Holidays

Dating around the holidays adds another layer to your growing relationship. Not only are there multiple families and obligations involved, but you want to spend time with your partner at this special time of the year. Buying gifts, snuggling by the fire – there’s plenty of time for every obligation. You just need to sit down and plan with your partner so that no one feels left out and obligations are out on the table.

Who needs to be where? You both have families and traditional things you do around the holidays. Sit down and talk with your partner about who needs to be where so that you know if you’re going to take the leap and travel together or plan to have your own time and then visit with families separately. If your relationship is newer, maybe you’re not ready to “meet the parents” yet. Save yourself the headache of pushing a premature meeting by being open and honest with your partner about your feelings and expectations. It’s a time to celebrate – not argue!

Matchmaking service It's Just Lunch released the results of a poll which looks at dating, the economy and the holidays. Over 7,500 people participated in the poll which had 9 questions. Among other things the poll asked singles at what point in the relationship is it appropriate to give a gift and how much should you spend on a gift. 42 percent of voters thought a gift is warranted this holiday season if you have been dating for at least a month and 43 percent of the voters thought this gift should be worth between $25 and $100.

For more information on this matchmaking service, read our It's Just Lunch Review.

ChristianCafe.com have currently reduce their memberships prices by up to 25% this month for the Christmas season. This means you will receive:

• $10 off a 3 month membership.
• $20 off a 6 month membership.
• $20 off a 12 month membership.

Now is the time to sign up to find Christian singles near you. If you have a friend who you think may be interested in this online dating service, gift memberships are also available. Read our ChristianCafe.com Review for more information on this dating site.

The time has come to celebrate our Irish roots once again! Don't have Irish roots? Celebrate them anyway! Come drink a pint of beer or two and enjoy some corned beef (we'll call the cabbage optional). Whether you are a man or woman, there are lots of ways to put on your Irish game face and have some sexy fun on Saint Patty's Day.

For Men

• If you want your lady to dress up, maybe you should start it. Buy her the sexy green negligee you want her to wear, and pick up a pair of sexy green undies for yourself as well.
• If you can cook at all, learn how to prepare an Irish feast. Bonus points if you cook naked, or wearing only an apron.

For Women

• Buy a sexy green dress and flaunt it for him. You know he wants you!
• Color your down-there hair green for a sexy surprise that will have him laughing, or paint a shamrock somewhere naughty for him to find.
• Actually wear the green negligee he bought you. He did go to all that effort!

For Couples

• Some whipped cream in a bowl and some green food dye makes body paint. Write sexy messages on each other's bodies, or just take turns drawing shamrocks and licking them off. Be careful around the face, though, as the dye might sometimes stick around for a few days.
• Put on some Irish music and listen to it together. If you like it, enjoy it, and if not, well, enjoy making fun of it as a couple.
• Four words: Kiss me, I'm Irish!
• Some Irish whiskey or some delicious gourmet chocolates might be just the thing to loosen you up for the evening.
• Kiss every time you see a shamrock!

With these tips and tricks and a little effort and creativity on your part, you can make this Saint Patrick's Day one that is full of sex and romance for the both of you. Get back to your roots and have a little fun as well, and you will have a great day for the both of you to remember.

If you really love the way that this year turns out, you can even turn Saint Patrick's Day into a romantic tradition for the both of you!

It's been drummed into us since an early age that when it comes to gifts, 'It's the thought that counts'. Wrong! Sometimes the only thing you can think when presented with a weird (or weirdly inappropriate) gift, is "What the heck were they thinking?"

Here's a look at some all-too-common holiday gift giving blunders and what your sweetie really thought of your selection despite that strained smile on his/her face.

You Gave Her: Kitchen Gadgets

Where you went wrong : Sure you might have heard your girlfriend complain a million times about needing this thingy or that doodad in the kitchen, but guys, this was not your cue to whip out to a housewares store and buy her a new-fangled silicon oven mitt or any other kind of kitchen gadget. "I love anything to do with cooking, but it's the last thing I want to get as a gift from a lover. How dull," says Tessa. Buying her something she needs , especially of a domestic nature, is tantamount to telling her to get back in the kitchen and bake you a pie.

You Gave Him: A Subtle Hint

Where you went wrong : Girls, all guys want is for you to love and appreciate them -- as they are. Why, then, would you go and ruin Christmas with a gift that shouts 'I want to change you!' Yes, he was speechless when you handed him that voucher for a full back wax -- but the look wasn't gratitude, it was horror. "My girlfriend once gave me a gift voucher for a facial. Yeah, I went along and yeah, I kind of enjoyed it. But what was I supposed to tell my friends? It was pretty embarrassing," admits Adrian.

You Gave Her: Health or Fitness Products

Where you went wrong : There was only one thought running through your lady's head as she unwrapped this stealth bomb on Christmas morning -- and it wasn't 'My, what a thoughtful gift.' Guys, no matter how 'into' health or well-being your loved one is, a giving a fitness DVD, workout gear or anything at all to do with weight loss is gift-giving kiss of death. "An ex once gave me a meditation CD saying that he thought it might help. Might help what?" says Carla.

You Gave Him: Underwear

Where you went wrong : If you gave your man a six-pack of tube socks and some boxers this Christmas, you've basically ensured he will never find you sexually attractive ever again. Why? Because for him, socks and underwear are eternally associated with Mom. And now, at least in his mind, that's what you've become. "Socks and undies are probably the most unoriginal present ever. But hey, at least then I don't have to buy them myself," says Alex.

You Gave Her: Lingerie

Where you went wrong : Unless your partner explicitly pointed out/tried on and loved a particular lingerie ensemble, whatever you selected was wrong, wrong, wrong. Wrong size? She felt like you didn't know her at all. Wrong style? She wondered whether you thought she was too trampy. Or not trampy enough. "My boyfriend always misses the mark when he buys me underwear. I just tell him it didn't fit properly, then swap it for something I really like," says Lisa. Next time, if you must buy lingerie, give her a gift certificate to an expensive underwear store and offer to go shopping with her. That way you both win.

You Gave Him: Fancy Clothes

Where you went wrong : Upgrading your man's wardrobe under the guise of giving him a gift sends him into a spiral of self-doubt. He wasn't thinking "What a stylish piece," when he unwrapped the Burberry shirt you gave him. He was thinking, 'I don't earn enough.' "This one girl I dated was always buying me T-shirts with logos plastered across them. I hate wearing labels -- I guess she didn't really know me that well," says Warren.

If you spotted yourself --- or your sweetie -- on this list, console yourself with this notion: there's always next year.