If you have a creative teen girl than you probably have a good idea of what she likes to do already. Over the last few years the number of gift options for creative teenage girls has increased greatly. In some ways it can be to many choices. It is always best to ask her what she likes or get her to make up a wish list, though some times it is nice to give something completely unexpected just to see what they make with it. If you are trying to find the right gift for a creative teen girl and do not have any idea of what to get or would like to give her something new I have made a list of some great gift ideas.
There are crafting books and magazines for every craft out there. You may want to look into instructional or design books for her. Subscriptions for crafting magazines can be great as well. There are general ones that cover all types of crafting projects and others that are craft specific such as beading and jewelry making ones.
Classes are also a wonderful gift. There is almost unlimited types of classes aimed at creative people. Every thing from music (singing, playing, producing), dance, drawing, painting, sewing (for the teen girls interested in fashion design), glass blowing, ceramics, screen printing, candy making, cooking, computer programming, and more. There are quite a few classes that are designed for teenagers and others that are mainly for adults but will take teenagers. You are only limited on what is available in your area and your budget.
Craft and art project kits and sets are a very good option. There are kits out for just about any and every craft or art and they come with everything she will need to do the project. This is the best if this is some thing she has not done before or you just don’t know what she has or needs.
Gift certificate to a local craft or art store is a safe way to give her some thing she will love.
Sculpting, molds and casting:
1) There are ceramic places that you can buy pieces (green ware) that she can paint or glaze. Often they will charge a small fee for the firing to set the glaze. These places will often also teach how to paint or glaze ceramics. Wal-Mart even carries some green ware.
2) Mold making and casting “brush-on” starter kit, Mold making and casting “pourable” starter kit, and life casting starter kit are excellent kits with every thing she needs to start making her own molds including a how-to booklet and DVD.
3) Raw materials and tools like sculpting clay, sculpting tools, brushes, and paints are great.
Scrapbooking:
1) There are a lot of scrapbooking kits. You can always go to any craft store, or craft section of a store and find any thing and every thing you could need for scrapbooking. It is the biggest craft right now. You can find special scissors, books, pens, pencils, books, paper, glue, stencils, and more. There are even gift scrapbooking kits and My first scrapbooking kits available.
Fashion:
1) Speedball fabric screen printing value kits. They have two kits, one for use on light material and one for dark material. They include every thing she needs to start designing and making her own t-shirts, or adding designs to material or clothing.
2) Starter fabric paint kits. Jacquard ‘Textile traditionals’ and ‘Sherril’s Sorbet’ sets are very good sets. She can just start drawing directly onto any fabric, including her clothing.
3) There are game programs available that let her design her own fashions. There are even some software programs (not a game) that let her design clothing on the computer.
Origami:
1) Deluxe origami book and paper kit: 64 page book with step-by-step diagrams and 130 sheets of multi-coloured origami paper.
2) Wild animal origami book and gift set. Has an 80 page instruction book and 50 sheets of multi-pattered origami paper.
3) Any origami instruction book
4) Lots of origami paper
5) Something to display all the origami. You are on your own with this one. It is going to depend on how much room you have in your home and how much origami she makes. It is addictive.
Jewelry:
1) Lots of kits and instruction books and videos are available. As well as beading, wire wrapping and jewelry making magazines. The kits are great because they come with every thing you need to make a project.
2) Working with hemp to make jewelry is the big thing right now and there are a lot of kits just for that.
3) If you know what she likes or needs you can buy kits or the individual beads, wires, findings and tools. If she does enjoy making jewelry you will want to upgrade the tools from what came in the kits.
4) Storage for beads, wires and tools is always a great gift, especially if you fill it with an assortment of beads, findings, and tools.
5) Kits to make beads out of different material are also a great gift. Though if she wants to make her own glass beads you are better off paying for her to take a class then buying a kit.
Yarn and needle craft:
1) Cross stitching, plastic canvas and rug hooking kits are still available. The cross stitching kits seem to be way more popular. You can start her with a small project if she is just starting or a larger one if it is some thing she enjoys doing.
2) There are a lot of books, magazines and projects for sewing, knitting, crocheting and other yarn and needle craft.
Drawing and painting: Kits and sets are always good to give her if she is just starting out or trying some thing new. Here are some examples of some products just to give you an idea of what is available. There is just to many things that you can get for me to list.
1) Manga: a complete kit for beginning artists. It includes a 32 page project book and the materials and tools she will need.
2) Beginning Master’s figure drawing set. This is great because it has an 8” manikin, sketch diary, drawing pencils, sharpener, eraser and an instruction guide.
3) Blue Line Art Create your own comic book. It has what she needs to start drawing comics including an instruction book.
4) Pocket journals for drawing. Quattro has some assorted mini journals and you can even get ones with leather covers. These are great to carry around, as they are nice and small.
5) Paint kits. Daler-Rowney Georgian has an oil essential set, acrylics essential set and a watercolor essential set and each set come with paint, canvas and brush. There are sets of just paint like the Reevs acrylic set of 10 and Liquitex artist acrylic colour set. You can always buy individual tubs and bottles of paint.
6) Container or bag for travel and storage. Just stow-it artist brush bag is good for transporting a few brushes. Just stow-it artist tool bag is perfect for some one who is traveling to class or likes to paint outside. Just stow-it artist back pack is great for the teen girl who is serous about drawing and painting. There are lots of different styles and sizes of artist bags and totes that will suit a teenager. You can even find some plastic art totes in dollar stores.
7) A color mixing guide is always nice. Magic palette has two color mixing guides; one with 324 colors the other 841 colors.
8) Pens, pencils, paintbrushes, painting knives, paint, canvas, paper, artist eraser (General’s soft eraser is good), and a good quality pencil sharpener.
9) Light box or trace projector are both fun and helpful.
General arts and crafts and things just for fun:
1) Stamps and ink are very popular right now. It may have to do with how popular scrapbooking is right now. There are always wonderful selections in local craft and art stores or you can even get a custom stamp made.
2) Calligraphy kits are popular, but I would only buy one if she likes to write.
3) Body art like temporary tattoos are also still popular. The kits that you can design your own tattoos are more popular then the ones with ready made set designs. Henna is also becoming more popular. There are a lot of kits out there, some with stencils and others with application bottles or tubs so they can do free hand designs. Jacquard Mehndi Henna kit. Lets her do traditional non-permanent body art, like a temporary tattoo. It comes with instructions, application bottle and henna. This is actually a lot of fun. She will have fun drawing on herself and her friends and if they don’t like the way it looks they just have to use an exfoliating soap to wash it off
4) There are a lot of kits out there that are just fun. Here are some of the kits you may want to look into: Soap making kits, Candles making kits, leather working project kits, candy making kits, wood working sets and kits, mosaics kits, glass etching kits, stain glass window kits.
I am sure you will be able to find lots of different projects to give to a creative teen girl. They can be found in any crafts or art store, and even in craft and toy sections in larger stores. If you don’t seem to be able to find the right thing locally, go look on the Internet. You will find 1000’s of kits and sets to pick from.
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Christmas 2007: Gift ideas for teen girls aged 16-18
Girls who are between 16 and 18 think of themselves as adults and want to be treated that way. They are usually getting ready to graduate, or already have, and are looking to college, university or a full-time job. Some are even parents them selves at this age. This is a hard stage in life to know what to give as a Christmas gift. They are for the most part almost adults but are still our little girls. Here is a list of Christmas 2007 gift ideas for teen girls aged 16-18 to help you out.
The most wished for Christmas gift by any 16 year old is a car. Not that most of us can afford to give a teen girl a car, new or used. However if you can afford to give them a car, even used, it makes the best Christmas gift ever. Another great gift is professional driving lesions, though some schools do offer driving lesions. Professional driving lesions can help lower insurance rates for her. If she already has a car then there are unlimited gift options all around the car from car seat covers to a GPS unit. These days a pre-paid gas card is a very welcome gift.
Digital cameras are one of the top Christmas gift this year. The price has dropped and the quality has increased so it is easy to find a good digital camera in any price range, starting with a few under $20 at http://www.sears.com/ and http://www.walmart.com/. With the digital camera you will want to give a digital frame. These are actually more expensive then some of the digital cameras available. I like the Tao 1.4 inch Digital Picture Key Chain because it is some thing she will carry around with her. This one will hold up to 56 digital pictures. You can find it for $44.99 at http://www.sears.com/.
Music is another popular gift, however these days iPods and MP3 players are the way you give music as a gift. They have also dropped in price. I was able to find a Centon 2GB MP3 Player w/Voice Recorder with FM Tuner for $24.99 at http://www.tigerdirect.com/. There are many different iPod’s, MP3’s and MP4’s available to fit almost any budget. Once she has an iPod or MP3 you can buy gift certificates for different web sites were she could buy and download songs for her iPod or MP3. Because it is all done on line she can start adding songs Christmas morning. DVD’s and CD’s are still great gifts, but it is best to only buy one if you know a specific one she wants. Other wise keep the receipt or just get gift certificates. It can actually be less expensive to get an iPod or a MP3 player and some gift certificates to download songs then it is to buy two CD’s. Getting an iPod or MP3 player can actually make finding more gifts for her easy. There are quite a few other gifts that revolve around iPod’s and MP3’s like docking stations, speakers, armband holders and special earphones.
As some of the teen girls this age are looking at moving out soon there are some gifts that you can give now that will also be great for when they go away to school or get their own place. Here are a couple that I found that can be used now and latter when they move out but don’t scream this is for when you move out.
