The new fling
So you matched on Tinder a couple of months ago and things have been going well since. She likes the same music as you, she willingly came to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and generally you think she’s a pretty rad gal. But it’s still early days – you don’t want to come on too strong, but you also don’t want her to think you forgot Valentine’s Day. What to do?! First up, focus on the things you know you have in common, like music. Find her favourite album on vinyl, or if she doesn’t have a record player then load up an iPod shuffle with all of the songs you’ve vibed on together. If you’re keen to get to know her better, arrange an experience for you to share – buy tickets to a concert or festival, take her high roping or maybe sign both of you up to a challenge, like the upcoming ROC Race. Food is the way to a girl’s heart too – plan a romantic picnic with The Picnic Club or buy her a six-pack of fancy doughnuts from Doughnut Time or nodo donuts. If all else fails a surprise delivery is always a winner, such as a special Valentine’s care package from Caring Canary or a cute little posy from Little Mr. Bouqs.

Going steady
You want this girl to know you are for real. You’ve been together for a couple of years, you’ve toyed with the idea of buying a puppy together and your Facebook status is well and truly ‘in a relationship’, but you’ve still only shared a few Valentine’s Days. You need something personal, but still with a bit of a spark (which will hopefully lead to another kind of spark, if you catch my drift). Whisk her away for a romantic getaway – maybe The Atlantic at Byron Bay or glamping at Nightfall Wilderness Camp – or opt for a staycation at Spicers Balfour Hotel or The New Inchcolm Hotel and Suites here in Brisbane. Take her for a night out on the town, starting with a drink at a new bar, followed by a fancy dinner and late-night gelato. Need a little gift to slip in your pocket? Pick up a fine piece of Natalie Marie jewellery from Violent Green, a sparkly pair of earrings from Gorman or a cute Hermés twilly. Pamper her with a trip to One Wybelenna Day Spa, or do it yourself by running a soothing bath, filling the room with candles and giving her a stack of her favourite magazines – as cliche as it sounds, she will love it. You could even tell her she’s dynamite with a homemade bath bomb. And if you’re serious about that puppy, go ahead and adopt it!

The one
This is your girl. She might be your long-term lover, maybe she’s your wife, but either way, this girl is for keeps. You know her sometimes better than she knows herself – like suggesting she really wants burgers for dinner when only salad had crossed her mind. Now this of course can work to your advantage – but sometimes that also means that you’ve worked through every gift in the book. Our best advice? Keep it simple. If there is something you know she wants, just get it, she’s likely to love it just as much as a surprise. If there is a particular label she lusts after like Zimmermann, Scanlan Theodore or Lululemon, splash out on something she wouldn’t normally buy herself. The same goes for seemingly everyday items – upgrade her boring headphones or spoil her some non-beige, non-seamless, pretty but still-practical underwear. Gift her something pretty for your love nest, like linen sheets from Sheets on the Line, or some goodies from the new marble range at Kmart. If your home is full of material things, fill up a basket at The Stores West End or Sourced Grocer, cook her up a special feast with a nice cheese and bottle of wine, and snuggle up to watch that Netflix series you’ve been meaning to catch up on together. And you know what she will really love? A card. That tells her how much you love her. Because sometimes life gets crazy and we forget to say the things we mean.

Happy Valentine’s Day lovers!