West Hartford’s ‘The Date Doctor’ is now blogging on We-Ha.com! She’s also hosting a singles event on Monday, and details are provided below.

Submitted photo

By Jaimy Blazynski

Whether you are newly dating or have been married for 50 years, gift giving is something everyone has to consider. Although I will focus on relationships, these ideas will work for your kids, friends, family, and coworkers.

Some are naturally brilliant at buying gifts and they set the bar high. There is always one husband in the family or neighborhood that people admire what they give their wife each year.

Just because your partner isn’t great at gift giving doesn’t mean it is a measure of how much he loves you. Some of us are better at other things. I’ll bet that gift giving husband can’t gut your kitchen and bathroom.

Whatever your situation is I have a few tips to help you out.

1. Any time you are out throughout the year and your partner expresses an interest in something snap a picture. Wait until they turn around and aren’t looking and grab a quick shot with your phone. When the time comes to go shopping search through your old photos. You will come across things you had forgotten about. Your partner will be amazed that you remembered.
2. Listen to the things that your partner complains about. Do they hate cleaning the house? Are they sick of their hair style? Do they complain that they don’t have a set of matching wine glasses? They may not even realize they are dropping hints but these are great gift ideas.
3. Spy around the house and look for things they are running low on. Whether it is lotion, a bottle of alcohol, or favorite cooking products. It may seem a little senseless but saving them the trouble of running out to replenish their supply is a nice treat.
4. Learn about their favorite foods. Think about food that we don’t buy on a typical trip to the grocery store. My son loves to experiment making coffee and tea. I ordered some syrups from Starbucks and he was thrilled.
5. A little creativity goes a long way. Grab a kid’s book about love that reminds you of your relationship. Cut and paste pictures of you and your partner over the character’s heads in the book. This is cute on a greeting card as well. Frame a picture of the two of you doing something memorable. You can grab a couple of paint markers at any craft store and personalize the frame with a date and special quote. I always have a blast creating videos of my family on jibjab.com. Your loved ones will laugh and appreciate the time you put in to personalizing a special gift.

Try not to stress out. When someone really loves you they will accept that gift giving might not be your specialty. They will appreciate your effort especially if you follow some of these tips.

Join singles at Arugula in West Hartford on Dec. 29, 2014 for a last chance to meet your match before the New Year’s ball drops. Singles Mingle and Jingle includes live music, great appetizers, games, prizes and amazing singles! Register today atwww.got5minutes.com.

To learn more about dating and relationships visit www.got5minutes.com.