1) The Panasonic 7” portable DVD player with USB is a great gift. It includes rechargeable battery, remote control and car adapter. This is great because it is portable, she can take it anyplace and it has a rechargeable battery so she does not need to be by an outlet. I found one for $89.97 at Toys R Us.
2) Digital video camera is another great gift. It makes it easy for her to make videos to download to you. I found a Polaroid Pixie SD digital video camera that includes a digital video player. It comes with an AV cable, batteries, software, USB interface cable, and wrist strap. It is only $79.99 at http://www.target.com/.
3) Cell phone package and minutes. There are quite a few cell phones available under $50.00. If she already has a cell phone then $50.00 worth on minutes would be a great gift. Virgin has a prepaid cell phone plan that you pay for the minutes and do not have to have a contract with them. They even have a plan for texting, pictures, IM, and e-mails $9.99 a month for 1000 or $19.99 a month for unlimited. Phones start as low as $19.99 and then you add what plan you would like. A cell phone is a great gift that lets you hand over the responsibility of paying the phone bill to your teen girl with out getting burned by a contract. She does not pre-pay the phone gets shut off. This is one of the more popular gifts
4) Portable Memorex Karaoke System. It displays song lyrics on the TV and has full range speakers. I found it for $49.97 at Toys R Us.
Image helpful gifts, ones that make a girl feel more attractive are always welcome gifts. Here are a couple that are easy to find.
1) Panasonic Misting Pore Cleaner. The pore cleaner offers deep cleaning suction power for cleaner, healthier pores. This one I found for $49.99 at http://www.sears.com/.
2) Revlon Spa Impressions Travel Manicure and Pedicure Kit. It has a bi-directional hand-held styler with flexible coiled power cord. There are 9 styling attachments: Shape, buff, Clean, Natural, or Acrylic Nails. This one is $34.99 at http://www.sears.com/
3) Make up is always a good gift for teen girls. There are sets and kits available in every large chain and small shops specializing in make up. Sears has great kits on sale right now for $19.99. Colorworks 65 Piece Traditional Traincase, Colorworks 47 Piece Music Box Traincase and Colorworks Beauty Briefcase are all on sale. They are great kits with lots of color selections as well as a variety of makeup from lipstick, blush, eye shadow and more. These are great for when you do not know what make-up a teen girl likes, or she is just starting to use it.
4) Perfume Science Kit. This is a great gift that lets a teen design and develop her own personal perfumes. Current price $ 59.95 at www.physlink.com/estore and $54.95 at http://www.discoverthis.com/.
5) Creative Cosmetics - The Science of Skin Care. Start by building a foundation in basic dermatology, and then learn about the chemistry of oils, gels and lotions. Next, mix your own personalized beauty formulas from the cosmetic bases in the kit and natural ingredients from your local market. Finally, learn how to apply your creations to your body, face, lips, nails and eyes. You will also learn the hygiene and safety necessary for proper skin care. The kit includes seventeen different cosmetics base substances to make personalized makeup, lip gloss, body lotion, face cream and shower gel. Current price $54.95 at http://www.discoverthis.com/ and $54.99 at http://www.target.com/.
6) Spa, pedicure and manicure gift certificates are perfect as they let her be pampered and treated as an adult.
Jewelry is a nice way to show that you think of her as an adult and not a kid. Giving some real jewelry, not plastic or glass, as a gift is often very appreciated. Though I have seen some stunning costume jewelry out of glass that I would love to get for myself. Rings are not a great idea unless you know her finger size. Bracelets are very nice, and if you go with a charm one you can make sure it has special meaning to her. Earrings are ok, but not as popular as necklaces. Necklaces can be a chain and a pendant where she can change the pendant to change the look or is all one piece. Both styles are popular. You will have to decide if you want to go with fashion trends or classic pieces. If you are investing a lot of money into the piece it is best to go with a classic piece that she can wear for many years. If you are just looking for a piece she will wear now, then you need to try and find out what is in fashion in your area and with her friends. What is popular can actually be different within a few blocks. It is always best to ask her what she likes then to assume that just because a style is on TV or in some magazine as being popular that it is popular with her and her friends. I can say this because I have been making and selling jewelry for over 12 years
Clothing is always needed but at this age most teenagers want to pick out their own. So a gift certificate for a store or on-line store is the best choice here. Still let’s you get them something useful but they get what they really want.
I can list a lot more ideas but when looking for the right gift for a teen girl it is always best to ask the girl what she likes, what would she wants as a gift. What is important to her is going directly affect what gifts you give her. If you can get her to make several wish lists on different web sites and then send them to you this will make things a lot easer on you. I have kept this list as a general list because if you know that the teen girl in your life has an interest then you are already have some great ideas around that interest.
The most wished for Christmas gift by any 16 year old is a car. Not that most of us can afford to give a teen girl a car, new or used. However if you can afford to give them a car, even used, it makes the best Christmas gift ever. Another great gift is professional driving lesions, though some schools do offer driving lesions. Professional driving lesions can help lower insurance rates for her. If she already has a car then there are unlimited gift options all around the car from car seat covers to a GPS unit. These days a pre-paid gas card is a very welcome gift.
Digital cameras are one of the top Christmas gift this year. The price has dropped and the quality has increased so it is easy to find a good digital camera in any price range, starting with a few under $20 at http://www.sears.com/ and http://www.walmart.com/. With the digital camera you will want to give a digital frame. These are actually more expensive then some of the digital cameras available. I like the Tao 1.4 inch Digital Picture Key Chain because it is some thing she will carry around with her. This one will hold up to 56 digital pictures. You can find it for $44.99 at http://www.sears.com/.
Music is another popular gift, however these days iPods and MP3 players are the way you give music as a gift. They have also dropped in price. I was able to find a Centon 2GB MP3 Player w/Voice Recorder with FM Tuner for $24.99 at http://www.tigerdirect.com/. There are many different iPod’s, MP3’s and MP4’s available to fit almost any budget. Once she has an iPod or MP3 you can buy gift certificates for different web sites were she could buy and download songs for her iPod or MP3. Because it is all done on line she can start adding songs Christmas morning. DVD’s and CD’s are still great gifts, but it is best to only buy one if you know a specific one she wants. Other wise keep the receipt or just get gift certificates. It can actually be less expensive to get an iPod or a MP3 player and some gift certificates to download songs then it is to buy two CD’s. Getting an iPod or MP3 player can actually make finding more gifts for her easy. There are quite a few other gifts that revolve around iPod’s and MP3’s like docking stations, speakers, armband holders and special earphones.
As some of the teen girls this age are looking at moving out soon there are some gifts that you can give now that will also be great for when they go away to school or get their own place. Here are a couple that I found that can be used now and latter when they move out but don’t scream this is for when you move out.
1) The Panasonic 7” portable DVD player with USB is a great gift. It includes rechargeable battery, remote control and car adapter. This is great because it is portable, she can take it anyplace and it has a rechargeable battery so she does not need to be by an outlet. I found one for $89.97 at Toys R Us.
2) Digital video camera is another great gift. It makes it easy for her to make videos to download to you. I found a Polaroid Pixie SD digital video camera that includes a digital video player. It comes with an AV cable, batteries, software, USB interface cable, and wrist strap. It is only $79.99 at http://www.target.com/.
3) Cell phone package and minutes. There are quite a few cell phones available under $50.00. If she already has a cell phone then $50.00 worth on minutes would be a great gift. Virgin has a prepaid cell phone plan that you pay for the minutes and do not have to have a contract with them. They even have a plan for texting, pictures, IM, and e-mails $9.99 a month for 1000 or $19.99 a month for unlimited. Phones start as low as $19.99 and then you add what plan you would like. A cell phone is a great gift that lets you hand over the responsibility of paying the phone bill to your teen girl with out getting burned by a contract. She does not pre-pay the phone gets shut off. This is one of the more popular gifts
4) Portable Memorex Karaoke System. It displays song lyrics on the TV and has full range speakers. I found it for $49.97 at Toys R Us.
Image helpful gifts, ones that make a girl feel more attractive are always welcome gifts. Here are a couple that are easy to find.
1) Panasonic Misting Pore Cleaner. The pore cleaner offers deep cleaning suction power for cleaner, healthier pores. This one I found for $49.99 at http://www.sears.com/.
2) Revlon Spa Impressions Travel Manicure and Pedicure Kit. It has a bi-directional hand-held styler with flexible coiled power cord. There are 9 styling attachments: Shape, buff, Clean, Natural, or Acrylic Nails. This one is $34.99 at http://www.sears.com/
3) Make up is always a good gift for teen girls. There are sets and kits available in every large chain and small shops specializing in make up. Sears has great kits on sale right now for $19.99. Colorworks 65 Piece Traditional Traincase, Colorworks 47 Piece Music Box Traincase and Colorworks Beauty Briefcase are all on sale. They are great kits with lots of color selections as well as a variety of makeup from lipstick, blush, eye shadow and more. These are great for when you do not know what make-up a teen girl likes, or she is just starting to use it.
4) Perfume Science Kit. This is a great gift that lets a teen design and develop her own personal perfumes. Current price $ 59.95 at www.physlink.com/estore and $54.95 at http://www.discoverthis.com/.
5) Creative Cosmetics - The Science of Skin Care. Start by building a foundation in basic dermatology, and then learn about the chemistry of oils, gels and lotions. Next, mix your own personalized beauty formulas from the cosmetic bases in the kit and natural ingredients from your local market. Finally, learn how to apply your creations to your body, face, lips, nails and eyes. You will also learn the hygiene and safety necessary for proper skin care. The kit includes seventeen different cosmetics base substances to make personalized makeup, lip gloss, body lotion, face cream and shower gel. Current price $54.95 at http://www.discoverthis.com/ and $54.99 at http://www.target.com/.
