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 borning 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.

On 11 March, Mars finally moves direct in Leo after being retrograde since 20 December 2009.

If romance, love and affection has been a little thin on the ground since just before Christmas, expect things to heat up nicely from 11 March.

Mars rules action, energy and the libido and Leo rules love, romance, fun and children. When Mars is retrograde, everyone is just a bit more sensible and restrained and since Mars lurrrves to move things along, to chase, to be ardent and and to create spicy chemistry between the sexes, he HATES to be restrained.

If you were less than thrilled with Valentine’s Day (perhaps your gift was lackluster or you had no-one to give you a gift), you might notice a quickening pulse in the romantic atmosphere following 11 March…

Good luck!

What do you give your wife for Christmas and her 30th birthday who you’ve scorned publicly and worldwide?

If you’re Tiger Woods, you give your deeply unimpressed wife Elin Nordegren a cool $300 million in cash so she can buy hereself a little something. Hell - you could buy an entire department store chain with that.

By Valentine’s Day he would have been emptying his bank account faster than his little Capricorn Sun could have handled thanks to his dwindling sponsorships, so he “economised” with a $3 million customised sport boat for Elin, called um, Solitude so she could go diving, which is her favourite sport.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. I’d love to see what he comes up with then. I honestly don’t think he can buy his way (or his wife back) out of this one…

Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, the roadside rose vendors have disappeared, the black velvet jewellery boxes have been stashed away in the vaults and those ENORMOUS white teddy bears have been put away somewhere (where on earth do they fit - and more importantly why on earth would anyone buy one?), some couples may be reassessing their relationships.

One cheery little infidelity expert from New York, Ruth Houston, has come out to suggest a number of ways to tell if your partner cheated on Valentine’s Day. I think in fact this could also include Christmas Day based on what she says.

1. “Discovered” gifts disappear
Remember the awful scene in Love, Actually when Emma Thompson opens the little white box containing the gold heart necklace, thinking that’s what her husband Alan Rickman has bought for her for Christmas? And then she gets a pathetic Joni Mitchell CD while the flirty skank at work gets the expensive necklace? If you find something “gift-y” before Valentine’s Day and then don’t get it, ask some questions…

2. Receipts for same, identical, or non-received gifts
Paper trails undo presidents, criminals and cheating partners alike. If you find a receipt for say TWO identical lingerie sets but receive only one, someone has the other set (and at best, your husband likes dressing up).

Got chocolate? But the receipt was for a bracelet? Uh-oh.

Does the hotel or restaurant receipt say 13 February but you KNOW you were in bed alone with a cold and your partner had a business meeting interstate? Right. On a Saturday night. Did you know that Ruth nicknames 13 February as Mistress Day???

3. Thank note, email or text
If your spouse or partner has received or sent a thank-you message for a gift you know nothing about, them’s warning bells…And hey, especially if they’re normally an ungrateful sod.

4.  Oh honey, I’ve had this for years
Many women (and some men) avoid discussions about their spending habits but protesting, “”Oh, this old thing? I’ve had it for years!” and rely on their partner being oblivious so they can get away with maxing out their credit card. But if it’s a particularly nice piece of jewellery, beautiful underwear or even flowers that are waaaay more elaborate than what he/she normally buys turn up just after Valentine’s Day, look out.

It might be innocent (like, you’re such a bad gift-giver that they decided to indulge themselves - and if they did, that’s a clue they’re at least disappointed with your effort this Valentine’s Day/Christmas) or not. Check.

5. Who you gonna call?
If you’re really suspicious check your phone bill or your partner’s outgoing calls/texts on Valentine’s Day. Those made very early in the morning or last thing at night are possible signs.

If you have two or more of these infidelity clues, well, as Ruth’s clients might say, “Houston, we have a problem.”

If you a) think it’s too corny to get engaged on Valentine’s Day, b) too “expected, or c) you just like teasing your partner and making them wait(!), ask them to marry you on Wednesday 17 or Sunday 28 February.

The 17th February features the absolutely gorgeous Venus conjunct Jupiter in Pisces aspect. This once-in-12-months planetary line-up offers love, sweetness, generosity, joy and abundance. You couldn’t plan a proposal on a nicer day!

If you’re the type who likes to have the ring organised first and payday came after Valentine’s Day, you could also ask on the equally sweet, lovely and optimistic 28th February when the Sun conjuncts Jupiter in Pisces. It’s also the same day as the Full Moon which is the culmination or fruition of a project and plus, it’s super-romantic being proposed to under a a full moon. 

Pisces also rules karmic links and soulmates so if you’re meant to be together, it’ll just feel “right”.

Good luck!

It’s In The Stars is seeking a new couple to Be the Face of LoveStars for 2010: could it be you and your partner?

You could win a $AUD500 gift card to spend at your favourite retailer, or one of 5 x BabyStars boxed gift certificates worth $109 each to redeem for your own BabyStars report or to give your favourite new parent for their new baby or as a unique christening gift.

