2014 Holiday Gift Guide – Pre-teen & Teen Girls

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When my little girls were younger,  it was pretty easy to buy them gifts. They were easily mesmerized by the constant barrage of holiday toy commercials and would immediately tell me what they wanted. Now that they are older, one in middle school and the other in high school, they aren’t as easily persuaded into liking a product by the commercials alone. They  don’t rush to tell me what they want for Christmas anymore and much of their “likes” come from their fellow peers.

Since I know I’m not the only mom that needs hints on what to buy for an older girl, I’ve decided to put together this 2014 Holiday Gift Guide for Pre-teen & Teen Girls that have been approved by my two girls.

CRAFTY GIRL

I did a review on this product and my middle school daughter absolutely LOVED it.  It is a self-contained DohVinci Art Studio Kit that includes 4 DecoPop Tubes, 5 boards, and a styler gun. I personally liked that this didn’t require any batteries, is under $20, is self-contained, and easy to use.  The only con was that the DecoPop tubes of color don’t last very long. You can see my review and video here. Right now, Amazon has an awesome deal on this and I’m sure it will sell out. You even get free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member.
If you’re picking up the DohVinci Art Studio, I would also recommend picking up extra DecoPop Tubes and the Deluxe Styler, which gives you an extra styler gun and decorative tips. This is the perfect add-on if you have two girls in the house.

Another kit that is on my younger daughter’s list is the Loopdedoo kit. This looks promising, but this kit has mixed reviews on Amazon. So, you’ll have to decide if this is something you’re willing to spend a little over $30 for. On the plus side, this kit is expandable and you can purchase other kits to make necklaces, headbands, and charms. Keep in mind that you need to buy the Loopdedoo Spinning Loom in order to use the other add-on kits, so the initial investment would be at least $30 for the Loopdedoo kit.

Another art kit my youngest daughter has been asking for is a pottery kit. She’s been asking for since the middle of the year. Not sure where she saw this at, but it’s on her list too. Just an FYI, the DohVinci dough could be used to decorate the pottery created from this kit.

 

Kinetic sand is another toy that my youngest daughter has on her list. I don’t know what it is about sand, but all kids love to play with it. We saw this at the Walmart Toyland Event and she really enjoyed playing with it. It retailed around $20.

My older daughter likes decorating things and she asked for a couple of clear iphone cases.  For under $2 a piece, this is a great stocking stuffer and she can paint or print out different backgrounds whenever she needs to change things up.

Sharpie Fine-Tip Permanent Marker, 24-Pack Assorted Colors is another great gift to get any girl that loves to draw or decorate her items.

GIRLIE GIRL

My girls love to play with my nail polish and I think this would make a great gift for any  girl, who loves to do her nails. I have the dotting tools and a larger set of nail brushes and can honestly say that having these tools makes a huge difference when trying to create cute nail designs. Hint: nail glue and clear coat will help keep the gems stones in place and last longer, so include them with this gift too.

 

Another product that my youngest daughter loves is Orbeez. She still enjoys her Orbeez lamp that she received last year on her birthday, which changes colors and casts colorful shadows in her room at night. She would also like the Orbeez foot spa and Orbeez Body Spa, which you can find on the Walmart site for a good price.  Although, I’m not too keen on the Orbeez Body Spa chair because the Orbeez gel balls can burst and get messy, so I’m not sure I would want my girls sitting on them 🙂

 

 

Have you seen the popular candles from Jewelscent with hidden rings in them? While I don’t allow candles in their rooms, this company also makes soaps with hidden rings in them too.  As the soap wears down from use, a small hidden package will be revealed with a ring inside of it. I thought this would be a cute gift with an added surprise inside. Rings range in value from $10 to $7500 (very rare) and you can specify a ring size 🙂 Use code: “Welcome” to receive 15% + FREE shipping. Not sure how long this offer will last and this is the best savings code I’ve found so far. 

Speaking of jewelry, look at these cute heart and arrow sterling silver pieces from the Chloe + Isabel company. I absolutely love these pieces and they are all reasonably priced between $35 -$45. I wouldn’t mind these for myself!

Okay, what girl teen girl doesn’t like to spend time in the bathroom prepping for school. My oldest daughter wakes up extra early just to do her hair and one of her favorite hair products is “It’s a 10 Leave-in Product”. She says it helps keep her hair soft and shiny.  I think a basket full of this product line would make her a happy camper.

Another hair styling product is the new KISS InstaWave automatic curling iron. You can read my review HERE. It only takes seconds to warm and makes curling your hair super easy.

She also loves American Eagle’s roller perfumes and has tried several of their fragrances. She loves the light scent and the small-sized bottles that she can easily toss into her school bag.

SOFT & CUDDLY THINGS

Honestly, my go to place for all things soft and cuddly is usually Build-a-bear. Both my girls still love going to this store, picking out their own doll, having it stuffed, and dressing it. I mean seriously, how cute is the Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary doll?! They even have Olaf, My Little Pony, and tons of other animals. What I also like is that they place these stuffed dolls in their own special box that can also be colored or decorated.

If you don’t have a store near you, you can always order these dolls and all of their accessories online. In fact, there are some dolls that are web exclusives and can only be purchased online.

Another soft toy that my youngest daughter still enjoys are the Webkinz dolls. Each doll comes with a special code that allows you to play on the Webkinz online site for up to a year. The site has various games (math, spelling, memory) and activities that can keep a young girl busy for quite a bit of time.  At the end of the year, you can renew your code online, purchase another doll in stores with a new code, or buy a virtual pet online to have continued access to the Webkinz website.

 

WHEN YOU JUST DON”T KNOW???

Sometimes you just aren’t sure what to give and that’s when gift cards or cold hard cash comes into play. I think it’s pretty safe to say that most young girls like to shop and I’m pretty positive that a gift card or cash will always be appreciated.

I know the pre-teen and teen years are such a tough age to shop for and I hope these suggestions help make your holiday shopping a bit easier. What do your young ladies have on their wish list this year?