6) Spa, pedicure and manicure gift certificates are perfect as they let her be pampered and treated as an adult.
Jewelry is a nice way to show that you think of her as an adult and not a kid. Giving some real jewelry, not plastic or glass, as a gift is often very appreciated. Though I have seen some stunning costume jewelry out of glass that I would love to get for myself. Rings are not a great idea unless you know her finger size. Bracelets are very nice, and if you go with a charm one you can make sure it has special meaning to her. Earrings are ok, but not as popular as necklaces. Necklaces can be a chain and a pendant where she can change the pendant to change the look or is all one piece. Both styles are popular. You will have to decide if you want to go with fashion trends or classic pieces. If you are investing a lot of money into the piece it is best to go with a classic piece that she can wear for many years. If you are just looking for a piece she will wear now, then you need to try and find out what is in fashion in your area and with her friends. What is popular can actually be different within a few blocks. It is always best to ask her what she likes then to assume that just because a style is on TV or in some magazine as being popular that it is popular with her and her friends. I can say this because I have been making and selling jewelry for over 12 years
Clothing is always needed but at this age most teenagers want to pick out their own. So a gift certificate for a store or on-line store is the best choice here. Still let’s you get them something useful but they get what they really want.
I can list a lot more ideas but when looking for the right gift for a teen girl it is always best to ask the girl what she likes, what would she wants as a gift. What is important to her is going directly affect what gifts you give her. If you can get her to make several wish lists on different web sites and then send them to you this will make things a lot easer on you. I have kept this list as a general list because if you know that the teen girl in your life has an interest then you are already have some great ideas around that interest.
Christmas 2007 Gift ideas for teen girls aged 13-15
Gifts ideas for teen girls between the ages 13 and 15 need to be just as individual as the girl is. The best options to find out what they want is to ask, or have them use the internet to window shop and send you a wish list with links. That makes things so much easer and you will probably be surprised by what 13 to 15 year old girls want. However that is not always possible to get the information from them so here are some unusual but excellent gift ideas for teen girls aged 13-15.
Number one gift is a teen makeover day. The best gift ever is to find a real make-up artist to teach her how to properly take care of her skin and apply makeup. Knowing how to take care of her skin and how show of her best features and hid others with the use of make-up will be something that is useful no matter what style, fad or fashion she is in today or in the future. It is important to find someone who is actually teaching skin care and make-up application, not some one marketing a product. What is important is not a type of make-up or product but the knowledge of what different products do, how to use them, and do you even need to use them. A good teacher will cover skin care, how to prevent acne and how to deal with it when it shows up and how to apply make-up to look her best no matter what style or fad she is in. This is useful for girls into who have never put on makeup, ones who are minimalists right up to Goths as the knowledge and principles are all the same no matter the look, style or fad she is currently into. This is such a great gift because it takes away any fear of make up, reduces the number of make up disasters, and helps with self-esteem. Most importantly it shows that you are treating them as “grown-up” and not a little kid any more.
Draw-back is that finding the right make-up teacher can be hard and they are usually not cheep as they make their living teaching about make-up and skin care, not selling products. Some times they have one-on-one teaching but most have an all day group class where each girl is given one on one attention and techniques but also do the general skin care as a group. It is often more fun this way as they get to put make-up on themselves and the other girls.
It is also hard to package this as a big impact gift under the tree, even though it can be the best gift ever. A written letter or explanation with a started make-up kit is a good way to go with this.
Other gift ideas for items that can be picked up easily in stores or on line are:
Sansa shaker 512 MP3 player. It comes in different colors, 512 MB flash memory, has 10 hours of continuous play, built in speakers and 2 headphone jacks so they can listen with friends, and an SD card slot. The price is reasonable. Only issue is that it is not as small as some of the MP3 players out there so it is not as portable, but it is also harder to loose.
Digital camera and a digital photo frame for her to put her pictures are a great combo gift. These can be found in almost any price range. There are even key chain digital cameras and digital photo frame key chains available and they are not very expensive.
Laptop, this is better then a traditional PC as she can take it to school to help with schoolwork, and use it at home. This is also great because most laptops are just as powerful as deck top PC’s were a few years ago. Laptops are up-gradable now and can easily be changed as her needs change.
There are a lot of kits that many teen girls would like. There is a make your own sent, where they get to make perfumes, others let you design your own jewelry, tattoos, and just about any craft or accessory you can think of. This is great because it lets them make what they like.
Digi Glam Makeover lets girls create their own makeovers and includes an interactive touch pad and digital camera that plug directly into the TV. Designer’s world is a TV plug in game that lets her create her own clothing designs, pick out fabrics, colors and even the runway model. Dream Life Superstar is a TV plug in game that lets her be an actress, singer, writer, TV star, fashion designer or an athlete. These can be fun, but in a limited way.
For clothing, music and jewelry it is best to buy what you already know they like. If possible have her give you a wish list of what she would like, including where to buy and sizes. Use online stores to create the wish list that way she can do it on her own. If you do buy try to find things that already fit a theme she already has and keep the receipt. For the best gift for this area is gift certificates so they get to pick out what they want. This is another way to show that they are being seen as more “adult” then kid and get to buy there own stuff. There is even a couple of credit card companies out there that will let you get a prepaid credit card for your kids and they can use it to buy anything.
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
Number one gift is a teen makeover day. The best gift ever is to find a real make-up artist to teach her how to properly take care of her skin and apply makeup. Knowing how to take care of her skin and how show of her best features and hid others with the use of make-up will be something that is useful no matter what style, fad or fashion she is in today or in the future. It is important to find someone who is actually teaching skin care and make-up application, not some one marketing a product. What is important is not a type of make-up or product but the knowledge of what different products do, how to use them, and do you even need to use them. A good teacher will cover skin care, how to prevent acne and how to deal with it when it shows up and how to apply make-up to look her best no matter what style or fad she is in. This is useful for girls into who have never put on makeup, ones who are minimalists right up to Goths as the knowledge and principles are all the same no matter the look, style or fad she is currently into. This is such a great gift because it takes away any fear of make up, reduces the number of make up disasters, and helps with self-esteem. Most importantly it shows that you are treating them as “grown-up” and not a little kid any more.
Draw-back is that finding the right make-up teacher can be hard and they are usually not cheep as they make their living teaching about make-up and skin care, not selling products. Some times they have one-on-one teaching but most have an all day group class where each girl is given one on one attention and techniques but also do the general skin care as a group. It is often more fun this way as they get to put make-up on themselves and the other girls.
It is also hard to package this as a big impact gift under the tree, even though it can be the best gift ever. A written letter or explanation with a started make-up kit is a good way to go with this.
Other gift ideas for items that can be picked up easily in stores or on line are:
Sansa shaker 512 MP3 player. It comes in different colors, 512 MB flash memory, has 10 hours of continuous play, built in speakers and 2 headphone jacks so they can listen with friends, and an SD card slot. The price is reasonable. Only issue is that it is not as small as some of the MP3 players out there so it is not as portable, but it is also harder to loose.
Digital camera and a digital photo frame for her to put her pictures are a great combo gift. These can be found in almost any price range. There are even key chain digital cameras and digital photo frame key chains available and they are not very expensive.
Laptop, this is better then a traditional PC as she can take it to school to help with schoolwork, and use it at home. This is also great because most laptops are just as powerful as deck top PC’s were a few years ago. Laptops are up-gradable now and can easily be changed as her needs change.
There are a lot of kits that many teen girls would like. There is a make your own sent, where they get to make perfumes, others let you design your own jewelry, tattoos, and just about any craft or accessory you can think of. This is great because it lets them make what they like.
Digi Glam Makeover lets girls create their own makeovers and includes an interactive touch pad and digital camera that plug directly into the TV. Designer’s world is a TV plug in game that lets her create her own clothing designs, pick out fabrics, colors and even the runway model. Dream Life Superstar is a TV plug in game that lets her be an actress, singer, writer, TV star, fashion designer or an athlete. These can be fun, but in a limited way.
For clothing, music and jewelry it is best to buy what you already know they like. If possible have her give you a wish list of what she would like, including where to buy and sizes. Use online stores to create the wish list that way she can do it on her own. If you do buy try to find things that already fit a theme she already has and keep the receipt. For the best gift for this area is gift certificates so they get to pick out what they want. This is another way to show that they are being seen as more “adult” then kid and get to buy there own stuff. There is even a couple of credit card companies out there that will let you get a prepaid credit card for your kids and they can use it to buy anything.
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
Christmas 2007 Gift ideas for punk and EMO teen girls
If you have a teen girl that is into punk or EMO, a subgenre of punk, you may be at a loss of what to get her for Christmas. She listens to music and dresses in a way that you don’t understand and you have no idea of what to get her for Christmas. The best thing to do is to ask her what she would like or get her to go to websites and make up wish lists showing the product and where you can get it. I have made a list of some Christmas 2007 Gift ideas for punk and EMO teen girls to help you out.
1) Music is an essential part of being punk or EMO. Music is an excellent gift. There are many different punk and EMO artists and styles and just because the band has the label punk or EMO does not your teen girl is going to like them. Ask her what music she likes, make sure you get the name of the bands or groups and get a CD, DVD or posters, and fashion accessories and clothing for those bands or groups. Most groups have their own web sites and will often have an e-store were you can find just about anything to do with that group. You can also give her a gift card so she can pick out what she likes.
An iPod or MP3 player is a good option. You can add a gift certificate to iTunes so she can download music right away. There are ipods and MP3 playes available for every budget, starting at about $35.00. For at home though a Turntable and some
vinyl albums are a great option as for some playing old records is the best.