LoveStars reports make ideal personalised gifts for an anniversary, birthday, engagement, Valentine’s Day or wedding and yes, you will need to have one of your own (or borrow a friend’s LoveStars report) to take part.

Set up your camera timer so you can take a great shot of you and your partner enjoying reading your LoveStars report - maybe you’re wearing your wedding outfit, curled up on the sofa, or in a hammock!

For your chance to win, you’ll need to email at least one shot in low resolution (72dpi) and high resolution (300dpi).

Click here for more details. Competition closes 31 March 2010.

It’s not just because, if she’s like the average woman who has at least 7 bottles of fragrance on her dresser, she doesn’t need any more, and he just ran panicking into the nearest department store to swoop down on the first cosmetic counter, so it’s often a lame gift idea. No, sirree!

According to a new study in Psychological Science, going au naturel may be the most seductive perfume of all…

Psychology scientists Saul L. Miller and Jon. K. Maner from Florida State University asked a group of women to wear t-shirts for three nights during various stages of their menstrual cycles and not to wear perfume during the experiment so it smelled ummm, natural.

Male volunteers then smelled t-shirts worn by women who had been ovulating, by those who were not, as well as brand-new t-shirts that had not been worn by anyone.

The men who smelled the t-shirts worn by ovulating women had higher levels of testosterone  than the men who smelled t-shirts by non-ovulating women and those who enhaled the brand-new t-shirts.

Showing that nothing has changed, men are significantly more physically attracted to women who are ovulating even if they don’t consciously know she is at her most fertile.

It was not reported if the men had to give the t-shirts back.

On Sunday 14 February, there will be millions of happy couples gazing adoringly into each others’ eyes, and whispering sweet nothings. There will also be several hundred thousand others thinking, “How can I get out of this mess?”

With this in mind, I’m going to suggest Valentine’s Day gift ideas when you want to celebrate your love, and when you just want to kick them to the curb.

Flowers - OK, now you already know that most women get flowers but don’t really want them… 
Love ‘em: If you insist on spending waaaaaay too much on a bouquet (and paying through the nose for Sunday delivery) AND you know she really does love them, see The Flower Man where they will be more than happy to separate you from a week’s mortgage payment.
Loathe ‘em: wait til 5pm on Sunday evening, and when you pull it into the petrol station, pick up a wilted bunch of sad-looking daisies in cheap cellophane reduced to clear, shove it in her hands and say, “There!”. That ought to do it.

Chocolate - Again, this didn’t rate too highly as what women wanted (especially for Baby Boomers).
Love ‘em: Look for a chocolate shop where the glass-fronted counters display individual chocolates with fantastic dustings of confectionary sugar, sprinkles and truffle powder, sugar fruit decorations on silver trays and mouth-watering descriptions of each flavour, and the shop assistant is wearing white gloves so as not to disturb the gloss of the chocolates, and use your credit card with the biggest limit.
Loathe ‘em: Give your soon-to-be-dumped partner a box of Cadbury Roses reduced on sale, that you’ve already opened and eaten your favourite creme centers, just leaving the tacky toffee chews.

Jewellery - This was the third most-wanted gift in the Valentine’s Day survey.
Love ‘em: Want to make her really happy - and your wife? Go see the helpful people at Tiffany, Harry Winston, or Fairfax & Roberts and select the biggest carat diamond ring you can afford so you can propose on Valentine’s Day (hopefully with more success than Ashton Kutcher in the Valentine’s Day movie). Already married? Visit the same stores and see what amazing necklace, earrings or bracelet they can help you find for her.
Loathe ‘em: If you’re planning on breaking up with her, you give her a cheap friendship ring, some generic gold-plated necklace or a bangle you picked up in a $2 shop.

Perfume - Hmmm, this can smack of I’ve-got-to-run-into-the-department-store-to-buy-something-anything!
Love ‘em: Hunt down that discontinued perfume she’s wailed isn’t made anymore if she’s mourning the loss of a favourite (eBay could help). Or buy the pricey parfum version of her favourite scent. Eau de toilette is the cheap version and it doesn’t last as long.
Loathe ‘em: A can of Impulse body spray should do the trick.

Lingerie - eeek! Be very careful here! No-one wanted lingerie even though a few women got it.
Love ‘em: Don’t buy her anything that looks vaguely like a hooker on Halloween would wear ie red and black. Lace, or broderie anglaise in white or pale pink tones is less about sex and more about making her feel pretty (which does make her feel sexy). Please check her size from her underwear drawer. Women can’t bear receiving something too small - or too large with this type of very body-conscious gift.
Loathe ‘em: Well you can really go to town here and give her some of the nastiest polyester underwear around. Something that looks like it’s been bought in a shop favoured by men in raincoats should appall her enough to know it’s never gonna work.

