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You’ve only been dating your girlfriend for a few months now. You are right on the cusp of the “getting to know each other” and the committed relationship phase. You do want to get her something special as a gift, but you have no idea what. Fear not! Here are some Christmas gift ideas that may have not crossed your mind. 

• A Christmas card. This is a safe option for a girlfriend you’ve just started going out with because let’s face it, you don’t know each other well enough to get any sort of personal gift. Now I don’t mean just any Christmas card where you just sign your name. Make this a personalized Christmas card and let her know how you feel. At least three to five sentences. You want it to be personal. 
• A personalized item. There are plenty of businesses now that offer affordable, personalized gifts. Does she love to write? Get her a monogrammed journal. Is she a music fanatic? How about a personalized protective case? Or maybe she told you she always wanted her own name plate necklace. There are many affordable options out there. Try to think out of the box and get her something you know she will use and enjoy.
• Something that signifies a memorable moment. Get her a gift that is part of a special moment you’ve shared. Was your first date at the local pastry shop? Why not make her a basket of some of their best treats? Did you spend the day at a park or museum? Why not get a trinket from the souvenir shop? It’s a sweet gesture to recreate a moment you experienced with each other. Did I also mention it will definitely make her swoon?
• An item that she’s mentioned in passing. Has she mentioned that her favorite scarf got destroyed by her dog? Or perhaps she was running low on her favorite perfume. What’s often frustrating for many men is figuring out what their girlfriend will like. Unless you are extremely detailed oriented, you are not going to know that she prefers perfumes with citrus notes. So when she tells you that she likes a particular scent, it’s the perfect opportunity to purchase it as a gift. It’s not the most creative but it displays that you listen to her and pay extra attention to her needs, which just makes her fall in love with you even more.
• A gift card or gift certificate. I know, how unromantic, but when all else fails, sometimes this is your safest bet. You can rest easy that she will use the gift card to get herself something she really wants or needs. If you do want to make it a little more personal, you can always get her something small, like a box of her favourite sweets.

Good luck on your quest!

Many women can overthink themselves into a frenzy when trying to figure out what to get their new boyfriend for Christmas. What if I told you that getting a Christmas gift for your new boyfriend isn’t as hard as you think it is? When it comes to getting the right Christmas present for your new man, you just need to be thoughtful, not too overzealous, and semi-personal. You don’t want to be over the top and buy an expensive gift when you two aren’t in a fully committed relationship yet. If you are still stumped as to what to get him for Christmas, here are five gift ideas that will surely put a smile on his face.

1. Delicious treats. Is your new boyfriend a self-proclaimed foodie? Why not make him your favorite cookie recipe? You can decoratively wrap and package it to add even more of a personal touch. You can go a step further and buy a bottle of vino to pair with your treat. Just don’t go overboard on the budget. If you can’t cook to save your life, perhaps plan out a tasting at your local brewery. It will be a fun date you both can look forward to.
2. Get him something useful. When I mean something useful, I mean something that he needs. Perhaps you’ve heard him complaining about how cold his hands are even with his gloves on. Why not get him an affordable pair of wool or leather gloves? Or may you’ve noticed that his phone case or wallet is in shambles. These small items are affordable and can even be personalized if you want to add that extra touch. He’ll be grateful you’ve been paying attention to his needs.
3. Appeal to his techie side. Why not get him a Google or iTunes gift card? Or perhaps he loves taking photos with his phone. Appeal to his inner photographer by purchasing attachable camera lenses for his phone. You want your gift to be creative and unique, not expensive. If you think he has everything he needs in this aspect, you can always get him a gift card to his favorite store so he can pick out something he may need later on.
4. Feed his inner cinema-phile. If you and your new boyfriend love binge watching movies together, why not gift him a subscription to Hulu Plus or Netflix? It not only benefits him, but it also allows you to enjoy the array of movies. Movie-thon anyone?
5. Appeal to his gamer side. Does your boyfriend love video games? Why not purchase a year of an elite membership for whatever console he has? Or if you want to get a little more creative, you could even make a gift set filled with gamer themed goodies such as t-shirts, figures, mugs, the list goes on. Get creative and see where it goes!

Remember to be creative and personal. Try not to think too conventionally and just have fun. You may even surprise yourself at what a great Christmas present you will find for him.

If you have friends and family who love sweets, why not try this tasty recipe for your holiday get-together? This is something you can whip up the night before your event so it’s one less you thing you have to worry about. The only thing you have to worry about is being asked to make this pie every year after!