Here are some groups she may like:
AFI, Alexisonfire, Bad Religion, Bodyjar, Brand New, Coheed and Cambria, Dashboard Confessional, Dropkick Murphys, Fall Out Boy, Flogging Molly, Frenzal Rhomb, From First to Last, Funeral for a Friend, Glassjaw, Green Day, Hawthorne Heights, Jimmy Eat World, The Juliana Theory, Less Than Jake, The Living End, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, Panic! at the Disco, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Reel Big Fish, Senses Fail, Something Corporate, Sparta, The Starting Line, Story of the Year, Taking Back Sunday, Thrice, Thursday, The Used, Underoath, and Weezer.
2) Gift certificate to a salon to have whatever she wants done to her hair. You will want to make sure the gift certificate will cover a cut, dieing her hair and possible hair extension. Every girl loves to be pampered and this is a great way to show that you support her choice in fashion and music.
You can always make a gift basket of hair care products like a hair straightening iron, White Rain and Freeze Frame hairsprays, Manic Panic dye hard Temporary Hair Colour Styling Gel, got2b Glued Styling Spiking Glue, Manic Panic Amplified Hair Colour Box kit. Add some Manic Panic make-up to complete the look.
3) Jewelry it always popular. Earplugs, and lip ring, noise ring, and eyebrow rings are all popular. You will need to know what size jewelry she needs as there are different sized wholes, i.e. earlobes are often being stretched so the idea is to get the same size or a little larger. Jewelry that is not body piercing is also a popular gift and can be easily found both in the mall and online stores. Here is some jewelry I found that would make great gifts:
Dead Fairy Preserve ring at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Spike Cuff earring at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Sterling Silver Dagger / athame Stud Earrings at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Emily time stood still watch at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Emerald Venom necklace (very cool spider necklace) http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Sterling Silver Medieval Pendant SKU# 413 - very unusual pendant at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Sterling Silver Celtic Mandalas with a shield knot Pendant at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Handmade Sterling and Amethyst Poison Locket at http://www.goodgoth.com/.
A pair of bat stud earrings at http://www.darkpassions.co.uk/.
Pewter Bat Necklace at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Medieval cross with a black centre necklace http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Handcrafted Black and Orange glass beaded double band wire choker necklace at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Pentacle / Pentagram Black leather adjustable choker at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Handcrafted Smokey Black glass Skull necklace on cord at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Midnight Ear Chain Fine English Pewter and Amethyst Crystal From Alchemy Gothic at http://www.gothic-shadows.com/.
Sterling Silver Celtic Knotwork Thorn Ring at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
4) Clothing can be easy. Hooded sweatshirts and t-shirts with band logos, or just logos on them. Tight jeans and accessories are great. Here are some great clothing gift ideas:
The Rocker Hooded Top with stud detail at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Azen Tari - Pink top with black mesh sleeves, trimmed with black lace on sleeves, collar and bottom seam - with cute Lolita print on front at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
Shinning Heart shirt at http://www.americanfearclothing.com/.
Static Skulls - Black long-sleeved top with white straps on both arms and skull print on the front at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
American Fear - Wings -Charcoal - Track Jacket at http://www.americanfearclothing.com/.
'DA' BRAT' Fantasy Faery Fairy T-Shirt by The Mountain at http://www.gothic-shadows.com/.
Tights, with cobweb and colours at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Long Panelled Pinstripe Skirt - Zips front and back at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Malady & Nekro girls top, Celtic fairy girls top and black tears girls top are all at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Shutdown - Black cotton trousers, tight jeans cut with no pockets for a firm shape. These trousers are decorated with v-shaped cyperpads and 5 rows of buckled straps on each lower front of the legs at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
Poison: gloves Pair of black gloves, elbow length, laced with black ribbons. The inside of the arm is black mesh fabric with motif. The skull & crossbones / "Poison" is printed in silver at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
Skull and bone print belt at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Heart Scene - Womens Shoes With Clear Front Heart Cutout at http://www.emo-tive.com/.
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
1) Music is an essential part of being punk or EMO. Music is an excellent gift. There are many different punk and EMO artists and styles and just because the band has the label punk or EMO does not your teen girl is going to like them. Ask her what music she likes, make sure you get the name of the bands or groups and get a CD, DVD or posters, and fashion accessories and clothing for those bands or groups. Most groups have their own web sites and will often have an e-store were you can find just about anything to do with that group. You can also give her a gift card so she can pick out what she likes.
An iPod or MP3 player is a good option. You can add a gift certificate to iTunes so she can download music right away. There are ipods and MP3 playes available for every budget, starting at about $35.00. For at home though a Turntable and some
vinyl albums are a great option as for some playing old records is the best.
Here are some groups she may like:
AFI, Alexisonfire, Bad Religion, Bodyjar, Brand New, Coheed and Cambria, Dashboard Confessional, Dropkick Murphys, Fall Out Boy, Flogging Molly, Frenzal Rhomb, From First to Last, Funeral for a Friend, Glassjaw, Green Day, Hawthorne Heights, Jimmy Eat World, The Juliana Theory, Less Than Jake, The Living End, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, Panic! at the Disco, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Reel Big Fish, Senses Fail, Something Corporate, Sparta, The Starting Line, Story of the Year, Taking Back Sunday, Thrice, Thursday, The Used, Underoath, and Weezer.
2) Gift certificate to a salon to have whatever she wants done to her hair. You will want to make sure the gift certificate will cover a cut, dieing her hair and possible hair extension. Every girl loves to be pampered and this is a great way to show that you support her choice in fashion and music.
You can always make a gift basket of hair care products like a hair straightening iron, White Rain and Freeze Frame hairsprays, Manic Panic dye hard Temporary Hair Colour Styling Gel, got2b Glued Styling Spiking Glue, Manic Panic Amplified Hair Colour Box kit. Add some Manic Panic make-up to complete the look.
3) Jewelry it always popular. Earplugs, and lip ring, noise ring, and eyebrow rings are all popular. You will need to know what size jewelry she needs as there are different sized wholes, i.e. earlobes are often being stretched so the idea is to get the same size or a little larger. Jewelry that is not body piercing is also a popular gift and can be easily found both in the mall and online stores. Here is some jewelry I found that would make great gifts:
Dead Fairy Preserve ring at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Spike Cuff earring at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Sterling Silver Dagger / athame Stud Earrings at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Emily time stood still watch at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Emerald Venom necklace (very cool spider necklace) http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Sterling Silver Medieval Pendant SKU# 413 - very unusual pendant at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Sterling Silver Celtic Mandalas with a shield knot Pendant at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Handmade Sterling and Amethyst Poison Locket at http://www.goodgoth.com/.
A pair of bat stud earrings at http://www.darkpassions.co.uk/.
Pewter Bat Necklace at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Medieval cross with a black centre necklace http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Handcrafted Black and Orange glass beaded double band wire choker necklace at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Pentacle / Pentagram Black leather adjustable choker at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Handcrafted Smokey Black glass Skull necklace on cord at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
Midnight Ear Chain Fine English Pewter and Amethyst Crystal From Alchemy Gothic at http://www.gothic-shadows.com/.
Sterling Silver Celtic Knotwork Thorn Ring at http://www.medievalmagic.ca/.
4) Clothing can be easy. Hooded sweatshirts and t-shirts with band logos, or just logos on them. Tight jeans and accessories are great. Here are some great clothing gift ideas:
The Rocker Hooded Top with stud detail at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Azen Tari - Pink top with black mesh sleeves, trimmed with black lace on sleeves, collar and bottom seam - with cute Lolita print on front at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
Shinning Heart shirt at http://www.americanfearclothing.com/.
Static Skulls - Black long-sleeved top with white straps on both arms and skull print on the front at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
American Fear - Wings -Charcoal - Track Jacket at http://www.americanfearclothing.com/.
'DA' BRAT' Fantasy Faery Fairy T-Shirt by The Mountain at http://www.gothic-shadows.com/.
Tights, with cobweb and colours at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Long Panelled Pinstripe Skirt - Zips front and back at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Malady & Nekro girls top, Celtic fairy girls top and black tears girls top are all at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Shutdown - Black cotton trousers, tight jeans cut with no pockets for a firm shape. These trousers are decorated with v-shaped cyperpads and 5 rows of buckled straps on each lower front of the legs at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
Poison: gloves Pair of black gloves, elbow length, laced with black ribbons. The inside of the arm is black mesh fabric with motif. The skull & crossbones / "Poison" is printed in silver at http://www.the-black-angel.com/.
Skull and bone print belt at http://www.blackrose.co.uk/.
Heart Scene - Womens Shoes With Clear Front Heart Cutout at http://www.emo-tive.com/.
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
Christmas 2007 Gift ideas for geeky teen girls
It can be very hard to know what to get a geeky teenage girl for Christmas. You want a gift that stands out, is different and stimulates their mind, a gift that they cannot wait to open. You want to find gifts that make her say, “I love it”. I have created a list of gift ideas for geeky teen girls for Christmas 2007. Now these gifts are unusually cool but still geeky.
I have included where I found them and the prices on that web site to make things easy. However if you just look by the product name or even the product idea I am sure you can find several other sites that also carry these gifts. I did not do any price comparison so you may want to see what other sites or stores are charging.
