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Budding Relationship Gift Ideas

By , About.com Guide

Whether you've found your way here via the Gift Picker or through other means, if you are looking for some fun, flirty and attention-getting gift ideas for the person you've had your eye on for a while and are finally going out on a date with, you've come to the right place.

Everything in this gift idea list is meant to be inexpensive, memorable, show interest, and offer nothing more than a hint of, "I think you'd get a kick out of this," which is exactly the kind of feeling you want on a first date. Think I missed some crucial big or first date gift ideas? Then don't forget to share your thoughts.

1. Miracle Berry Tablets

Miracle Berry Tablets - Gift Idea For HimThink Geek

For singles concerned they won't have anything to talk about on their coffee date or first meeting, bring along a package of these Miracle Berry Tablets and see what happens. Just half a tablet tucked away in your mouth will make sour foods taste sweet - guaranteed. Just make sure that you don't overdose on the acidic foods (like tomatoes or lemons) while trying this, because although everything tastes sweet, only your tongue will know -- meaning it may give your date a bit of indigestion if sour foods are consumed in excess.

2. Magic IQ Gift Box

Magic IQ Box - Great Gift IdeasThink Geek

This inventive yet somewhat frustrating gift is modelled after Bilbo's quote in Lord of the Rings: "A box without hinges, key, or lid, Yet golden treasure inside is hid." I've got first-hand experience with the Magic IQ Gift Box as a gift idea for a guy you've just met: we ended up traipsing through a toy store and found this gem of a toy, and ended up spending a couple of hours together trying to figure it out.

3. Astronaut Ice Cream

Astronaut Ice Cream - Great Gift Ideas For First DatesThink Geek

Imagine ice cream that you can place in your pocket without worry of melting, stickiness or mess? Bring this little innocuous package along to your date with the purpose of asking as the night is winding down, "Can I treat you to a bit of ice cream before we part ways?" You'll even be able to offer your date a choice of flavors: neapolitan, mint chocolate chip, or chocolate chocolate chip.

4. Thinking Putty

Thinking Putty - Great Gift IdeasThink Geek

A step up from the putty you played with as a kid, Thinking Putty allows you to stretch it, bounce it, pull up comic book pictures, shatter it, drip it from the ceiling and even shred and/or tear it. Plus there are a myriad of colors to choose from, including ones like Oil Ooze (shimmery black that changes into gold, pink or green in the light) and Alien Ooze (glows brightly after exposure to UV rays). A fun, lighthearted gift idea for those who'd like to play and laugh with their date.

5. Pocket Mind Reader

Pocket Mind Reader - Great First Date Gift IdeaThink Geek

There are so many ways to use this great first date gift idea that I can't note them all, but I'm sure you can figure out a couple on your own. Its the perfect flirty tease-tool to pick your date's brain and see just how quizzical and curious they are about the world. If nothing else, its a conversation enhancer for those awkward moments where neither of you are quite sure what to say.

6. Table Topics

Table Topics Couples' Edition - Big Date Gift IdeasTable Topics, Inc.

An inventive way of playing twenty questions with someone you've just met, especially if you're a bit shy and have a hard time getting the ball rolling. But these mini cue cards encased in an acrylic cube holder are great for couples who have known each other for a much longer time as well, so they may just come in handy later as you get to know each other, too. There is also a specific mini cube for dating questions, using similar queries to those used at speed dating events to get the words flowing between strangers.

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