Lindsay & Wilmer: A Look Back

Though Wilmer Valderrama and Lindsay Lohan (at a West Hollywood party July 14) were spotted together in May, it wasn't until her 18th birthday party July 2 at L.A. club Avalon that they publicly acknowledged their romance.

Until its demise in early November, their relationship wasn't all glitzy premieres and parties: Lohan and Valderrama got domestic and stocked up (on soda and a cookware set, among other things) at a Costco wholesale store in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley on Oct. 17.

After dining out at trendy Beverly Hills eatery the Ivy on Sept. 18, Valderrama shuttled Lohan's sleepy brother Dakota, 8, to the car. Lohan's mom, Dina, approved of her daughter's romance with the 24-year-old actor: "Wilmer's a sweetheart," she said.

Headaches, a 103-degree fever and exhaustion led Lohan (with Valderrama and her publicist) to check into L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Oct. 21 for a five-day stay. It wasn't surprising that Valderrama was by Lohan's side during her time of need. "He is very protective," her mom said.

Lohan and Valderrama celebrated his Venezuelan heritage at the Latin Grammy Awards in L.A. on Sept. 1. "He's one of the best guys any girl could be with. He's really sweet," Lohan said.

The couple (on vacation in Miami Beach on July 23) turned up the heat over the summer, with Valderrama giving Lohan a promise ring.

A day together in Los Angeles on July 12 included a stop at the Kabbalah Center. "Lindsay is curious (about Kabbalah) and has been for a while," a friend said of Lohan, who's taken to wearing the practice's traditional red string bracelet, also seen on Madonna, Demi Moore and other celebs.

Lohan suited up Sept. 4 on the Fontana, Calif., set of Disney's Herbie: Fully Loaded, based on the 1969 Volkswagen Beetle flick. The car "doesn't talk or anything," said Lohan, whose October hospital stay halted production for three days. "It's much cooler than that."

Lohan and Valderrama had a ball at 'N Sync's Challenge for the Children charity event in Miami Beach on July 24. The pair, who played for the same team – the Knights – during the beach games, were inseparable all weekend long.

Lohan's close pals include fellow party girls Paris Hilton (at a pre-Emmys event in L.A. on Sept. 19) and Tara Reid. Despite the attention paid to her club hopping, Lohan's mom, Dina, insists her daughter is not overdoing it. "All you read about is that she goes out at night, and that's not fair. It's silly – when you're 18, you do go out."

"Young Hollywood right now is basically a very small group of friends," said Valderrama, hanging with (from left) That '70s Show costar Danny Masterson, BET personality Big Tigger and actor Lyndon Smith at Miami club Prive on July 24.

Lohan and Valderrama share a kiss during a shopping trip to the Beverly Center mall in L.A. on Aug. 22. "They're learning now, if you date someone in the business, it's going to be like this," Lohan's mom Dina said of all the press around her daughter's relationship.