Never Say "I Love You" First?

So, this article from AskMen.com pissed me off. Primarily because it is either total BS or solely aimed towards men in relationships with women who like to be smacked down all the time.

Always let the woman bring up the "L" word first, and don't echo it back until you've had some extended time in with her.

Yeah, this is a great way to make a girl feel vulnerable and unwanted. If you feel it, you should say it because girls are in relationships for love. Have you never heard the saying that girls give sex for love and guys give love for sex? It's probably true for most people. If she's put her feelings out there, don't leave her hanging.

Men primarily need to have the experience of being accepted by a woman, while women primarily need to have the experience of having to wonder if the guy whom they are interested in, really likes them or not, and to what degree.

Really? I can't speak for what a man needs, but wondering if a guy likes her or not will drive a girl crazy. What a woman really wants is a little attention and some fun. If she doesn't know you're at least a little interested she probably won't waste her time.

So don't tell her you love her too soon and she'll love you more and sooner than you think. And by the way, don't attempt to verify this fact with women because, more often than not, they will deny it and will only confuse you even more.

All I have to say is "Ha ha ha ha ha."

...it takes at least two months to begin to know someone well enough to have any real sense as to whether they are lifetime partner material, or just someone to party with.

This I do actually agree on. If you're this far into a relationship in just 2 months you probably should step back and take a breather. Make sure you mean what you say and you understand what loving someone entails. Love is complicated and jumping in too fast can kill what would have been a great relationship. So think for a while before you say anything. Remember you can't take back something you've said, but you can always say "I love you." And don't forget to think for a moment which you'll regret more: saying those words, or missing the chance to do so.

7 Things Guys Can Do To Make Girls Happy

Sometimes I think relationships are like holidays. They're supposed to be awesome and often suck. So here's a list of things that, in my opinion, guys can do to make girls happier in a relationship. Because we all know that boys are happy when their girl is happy, and happy girls lead to other... happy things. Take or leave what you will.

1. Let her know you're thinking of her. This is especially applicable if you're in a situation where you don't see each other much. Send a short email, text message, or something that lets her know you're thinking of her. It doesn't have to be deep and it doesn't have to be cheesy, she'll be happy just knowing you miss her and you care.

2. Compliment her every day. It's a little know fact, but compliments expire every night. No matter how much you tell her she is beautiful one day, she'll still wake up the next morning afraid you'll see her bed head and walk away. And no matter how confident she is, she still will love a compliment every day. Any kind of compliment will do, whether it's how much she makes you laugh, how beautiful she is, or how much you love her cooking. Take the time to point out what you like about her and you'll make her happy.

3. Get her small gifts. Women aren't all selfish and materialistic, but everyone will love a small spontaneous present, whether it is a single flower, a balloon, a little plastic toy, something you stole from the supply room at work, or something completely random. She'll appreciate the thought and every time she sees the present she'll think of you. Trust me, this is a good thing.

4. Be affectionate in public. Some people hate PDA, so make sure you know your girl, but most appreciate you showing a little affection when you're out and about, especially if you are with your friends, and especially if these friends are females she doesn't know well. It'll show her you care about her as more than a friend and send a signal that you're not into your other girl friends. Hug her around the waist from behind or hold her hand and she'll know you care about her and aren't ashamed to be with her in public.

5. When you make plans, put thought into them. Doing something doesn't have to be a big commitment, but show her that you care by planning a little ahead of time. If you're going out to dinner, make reservations. If you are planning something spontaneous, let her know ahead of time that you'll be doing something, but don't tell her what it is. She'll love the surprise. Even if you're doing something casual, set it up to look like you put time into it. She'll enjoy it no matter what you do.

6. Initiate time together. Don't let her be the first to start up a conversation or let her plan all of your time together. It'll make her feel like she's doing all the work and that you don't care. It'll also make her feel like she's bothering you with plans and make her feel desperate, and no woman likes feeling desperate.

7. Share your secrets. I know, girls share everything and guys are closemouthed, but try to share important events with her. Let her know what matters to you and what makes you excited or happy and she'll be happy too.

Sensing a theme? It's all about the small things, done often. Why'd I list 7 things? Because I could probably list a million, but Google searching will bring those up for you if you really care. This post also has a great list of specific small things to do for your girl.

Shockingly enough, this post seems to be me offering an explanation instead of asking for one. So here's a question: what should girls do to make a guy happy (aside from the obvious sexual things, because those are, well, obvious)?