Dog owners, here’s a treat… and if you’re friends or family with someone who’s mad about their mutt, never again will you be short of gift ideas on birthdays, anniversaries and other special events that require gifts. Here’s a whole doggie-bag full of ideas.

 The Fido Factor is a free service for dog owners who want to know the best dog-friendly establishments around town. It also supports homeless animals and provides information on pet services.

Based in San Francisco, most of the dog-friendly services listed are located there (currently almost 1,000) but Fido Factor has recently expanded into some other US cities, too. Nonetheless, no matter where you live, if you love dogs, there’s still loads of useful information on the site.

Fido Factor is involved in a lot of dog-oriented community activities and events, some of them with names like Hollywoof Movie Night, Bay Woof Party at the Stray Bar and (my personal fave) Halloween Yappy Hour at Bloomingdale’s. Who’d have thunk there was so much going on for dogs?

And on the ‘Bark Blog’ (no, I promise I’m not making it up) you can find out the most dog-friendly airline in the US.

You could splurge on a professional pet photography package as a treat for your favourite furry friend or give a human friend a fun birthday, Christmas or even Valentine’s Day gift of a dog-friendly weekend at a hotel/resort/spa that allows dogs.

People without pets tend to overlook other people’s furry companions when they’re trying to come up with gift ideas, but the Fido Factor certainly helps you to think outside of the box. Or should that be doghouse? With currently about 100 million dog owners in the world, there’s plenty of scope and a sure-fire market for some serious dog-oriented gift-giving.

I can really see this appealing to Sagittarians!

Movies and TV shows nearly always depict marital breakdown as the result of conflict. Steamy extra-marital affairs and the resulting tearful confrontations, hurled crockery and melodramatically smashed wedding portraits are typical scenes.

But a new US study suggests that marriage breakdown is more likely due to simple, long-term boredom. (Just one factor is giving @#$* flowers every Valentine’s Day, or socks and jocks for Father’s Day or “forgetting” their birthday - I mean, come on!)

The findings are the result of a nine-year study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Stony Brook University, who conducted interviews with 123 couples in the seventh year of their marriages, then nine years later in year 16.

The researchers found that relationship quality over the long-term depended on how bored the couple was at year seven.

However, not being bored at the seven-year mark didn’t necessarily guarantee that boredom wouldn’t occur some time over the following nine years. This suggests what any successfully married long-term couple could tell you: keeping boredom out of a marriage is something that requires constant vigilance.

The couples, all in their first marriages, were asked whether they considered their marriages to be in a rut and how often they did exciting things together as a couple. Those who expressed greater dissatisfaction in year 16 also reported corresponding higher levels of boredom.

The researchers concluded that couples who were experiencing less and less satisfaction with their marriages over time could possibly reverse the situation by participating in exciting activities together to increase the general level of excitement and spontaneity and eliminate boredom, which undermines closeness.

In a couple’s astrological compatibility chart, the level of excitement your relationship enjoys can be indicated by a few astrological factors.

Too many aspects involving Saturn indicate you can easily get stuck in a rut from complacency, fear (“what would the neighbours think?!”) and lack of imagination. Since Saturn is all about accountability (amongst other things) you could view doing exciting new things as KPIs to be met. An overabundance of Moon aspects suggests you want to curl up at home, which is cosy, but rarely exciting. Well, everyone goes a little crazy at the Full Moon – so once a month, make use of it!

Jupiter aspects add joy. The house your Jupiter is in your partner’s chart, and vice versa, shows where you can have fun and laugh with each other. Mars aspects create energy and sexual tension. It’s well-known that going on a rollercoaster (or any other activity which raises your adrenalin levels) ripens the mood for romance – “ahh, hold me!”

For pure excitement you need to look to the planet of rebellion,  Uranus (yeah, alright, stop the jokes already) which rules shocks, surprises and revolutions.

Having a number of Uranian aspects in your compatibility chart provides the electricity every couple needs. Uranus doesn’t care what the neighbours think and prefers to be an individual. Being innovative is key. A number of Uranian aspects suggest you will have temporary separations, probably due to work, family or social commitments. But hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? With Uranus you never get bored. Freaked-out, maybe.

