I’ve never been one who does seasonal posts but I decided to try something different this time around and work with several different bloggers in the city to give you great content for this entire week!! To kick things off is the first part of my collaboration with local Male Fashion Writer- Ramir from EveryonesAModel !!!
Wanted to have some fun so we both answered the same set of questions ranging from gifts to dates to wants in conjunction with Valentines Day coming up! Now, we both don’t agree on everything, but there are some similarities and we hope you have as much fun reading our thoughts, as we have writing them.
Today we talk about GIFTS!! A common question that both sexes face come any holiday and here are Ramir’s answers! Have fun reading them and you can find my take on these questions on his blog following this link! Let us know whether you agree with our take on things and share some of your ideas too.
He Says, She Says by Ramir (EveryonesaModel)
First of all I would like to make things easier for everyone reading this article, I would try and create 3 different levels for a relationship and depending on what level the couple is on, then the degree of what each person should do for each other would vary.
Level 1 I Still getting to know each other and not boyfriend and girlfriend. So this is a couple that’s still on the dating phase and they have no official designation for their relationship yet.
Level 2 I Honeymoon phase relationship. I would categorize this as for couples who have been together for less than 1 year. They are still new and still getting to know new things about each other on a regular basis. They haven’t cycled through the whole season of the year yet.
Level 3 I Relationship that’s over 1 year. This is pretty straight-forward- A couple that has been together for over a year.
SHOULD WE EVEN CELEBRATE VALENTINES?
Here comes the cliche answer “everyday is Valentines day”. But for the sake of being reminded every single year that we should honour our partner and give in to consumerism which drives businesses = jobs, I’ll default to yes.
There’s a day for moms, there’s a day for dads, there’s a day for family, there’s pretty much a day for everything, so sure lets keep it consistent with a day for our partners or potential partners. One thing I would have to say though is that it’s a little bit one-sided when it comes to Valentines and it’s mainly the guy that spends more- for the dinner and other things during the day of Valentines.
I mean, I don’t mind spending the money but this is mainly popular all over the world. One cool fact that I learned from my other Asian friends, is that in other countries, Valentines day is actually a time for the girl to pamper the guy. This is popular in Japan and I think in South Korea as well. The time for the guy to pamper the girls is called “White Valentine” which falls under exactly a month after Valentines.
WHY CAN’T WE HAVE THIS IN NORTH AMERICA?!?!?!?!?!
GIFTS
What I would get for a girl:
Level 1:
(to be honest I really had to think about this one)
I think the safest would be to default to a bouquet of flowers in white and not red. White symbolizes purity, so to show that your intent is pure in nature, because red symbolizes passion. You are still getting to know each other so hold off on those urges guys. Don’t forget chocolates as well. That should always come hand-in-hand with flowers.
Level 2:
I would get her something more thoughtful and personal, by this time I should have a basic knowledge of what she likes and doesn’t like. Women are more emotional than men, so if you can tap in to a emotional gift, I truly think that’s a better way to go.
* Write her a short but sweet note on a card.
* Give her a gift that is not extravagant in price but big in thought. Maybe something that she would use on a regular basis. If she’s a big coffee drinker then get her a nice tumbler to hold her coffee. If she likes a certain scent of perfume, snoop around, ask her what her favourite perfume is and get her two of them. One big size for her house and one smaller one she can bring with her when she goes out.
Remember to put some thought into it. So when you give it to her you can actually have an explanation why you got her that gift and it will make her think that you do actually care and you pay attention to her.
Level 3:
Since you’ve been together for a while now, I would have to step up my game. But with this, I have more things in my arsenal as well. “Mixtape” is always something good, creating a playlist of songs that has certain meaning through our relationship that brings back memories, it could be sad and good. It’ll just make us cherish our relationship even more and to never forget what we have been through. A spa date would be nice, sharing a relaxing experience can never be bad. Go out of town for our actual valentines date. Rent a hotel room and make sure I have her favourite movie on stand by and watch it with her.
What I would like to get from a girl:
Level 1:
Just her undivided attention. I’m on a date with her and I’m giving her my undivided attention as well. I am sick of seeing people nowadays who always have their faces buried on their phone. While I’m on my Valentines date, I just want the focus to be on each other and nothing else. How am I supposed to get to know her more if she’s not 100% in the moment.
Level 2:
A personalized note. Honestly it’s one of the hardest things to do. We all work, we can all buy things but sharing what we feel and how someone makes us feel is sometimes a lot harder to do than buying an expensive gift. I would like to know how I make my partner feel. How she actually sees me and what certain things I do that make her heart skip a beat. This would really help to get our relationship to a higher level.
Level 3:
By this time she would get to know me a lot more. My passions, what I like to do on my down time and my geeky side. I can’t get enough techie gadgets, especially if its dealing with photography or just even cool toys. So something along those lines would be great but I know it would be hard for her because most people would think that I have everything that I need already. That’s what makes it a real challenge. Oh! I can’t believe I almost forgot this one, A HOME COOKED MEAL. It really is true ladies, “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” if you can pull that off, then you’re a winner! There’s something about it that just triggers “this girl is a keeper if she can cook a killer meal”.
Find my answers HERE!
Photo credits to the awesome – ED LAU
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Come back tomorrow for Part 2 of this Valentines Special as we take on the idea of dating and places to go for dates!