1) A computer would always be on the top of the list unless they already have one. A laptop is a better choice then a regular tabletop PC. They are as powerful, are upgradeable, already have a screen and can be taken any place so she can use it for schoolwork at home and at school. Computers very in price, often dependent on brand and what software comes with it. If you are getting a computer for her it is best to find out what she actually needs in a computer and software and make sure you get that and not what the sales guys say you need. You can find some great deals on laptops just about any place. Look around and do some price checking, just make sure you get the software with it. Some places will sell you the computer with just the basic operating system and that is it. http://www.tigerdirect.com/ has some good prices right now.
2) Use full computer accessories are always a good option once she has a computer. Here are some fun and useful gift ideas that revolve around a computer.
USB HEATED G-GLOVES $22.99 http://www.perpetualkid.com/
These are so cool. They look like regular wool gloves, but then you pull the end of so your fingers are free to type. On top of that you can plug them into your USB port on laptop and they heat up. They each have a warming pad inside. This is great for when you are waiting for a bus, or doing homework outside.
Grandtec Virtually Indestructible Mouse (MultiColor) $19.99 http://www.tigerdirect.com/
What actually caught my attention was the multi color on it. It looks like a mouse designed with teen girls in mind. It is fun and bright. That it is a silicone-based optical mouse that is impervious to most anything including water, coffee and cleaning solutions just makes it more cool
GrandTec GlowType Virtually Indestructible Keyboard $34.99 http://www.tigerdirect.com/
I liked that you don’t have to worry about spilling things on it, but I was actually trying to find one that looks like the multi color mouse. The Virtually Indestructible Keyboard, a silicon-based flexible computer keyboard, and is impervious to most anything including water, coffee and cleaning solutions.
Lapinator Laptop Cooling Pad $29.99 http://www.heartlandamerica.com/
This is actually very useful it has a non-slip surface to help keep her laptop from moving around and it keeps the laptop cool. It prevents over heating which is good because heat causes problems and can damage a laptop.
Wireless Fabric Keyboard $69.99 http://www.findgift.com/
It is a fabric keyboard that you just roll up. It works with any Bluetooth enabled smart phone, PDA or handheld computer. It just looked like it would be fun to have and takes up very little room for when storage or travel are an issue.
3) Fun computer accessories. Useful gifts are good but fun ones are better.
Soft stuffed animal shaped computer screen cleaner. These look just like any other stuffed animal but have ultra-soft chamois tummies that she can use to wipe away dust and dirt from computer and TV screens. These are so cute. I found a pig, frog and cow. Bentley has them for $7.99
USB Fiber Optic Christmas Tree $12.99 http://www.thinkgeek.com/
What is Christmas with out a Christmas theme gift? This is a Christmas tree with fiber-optics that pulse festive rainbows of red, blue, and green throughout. It can plug into her computers USB port or uses two AAA batteries.
USB Powered Mini Greenhouse $19.95 http://www.findgift.com/
It is a greenhouse that runs off the computer. It includes some marigold seeds and soil. She plants the seeds, adds water and then plugs it into any USB port.
Mini Aquarium 4 Port USB Hub $14.95 http://www.findgift.com/
You use the aquarium to add 4 extra USP ports but it does not look like a USB hub. It just looks like a fun tropical fish aquarium desk light. The fish are colourful and move around
4) Most teen girls who are geeky are usually aware of environmental issues and enjoy techno gadgets. Some times it is nice to have some thing that is just interesting, useful and environmentally friendly. I was looking for things technologically fun and still girly.
Solio Portable Hybrid Solar Charger - Pink $69.99 on sale, was $99.95 http://www.travelcountry.com/
Way cool. It is pink, environmentally friendly and saves money. It uses the sun to charge and can be used as a portable battery for handheld electronic devices, like MP3 or Cell phone.
The Amazing Water Clock $11.95 http://www.surprise.com/
It has a nice look to it, and it is environmentally friendly. It is a clock that uses water, fruit juice, soft drinks, coffee, or any electrolytic fluid to run. It was being used as a clock and a flower vase in the picture used to advertise it.
Sun and Moon Jars $29.99 - $34.99 http://www.thinkgeek.com/
These just looked cool. I thought it was a great soft light then I realised that the LED lamps inside are run by a solar cell. It uses the sun to charge up a standard AA rechargeable battery and then when it gets dark it uses a light sensor to turn on the LED lights.
5) Artistic technical gifts are great. Most geeky teen girls enjoy technology and are very creative. They just tend to use be creative with technology.
Design a Hologram Kit $139.99 http://www.thinkgeek.com/
She can make up to 20 static holograms with this kit. It lets her be very artistic and develop a skill that most teens never get the chance to try. You will probably be quite surprised with what she will create.
Digital camera. I found some for under $20.00 at http://www.sears.com/
This is a popular gift that lets a teen girl be creative and have a lot of fun. She can take pictures of friends and then play with it on the computer and do all sorts of things.
Digital picture frame. This is a great way to show of her pictures. They have ones that sit on a desk, or key chain ones that she can carry around. It is much cooler then caring pictures around. I have found both types for about $44.00 at different stores and web sites like the Tao 1.4 inch Digital Picture Key Chain. This one will hold up to 56 digital pictures. $44.99 at www.sears.com.
6) Make up is always a popular gift with any teen girl. All teen girls should learn about skin care and how to use make up, even geeky teen girls. I found a couple of make up kits that teach the science of make up.
Creative Cosmetics - The Science of Skin Care. $54.95
http://www.discoverthis.com/ and http://www.target.com/
This should capture the attention of even a girl not interested in make up yet. This kit will teach her how to care for her skin, hair and nails scientifically. She will learn basic dermatology and the chemistry of oils, gels and lotions. Then she can create her own cosmetics. This kit will also teach her how to apply make up to her body, face, lips, nails and eyes. Most importantly she will learn the hygiene and safety necessary for proper skin care.
This is not about learning what color lipstick looks good on her or how best to put on blush. This is teaching her what is in make up, what is important to keep your skin healthy, and what not to use. This lets her get some real knowledge about make up ingredients and uses. This should give her confidence with the use of make up.
Perfume Science Experiment Kit - Thames and Kosmos $59.95 http://www.sciencelab.com/
This kit comes with what she needs to design her own perfumes. She will learn the biology, chemistry and techniques to make fragrances. How cool is it to be able to make your own perfume?
7) Gifts to show that let her show her pride in being a geek.
"Actually, I AM a Rocket Scientist" T-Shirt $19.95 http://www.findgift.com/
Geek Girl and Geek Goddess t-shirts Starting at $15.99 http://www.offlinetshirts.com/
8) Gifts just because she is teen girl are always good.
Cell phone. Always popular, and you can get basic ones that she can use to call or text, or you can get ones that are small computers as well as a phone. It just depends on your budget. There are a lot of phones and carriers out there. I did find that Virgin has a plan where she can pre-pay for her airtime and it she does not pay, the phone shuts off. No worry about being stuck in a contract paying.
IPod, MP3 and MP4 are great gifts and I did find some under $40.00 at http://www.tigerdirect.com/. The Mach Speed 2GB MP3 Player w/ Voice Recorder and Xtatix Pocket Candy 2GB MP3 Player w/ FM Tuner/ Voice Recorder- Silver.
Nintendo DS. It is the most popular portable game system, and even comes in pink. Toys R Us has it for $139.99. You can always give her the Big Brain Academy and Brain Age games but I am sure there are some more fun games for a teen girl. There are a lot of great accessory gifts for the Nintendo DS such as the headset, and carry case. DS lite pro gamer’s Kit looks like an excellent gift.
Jewelry can be a great gift and you can even find theme jewelry to fit what every your teen girl likes. I found jewelry made out of computer parts, it was interesting. I know that there are charms and pendants of computer screens, key boards, the mouse, cell phones, and Best student, #1 and just about any thing you can thing of.
Movies and music are good gifts, but as gift certificates to a store or a web site that she can buy and then download songs or movies she likes right away.
Clothing is always needed and can make great gifts if you know what she wants. A gift certificate or a prepaid credit card so she can buy what she really wants is even better. What teen girl does not want to pick out her own clothing?
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
I have included where I found them and the prices on that web site to make things easy. However if you just look by the product name or even the product idea I am sure you can find several other sites that also carry these gifts. I did not do any price comparison so you may want to see what other sites or stores are charging.
1) A computer would always be on the top of the list unless they already have one. A laptop is a better choice then a regular tabletop PC. They are as powerful, are upgradeable, already have a screen and can be taken any place so she can use it for schoolwork at home and at school. Computers very in price, often dependent on brand and what software comes with it. If you are getting a computer for her it is best to find out what she actually needs in a computer and software and make sure you get that and not what the sales guys say you need. You can find some great deals on laptops just about any place. Look around and do some price checking, just make sure you get the software with it. Some places will sell you the computer with just the basic operating system and that is it. http://www.tigerdirect.com/ has some good prices right now.
2) Use full computer accessories are always a good option once she has a computer. Here are some fun and useful gift ideas that revolve around a computer.
USB HEATED G-GLOVES $22.99 http://www.perpetualkid.com/
These are so cool. They look like regular wool gloves, but then you pull the end of so your fingers are free to type. On top of that you can plug them into your USB port on laptop and they heat up. They each have a warming pad inside. This is great for when you are waiting for a bus, or doing homework outside.
Grandtec Virtually Indestructible Mouse (MultiColor) $19.99 http://www.tigerdirect.com/
What actually caught my attention was the multi color on it. It looks like a mouse designed with teen girls in mind. It is fun and bright. That it is a silicone-based optical mouse that is impervious to most anything including water, coffee and cleaning solutions just makes it more cool
GrandTec GlowType Virtually Indestructible Keyboard $34.99 http://www.tigerdirect.com/
I liked that you don’t have to worry about spilling things on it, but I was actually trying to find one that looks like the multi color mouse. The Virtually Indestructible Keyboard, a silicon-based flexible computer keyboard, and is impervious to most anything including water, coffee and cleaning solutions.
