Gifts for Teen Girls

Our sweet daughter was born in January.  Coincidentally, most of my family was (except me).  What to gift her for her birthday, 2 weeks after Christmas?  This is my dilemma every year, and as she gets older, the choices become more difficult. This past January was extremely hard, as all she desires anymore are gift cards to her favorite stores.  While there is nothing wrong with gift cards, I prefer to buy her gifts, as I feel it’s more of the thought that usually counts. So here is a list I put together for anyone out there experiencing this issue with their teen daughter, niece, goddaughter or friend:

Barrington personalized bags & accessories Barrington Gifts offers high quality leather bags, totes, duffle bags, wallets, cabin bags, writing instruments, crossbody bags, passport and laptop cases. Customizable in many colors and prints.

bags

A subscription to Disney+  Our daughter just recently asked us if she could subscribe to this service, so I think any teenager would enjoy it.

disneyplus

A relaxing spa set Any young lady would enjoy a relaxing spa set, which may include scented candles, bath bombs and face masks.

spa

A pink Echo Dot Who doesn’t love Alexa??

alexa

Alex and Ani Flying Butterfly Duo Charm Bangle Set Alex and Ani have so many options of adorable bracelets, rings and necklaces.  Tons of options to choose from, wherever your young lady’s interests may lie.

alexandani

Adidas Originals Women’s Gazelle Sneaker Adidas sneakers are so popular nowadays, and there is a large variety to choose from.

adidaspink

Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette  This is a very nice palette for any make-up loving teen.

Sephora

Pink Colorblock Felt Letter Board These boards have become very popular for room decor and even at parties and gatherings.  They come in a variety of colors as well.

felt board

HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer Since no one uses cameras anymore, especially the younger generations, these little photo printers allow them to print photos directly from their cell phones.

photo printer

Sunrise Alarm Clark We know teens have a very hard time waking up in the mornings.  Sunrise clocks are designed to mimic the sun rising by slowly filling your room with light. When the alarm finally rings, your room is bright, which makes waking up less abrupt. It also includes an FM radio and USB charging port. (This may be a huge hit for college freshman).

clock

And of course you can never go wrong with Apple AirPods.

airpods

Shopping for teens can be very difficult at times, I hope this list gives you some ideas.  I would love to hear what you have gifted teens?

My Signature

Girl Meets World…

So after watching Boy Meets World, many moons ago, and remembering that it was a very sweet sitcom of the 90’s, I was excited about Disney’s spin-off for my daughter, Girl Meets World, which premiered on the Disney Channel, June 27th.  Although I was not as disappointed as I have been with other Disney shows in the past (click here for my tween TV post), I wasn’t completely impressed either.

Cast of Girl Meets World Photo Courtesy of People.com

Cast of Girl Meets World
Photo Courtesy of People.com

While I love the concept of seeing Cory and Topanga still together as married adults (well, very young adults, they haven’t aged a bit), with their own family, Girl Meets World, is not as innocent.  Cory is now a history teacher at his daughter Riley’s school, so of course he will be dishing out advice just as his mentor Mr. Feeny did on BMW.  But as with Feeny, boundaries are crossed. The conversations and antics that take place in Cory’s classroom, would never occur in the real world. And 12-year-old daughter Riley, is very sassy and a bit disrespectful, however, deep down she likes to do the right thing.

The plot lines are silly (what parent today allows their 12-year-old to ride a NYC subway alone?) and the parents clueless. I had my fingers crossed with this pilot, hoping that it would mimic its predecessor, however, this just felt like yet another new Disney show, with Cory and Topanga as part of the cast.  Having said all this, my daughter thought it was cute, and I’m sure she’ll be watching it again.

Shawn & Cory ; Maya & Riley

Something that Disney will have to work on a bit is the mischievous BFF. While Shawn was the kid from a broken home, with a heart of gold, and an eye for mischief, Maya isn’t a troublemaker from a blue-collar background. Maya pushes Riley in similar ways as Shawn pushed Cory, but Maya is no Shawn! Everyone loved Shawn, while Maya right now just seems to be a very bad influence for what appears to be a kind-hearted Riley. But I’m sure they will develop that storyline some more, and show us why Maya acts the way she does (probably neglected and/or misunderstood by her parents somehow).

Good old Mr. Feeny

My favorite part of the pilot was at the end, when we see Feeny walk out of a stay-in-school poster to offer reassurances to Cory. This made me wonder if Feeny had died at the end of the BMW series, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t. I can only assume that he will be making guest appearances, or maybe even joining the cast later on.  This might actually be a good thing.

I’ll have to give this show a chance and see if Disney redeems itself.  Did you watch the pilot, and if you did, what were your thoughts/impressions?