Christmas Gifts for TEENS

Gift cards. A few of my nieces and nephews love Starbucks. Getting them some of those and some Amex gift cards.
 
One of my favorite sources for ideas is Grown and Flown. They are an informative site for navigating the college years and have such unique ideas for teens and college students--stuff parents might not have thought of. We bought several items last year from their suggested Christmas list. I'm not going to link them but you can search Grown and Flown Christmas.

One thing my kids are not getting is Starbucks Cards. They have been given SB cards for so many occasions over several years that they have lost some of the 'specialness'. Now DD17s friends all go to Dunkin Donuts for "happy hour" ($1) and do their homework there. So she'll be getting a DD gift card. :coffee:
 
My DD had three advent calendars last year...lindt from NYC one, lego one and the Fortune Cookie Co. advent which is all beauty products and was themed harry potter last year...nice product. I want to see what they have this year. Although she said the Lindt chocolate was her favorite!

Thank you! I had no idea Lindt made advent calendars. I will def be ordering one to send to DS when they are available. He is away at college for the first year and I think he would love that.
 
If you like the idea of advent calendars, try Trader Joe's. I get their cheap ones ($1-2) for my younger three, but then I get DD22 the fancy-schmancy one that's ~$15. I'm not sure on the prices since I bought them last Nov. But, everyone sure loves those--I justify the "specialness" for my oldest, since she doesn't live at home like the others, so she's not here baking and eating Christmas cookies and enjoying our other seasonal treats. So, she gets the good chocolate. I'm afraid a Lindt advent calendar would never make it out the door--I would have it squirreled away for my personal enjoyment.
 


I must try to restrain myself this year. For DD18 this year going away to college (apartment style living), we have bought a car, a bed, dishes, etc. We've spent plenty on her. I like the gift card tree mentioned above. Her high school will be offering t-shirts for sale that have a logo she designed so I'm sure we'll get her one of those.

For DD16 I am considering the Ipsy makeup monthly shipments. She's really into makeup so I need to decide if surprises will be nice or if the money would be better off going to things she picks out.

I always get them a Christmas ornament that goes along with one of their interests/favorite characters or something significant from the year. I haven't thought of any ideas yet.
 
My dd is 15 so I'm joining in for ideas.

For those of you with college kids, my mom gave me a box full of toiletries - deodorant, shave gel, razors, toothpaste, etc. the first Christmas I was in college.

It was my favorite! She was really disappointed because she was giving it to me with ill intentions but I hated spending my money on that stuff. I was really happy with it!
 
One thing we have always done for our college kids is a Money(Gift card) Christmas Tree. I use one of the trees that are about 1-1 1/2 feet high and hang gift cards from it. We buy gift cards for places around campus or even the grocery store they frequent. Always has been a hit.

tarheel618: There is a lighted makeup mirror in the current costco circular for less than $20.
Sadly nearest costco is over an hour away and I am not a member but thank you.
 


Hope you don't mind I started a seperate thread! My DD18 freshman in college. Looking for ideas on what to get her. I love hearing what other parents have purchased for their teens. Thanks!

My dd18 is also a freshman away at college. Thanks for starting this thread!
She loves makeup, clothes/sneakers, and dance so I'm thinking giftcards. Possibly for:
Sephora and/or Ulta
Charlotte Russe
Forever 21
Nike or Foot Locker
VS PINK
Walmart (for food shopping during the semester)
I bought her a pair of activewear leggings from Old Navy on clearance that fit her so nicely so I'd like to buy more if I find a sale. F21 has nice activewear as well.
 
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I must try to restrain myself this year. For DD18 this year going away to college (apartment style living), we have bought a car, a bed, dishes, etc. We've spent plenty on her. I like the gift card tree mentioned above. Her high school will be offering t-shirts for sale that have a logo she designed so I'm sure we'll get her one of those.

For DD16 I am considering the Ipsy makeup monthly shipments. She's really into makeup so I need to decide if surprises will be nice or if the money would be better off going to things she picks out.

I always get them a Christmas ornament that goes along with one of their interests/favorite characters or something significant from the year. I haven't thought of any ideas yet.
Thanks for the ornament reminder, mine get one every year. My teens love ipsy, but you end up with a lot of makeup bags! Time to find this year's matching Christmas jammies!
 
My dd is 15 so I'm joining in for ideas.

For those of you with college kids, my mom gave me a box full of toiletries - deodorant, shave gel, razors, toothpaste, etc. the first Christmas I was in college.

It was my favorite! She was really disappointed because she was giving it to me with ill intentions but I hated spending my money on that stuff. I was really happy with it!