Lapinator Laptop Cooling Pad $29.99 http://www.heartlandamerica.com/
This is actually very useful it has a non-slip surface to help keep her laptop from moving around and it keeps the laptop cool. It prevents over heating which is good because heat causes problems and can damage a laptop.
Wireless Fabric Keyboard $69.99 http://www.findgift.com/
It is a fabric keyboard that you just roll up. It works with any Bluetooth enabled smart phone, PDA or handheld computer. It just looked like it would be fun to have and takes up very little room for when storage or travel are an issue.
3) Fun computer accessories. Useful gifts are good but fun ones are better.
Soft stuffed animal shaped computer screen cleaner. These look just like any other stuffed animal but have ultra-soft chamois tummies that she can use to wipe away dust and dirt from computer and TV screens. These are so cute. I found a pig, frog and cow. Bentley has them for $7.99
USB Fiber Optic Christmas Tree $12.99 http://www.thinkgeek.com/
What is Christmas with out a Christmas theme gift? This is a Christmas tree with fiber-optics that pulse festive rainbows of red, blue, and green throughout. It can plug into her computers USB port or uses two AAA batteries.
USB Powered Mini Greenhouse $19.95 http://www.findgift.com/
It is a greenhouse that runs off the computer. It includes some marigold seeds and soil. She plants the seeds, adds water and then plugs it into any USB port.
Mini Aquarium 4 Port USB Hub $14.95 http://www.findgift.com/
You use the aquarium to add 4 extra USP ports but it does not look like a USB hub. It just looks like a fun tropical fish aquarium desk light. The fish are colourful and move around
4) Most teen girls who are geeky are usually aware of environmental issues and enjoy techno gadgets. Some times it is nice to have some thing that is just interesting, useful and environmentally friendly. I was looking for things technologically fun and still girly.
Solio Portable Hybrid Solar Charger - Pink $69.99 on sale, was $99.95 http://www.travelcountry.com/
Way cool. It is pink, environmentally friendly and saves money. It uses the sun to charge and can be used as a portable battery for handheld electronic devices, like MP3 or Cell phone.
The Amazing Water Clock $11.95 http://www.surprise.com/
It has a nice look to it, and it is environmentally friendly. It is a clock that uses water, fruit juice, soft drinks, coffee, or any electrolytic fluid to run. It was being used as a clock and a flower vase in the picture used to advertise it.
Sun and Moon Jars $29.99 - $34.99 http://www.thinkgeek.com/
These just looked cool. I thought it was a great soft light then I realised that the LED lamps inside are run by a solar cell. It uses the sun to charge up a standard AA rechargeable battery and then when it gets dark it uses a light sensor to turn on the LED lights.
5) Artistic technical gifts are great. Most geeky teen girls enjoy technology and are very creative. They just tend to use be creative with technology.
Design a Hologram Kit $139.99 http://www.thinkgeek.com/
She can make up to 20 static holograms with this kit. It lets her be very artistic and develop a skill that most teens never get the chance to try. You will probably be quite surprised with what she will create.
Digital camera. I found some for under $20.00 at http://www.sears.com/
This is a popular gift that lets a teen girl be creative and have a lot of fun. She can take pictures of friends and then play with it on the computer and do all sorts of things.
Digital picture frame. This is a great way to show of her pictures. They have ones that sit on a desk, or key chain ones that she can carry around. It is much cooler then caring pictures around. I have found both types for about $44.00 at different stores and web sites like the Tao 1.4 inch Digital Picture Key Chain. This one will hold up to 56 digital pictures. $44.99 at www.sears.com.
6) Make up is always a popular gift with any teen girl. All teen girls should learn about skin care and how to use make up, even geeky teen girls. I found a couple of make up kits that teach the science of make up.
Creative Cosmetics - The Science of Skin Care. $54.95
http://www.discoverthis.com/ and http://www.target.com/
This should capture the attention of even a girl not interested in make up yet. This kit will teach her how to care for her skin, hair and nails scientifically. She will learn basic dermatology and the chemistry of oils, gels and lotions. Then she can create her own cosmetics. This kit will also teach her how to apply make up to her body, face, lips, nails and eyes. Most importantly she will learn the hygiene and safety necessary for proper skin care.
This is not about learning what color lipstick looks good on her or how best to put on blush. This is teaching her what is in make up, what is important to keep your skin healthy, and what not to use. This lets her get some real knowledge about make up ingredients and uses. This should give her confidence with the use of make up.
Perfume Science Experiment Kit - Thames and Kosmos $59.95 http://www.sciencelab.com/
This kit comes with what she needs to design her own perfumes. She will learn the biology, chemistry and techniques to make fragrances. How cool is it to be able to make your own perfume?
7) Gifts to show that let her show her pride in being a geek.
"Actually, I AM a Rocket Scientist" T-Shirt $19.95 http://www.findgift.com/
Geek Girl and Geek Goddess t-shirts Starting at $15.99 http://www.offlinetshirts.com/
8) Gifts just because she is teen girl are always good.
Cell phone. Always popular, and you can get basic ones that she can use to call or text, or you can get ones that are small computers as well as a phone. It just depends on your budget. There are a lot of phones and carriers out there. I did find that Virgin has a plan where she can pre-pay for her airtime and it she does not pay, the phone shuts off. No worry about being stuck in a contract paying.
IPod, MP3 and MP4 are great gifts and I did find some under $40.00 at http://www.tigerdirect.com/. The Mach Speed 2GB MP3 Player w/ Voice Recorder and Xtatix Pocket Candy 2GB MP3 Player w/ FM Tuner/ Voice Recorder- Silver.
Nintendo DS. It is the most popular portable game system, and even comes in pink. Toys R Us has it for $139.99. You can always give her the Big Brain Academy and Brain Age games but I am sure there are some more fun games for a teen girl. There are a lot of great accessory gifts for the Nintendo DS such as the headset, and carry case. DS lite pro gamer’s Kit looks like an excellent gift.
Jewelry can be a great gift and you can even find theme jewelry to fit what every your teen girl likes. I found jewelry made out of computer parts, it was interesting. I know that there are charms and pendants of computer screens, key boards, the mouse, cell phones, and Best student, #1 and just about any thing you can thing of.
Movies and music are good gifts, but as gift certificates to a store or a web site that she can buy and then download songs or movies she likes right away.
Clothing is always needed and can make great gifts if you know what she wants. A gift certificate or a prepaid credit card so she can buy what she really wants is even better. What teen girl does not want to pick out her own clothing?
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
Christmas 2007 Fun and funky gift ideas for teen girls
So you want something fun and funky to give to a teen girl. Finding the right gift can be harder then it seems. There are not as many fun and funky gifts available in the malls as you would think. If you are lucky you can find a specialty shop in your area that sells fun and funky gifts otherwise you have to hunt through all the regular stores in the hopes of finding a couple of gifts. I can save you some time. I have put together a list of Christmas 2007 fun and funky gift ideas for teen girls.
T-shirts seem to be the easiest fun and funky gift to find. Manly you can get just about any thing put on them these days. You are only limited by your creativity. There are always pre-made t-shirts to pick from as well. http://www.thinkgeek.com/ has the Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies t-shirt for $16.99 and the T-Qualizer has an embedded equalizer right on the t-shirt. The glowing display on the T-Qualizer dynamically changes with any ambient sound or music. This is very cool and is $39.99.
www.squidoo.com/rainbootswomen has some of the coolest rain boots I have ever seen. These are definitely fun and funky. They have ones with skulls, tattoo prints, floral prints, dots, stripes, leopard and animal designs, neon ones, and even cowboy rain boots. Bonus, they are functional and make a fashion statement. These are rain boots even a teen girl will wear. I loved the selection. However they can be a bit pricey as the Jeffrey Campbell Women's Roses & Skulls Cowboy Rubber Rain Boots were $49.95 and the Rain Boots with striking Celtic designs were $32.00.
Fuze Necklace is a quartz crystal embedded with an LED that gradually cycles through a range of colors to create a totally unique fashion accessory. The glowing crystal is powered by small batteries in the ingenious magnetic clasp, and if you choose, you can wear it turned off for a simpler statement. They are $24.99 on http://www.thinkgeek.com/.
Astronaut Ice Cream. Each package of Astronaut Ice Cream is the same freeze dried ice cream as what was made for the Apollo missions. Each package is $2.99 at http://www.thinkgeek.com/. This makes a great stocking stuffer.
http://www.sciencestoreforthestars.com/ has some great science kits, not the old blow up the garage science kits. Here are some fun and funky ones:
Thames & Kosmos Candy Factory - she can experiment with the art of making candy. $42.95
Thames & Kosmos Creative Cosmetics – she can make her own cosmetics and learn how to use them. $54.95
Scientific Explorer French Spa Body Lotion – She can mix French body lotion and cream from scratch, design her own French Spa body lotions. $17.95
Thames & Kosmos Perfume Workshop - She can design her own perfumes, for her to use or give to her friends. $53.95
Scientific Explorer Sugar Polish For Your Body – She can make her own spa sugar body polish. $17.95
Scientific Explorer Ultimate Gum Kit – She can create her own gum and gum flavours. $27.95
The I-Dog, I-Cat, I-Fish, I-Cy are great if she has an iPod or MP3 or MP4 player. The iDog Amp’d with Pink Butterflys is great and is $29.44 at http://www.target.com/. You can find these in any large chain store with a music or electronic department, though I did find them in the toy section in Wal-Mart.