How can you surprise your partner?

Have you ever received a birthday present from say, your grandparents, parents or partner, which as you look at them with an offended expresson, they say,”I thought you might appreciate x item because…” and away they go, trying desperately to backpedal out of a sticky gift-giving occasion.

Usually these gifts belong to one of the Seven Deadly Sins:

Sloth
These suggest you are a lazy sod. It could be a universal remote (“so you can sit there and not have to move”), one of those remote, magazine and drink holders you slip over the arm of your sofa, a hammock or a satin eye-mask to wear while sleeping (which, since you do so much of it, you’ll want to look good while you snooze).

Gluttony
These usually related to your shape or weight. They can include, but are not restricted to, Spanx shapewear, exercise equipment, gym wear, gym memberships, diet books, books like How Not to Look Fat, and “healthy” cooking equipment that you’ve never used before and will probably never use. A rice steamer comes to mind.

Greed
They will give you what they can afford and you will be furious it is so stingy – god, only a $100 gift certificate?! You are not embarrassed to give people a long list of what you want for your birthday – and oh, you expect to get all of it.

Anger
This could cover everything from a boppo toy “to take out your aggression” to a GPS unit to, as Navman says, “stop carguments” when driving.

Envy
They want what you’re having/eating/wearing/reading. So they might slip up and mention that they liked it so much they bought an identical one for themselves. When really, they’re annoyed they have to give it to you at all…  Giving you a bowling ball, a power tool or a Nintendo – when you know full well they’ll be comandeering it back for themselves in no time - falls under this Deadly gift-giving Sin.

Pride
Be afraid, very afraid if someone gives you a mirror. It will prove you DO think you’re the fairest one of them all.

Lust
This tends to be the cheesy red lacy lingerie, explicit DVDs, sex manuals and toys, flavoured body paint and so on that a husband gives his wife for Valentine’s Day or their anniversary, hoping to spice up their marriage.

Naturally, if you buy any of these items for yourself, well, that’s OK then.

Love to shop? If you and your partner become the Face of LoveStars at www.itsinthestarsonline.com, you could win a $AUD500 gift card to the retailer of your choice (or hey, 5 x $100 gift cards to 5 retailers – your call!) simply by entering the Be the Face of LoveStars photo competition.

Have a friend or family member take a high resolution (300dpi) colour shot  or two of you and your partner happily reading your hardcover LoveStars astrology report together.

If you win, you’ll receive the $AUD500 gift card. If you’re one of 5 x runners-up, you’ll win back the cost of your hardcover LoveStars report (from $89), credited to your Visa or Mastercard credit card.

LoveStars reports make ideal personalised gifts for couples for anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, engagements, Valentines Day and weddings. These 30-35 page reports help any couple – newly dating or married for ages – (re)discover the magic in their relationship.

The Be the Face of LoveStars photo competition finishes 31 August 2010.

Receiving something which is totally customised and personalised for you is a huge thrill and when it’s handmade with craftmanship and love, it’s even more treasured.

However, many people don’t realise how far ahead they have to plan to get handmade gifts personalised if they’re ordering them online until they check the delivery information section, at which point they get pretty disappointed they’ve left it too late.

At a bare minimum, you need to allow at least 2 weeks delivery for many handmade personalised items, but there are some which are so painstakingly hand-crafted that you need to order them out at least 16 weeks prior to the anniversary, birthday, christening, Christmas, engagement, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or wedding that you’re giving them for.

While it of course depends enormously on the online retailer, companies which specialise only in machine-made personalisation of items (you know, the ones that people often use for corporate gift solutions) tend to produce these much faster. Clue: the fastest suppliers tend to let you see what the finished item looks like in real-time online with your images, copy or letters.

If you see the adjective “handmade” anywhere in the product description, it’s a sure bet it’s going to take longer. Of course, you’ll need to add even extra time if your order is coming from overseas. Plus, if you need it urgently, you may have to pay a premium to receive it in time.

