on this site (it looks like it hasn't been updated since 1998, but that makes it even more charming). Most states also have endearing little historical landmarks you can explore together. In Northern Minnesota you can visit the town where Jesse James was defeated in. In Beaufort, South Carolina, you can visit a kazoo factory. The world really is your oyster, just don't ruin it by being generic.

If you have any questions, please ask below!