These small but important romantic gestures will pay off big time.

If you want to know how to make your girlfriend happy, the first thing to know is that it's probably not as hard a task as you might think. Unfortunately, many men struggle to come up with ideas for cute things they can say or do when they want to make a girl smile.

If you love a woman, know that you simply must find ways to let her know what's going on in your mind and heart. Making a conscious effort purely for the sake of making her feel so happy she smiles whenever she thinks about you will have you off to an excellent start.


We compiled this list of meaningful ways to show your love to help you make sure the woman in your life knows how special she is to you (which means you now have no excuses, gentlemen!).

Here are 30 meaningful things to do for a woman that are bound to make her think you're the most romantic guy on Earth.


How to Make Your Girlfriend Happy

1. Text or call her to say goodnight.
Send her a cute goodnight text or give her a quick call before either of you go to bed. She'll love knowing you're thinking of her and that you're making sure she knows she's always on your mind. This one will send her to sleep with a smile on her face every time.


2. Text or call her to say good morning.
As with the goodnight messages, sending her a cute good morning text will get her day started off right. If texting works best for you both, trying send your message once you're sure she's fast asleep so your sweet words will be the first thing she sees when she wakes up and looks at her phone.


3. Tell her she's beautiful.
Call her beautiful instead of saying she's pretty or cute. These words may all seem like they mean the same thing to you, but the distinction is a big one. Hearing you tell her she's beautiful let's her know she's exactly your type and that you wouldn't want her to look any other way.a


4. Buy her something meaningful.
Most everyone loves getting gifts, especially when they come as a surprise and seemingly for no reason. You don't need to break the bank. In fact, an inexpensive gifts that shows her you get her can mean so much more than an expensive gift that she'd never want for herself no matter what the cost.


5. Promise that you'll never let her go (and keep that promise).
Make sure she knows that you're afraid to lose her and that you'll do what it takes (within self-respecting reason, of course) to make sure that never happens.

6. Treat her the same when your friends are around as you do when the two of you are alone.
Don't make the dreaded mistake of trying to play it super cool in front of the guys at her expense. If you usually hold her hand when it's just the two of you, hold her hand when your friends come along. If you tell her you love her before you get off the phone, tell her you love her when your friends are there with you, too.

Being consistent will let her know you mean what you say and that you're someone she can rely on — and that will make her happy.


7. Be there when she needs you.
We all need to know our partner will be there for us in the good times and in the bad. In order to feel happy with you, she needs to know that you have her back and that you'll be there by her side when she's going through some things.


8. Send her random texts to say you're thinking about her.
Yes, more texting. Feeling connected to you throughout the day will make her feel happy, because she'll know you're with her all day, even when you're not together in person. You can save the deeper, more important conversations for when you're together or over the phone, but a short, sweet text will remind her that you like her as much as she likes you.


9. Make sure the people who are important to you know who she is and vice versa.
If your family and friends don't know who she is or how special she is to you, it will make her question the very foundation of what you have together, and for good reason. She should know who it is that means the most to you in life, and likewise, they should know her.


10. Make her a priority, not an option.
Make sure she knows it matters to you (a lot!) whether or not you get to see her, talk to her, do things with her, etc. If she's feels like you may always be on the verge of turning down time with her to do something else, it will be hard for her to feel happy as your girlfriend for very long.


11. Spend the evening just watching movies and cuddling with her.
If she knows you're just as happy to chill with her at home as you are when the two of you go out, it will make her feel secure that you're with her because you really like her and not just because she's someone to do things with.


12. Be a gentleman.
Help her with her coat. Pull out her chair at the dinner table. Open the door for her. Stay off of your phone when she's talking to you. Showing her you are considerate and well-mannered will make her feel happy to be someone who knows how to handle himself like a grown up.


13. Be willing to compromise sometimes.
Occasionally backing down in an argument, even when she may be wrong, will show her you're emotionally mature and in control of yourself. You shouldn't cave in all the time or give up on issues that are deeply important to you, but trying to win fights just for the sake of winning rarely does a couple any good. Be willing to wave the white flag sometimes and she'll be so happy you probably won't fight as often.


14. Be proactive when making plans.
Plan something fun the two of you can do together and let her know that all she has to do is show up and enjoy herself. She'll love having a chance to not worry about the details, relax, and appreciate how special you are.

15. Be respectful.
Respect her. Respect her family. Respect her friends. Respect her morals. People who feel respected in their relationships are far more like to feel happy than those who don't.


16. Slow dance with her, even if there's no music.
Honestly, it doesn't get much more romantic than that. And there's not much that makes a girl happier than a boyfriend who knows how to be sweet and romantic.


17. Show her affection.
Sneak up behind her, hug her around her waist, kiss her softly on the neck and tell her you love her. Physical touch is deeply important in human connections, as it causes our bodies to produce oxytocin, the hormone associated with love and happiness.


18. Believe in her.
Support her ambitions and love her flaws. Let her know you have absolute faith in her ability to achieve whatever it is she sets her mind on.


19. Be someone she can trust.
Make sure she knows there is no reason for her to doubt that you are and will be faithful. Make sure your word can be trusted, that you are consistent and that she doesn't have to worry about you potentially betraying her.


20. Give her your hoodie when she's cold. Then let her keep it.
She'll appreciate your generosity in the moment as you loving keep her warm, and then later she'll be able to wrap herself in it and feel like she's there in your arms.


21. Write her a sweet, handwritten love note.
The best love letters are the ones that come straight from the heart. Write her a sweet message that lets her know you love her and why. She won't be able to stop smiling.


22. Fight for her when she's ready to give up.
Hold her tight when she's at her weakest. Be her protector and make her feel safe.


23. Have her back if someone speaks badly about her.
Never let others have a negative influence on your feelings for her or on your intentions for the relationship. If someone you care about and respect says something about her that gives you pause, talk with her about it instead of confronting her as though you've already decided she's done something wrong.


24. Hold her tight when others are looking.
You don't have to go full-out with the PDA, but do make sure she knows that you're proud of her and want other people to know you're together and loving with one another.


25. Always be willing to take the first step.
Don't wait for her to start everything. If you know you both want to get a new car, do some research and show her what you've found. If you've talked about taking up a new hobby together, write down a list of things you'd like to try and share with her. You don't have to do it alone, and you shouldn't, but taking the first step will let her know you're excited to be on the journey called life with her.


26. Bring her roses or flowers for no reason at all.
Not just when you're in trouble or on Valentine's Day. Like the gift-giving mentioned above, bringing her a store bought or hand-picked bouquet of flowers is a loving gesture sure to delight her.


27. Offer to give her a massage.
Foot, back, neck, shoulder, or even her whole body. The key here is to make it a real massage that lasts at least more than just a minute, as well as to expect nothing from her in return. You'll help her relax, make her happy, and she'll be sure to return the favor on her own without any cajoling from you.


28. Avoid responding with just "OK."
Or any short answer that makes it sound like you weren't listening, you don't care, or you're annoyed. This is especially important when you're communicating over text and tone can easily be misinterpreted.


29. Ask her if she's lost weight.
Not that her weight should be an issue, and not that she needs to lose any weight to make you or herself happy, but if most of us are honest with ourselves, it's hard not to feel just a tiny bit giddy when some you're attracted to asks you if you have.


30. Save a photo of her as your phone background.
That way she'll know you're thinking of her every time you look at your phone. And she'll also know that anyone else who sees your phone knows about her.