Here’s a rough guide to personalisation methods by hand and how long they can take (depending on the sophistication and product turnover of the online retailer) from the quickest to the longest.

Handframed, personalised prints/certificates – 1-8 weeks
Handcrafted personalised jewellery -1-6 weeks
Handknitted personalised baby clothing and accessories - 2-6 weeks
Handpainted personalised furniture - 2-8 weeks
Handbuilt custom-made furniture - 4-10 weeks
Handsewn personalised quilts  – 6-12 weeks
Handcarved stoneworks – 8-12 weeks
Hand-embroidered blankets - 10-16 weeks

As we all know, most couples getting married these days have already been living together, they may have already been married; they certainly have all the kitchen accoutrements you can poke a meat thermometer at, but you can never have enough date nights once you’re married!

One very clever Chicago couple who lurrrves to eat out realised that they too, didn’t want any more traditional department store registry “stuff”, but were busting (hopefully not out of their pants) to try some of the latest and greatest restaurants to hit Oprah’s hometown city.

They’ve created Foodie Registry which allows couples to select restaurants they’d love to try, for their guests to give them a gift certificate towards dining there, and it’s a wonderful idea actually for anyone else who’d love a special night out for say, their anniversary or birthday.

It also makes it soooooo much easier for couples to have something to write about in their wedding gift thank you cards. They’re going to be much more genuinely excited about dining at say, French restaurant Marche, than say, a pair of white hand towels.

Foodie Registry plans to expand into other American cities, too. Expect a queue of Taureans, Leos, Librans and Capricorns…

Did you buy any of the top 24 gifts listed for 2009 for an anniversary, birthday, christening, Christmas, engagement, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, new baby, Valentine’s Day or wedding gift? I bet you did!

According to consumer insights company Unity Marketing, they were:

1 (46%). Books (I gave one each as a Christmas prezzie and a thank-you gift for Dad, to Mum for Mother’s Day, and to nephew Sol for his birthday but I’m sure I gave many more!)
2 (36%). Chocolate – boxed or pick-your-own (hmmm – does that count buying them for yourself?)
4 (28%). Men’s clothing (to brother David for his birthday)
5 (26%). Bath and body soaps and lotions
6 (24%). Toys including action figures, building sets, sports toys, vehicles
7 (22%). Games/puzzles
8 (22%). Children’s clothing (for niece Camille, and nephews Lachie and Sol for Christmas)
9 (20%). Candles and/or candle accessories
10 (19%). Flowers, plants and /or garden accessories including bouquets
11 (17%). Wine and/or wine tasting gifts
12. (16%) Gift baskets including cookies, snacks, fruit, candy, wine (I gave this to Audra for her housewarming)
13 (15%). Video/DVDs (I gave a boxed set of the Marx Bros to my grandfather for Christmas)
14 (15%). Fragrance/perfume
15 (15%). Electronic games such as Wii
16 (14%). Women’s accessories eg handbags, belts, wallets, scarves, shawls
17 (14%). Coffe and tea gifts
18 (14%). MP3 players, iPods and personal audio devices
19 (13%). Plush/stuffed animals
20 (13%) Teenage clothing (I wonder if so few were bought because we’re afraid of getting it wrong?!)
21 (13%). Dining/restaurant experience
22 (12%) Liquors and spirits (I gave someone champagne…)
23 (12%) Gift card – discount department stores and mass merchants eg WalMart, Target etc (I’m surprised this was so far down the list but Mum got one for Mother’s Day and stepmother Jo for her birthday although it was really a gift voucher)
24. (12%) Baby/infants’ clothing including booties and hats (I got a personalised one made for niece Camille for Christmas – she was running a bit late being born though so it really became her birth-day present).

I’d love to know where personalised gifts came in on the list… As well as homewares that all of us seem to be asked to buy on wedding gift registry lists!

As soon as the last heart-shaped box of chocolate has been cleared out of the supermarket following Valentine’s Day, it seems the shelves are immediately stocked with chocolate goodies for Easter.

Think back to 2009. Did you actually buy yourself any Easter eggs or boxes of chocolate for your birthday? Or did you buy none for yourself but quite a few for others?

