Aw, goddamn it. It’s almost Valentine’s Day.

Yes, it’s understandable if you’re dreading February 14th. Restaurants are crowded, expectations are high, and the Hallmarkiness of the holiday in itself is annoying. Plus, depending on how long you’ve been together, it can be tough to know exactly how you should be marking the occasion. For instance, if you’ve only been dating for a couple of months, do you even get her a Valentine’s Day gift? Answer: Hell, yes. That said, her expectations for presents aren’t going to be the same if you’ve been together for a couple of months versus a couple of years. So to help you finally ace the whole Valentine’s Day gift giving thing, we’ve broken it down for you. All you need to do is follow our suggestions … and maybe throw in some flowers for good measure.

IF YOU’VE BEEN DATING ONE TO THREE MONTHS …

Dating a woman right before Valentine’s Day makes for tricky gift giving. You should try to be sweet but low-key, and you can’t go wrong with a batch of homemade red velvet cupcakes. With this easy mix from legendary cupcake shop Sprinkles ($14.95), she’ll never guess you didn’t make them from scratch.

Or you can go with a red current berry-scented candle set ($24) in a votive holder that’s made from chalkboard. Why? So you can write a thoughtful note before you wrap it up, and then earn bonus points by penning a new message while you’re sleeping over at her place.

TAGS: gift guide, gifts, Valentine's Day, Valentines Day gifts