I remember you posted this last year and I thought of that while getting my daughter ready for school...don't know why it made me sad but it did...So I stocked up on 4 of everything for her :(
 
If you like the idea of advent calendars, try Trader Joe's. I get their cheap ones ($1-2) for my younger three, but then I get DD22 the fancy-schmancy one that's ~$15. I'm not sure on the prices since I bought them last Nov. But, everyone sure loves those--I justify the "specialness" for my oldest, since she doesn't live at home like the others, so she's not here baking and eating Christmas cookies and enjoying our other seasonal treats. So, she gets the good chocolate. I'm afraid a Lindt advent calendar would never make it out the door--I would have it squirreled away for my personal enjoyment.

No idea Trader Joe had fancy ones..will check that out!
 
I am either insane or a genius. Not sure. DD18 freshman at college as I stated earlier. I always have a go big or go home gift (last year was back to back HOME tours for 21 Pilots in Columbus...etc etc). This year I wracked my brain. And .... ok I have SW points EXPIRING in May which are of no use for me to book our Aulani trip for July points expired..Hmmm....gotta take a trip.

got great seats for afternoon show of Hamilton in Chicago, using my FREE SW tickets to fly there and using American Airlines points for hotel!!!!

So this is going to be the big surprise. 3 day trip in Chicago over her Spring Break. She has never been there so I am hoping this is a winner!
 
I remember you posted this last year and I thought of that while getting my daughter ready for school...don't know why it made me sad but it did...So I stocked up on 4 of everything for her :(

That was sweet of you! Sorry my post made you sad. My mom and I have a complicated relationship. I remember you mentioning in the other thread that your dd is adopted and you are going to Hawaii. I thought that was really special! I was adopted as a baby (I'm in my 40s now). Your dd is very lucky to have such a wonderful mom!
 
That was sweet of you! Sorry my post made you sad. My mom and I have a complicated relationship. I remember you mentioning in the other thread that your dd is adopted and you are going to Hawaii. I thought that was really special! I was adopted as a baby (I'm in my 40s now). Your dd is very lucky to have such a wonderful mom!

Your so sweet! Thanks!!!!! I just really remember your post and THOUGHT I recall your saying your mom didn't want you to leave for college. I don't know why that stuck with me but it did. I FEEL the same as your mom did I am sure but I try so hard to ACT the opposite to encourage her to do things etc. It is very hard though as I am sure you know. I wish she were 10 most days!!
 
got great seats for afternoon show of Hamilton in Chicago, using my FREE SW tickets to fly there and using American Airlines points for hotel!!!!

So this is going to be the big surprise. 3 day trip in Chicago over her Spring Break. She has never been there so I am hoping this is a winner!

How awesome! This is what I want for Christmas :)
 
Ugh it's so hard to think of stuff for them isn't it? I usually ask for a list.

Oldest DD21, no clue?? She HAS.EVERYTHING!! She has so many clothes and shoes and jewelry...but I guess I'll get her more. I'm not a fan of buying my kids gift cards unless it's for food because I find they don't always use them or don't use the full amount and then I get mad that my money is wasted.

DD19 is away at college so we've already hit up her college bookstore for some college apparel. And she's in the nursing program and will be starting clinical's next semester so I got her nursing shoes. And next year she's going to be living in an apartment so I thought I'd buy her a crockpot. She'll have her car at school next semester too so I think I'll get her some gas cards.

DS17, who the heck knows?? He's not into clothes, does like video games but usually buys his own, plus they are so expensive. It's no fun just opening 3 or 4 video games Christmas morning. But he does like food gift cards, so I definitely get some of those for him. But he stumps me most years :-(.

I'm really looking forward to the years when I can just write them all a check and be done with it. My parents just gave us money after we got married and we loved it! My kids still like to get up and see all those presents under the tree from Santa, so I still have a few more years left.
 
I don't have teen kids myself but I'm following along for ideas for the 5 or so teenage cousins I need to buy for! This year i think we are just going to do gift cards because I'm pregnant and won't be traveling the 11+ hours to visit for the holidays the way we normally would, so I need something easy to mail. Probably the younger kids will get gift cards as well this year, but for different places than the teens. Any ideas where to get them for? Last year I'd just gotten married and didn't come up so we did DQ gift cards. I felt so bad because I normally like to go pick out a gift for each of them- but they were huge hit! So I may do that again but I'm looking for suggestions for a $10 gift card for teens, some male some female!

Next year we will be able to travel again (we usually visit and exchange gifts at Thanksgiving) so I'm looking forward to getting physical gifts for everyone again. I'll be following along for ideas for next year too, since I typically shop after Christmas sales!
 
Malden Mills polar fleece sheets from QVC, they are the best. One can never have enough pajamas, or a wrap from Barefoot Dreams.
 
DS14 is getting a new computer chair (right now he has my old one and it's falling apart).
I'm waiting for the rest of his list. He has talked about getting an Xbox OneS (I think that's the one), but he will have enough from his birthday/saved allowance this month to buy one (if he turns in his old Xbox One; it's 2 years old now). Maybe some games or game cards.
 

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