MAKE EVERY DAY VALENTINE'S DAY

Illustration: Ishmam Ahmed

It's the month of love and you want to do something nice for that special someone in your life by making them their very own advent calendar. However, figuring out what meaningful gifts to place behind so many little doors can be stressful. So, to ease your pain, here is how to prepare an advent calendar that reflects the true nature of your relationship – ugly bits and all, or maybe ugly bits and nothing else – but do read on.

The exterior of your advent calendar is just as important as the items inside it. Make sure you decorate it with glitter, paint, and paper that can be wiped off as easily as the smiles on your face once you have finished taking the picture-perfect photo for Instagram which you hope will have comments like "Ooh, couple goals" and "Awwwwww" because the opinions of these people you may not be that close to makes you feel validated. Also, you don't want to number the doors in order because that's boring.

What you want to go for is scattered numbers in no order so as to reflect the state of your mind after you started dating the person you're making this calendar for. The doors need to be small but they should also come in different shapes and sizes much like the many petty little things lovebirds bicker about till they feel their mood souring. As for how many doors you should have, I would suggest choosing the number of days, months or years you guys have been dating for or the number of days or seconds you feel this relationship will last for. If you have called or have been called two-faced by your significant other, you can opt to have doors on both sides of your calendar as well.

As for the items inside the doors, I won't be specific about what object will be behind each number because each couple might have attached significant meaning to different dates. Of course, like in many advent calendars, many items might fall under one category like the various nicknames you have for your significant other that all fall under the category of being annoying. To make this more reminiscent of your fights where you list each other's flaws, I will list some things you can place inside your hand-made advent calendar.

1.            Plastic flowers: No, this is not to symbolise that your love is eternal. Rather this is to pay homage to the reality of your relationship because it's artificial.

2.            Real flowers: Because they can wither, like people in relationships.

3.            Customised perfume: Consider making a perfume made of things that remind you of your loved one and the things that they love, but much like the perfume Schmidt gifted Cece in New Girl, it will stink and make you gag.

4.            Chain bracelets: Perfect if you feel trapped with the person you are preparing this gift for.

5.            Calming aromatic candle: So that when you feel your temper rising and want to burn something, you can light this candle, take in the scent, and calm down.

6.            Cookies: With everything they hate such as fruits, raisins, mint, etc.

7.            Promise rings/candy rings: This is more for you than them because it will help you judge their level of enthusiasm and you can then decide when you'll make a run for it.

8.            Only one half of a broken heart locket: If you genuinely believe that this person is not the one.

Matilda likes to pretend she is invisible and inconspicuous. Tell her that you can read right through her at matilda.tilda1234@gmail.com