Rubik's Revolution is an all-new spin on the world famous cube. It is $18.89 at http://www.target.com/. This can also be found in most chain stores or toy departments. Then there is the Irregular IQ Cube with two new vertical slices, creating new planes for rotation. It does not stay a square. This is a must see. It is $9.99 at http://www.thinkgeek.com/.
Giant Plush Microbes is a plush microbe 1,000,000 times bigger then the real thing. They are actually cute. The only time someone will thank you for giving them a cold. These are funny, and unusual. You can pick from a huge selection of icky things to give her, including a brain cell, mad cow disease or the plague - Black Death. They are $7.99 at http://www.thinkgeek.com/.
http://www.justducks.co.uk/ has some of the most unique bath ducks I have ever seen. You can get 32 different devil ducks alone or “Tranny” the AM/FM Floating Duck Radio, bad boy PUNK Duck, Darling Duck that comes with either a Pink or a Mauve Boa, and other unusual bathtub ducks. They also have a line of duck figures, all very funny, like “Drac” the vampire duck, “Sam-X” the Santa duck. There are even bath ducks with LED’s in them. There are aroma ducks in banana, orange, mango and strawberry that give off a sent. These are cool even if you are not a duck fan.
Novelty lamps are very popular right now. Lava lamps are back in, mainly because there have been some interesting twists added to them. http://www.planetlava.com/ has a small 5.5” Glitter lamp that is powered by the USB port on her computer for under $10. The glitter lamps and Electro Plasma Lamps are great gifts for teen girls and are available for around $20.00 at http://www.planetlava.com/. The electro plasma lamps are the ones that you touch the side of the glass and the dancing lightning follow your finger. LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp is just cool and can be found at http://www.thinkgeek.com/ and Deep Sea Jellyfish Tank can be found at http://www.sears.com/ both are $49.99.
Unusual or just weird gifts can be a lot of fun. http://everafterstore.com/ has some of the strangest bandages (or band-aids) I have ever seen. The have Bacon and Eggs shaped, Boo Boo Kisses that are lipshaped, Crime Scene ones that look like crime seen tap, Enchanted Unicorn, Pirate Skull and Crossbones print, and Tattoo shapes. They come in a metal tin and are $4.95.
iLounger Chair, it’s a soft chair with a speaker system built in to plug in her iPod. She can flop down and relax and listen to her music. http://www.sears.com/ has it for $49.99.
Illuminated Mega Screen Sudoku is a small handheld game that has 2 million world-class computer-generated puzzles, eight levels of difficulty. It can be found at http://www.sears.com/ for $19.99.
If you want some thing that is fun and funky you can make a gift basket of just small cool things. This could include things like iPod covers, unusual hair accessories, singing earrings, every thing she needs for a home manicure, lots of funky nail polish colors and any novelty items you can find. Making a treasure box of unusual and fun things is great and that way you don’t need to find a big fun and funky gift, but some small ones that are easy to find in the mall.
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
www.medievalmagic.ca
T-shirts seem to be the easiest fun and funky gift to find. Manly you can get just about any thing put on them these days. You are only limited by your creativity. There are always pre-made t-shirts to pick from as well. http://www.thinkgeek.com/ has the Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies t-shirt for $16.99 and the T-Qualizer has an embedded equalizer right on the t-shirt. The glowing display on the T-Qualizer dynamically changes with any ambient sound or music. This is very cool and is $39.99.
www.squidoo.com/rainbootswomen has some of the coolest rain boots I have ever seen. These are definitely fun and funky. They have ones with skulls, tattoo prints, floral prints, dots, stripes, leopard and animal designs, neon ones, and even cowboy rain boots. Bonus, they are functional and make a fashion statement. These are rain boots even a teen girl will wear. I loved the selection. However they can be a bit pricey as the Jeffrey Campbell Women's Roses & Skulls Cowboy Rubber Rain Boots were $49.95 and the Rain Boots with striking Celtic designs were $32.00.
Fuze Necklace is a quartz crystal embedded with an LED that gradually cycles through a range of colors to create a totally unique fashion accessory. The glowing crystal is powered by small batteries in the ingenious magnetic clasp, and if you choose, you can wear it turned off for a simpler statement. They are $24.99 on http://www.thinkgeek.com/.
Astronaut Ice Cream. Each package of Astronaut Ice Cream is the same freeze dried ice cream as what was made for the Apollo missions. Each package is $2.99 at http://www.thinkgeek.com/. This makes a great stocking stuffer.
http://www.sciencestoreforthestars.com/ has some great science kits, not the old blow up the garage science kits. Here are some fun and funky ones:
Thames & Kosmos Candy Factory - she can experiment with the art of making candy. $42.95
Thames & Kosmos Creative Cosmetics – she can make her own cosmetics and learn how to use them. $54.95
Scientific Explorer French Spa Body Lotion – She can mix French body lotion and cream from scratch, design her own French Spa body lotions. $17.95
Thames & Kosmos Perfume Workshop - She can design her own perfumes, for her to use or give to her friends. $53.95
Scientific Explorer Sugar Polish For Your Body – She can make her own spa sugar body polish. $17.95
Scientific Explorer Ultimate Gum Kit – She can create her own gum and gum flavours. $27.95
The I-Dog, I-Cat, I-Fish, I-Cy are great if she has an iPod or MP3 or MP4 player. The iDog Amp’d with Pink Butterflys is great and is $29.44 at http://www.target.com/. You can find these in any large chain store with a music or electronic department, though I did find them in the toy section in Wal-Mart.
Rubik's Revolution is an all-new spin on the world famous cube. It is $18.89 at http://www.target.com/. This can also be found in most chain stores or toy departments. Then there is the Irregular IQ Cube with two new vertical slices, creating new planes for rotation. It does not stay a square. This is a must see. It is $9.99 at http://www.thinkgeek.com/.
Giant Plush Microbes is a plush microbe 1,000,000 times bigger then the real thing. They are actually cute. The only time someone will thank you for giving them a cold. These are funny, and unusual. You can pick from a huge selection of icky things to give her, including a brain cell, mad cow disease or the plague - Black Death. They are $7.99 at http://www.thinkgeek.com/.
http://www.justducks.co.uk/ has some of the most unique bath ducks I have ever seen. You can get 32 different devil ducks alone or “Tranny” the AM/FM Floating Duck Radio, bad boy PUNK Duck, Darling Duck that comes with either a Pink or a Mauve Boa, and other unusual bathtub ducks. They also have a line of duck figures, all very funny, like “Drac” the vampire duck, “Sam-X” the Santa duck. There are even bath ducks with LED’s in them. There are aroma ducks in banana, orange, mango and strawberry that give off a sent. These are cool even if you are not a duck fan.
Novelty lamps are very popular right now. Lava lamps are back in, mainly because there have been some interesting twists added to them. http://www.planetlava.com/ has a small 5.5” Glitter lamp that is powered by the USB port on her computer for under $10. The glitter lamps and Electro Plasma Lamps are great gifts for teen girls and are available for around $20.00 at http://www.planetlava.com/. The electro plasma lamps are the ones that you touch the side of the glass and the dancing lightning follow your finger. LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp is just cool and can be found at http://www.thinkgeek.com/ and Deep Sea Jellyfish Tank can be found at http://www.sears.com/ both are $49.99.
Unusual or just weird gifts can be a lot of fun. http://everafterstore.com/ has some of the strangest bandages (or band-aids) I have ever seen. The have Bacon and Eggs shaped, Boo Boo Kisses that are lipshaped, Crime Scene ones that look like crime seen tap, Enchanted Unicorn, Pirate Skull and Crossbones print, and Tattoo shapes. They come in a metal tin and are $4.95.
iLounger Chair, it’s a soft chair with a speaker system built in to plug in her iPod. She can flop down and relax and listen to her music. http://www.sears.com/ has it for $49.99.
Illuminated Mega Screen Sudoku is a small handheld game that has 2 million world-class computer-generated puzzles, eight levels of difficulty. It can be found at http://www.sears.com/ for $19.99.
If you want some thing that is fun and funky you can make a gift basket of just small cool things. This could include things like iPod covers, unusual hair accessories, singing earrings, every thing she needs for a home manicure, lots of funky nail polish colors and any novelty items you can find. Making a treasure box of unusual and fun things is great and that way you don’t need to find a big fun and funky gift, but some small ones that are easy to find in the mall.
Written by: Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
www.medievalmagic.ca
Friday, December 14, 2007
Christmas 2007 Astronomy gift ideas for children.
Astronomy is a wonderful hobby for a child. It makes finding gifts for them easy as well. There are a huge variety of gifts available for children interested in Astronomy. I have created a list of some of the top Christmas 2007 Astronomy gift ideas for children.
1) Telescopes, Binoculars, and Accessories
Spark Talking Telescope. This is a toy but is great as a way to keep your young child interested in astronomy with out having to let them stay up late to see the stars. This talking telescope lets your child explore space and make discoveries, just like a real astronomer. It is $34.95 at http://shopping.discovery.com/.
