Retailers and flower shops have worked themselves into a pink lather as they do every year around this time. But even if you love the romance and excitement of Valentine's Day, navigating the gift-giving portion can be a terrifying prospect.

As always, your pals at Lavalife are here to give you the lowdown on the most romantic and/or unabashedly self-indulgent day of the year. Wherever you are on the lifestyle wheel -- single, dating, committed -- there's ample reason to enjoy the day and lots of ways to make it fit with your status.

If you're single and loving it...

Single girls and guys unite! Just because you're single doesn't mean you shouldn't celebrate Valentine's Day. Treat yourself! 

Form a secret admirer co-op with other single friends, draw names (anonymously, of course) and send your pick something on V-Day to celebrate fun, friends and fabulousness. Think Secret Santa only... frillier and more fun. Secret Cupid anyone?

Ladies, order some takeout Italian food and a box of sumptuous chocolates and eat them in your pajamas with a hilarious, girly novel like Unpredictable by Eileen Cook ($14*, Berkley). Take the day off for a movie marathon (start with the new Kathryn Heigl flick 27 Dresses) or book yourself a day at the spa. Revel in spending a solitary, giddy day pampering yourself.

If you're a single guy with no attachments, send your mom a card. If you're a really nice guy, consider sending some non-red roses to a female buddy. Honestly, that good-guy karma will pay dividends for years as she tells all of her single friends what a good catch you are.

And if you're newly dating, how much should you spend? Use this handy guide then read on for accompanying gift suggestions:

• $60 and under for less than two months
• $100 and under for four months and under
• $200 and under for four to six months
• $300 and up for six months or longer

------------------------------------------------------------------

Hate Valentine's Day? Read This!

------------------------------------------------------------------

If you've only had a few dates...

Guys, this may come as a shock: Even if a woman has had only one date with you in the month of February, she's hoping you'll send her flowers for Valentine's Day.

For most women, watching the parade of flower-delivery drivers at work on Valentine's Day is a lot like waiting to be picked for the dodgeball team in sixth-grade gym class: Nobody wants to be the one left over at the end.

If you chose to forgo flowers, candy is by far the next best thing.

Emily's Milk Chocolate Love Fortune Cookies come packaged in an adorable red Chinese takeout box. Inside you'll find six delectable milk chocolate-dipped fortune cookies, each containing a little G-rated love note. Sweet! ($4.99, available at retailers everywhere and at www.emilyschocolates.com/).

The 10-lb Monster Chocolate Bar ($49, www.heavychocolate.com/) is billed as the world's biggest. It's made of Guittard gourmet chocolate and boasts 1,000 bites in every bar. It's not just huge, it makes a big impression as well.

The Edna Valley Pinot Noir ($19.99 www.ednavalleyvineyard.com/) is a pioneering (and still reasonably priced) label from California's central coast. The close proximity of the vineyard to the Pacific Ocean creates a rare east-west oriented vineyard with an ideal region for producing fine wines, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

KarmaThreads T-shirts fuse vintage flair with contemporary design to create "feel good" messages for women. And they donate a portion of proceeds to charity, which is good... you know, karma. We like the Become, Love is My Religion and Love Happens models ($40, www.karmathreads.com)

Guys:  A word to the wise. Here's what you don't want to get her for Valentine's Day this early in the game: lingerie. Why? Whether your intentions are good or not, she'll see it as a gift for you and not her.

If you've been dating for a few months...

OK, I know you're going to think this is strange but try thinking outside the chocolate box and inside the shoe box. KiKi*c designs shoes with jewels, faux fur and luscious fabrics that would make any fashionista drool. Doda ($79), Britster ($86) and Poodley ($79) are my personal favorites from (available at www.kikic.com/). Not only are these some of the most adorable shoes on the planet, they're also super-comfortable. I have yet to meet a woman who isn't over the moon for these.

For your guy, the RipStik is a cool in-line caster board that brings the fun of surfing and snowboarding to dry land. The RipStik is the newest in-line caster board to feed the street-surfing craze -- with traction pads on each platform, the RipStik is easy to learn and great for tricks (even I look cool). An instructional DVD, "How to Ride," is included. ($99.99 at SharperImage.com)

If you're not quite ready to take the jewelry plunge, consider getting some bling for her iPhone instead. Gilty Couture is a fabulous new line of Swarovski crystal cases for Apple iPods and iPhones. My favorite is the silver case with pink crystals ($55-$200 at www.giltycouture.com/).