Meal/picnic - this was pretty popular!
Love ‘em: Book a cosy table for two at a beautiful restaurant she’s been longing to dine at where she gets the chance to really dress up, the music and lighting is low and the waiters give seamless service. Book a taxi so you can toast to your relationship over a bottle of champagne.
Loathe ‘em: Make sure the takeaway cafe has at least one chipped laminated table you can sit at while you wait for your greasy order along with the local tattooed bikies. Bonus points if it has eye-wateringly bright fluorescent lighting, tiled floors to increase the noise and slipping factor, and a really basic menu (”Steak with chips”) with spelling mistakes in plastic sleeves.

Romantic personalised gift - this was the second-most wished-for Valentine’s Day gift.
Love ‘em: Give her something special that’s about her (first) or your relationship (second). It needs to be something she can keep and enjoy, and that features her name (and hopefully yours, too), birthdate, or photo. It also needs to have good “boast factor” so she can enjoy showing it off to her friends.
Loathe ‘em: I don’t think anyone would create anything personalised for someone they wanted to dump or they’d be sending mixed messages.

Weekend away - hurray! This was THE most wished-for Valentine’s Day gift.
Love ‘em: Whisk her away somewhere special where she can relax, feel pampered and have plenty of time to enjoy being with you. Whether it’s an island resort, a cosy, antique-filled B&B, a Love Boat-style cruise, a health spa or a fancy city hotel, a romantic getaway will win you major points!
Loathe ‘em: Tell them you’ve booked a weekend away at a resort. With someone else.

A new Valentines Day gifts survey has found that while many women receive flowers, what they really want is a romantic weekend away or a personalised gift from their partner.

The online survey by It’s In The Stars found that what women wanted to receive for Valentine’s Day was a weekend away (30.4%), a romantic personalised gift (22.9%) or jewellery (17.6%).

What they’re actually getting are flowers (41.9%), chocolate (14.7%) and personalised gifts (11.0%). While 3.6% had received lingerie, not one woman wanted it as a Valentine’s Day gift.

Of the three age groups, Generation X (31-43 years) was the most likely to receive flowers (55.8%), while Gen Y women (18-30 years) got the personalised romantic gifts (19.0%) and Baby Boomer women recieved chocolate (17.9%).

I’d say that men might get the raw end of the bargain on 14 February as 82.4% of all women spent less than $100 on their last Valentine’s Day gift!

Gen X women are the most likely to spend under $50 (43.1%) but also over $200 (12.1%). Gen Ys stump up for gifts $101-$200 (13.3%) while Baby Boomer women prefer to spend $51-$100 (46.3%).

The top five locations where women bought their Valentine’s Day gifts were department stores (27.0%), specialty/personalised gift websites (16.8%), big box retailer eg Target (13.9%), boutique/specialty stores (10.9%), and supermarket/grocery stores (7.3%).

Women living in rural/regional areas were twice as likely as city girls to buy Valentine’s Day gifts online from a specialty/personalised gift website (25.6% vs 12.1%).

Just over half (52.3%) of all respondents would give their partner a gift certificate for Valentine’s Day.

And finally, the Sun sign voted as the best Valentine’s Day gift-giver was an equal tie between Cancer and Pisces (12.2% each), with Gemini and Aquarius in second place (10.0% each) and followed by Taurus (9.3%).

Aries men are the least likely to have have given a great Valentine’s Day gift (5.0%).

When I read about singer Katy Perry planning to give her brand-new fiancee, Russell Brand, a lilac Bentley for Valentines Day, I thought, “wooah, there, girl!”

They got engaged very romantically on the Full Moon of New Year’s Eve in India after dating since only September 2009.

Whichever way you cut it, after barely five months, they still don’t know each other very well. Yeah, yeah in THAT sense but it takes time for a person’s chart to unfold.

The strongest aspects around their chart have to do with Uranus (no jokes, please) which indicate sudden, enormous attraction, crackling electricity, independence, unconventionality, friendship, but also a definite on-off quality to their relationship.

The sign your Jupiter is in is where you find fun, joy, generosity, and optimism. Katy has hers in Capricorn. While the Mars-Jupiter conjunction that she has is renowned for being super-impulsive (compulsive, even), Capricorn is not known for being splashy with money and prefers to climb the career ladder, building a solid reputation. She also has the Sun, Moon and Mercury in Scorpio which means she is completely passionate - yet also highly strategic.

While I don’t doubt she fancies Russell’s pants off (his Mars in Aries trines her Venus in Sagittarius - lovely for a romantic, sexual attraction), she’s no fool and knows her flamboyant gesture would get publicised (which kinda ruins the surprise for him).

I’m not convinced that these guys can make it last the distance however. Russell has his Moon, Mars and Jupiter in Aries which means he feels, acts and has fun spontaneously. Plus he’s a Gemini and boy, are they hard to tie down! Katy’s more of a planner so his impulsive proposal may come unstuck as transiting Jupiter and Uranus in Aries (mid-year), Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra hit their charts over the next couple of years.

Better keep the receipt for the Bentley!!!