I love Thanksgiving and have to give that holiday and season a chance to shine! I may not be ready to decorate for Christmas yet, but that doesn't mean I can't start shopping! With the holidays around the corner and people always asking what I'm getting the girls for Christmas I thought I'd put together a post about fun gifts that teenage girls would like to find in their stockings, under the tree or in their next birthday gift bag. My own girls range in age from 13-18 with the younger two about to turn 14 and 16 in January. They having varying interests from fashion, room decor, hockey, dance and skiing/snowboarding. They love face masks and taking baths and other self care type presents as well. I know they've had their lists started since September but I wouldn't let them show me until after Halloween, and their father's birthday on November 1st. Two of them have birthdays in January so that's a big gift giving window in a short amount of time. I need all the help I can get with wish list items and so do all their aunts and grandmas!
I personally like to spread out my shopping and usually start in September. When I see things that remind me of people I just buy it for their birthday, for Christmas, or just because. I hate waiting in long Christmas lines at the mall and I can't imagine a worse way to spend a day. I probably spend more time shopping than the average person but I enjoy it more when I spread it out and have most of it done before December.
I really love spending the month of December decorating, baking with my girls, setting up a wrap station for them to wrap gifts for family, friends and teachers and making sure to give back to local charities, and doing random acts of kindness together as a family. If I have my shopping done early I feel like I can relax more and really enjoy the season. So many moms are the Santa in the house. Doing all the shopping, wrapping, planning, and figuring out the social calendars of everyone in the household to help pull off the holiday season without a glitch. I find I am happier, more festive and enjoy all the addition "work" of the holiday season more if I shop early, fit in exercise as much as possible, continue to eat healthfully, and spread out the work amongst our family. When we are all baking and wrapping and shopping together it is much more festive than when I am doing it all alone.
And teen girls love to shop, at least mine do! So never feel bad about getting them a gift card! It feels like a bonus to them when they get to go shopping after Christmas for things they might not have realized they wanted until they saw their friends got it. They all have such unique tastes for their rooms and clothing so it's fun for them to have some real money to shop for themselves!
So here it is: The top teenage girl gifts categories/stores of the 2018 holiday season (I've added links to those items highlighted in blue in the text-scroll over the text to see. I'm helping out all the other moms, aunts, grandmas and Santas in my life!):
1. Winter Coats & Back Packs
If they don't have a North Face back pack or Jacket for skiing or school it is a must have with most teenage girls. The North Face jackets and coats can sometimes be found at Marshall's. Shop early and look carefully but they have quite a few good deals in their stores. Living in New England my girls need warm coats for skiing, snowboarding, skating on the lake in Winter.
The back packs are a great buy. If they pick a neutral one or colors they have loved for a long time they are made very well and last for a few years (and they can even take them off to college with them). Most also have a padded pocket for their laptop or chrome book and now that many schools are requiring teens to bring a laptop back and forth to school this is essential. And of course if they already have their North Face jacket there is always the ever cozy Patagonia fleece!
2. Hats & SunglassesA fashion statement and a social justice cause in one these love YOUR melon hats are a must have for anyone needing to keep their dome warm! This company was started in a college entrepreneurship class by students who wanted to put a hat on every child in the U.S. battling cancer. After they reached that goal they decided to donate 1 million dollars to pediatric cancer research. "To date, we have given over 4.7 million dollars to the fight against pediatric cancer and over 149,000 hats to children battling cancer." 50% of profit from these hats goes to the pediatric cancer cause. Now that is a cause worth supporting! So many fun styles and if kids feel fashionable and philanthropic while also keeping their heads warm it's a cause worth supporting! Our oldest has the black speckled pom beanie which is currently sold out. I did notice she packed it when heading off to college before it was even cold enough to start wearing hats. Make sure to have your recipient way in on what they like since hats are such a personal statement and you want it to match their favorite jackets. So many styles and colors to choose from! For people living in warmer climates where a winter hat isn't necessary they have baseball hats and headbands as well.
Ray Ban sunglasses aren't giving back to any social causes but they will make your teen very happy! Wait until your teenager shows good self care of their phone and other expensive items. These are definitely a gift that needs to be given to someone that shows they know how to take care of their things. They are expensive and should be put away in their case after being worn. They are small and could easily be misplaced by someone who is not good at taking care of their things. We actually had our oldest buy her own and she has done a very good job taking care of them because she is the one who parted with the money. I believe she asked for money towards them from aunts and uncles for her birthday. Unless Ray Ban's go out of style these can be worn for years to come once your teen is full grown. Nice quality lenses that protect their eyes from UV lights and a fashion statement.
