You can’t give your girlfriend an unforgettable birthday if you forget her birthday. If you don’t know it, ask her. Proper birthday planning doesn’t happen the night before, and you’ll never even know it’s the night before if you don’t ask. You want advance warning for the preparations you should undertake. This should go without saying when it comes to maintaining a healthy relationship and being a functional conversationalist for your partner, but double down when her birthday draws near. The most obvious of hints will be missed without effort.   While you’re shopping together, guess what! She will talk about things she likes. Start a list using the notes function on your smartphone, or keep a small notebook in your bookbag (do be discrete when writing in it, though). Hints can come while you’re both vegging out on the couch idly surfing the web or halfway-watching Netflix. If she’s got her iPad or phone open, keep an ear out for stray comments with gift potential. This extends out of the realm of gifts, as well. Only by actively listening could you know, for example, that your girlfriend hates surprise parties because she was savagely ridiculed by her best friends at one in the tenth grade about the print of her pajamas and it would be a terrible idea to plan such a thing for her today. Don’t assume she will like something because you like something. Even if it's just a few of you hanging around during lunch, she's more inclined to speak freely about interests of hers that she thinks you're not interested in hearing about. Don't let these freely given gift ideas (or opinions which could warn you away from bad gift ideas) go to waste! She is, of course, under no obligation to directly tell you what she wants, but simply asking is a straightforward solution which can leave both parties happier.  If she says she doesn’t want anything, it doesn’t mean “literally don’t do anything.” Small gestures like cooking dinner, or crafts which commemorate your time together can be appreciated even if she doesn’t want a big gift. If she doesn’t want an event, how about spending a quiet night in with just the two of you? It is not recommended to ignore any expressed wishes limiting how much to spend, especially after asking for her input. Thinking “spending more = better gift” is a common mistake when it comes to gift-giving, especially in the early stages of a relationship.   While expressing a want opens a person up to disappointment if they don’t receive the desired gift, don’t be discouraged if you can’t fulfill your partner’s first choice. If they want something presently unattainable for you, however, pursue entirely different gift avenues rather than settling for a less ideal version of those limited edition sneakers or that Tom Ford perfume. This social media platform exists to pin images of things users like. Simply put, if your girlfriend has one and you’re struggling for gift ideas, look to her Pinterest. While a little online recon can provide great ideas, never use this as an excuse to invade your girlfriend's privacy. Respecting boundaries is always important. What’s appropriate for the girl you asked out in homeroom two days ago won’t be appropriate for your girlfriend of four years whom you share a dorm with, and vice versa. Take the length of the relationship and the level of intimacy into account when handling your significant other’s birthday. Coming on too strong is another of those common mistakes for a new relationship.  Planning out an entire evening of festivities might not be the best bet for newbies, but be communicative, and let her know that you’re thinking of her during her day. Texts or a couple old-fashioned, handwritten notes passed back and forth can accomplish this goal.
حدِّد اليوم على التقويم الخاص بك. أنصِت إليها باهتمام. انتبه عند تواجدها مع أصدقائها. اسألها عما تريد. تفحص تطبيق بينتريست الخاص بها. حدِّد نوع ارتباطكما معًا.