Ok, ready? Boys and girls mixed in, junior high into college, here's a list of ideas from Abbey and some of her good friends. (I begged only a few suggestions out of my boys.) Also at the bottom, is a cute post my daughter wrote when a few years ago with more ideas.
Nike socks-girls and boys wear them. I have bought so many pairs of these! Where do they all go?
($24+)
Very popular right now, lots of different choices.
($12.45)
Makeup brushes. I am told they don't have to expensive to be quality.
Sanuk flip-flops.
Crocodile clips. Can be found at any drug store
Not Your Mother's Beach Spray and Dry Shampoo
Electric Blanket-Abbey LOVES her electric blanket (and boy did it come in handy early this year when Janey and I had a terrible bout of pneumonia.) I bought her one at Kohl's on sale. It is similar to this one here.
IPhone Cases
My niece uses the Otter Box Commuter Series and really likes it-they are affordable too.
Abbey uses a (after having to replace the screen because of a breakage she decided it was in her best interest to spend more.:)
Headphones (affordable ones that work as good as the expensive ones, or so I am told!)
Duffel bags-especially for college kids-Lands End has great ones, I love their sales, and you can get them monogrammed.
Shopping for teenagers is definitely harder than other ages (I would know, I am one) and one of the biggest problems is not knowing exactly what they want. If you're stuck on this and need a few ideas, these are some of my favorite things that I have gotten, and some things I am asking for this year!
Headphones. Definitely a broad topic. My favorite are the brand Skullcandy
. Lots of styles, affordable, and great quality! Pink and purple are my go-to colors.Something that I am in desperate need (okay, want, sorry Mom) of this year, this iPod adapter
thingy for an older car like the one Isaac and I share. Because radio music can get old too fast when they play the same songs over and over...The Wet Brush Detangle Brush . Last time I went to the salon, the lady who trimmed my hair suggested this because my hair is so long and gets tangled so easy. It works wonders.
magazine. Full of great ideas, new trends, fashion advice, cool pictures, and classy clothes! Once I am finished reading a magazine, I look through it and cut out pictures that inspire me and my style and collage them onto my doors.
Jean jacket!
The style staple for the season, its a no-brainer! I received this one from American Eagle for a birthday gift and love it.
Every girl needs something Vera Bradley! Such cute patterns and very durable. I use my bag for everything, school, shopping, etc. (Sometimes I see these at TJ Maxx for a great price.)
And when I don't feel the need to lug around my big purse, I love this wristlet, they can be found at most clothing stores:
Another car accessory but a great stocking stuffer: A car clip air freshener like this one from Bath & Body Works. When Isaac hid bacon scented air fresheners in our car after he left for college, this helped like crazy to make the car actually breathable again. My favorite scent is Island Margarita but there are so many to choose from!
One of my absolute favorite Christmas presents last year from my grandma was this Color Daze Blockbuster
from Sephora. (NOTE: This is crazy expensive now, this is a similar kit at a price close to what was paid for the above kit.) For girls that love experimenting with makeup and trying new techniques, this set comes with it all: Mascara, blush, eyeliners, lip gloss, eyeshadow, luminizer, and brushes. It could also be a good starter kit.Pink yoga pants and leggings are definitely on my list for this year. So comfortable and easy to slip on after a long day of school.
Hope this helps!
- Our kids have viewed tutorials on YouTube to help solve the cube. Isaac can solve it in under a minute and Andrew under three minutes. I tried to solve it 25 years ago without any technological assistance, but never did, until YouTube!
-Our kids got onto a big scrabble kick this past year. Andrew liked Boggle better. You make up as many words as you can in three minutes. We play together at night before bed and help each other try to set a new record for words found. We sometimes re-shake it if the letter that come up are too tough. 
-This is really two puzzle/pattern games in one. Each puzzle is gradually more difficult. The pyramids are fun to build. 
-We have Rush Hour and Rush Hour Two. You just have to drive the red car out of the game by moving the other cars out of its way. I think I have played this game more than the kids.
This is also a puzzle game where you use chess pieces and moves to capture and remove all the pieces until there is just one piece left. You do not have to know how to play chess to play it, but you do have to know how the different chess pieces move. Like Rush Hour, the easy cards help you learn how to play and get you hooked. 
-A fast way to play a game of Monopoly using playing cards. I think this was the "in" game sweeping the country last year-our kids learned it from friends out in Colorado, and as soon as we left their house, they all begged us to stop and get a deck. It has been worth every penny.
- This is a great game where both adults and kids can have fun together. We have both Qwirkle and Qwirkle Cubes, unless Qwirkle found its way into one of Sarah's 40 black bags. 
-Andrew is Mr. Game. He is Jeff Junior. This is one of his favorites.
- It folds up and latches, and all the pieces fit inside which is why Sarah bought it. 