Filling:

• A cup of dried fruit: cranberries, cherries, raisins (regular or golden), and apricots.
• ¾ cup of granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached is fine)
• 3 teaspoons of lemon peel, finely shredded
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 4 cups of Granny Smith apples (peeled, and sliced thin)
• 4 cups of your choice of red apples (Fuji or McIntosh, peeled and sliced thin)
• Light cream or half-n-half
• Granulated sugar

Pastry Dough:

• 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)
• ¾ teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter (cold, and diced into cubes)
• 1/3 cup shortening (diced as well)
• 7 to 8 tablespoons of ice cold water

Recipe:

1. In a large mixing bowl, place together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and sugar) and stir. If you have not, dice up the butter and shortening into small cubes, a pastry mixer or blender might make this faster and then add to the dry ingredients. Slowly add one tablespoon of water at a time. Do not add the next tablespoon until all the water has been absorbed. Repeat until the dough as become moist and then divide it in half. Knead the dough until there are no air bubbles and a dough ball forms. From there cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Place all your dried fruit in a bowl and add enough boiling water to cover the fruit. Let it stand for five minutes and then drain the water.
4. In another large mixing bowl, add flour, ¾ cup of sugar, cinnamon powder, lemon peel, and salt. Mix. Then stir in both the apples and the rehydrated dried fruit.
5. Flour a clean surface and roll out your pastry dough. One dough ball should be rolled into a 12 inch circle (large enough to fit into a 9-inch pie dish). Place the dough into the dish and then transfer the fruit filling. Trim any excess of the dough that hangs off the dish.
6. Roll the other piece of dough into another 12-inch circle. Place the disc on top of the mixture. Pinch the two edges to close the pie. Cut two to three slits onto the top to allow the steam to escape.
7. Brush either light cream or half-n-half onto the pie crust and sprinkle some granulated sugar. Cover the top with aluminum wrap. Place the pie dish on a baking tray to catch anything that drips.
8. Place in over and cook for 35 minutes. Remove the aluminum wrap and then bake the pie for another 20 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

The final step is to watch in delight as your friends and family devour this Christmas apple pie!

Sometimes nothing can you get in the holiday spirit like a good ole’ Christmas song. Well, some may argue an ugly Christmas jumper or shirt can help, but for those who don’t want to wear their spirit, listening to Christmas songs is the perfect alternative. Here is our top 20 Christmas songs that will make you jolly for sure, even if the weather outside is frightful!

1. "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues. Maybe I'm bias because I'm Irish but it's not Christmas time unless you hear this at least 10 times a day.
2. “Christmas Time is Here” by Vince Guaraldi Trio. Like the Charlie Brown special itself, this song automatically transports you to the merry season.
3. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee. Decorating your tree? Listen to this tune and let the decorating magic unfold!
4. “Dominick the Donkey” by Lou Monte. It wouldn’t be Christmas it you didn’t hear the song about this loveable donkey!
5. “Christmas Don’t Be Late” by Alvin and the Chipmunks. Play this song and every kid will want a hula-hoop! Or inhale balloon and sing this song to you.
6. “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley. Perfect song to express how it’s all about love and not presents.
7. “Carol of the Bells” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Prepare for epic Christmas music! To be honest, I can listen to this song all year round!
8. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland. This soulful rendition of this song will make you feel all warm and cozy inside. Did you know the original lyrics were said to be too depressing and needed to be rewritten?
9. “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. You may know this song as the “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” song. Whichever one you know it as, this is definitely a Christmas classic.
10. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by U2. This cover by the popular band was originally for the 1987 Special Olympics.
11. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. This song may have come out in the 90’s but it’s considered a holiday staple.
12. “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid. Another holiday radio classic, this song was a collaboration of British pop singers bringing awareness of the famine out on in Ethiopia.
13. “The Chanukah Song,” by Adam Sandler. Not technically a Christmas song, this amusing song lists all the famous people who are Jewish in quite a catchy tune.
14. “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” by Burl Ives. Another iconic Christmas song, this is definitely one of those everyone knows the lyrics to!
15. “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” by Elmo and Patsy. A catchy song about a not so funny situation. Still it wouldn’t be Christmas without hearing this song!
16. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Carrie Underwood. This song was originally written in the time of the Cuban missile crisis as a cry for peace.
17. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams. This song may have debuted in 1963, but it’s still a holiday hit that is used in commercials and heard all over the radio.
18. “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano. Written in 1970, this is another song that will get you into the holiday spirit after listening to a few chords.
19. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” by Bing Crosby and Doris Day. This catchy song filled with flirty banter is a great way to get close with your partner.
20. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by the Jackson 5. This adorable song cannot be left out on this list!
21. “O, Holy Night” by Josh Groban. Another classic, while perhaps not upbeat, it’s still beautiful and full of Christmas soul.

This is only a small fraction of the Christmas songs you'll be hearing this season. I hope you love these songs as much as I do!