10 Gifts For Someone You Just Started Dating

Dating around the holidays can be especially tough—post-Turkey Dump season, peak cuffing season—and the pressure to give a gift that sums up how you feel about a person can be overwhelming. If the relationship is new, you want the gift to say "I like you," not "I'm going to propose to you by New Year's Eve." If you're wondering how to present a thoughtful gift without going overboard, you've come to the right place.

Food-focused gifts often hit the perfect sweet spot: considerate, but not too sentimental. These gifts will show them you care, but, y'know, in a low-stakes kind of way. For now.

Wanting someone's feet to be cozy and cute is a sign of true caring. This box of pizza socks includes four pairs of sox for $25. The socks come in Italian, Hawaiian, pepperoni, vegetarian, seafood, or Capricciosa "flavors," with the fourth pair serving as the crust. There may be some light disappointment when your significant other realizes you are not gifting them a personal-sized pizza, but if so, you can always go ahead and tack that onto the evening's agenda.

A gift that doubles as an invitation for a fun date night hits that perfect balance of casual and sweet. Pair this Movie Night Popcorn Kit with your partner's favorite movie, or one you've talked about seeing together, and you've got a holiday gift and a date night wrapped into one inexpensive package. For around $25, you'll get three types of popcorn and five seasoning blends to mix and match.

What did you do on your first date? Did you possibly meet up for some drinks? Get your not-yet-significant other a six-pack of their beer (or cider) of choice and a personalized bottle opener from Etsy, like this one or a wall-mounted model like this. (Or even this bobblehead one, if you want to mildly freak them out.) Between the drink and the opener, you won't be breaking the bank and you'll create an adorable callback to when and where it all began.

A bouquet of flowers is nice, but you know what's even better? A bouquet you can reduce to crumbs. The format of these doughnuts makes them feel more like an occasion, without going the more expected route of a fruit-based edible arrangement. This doughnut bouquet on FromYouFlowers.com is on sale for $51.99, normally priced at $64.99. Although this gift is a little more expensive, there's also the added convenience of having it delivered straight to that special someone.

Charcuterie boards are here to stay, and whether your special person loves a butter board or a meat and cheese arrangement, they'll appreciate you providing them with a beautifully consumable gift. Walmart.com has a selection of affordable cheese boards ranging in size and shape. If you really want to show some extra effort, you can buy the board with the knife set included, fill it up with treats, and present them with a spread for a romantic date night.

A mutual love of fast food is the foundation to any good relationship. Show that special person how much you look forward to late-night trips to the drive-thru with them by getting them some official fast food merchandise. This Taco Bell necklace from the official Taco Shop is only $25 and is both funny and, yes, a little romantic.

Unique sets like this infuse and pour alcohol set from Uncommon Goods or some tinted glassware like these wine glasses from Anthropologie will dress up your partner's home bar setup and remind them what great style you have. Who wouldn't want to keep dating someone with such great taste in glassware and a passion for mixology?

To show you care just enough (and not too much), a cool kitchen gadget could be the way to go. An immersion blender like this one takes up much less counter space than a conventional blender and is great for whipping up smaller quantity foods like sauces. For a less pricey kitchen gadget, you could also gift this bamboo cutting board that comes with multiple containers and graters for easier prep. With convenient tools like these, you'll make their day-to-day kitchen time simple and leave more room for spending time together.

Show your partner you support their career (and their commute) by gifting them a stylish lunch bag to take to work with them. This lunch box ($80) from Dagne Dover looks more like a designer bag than something to carry your sandwich in, but it will hold your honey's meal with enough room for a snack and a beverage. For something a little more affordable, this insulated lunch bag from Food52 and The Somewhere Co. also resembles a purse and will carry the essentials for a solid work lunch.

Baking for someone is a personal gesture, but it's also affordable and less permanent than something like jewelry. Cookies can be eaten or not, but no one is going to give you back the pie you baked them if you break up on New Year's Day. An edible gift shows you put in time and effort, but if things don't work out, there's no deeply emotional memory tied to the gingerbread man you handed over.