3. Self Care ItemsMany news articles talk about how stressed kids are these days. My girls have their share of stress but they have also learned a lot about self care from their coaches, dance teachers, aunts and mom! They are good about taking time to exercise, eat healthfully and take time for a little self care by doing yoga. I got them all their own yoga mats for their rooms a few Christmases ago and they can often be found working out or stretching in their rooms. They also like to do face masks with friends when having sleepovers, with their sisters or just on a random Sunday night. And they like to take baths, they even light a candle and play music. They especially like the treat of a bath bomb from Lush. So proud of my girls for not rushing through life and taking time to relax and take care of themselves. They like makeup too and since I'm not a huge makeup person I'm thankful for their big sister for guiding them and the pros at Ulta Beauty. A gift card from there is fun because their are so many self care items from makeup to face masks and hair care. Teen girls are sure to find something they NEED when shopping there.
4. Room Decor
Marshalls, TJ Maxx and home goods have great teen girl items including twinkle lights, lighted signs, picture displays for all their selfies with friends, jewelry holders and makeup organizers, pretty mirrors and artwork. A frame for all their pictures would be fun too. One of my daughters redesigned her room a few years ago and wanted it to feel like a spa. We got her a diffuser with various aromas to help her room feel relaxing, energetic and like a great place to sleep. We also got her lavender essential oils to spritz her pillow. She tends to be our daughter that has sleep issues. My girls are also into air plants. Not a lot of work or care needed but a fun little addition to any teen room. Here is a cute little holder for one. Most local florists and garden shops carry air plants these days.
5. Water Bottles
With all the variety of bottles and cups they have you wouldn't think they could possible need another one. But this big daddy by hydro flask is on the college girls wish list. AND she wanted it early. No go girl! Sorry! They all love the Vera Bradley tumblers too for all the water they consume. I love that it has a reusable straw as well. The turtles will thank you!!
The best stores at the mall for picking your own items for the teen girls in your life:
6. UrbanOutfitters
Room decor, clothing, camera swag and frames, jewelry, bath items, fun gifts, games, gift cards. If the teen in your life doesn't have a tapestry yet (yes the 80's are back full swing in teen world) this is a fun place to buy one of these too. They are large and take up a lot of wall space so definitely make sure it's one they are going to love!
7. Francesca's
Clothing, jewelry, cups, room decor, hair accessories Those great Boho bandeaus that my girls wear as headbands and bras! Yes the same item can be worn as both! wow! Scrunchies are back to, do you see what I'm saying about the 80's?! Lots of fun things to pick from. Grab a gift receipt if you are worried they won't like it. It's fun to open some real presents!
8. PacSun
Carries the popular Brandy Melville line of tees, sweats and sweatshirts my girls love. Lots of belly shirts combined with comfy casual stylish clothes.
9. American Eagle
Carries the jeans our entire family wears plus fun seasonal fashion items including sweaters flannels and dresses that the girls often love. Aerie is usually right next door with a door that attaches the two stores with casual comfy pjs, fuzzy socks (the fuzzier and softer the better!), and sweats and in the summer they have bathing suits as well. Gift cards to AE are always a hit so teens can pick out a color sweater they don't already have!
10. Lululemon
Yoga pants that last forever or they replace them and headbands. I personally think they are overpriced but for the amount of time my girls spend in yoga pants they beg to differ. It's all about the brand names and fitting in. That being said they have plenty of yoga pants from Marshalls! These nicer ones they wear to school and when they want to dress up a bit. They wear well.
11.GarageClothes, pjs, candy, gift cards. My middle daughter is full grown and quite petite. She likes that she can find clothes that actually fit her here!
12. Coffee Gift cards
Fo when out with friends/at the mall/on the way home from hockey/on break from dance class or college classes: Dunkins, Starbucks
13. Amazon Gift Cards
For everything else! Anything the teen girl in your life wants - make up, room decor, face masks. College kids get amazon prime for free so no delivery charges when away from home. And who doesn't like coming home to a smile on their porch or a note that they've received a package in college ;)
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