What to buy...

[Stormystarr]

I have to buy three birthday gifts, one is for a baby, he's easy to please, one is for a friend, easy too, but the other is for a little girl who will be turning 12 years old. My question is this, what do I buy for her? She is extremely picky, and snubs everything anyone gives her, and her mother said "no money" in no uncertain terms, so I'm stuck. Please help, any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

BTW, the birthdays are three days in a row too.

 

[Ambrosious]

I'd go with a gift certificate. Maybe to a music store?

 

[Sammyjo]

Sex toys for me thanks...oh, you weren't talking about me *pout*

Ummm...12 is such a hard age...a gift certificate is a good idea. All people are different, but maybe a collector doll, if she's into dolls (collector items make young girls feel so grown up), or a stuffed animal (whatever her favorite animal is)...hard to say since I don't know her...earrings, necklace, stationary...grrrr...

 

[Ambrosious]

Hey I just had another idea, and I like this one better. Is twelve too young for one of those girly bath collection thingys ya'll like so much. Well I know my wife likes 'em. You know, with the lavander soap, sandlewood gel, peach hair goop, and the little useless metal basket it comes in? Thinkin', always thinkin'.

 

[Sammyjo]

See, I was thinking that, too...or some blue lipstick and nail polish...the mom will want to kill you, but the girl will love you forever.

 

[Merelan]

Glitter makeup and the works....

 

[Juliangel]

You could buy her a CD or posters. Four of my neices range from 9 to 11 and if it says N'Sync I cannot go wrong.

Preteen and teen girls seem to love them. Their version of hte beatles I think.

 

[Stormystarr]

These all sound like some really good ideas. Thank you all, but I'm still trying to figure it out. So I may just go for one of your ideas after all.

 

[Silverlily]

Sammyjo and Merelan were dead on with the glitter goop and the blue lipstick. I have two daughters and you'd think that stuff was as important as air.

The Limited Too carries a pretty good line for girls, try there if you have one.

 

[CW]

I personally like the idea of pumpkin goop,,, a few days old if possible,,, if she's that much of a difficult child, then give her something to REALLY complain and whine about,,, hell,,, she's gonna snub it anyway,,, at least this way you have little energy or time invested,,,



Oh,,, you wanted a serious reply and suggestion,,,, soorryyyy,,, my bad there




HHHmmmm,,, serious, serious, seriously serious !!!!

No clue whatsoever,,,

 

[SpecialK]

This is a tough one, Stormystarr!

Twelve is such an awkward age. And at twelve, they have already started going in their own directions as far as tastes are concerned. She might not be into the boy bands and might be into the alternative set instead. I'd find out for sure that she liked N'Sync before buying something about a specific band like that.

Makeup is always a good idea. But again, that's also highly specific too.

Do you have any idea what kinds of things she is into? Maybe some kind of craft kit? (I have recently become interested in jewelry making and I have noticed these Hemp Jewelry kits in Walmart. They look like they'd make a great gift.)

Hmmn. If the mom said that money is out, what about a gift certificate to a music store or clothing store?

What about a Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul book or journal? I gave my teenaged sister the journal a year or so ago for her birthday. I didn't think she'd like it, but she really enjoyed it.

Oh! What about a package of gel pens and some black gel paper? If she's 12, she is probably in a note-writing phase with her friends at school. Funky gel pens and the black gel pen paper are really hot items here.

Hope these ideas help.

K

 

[Adoratrice]

I think special K is a 12 year old girl!!!!!!

*stomping feet*......you took all my good answers!

 

[Sammyjo]

yeah, she did get a bit wound up!!! LOL

 

[ANiceGuy]

What about a gift certificate to a national bookstore.

A gift certificate at a place like Barnes and Knobles would be real flexible. Most of those book stores have music if she wanted that and it might start her on a literorary career if she got a book. Be sure and get one of the nice gift certificates not the violent ones. It has to be nice.

 

[Adoratrice]

Re: What about a gift certificate to a national bookstore.

Be sure and get one of the nice gift certificates not the violent ones. It has to be nice.

Has there been an outbreak of violent gift certificates lately?....I mean how would you KNOW?....do they look different from the "nice" ones?....are they concentrated in a certain part of the country or could they be right here in OUR back yard?...........I'm just sayin.....this is serious shit here now........

 

[Weird Harold]

I gave my six year old granddaughter a $25 credit card style gift certificate to Borders Books and Music.

The same logic I used would apply equally well to a 12 year old.

1: I have no idea what a young girl would like.
2: Since the certificate was in fact a prepaid credit card, it generates a feeling of "I'm important enough to have a credit card."
3: It was for a store that sells both books and music so she had a wide choice, but was still limited to the class of gift I wanted her to have. (Target, K-Mart and Walmart also have gone to the credit card style gift certificates, but the choice there is just too varied for it to be more than "money" in place of making some choice.)
4: It was educational in and of itself, because she had to learn to know how much there was remaining on the card and budget it to get what she wanted.

A gift certificate is your best choice, IF you keep it limited to a specific class of gift. i.e from a store that sells only clothing, a beauty shop for a makeover or cosmetics, a bookstore, music store, etc.

 

[SpecialK]

I am NOT a 12 yr old girl!!

lol!

Ironically enough, I don't even KNOW any 12 yr old girls. None. Don't ask me how I even came up with those ideas. lol!

And I'd suggest, don't cop out with the gift certificate thing unless you have to.

K