Guys, let me help you out...even if a girl says she doesn't want gifts....SHE DOES..SERIOUSLY...

Occasion: Your very first date

1. Think flowers — but with a modern twist.   Steer clear of clichéd bouquets (red roses will make you look hopelessly   uncreative) and show up bearing just a few parrot tulips, which look like regular   tulips except they’re striped with vibrant colors, or you could choose   a single rose in a nontraditional hue, like orange, lavender or hot pink.

2. Try a bouquet à la carte. An armful of   flowers won’t fly if you’re meeting her somewhere in public, but that   doesn’t mean you have to show up empty-handed. Bring a few sprigs of jasmine   tied together with a bow; they don’t require water, and they are subtle   enough to leave on the table during dinner. When they dry, they’ll give   off a delicious scent that’ll keep you on her mind 24/7.

  Occasion: After you’ve gone on a few dates

1. Prove you’ve paid attention to her likes and   dislikes with a media-based gift. Score major points by getting her something   tangentially related to whatever she’s voiced an interest in. If she’s   mentioned her love for horses, modern art or Katharine Hepburn, for example,   find a book on that topic. For offbeat options, go to Argosybooks.com for books   or Othermusic.com for rare albums, CDs or to create your own personal soundtrack   just for her.

2. Spring a handwritten love note on her when she least   expects it. Any sweet nothing you write on an actual piece of paper will   sound romantic if she stumbles across it by surprise. So, try slipping a card   saying “Right now I’m missing you” in her coat pocket or laptop   bag before you part ways for the night.

3. Keep her favorite snack or treat handy to surprise   her with when you’re together. At this stage, dropping tons of dough   or getting her something too personal (i.e., clothes or household items) will   look like you’re trying too hard to impress or stake your claim on her,   which can be jarring. Tiny gifts will pack more punch.

Occasion: You’re officially a couple

1. Write yourself into her future. This little   gesture won’t cost you a thing, and yet she’ll be raving about it   to her friends the very next day. When she’s not looking, grab her wall   or desk calendar and a pen. Enter a few things she’ll stumble across in   the coming days that will make her smile, whether that’s “It’s   our one-month anniversary, let’s celebrate!” or “Save this day   for you and me.” (Note: If she uses her smartphone for everything, this   one could be tough to pull off; avoid snooping into anything that’s password-protected   at all costs.)

2. Start stocking up on the little things she usually   needs at your place. If she’s started to spend nights over regularly,   show her that she’s welcome by keeping an assortment of things she loves   handy, like her favorite tea for those lazy mornings when you brunch together.   Or, ceremoniously clear a shelf in your bathroom cabinet or a dresser drawer,   prop a card in there saying “this is all yours”... and then tell her   to open it.

  Occasion: Your first holiday, birthday or anniversary after becoming exclusive

1. Pick out something for her home that has a special   meaning for your relationship. She’ll be touched because a gift   for her home implies that you plan to spend lots of time there with her, and   respect her tastes and preferences. “I’m crazy about Japanese food,   and one night Matt said he was bringing it over to my place for dinner,”   says Melissa Brooks, 26. “He arrived with sushi, along with a whole set   of beautiful Japanese dishes, like sushi trays, soy sauce dishes, sake cups   and fancy chopsticks.” Your girlfriend doesn’t dig sushi? Serve up   her favorite foods on a set of the latest designer dishes at Crateandbarrel.com,   or prove that you’re looking forward to spending lots of cozy couch time   at her place by gifting her with a subscription to Netflix.com.

  2. Frame a memento from your romantic past. Take a token from your time   together thus far — say, the ticket stub from the concert you went to on   your second date or the cover of a menu from the fancy restaurant where you   asked her to become exclusive — and have it professionally framed. It’ll   remind her that you think your relationship is special enough to preserve and   show off your sentimental side.