Love is in the Air

What Women Want
By Diana Seif

"It’s an occasion causing the market to be saturated with a plethora of heart-shaped, cutesy, not-so-worth-it products available for purchase for your loved ones.

Mushy, lovey-dovey propaganda is an element of this holiday many men tend to ignore. However, if you’re smart, you will give up the fight and let it siphon you against your will.

You see, just because you may not buy into the hype doesn’t mean your girlfriend feels the same, and it doesn’t give you permission to fail in fulfilling your romantic duties.

In order to avoid all Valentine’s Day mishaps, you must learn some valuable lessons I call “Charming a Woman 101.”

First and foremost, understand that if all is handled well, you will reap many benefits; your efforts will surely not be made in vain. However, if all is handled poorly, your lady will welcome you to the doghouse.

With that said, I begin by telling you the key to a successful V-Day event: effort! A little goes a long way.

Now, don’t go thinking that giving your lady a plush toy holding a bag of candy hearts will do. This was pleasing when we were 10, but we are adults now and would like to receive more meaningful, thoughtful gifts.

Keep her likes and dislikes in mind when searching for that perfect present. For instance, if you’re considering chocolate, make sure she likes chocolate to begin with. Then think of her favorite brand or ingredient. Please steer clear from those cheesy, generic boxes of chocolate with fake lace and Elvis velvet. Get a simple box with a sophisticated look, such as one wrapped with ribbon.

Next, you could buy some flowers, but prior to your purchase, make sure she’s not allergic. Think of her favorite. If you don’t know what that is, you can stick with the traditional bouquet of roses, however, I would recommend getting a color that is rare—such as pink or yellow—to differentiate between the easily accessible, traditional color of red. The effort you put into tailoring a rather simple gift to your mate’s personal taste will be appreciated.

Brunch or dinner is another great idea. Make reservations ahead of time for her favorite restaurant. If that fails, be creative. The most desired alternative is to get a little domestic: throw on an apron, get in the kitchen and whip up her favorite meal.

They say food is the way to a man’s heart, but the same goes for women as well.

And last, but certainly not least, there is a category that I like to call “Miscellaneous Gifts.” Think of something your lady has been wanting: maybe concert tickets, or that little black dress she has been admiring from afar.

Again, be creative and show that you’ve paid attention to her wants and needs.

All in all, this holiday allows you to show your love, admiration and appreciation for the ones you love. Don’t screw it up this year!"

What Men Expect
By Ben Kinzel

"As Valentine’s Day rapidly approaches, many of us men scramble for last minute ideas for what to do or get for our significant others.

We understand how important of a day it is for women and that the choices we make on that day will directly affect our personal happiness for the next couple of weeks. As I was thinking about this pressure that gets put on men, I pondered, “Do women feel the same pressure?”

Some women do not do anything for their men on Valentine’s Day, but since it is 2005, most do. And if you are in that small group of women who don’t, get off your butt and do something, your man will appreciate it. To those women who really want to do something nice for their significant other this Valentine’s Day but are lost, I will try to give you a few pointers to help you understand what men really want.

Guys do not need anything materialistic. We understand that flowers die and chocolate gets eaten; we see these items as a waste. You do not need to go to a store to buy us a specific present like many of us do for you.

Men will appreciate the small things you do for them. If you go out to dinner with your boyfriend on Valentine’s Day, pay for your half. Of course on your first offer he will refuse, but force him to take the money.

In most relationships, the man pays for almost everything; get some initiative and pay for yourself this one time.

While you are at this one dinner, make sure you two have a great conversation. By a great conversation I do not mean you telling him about the tragedy you had this morning when you realized your eye shadow and your belt were one shade off. Men do not want to hear about the drama between you and your friends, the new Louis Vuitton bag you need or how happy you are that the new season of “Newlyweds” has finally begun.

Talk about something that interests you both, or maybe even ask him what he wants to talk about. Compliment your boyfriend. Women seem to be great at hearing how good they are, but then forget to return compliments. You are with this guy for a reason, there are obviously things you like about him, just let him know some.

When your boyfriend gives you a present, smile and say “thank you.” I don’t care if it is the most idiotic thing you have ever seen; he spent time thinking about you and went and spent his hard-earned money on you, so be gracious.

More than likely you will end up at one of your places after this dinner. All I am going say about this one is let your boyfriend truly know how special he is; you have 364 other days in the year to deny him, don’t do it on Feb. 14. These are just a few ideas for an enjoyable Valentine’s Day.

Women of Cal Poly, remember: Valentine’s Day is an important day in a relationship for both people, not just you. Show your boyfriend just how important he is to you on this special day."



[Those 2 articles are taken from the Poly Post, that's Cal Poly's newspaper for you who don't know. After reading those articles, I realized how materialistics we, women, are. Well, at least I feel that way. Honestly, I love it when my boyfriend buys me presents, especially those "Just Because" presents. Just like many other women, for some special holidays, I do expect presents from my boyfriend.

Is that a wrong thing to do?

I would say maybe. If the other person don't mind buying all of those things for me, then maybe it's not so wrong. Sounds like I'm defending myself, huh? =)

Anyway, it might be a great idea if this year that instead of going out for dinner for Valentine's Day, I'll cook for my boyfriend and have a surprise candle light dinner at home.

Women are not the only one who like to be surprised, I assume that men do too.]