Scientists have confirmed that other people are hell – sorry – that other people are great at ruining your diet. Scientist Juliano Laran at the University of Miami found that you use more self-control when it comes to making your own choices about fattening fun things like chocolate, but that you’d choose indulgent diet-breakers for others.

Research respondents were asked to choose four items from a list of 16 foods, comprising healthy food items (eg raisins, celery sticks) and indulgent products like chocolate, doughnuts, ice cream and so on. Half the participants were to choose items for themselves and half selected foods for others. Those who chose foods for themselves tended to select two items that were healthy and two that were indulgent. Those selecting for other people chose mainly indulgent foods.

It’s not clear if the people selecting fattening foods did it to please and delight others (who’d be thrilled with a Tupperwear container of celery sticks?) or if they’re actually dastardly frenemies out to ruin your diet plans.

If you do plan to give an Easter gift this year to someone who’s say, a little round around the edges, give them the real gift of helping them to stay healthy, and give them a non-chocolate present any bunny would love - perhaps one with karats?

If you buy clothes, shoes or accessories* as birthday or Christmas gifts for babies, kids or teenagers (or your dieting sister or best friend), you’ll know you run the risk of giving them the wrong size!

Too big and the kids will just have to grow into it (and bad luck if they’ve got to wait til next season to wear it). Too small and it’s useless for them and sends an awful message to your dieting sister or best friend). And if it’s too big or too small as a birthday, Christmas or Valentine’s Day gift for your girlfriend or wife – well, ouch!!!

Belgian website OrgaSizer lets you organise all your (or your kids’) sizes and preferences in one place. You’ll never again have to wonder again if little Jimmy has now stretched out to become a Harlem Globetrotter or if Aunt Diana had any luck with that watercress soup diet.

You can also create wishlists and get reminded about important dates, too. I can just see this appealing to Virgos!

* Many people who have lost 5kg or more also find that their fingers lose weight too which means their ring finger sizes change. I’m not sure how much weight they’d have to lose to have a different hat size…

Ever felt a bit down and went straight for foods and other items that are old favourites? And on holidays when you were raring to go you were in the mood to try something something new?

US psychologists have confirmed that people  prefer items which are tried-and-true that they’re already familiar with (this is not the same thing as items that are regifted, though!) when they’re feeling depressed and that they seek novelty and excitement when they’re happy. In fact, familiar experiences and products are boring when people are in a fantastic mood…

University of California, San Diego psychology professor Piotr Winkielman found that the value of familiarity depends on the context. Familiarity infers safety which is ideal when people feel upset (“comfort” foods like chocolate for break-ups, anyone?) but the same-old, same-old becomes boring when all is going well.

In terms of gifts, this means you need to pay careful attention to the mood and the circumstances of the person receiving the gift.

Anniversary gifts – generally a wedding anniversary is a happy time – give them something unusual to spark some excitement!

Bereavement gifts – this is when you turn up with soup, food, a favourite CD or book – no surprises are appreciated.

Birthday gifts – ooooh…. This depends if it’s a birthday they’re looking forward to (which is generally every birthday for people aged under 21) in which case give ‘em some novelty, but if it’s a “milestone”, they might be a bit upset about the perceived passing of time – give them something familiar…

Christmas gifts – even if it never turns out the way you expect, nearly everyone looks forward to Christmas. Novelty works when people are happy which is why Kris Kringles can be a hit (finding all those weird things under $20).

Engagement gifts – again, give them something fun and new to look forward to.

New baby gifts – this depends… Is it a long-awaited first child? Baby gifts that are really unique are ideal. But what about a couple who’ve just discovered they’re about to have twins (and they already have a child or two)? If they’re feeling stressed about the expense and extra responsibility, perhaps you should choose something they already know and like. Like money.

Valentine’s Day gifts - get fresh by keeping it fresh. Nothing makes a romance get boring faster than the same-old flower and chocolate routine.

Wedding gifts – this is traditionally a  very happy time so gifts that are out of the ordinary would be great. Then again if you’re Liz Taylor and you’re marrying yet again, you can add to your place settings.