Telescope, Explorer. This handheld telescope is ideal for beginners. They just pick it up, sight an object, push/pull the focus tube and enjoy bright, clear images of far-off places. Durable plastic telescope magnifies objects 30X. Objective lens is 30mm. This is $12.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Konus KJ-9 60X Telescope with 60X magnification and a short focal length, which gives the maximum brightness in observation. It is compact, easy to carry, and equipped with plenty of accessories. It comes in a handy hard-shell carrying case. This telescope is $49.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Telescope Kit. This is a kit to build a 3X refractor telescope in less than an hour while learning how telescopes work. The finished product is helpful for terrestrial viewing, observing the moon, and general stargazing. This kit includes acrylic lenses, glare stops, kraftboard tubes, and instructions to make an 18" long telescope. This kit is $12.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Celestial Seeker. Flip the top open, insert one of the twenty constellation cards into the Celestial Seeker and compare what you see with what is in the sky. This kit includes twenty Northern Hemisphere constellation cards with helpful details to help you locate the stars. The lightweight design is easy to transport and even includes a night vision red light. This is $14.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Gift Certificates.
You can always pick up gift cards so that they can pick out what they want. However the best gift card is the Slooh 50 min Telescope Card. This is a pre-paid card gives them 50 minutes spectacular deep space objects streamed real-time live to your computer from powerful telescopes located high on a mountain off the coast of Africa. This is $9.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Books, Maps, software and Calendars
Planets, Moons and Stars book. This is a great guide for young kids who are interested in astronomy. It is $7.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Backyard Stars Guide. This is a fold-out guide to identify the stars from your own backyard on any reasonably clear night, year-round. The stars identified in this guide are those easily seen without binoculars or a telescope. Includes charts for each season and for the moon. This is $4.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Map Of The Sky Poster Both north and south night skies are included in this poster plus star data. Star data included: magnitude, surface temperature, zodiac constellations, and more. It is $9.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Astro Pack Astronomy Starter Kit. Written for the novice astronomers, this kit includes everything you need to fully appreciate the wonders of the stars above. It comes with:
Night Sky Through Your Telescope book, star finder guidebook, star chart map and adjustable planisphere. This kit is $24.98 at http://shopping.discovery.com/.
Exploring Space: 3D Interactive Kit. This kit contains an interactive CD-Rom, which aids your child in learning about the creation of the universe, the galaxy and stars, the black hole, our solar system, space debris, and space technology. Kit includes Interactive CD-Rom, 2 pairs of 3-D movie glasses, glow in the dark space mobile, and space shuttle with launch pad. This kit is $34.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Calendars with night skies or even pictures from space can be found almost any place. Some of them will even have reminders of important viewing events and historical date for astronomy. Calendars can make great gifts.
Models and posters:
Glow-in-the-Dark Planets and Supernova kit. Create our Solar System and Milky Way in their room with this glow-in-the-dark kit. It comes with 9 glow-in-the-dark planets and 100 glow-in-the-dark stars. This kit is $12.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations kit. Create your very own night sky. Included in this kit are 28 luminescent stars, 24 rods, strips of double-sided adhesive tape and an on-the-box layout of the Southern and Northern Hemisphere’s natural nightly murals. This kit is for young children and is $3.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
The Solar Flare and Earths Magnetosphere Poster is a great new poster. This is a great gift. It is $9.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Games:
Give your kids access to http://www.kidsastronomy.com/. It has free games, information and more for kids to play and learn.
The MONOPOLY: Night Sky Edition brings the wonders of the universe right into your living room. Move around the game board as you purchase comets, planets, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies and build observatories. Comes with six custom pewter tokens (Meade telescope, Hubble space telescope, binoculars, radio dish, observatory, Mars Rover) and custom dice. Mars and Moon cards replace classic Chance and Community Chest cards, respectively. Read all about the different wonders featured on the game board. This game is $34.95 at http://scientificsonline.com/.
AristoPlay Mars 2020 game. It's a race to Mars in the year 2020. This game is for 2-6 players and has over 550 space travel and astronomy questions, endorsed by Jack Lousma, U.S. Astronaut. This is actually a fun game to play. Each player is an astronaut. Astronauts choose a spaceship and a crewmember and try to land on Mars first. This game is $31.95 at http://www.sciencestoreforthestars.com/.
Planet Quest Board Game Planet Quest. A space board game where astronaut to blast off through space and try to be the first to collect all the planets in the solar system by answering True/False question cards. They have to watch out for the black hole, Asteroid belt and supernova or getting lost in space. This game is for 2-4 players. This game is $24.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Just fun astronomy gifts:
LeapFrog Solar system fun facts floor puzzle is $9.88 at www.areyougame.com.
Solar System Rule. This12 inch ruler is made of transparent plastic and decorated with the vibrant colors of our solar system. Displayed on its front position are mesmerizing illustrations and diameter/temperature measurements of the sun, the 9 planets and asteroids. It is $2.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Moon In My Room. This light hangs on a wall. It is authentically detailed to look just like the moon. There are twelve different phase settings let you match what the real moon looks like outside. The Moon In My Room comes with a CD to learn exciting facts about the moon and its unique relationship with planet Earth. It is $29.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
A Vacation Plan:
If you live in a city it can be hard to see the stars. Plan a vacation some place that is “dark”. There are also quite a few places that will give unusual sites like the Northern Lights in Alaska. Take the time to look around and see what you can do with your family budget. It does not have to be expensive or a faraway vacation. It does not even have to be longer then one night. A child would love to go out into the country and get to stay up late, spending the night looking at stars they cannot see at home.
Written by Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
1) Telescopes, Binoculars, and Accessories
Spark Talking Telescope. This is a toy but is great as a way to keep your young child interested in astronomy with out having to let them stay up late to see the stars. This talking telescope lets your child explore space and make discoveries, just like a real astronomer. It is $34.95 at http://shopping.discovery.com/.
Telescope, Explorer. This handheld telescope is ideal for beginners. They just pick it up, sight an object, push/pull the focus tube and enjoy bright, clear images of far-off places. Durable plastic telescope magnifies objects 30X. Objective lens is 30mm. This is $12.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Konus KJ-9 60X Telescope with 60X magnification and a short focal length, which gives the maximum brightness in observation. It is compact, easy to carry, and equipped with plenty of accessories. It comes in a handy hard-shell carrying case. This telescope is $49.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Telescope Kit. This is a kit to build a 3X refractor telescope in less than an hour while learning how telescopes work. The finished product is helpful for terrestrial viewing, observing the moon, and general stargazing. This kit includes acrylic lenses, glare stops, kraftboard tubes, and instructions to make an 18" long telescope. This kit is $12.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Celestial Seeker. Flip the top open, insert one of the twenty constellation cards into the Celestial Seeker and compare what you see with what is in the sky. This kit includes twenty Northern Hemisphere constellation cards with helpful details to help you locate the stars. The lightweight design is easy to transport and even includes a night vision red light. This is $14.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Gift Certificates.
You can always pick up gift cards so that they can pick out what they want. However the best gift card is the Slooh 50 min Telescope Card. This is a pre-paid card gives them 50 minutes spectacular deep space objects streamed real-time live to your computer from powerful telescopes located high on a mountain off the coast of Africa. This is $9.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Books, Maps, software and Calendars
Planets, Moons and Stars book. This is a great guide for young kids who are interested in astronomy. It is $7.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Backyard Stars Guide. This is a fold-out guide to identify the stars from your own backyard on any reasonably clear night, year-round. The stars identified in this guide are those easily seen without binoculars or a telescope. Includes charts for each season and for the moon. This is $4.95 at http://www.hometrainingtools.com/.
Map Of The Sky Poster Both north and south night skies are included in this poster plus star data. Star data included: magnitude, surface temperature, zodiac constellations, and more. It is $9.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Astro Pack Astronomy Starter Kit. Written for the novice astronomers, this kit includes everything you need to fully appreciate the wonders of the stars above. It comes with:
Night Sky Through Your Telescope book, star finder guidebook, star chart map and adjustable planisphere. This kit is $24.98 at http://shopping.discovery.com/.
Exploring Space: 3D Interactive Kit. This kit contains an interactive CD-Rom, which aids your child in learning about the creation of the universe, the galaxy and stars, the black hole, our solar system, space debris, and space technology. Kit includes Interactive CD-Rom, 2 pairs of 3-D movie glasses, glow in the dark space mobile, and space shuttle with launch pad. This kit is $34.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Calendars with night skies or even pictures from space can be found almost any place. Some of them will even have reminders of important viewing events and historical date for astronomy. Calendars can make great gifts.
Models and posters:
Glow-in-the-Dark Planets and Supernova kit. Create our Solar System and Milky Way in their room with this glow-in-the-dark kit. It comes with 9 glow-in-the-dark planets and 100 glow-in-the-dark stars. This kit is $12.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations kit. Create your very own night sky. Included in this kit are 28 luminescent stars, 24 rods, strips of double-sided adhesive tape and an on-the-box layout of the Southern and Northern Hemisphere’s natural nightly murals. This kit is for young children and is $3.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
The Solar Flare and Earths Magnetosphere Poster is a great new poster. This is a great gift. It is $9.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Games:
Give your kids access to http://www.kidsastronomy.com/. It has free games, information and more for kids to play and learn.
The MONOPOLY: Night Sky Edition brings the wonders of the universe right into your living room. Move around the game board as you purchase comets, planets, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies and build observatories. Comes with six custom pewter tokens (Meade telescope, Hubble space telescope, binoculars, radio dish, observatory, Mars Rover) and custom dice. Mars and Moon cards replace classic Chance and Community Chest cards, respectively. Read all about the different wonders featured on the game board. This game is $34.95 at http://scientificsonline.com/.
AristoPlay Mars 2020 game. It's a race to Mars in the year 2020. This game is for 2-6 players and has over 550 space travel and astronomy questions, endorsed by Jack Lousma, U.S. Astronaut. This is actually a fun game to play. Each player is an astronaut. Astronauts choose a spaceship and a crewmember and try to land on Mars first. This game is $31.95 at http://www.sciencestoreforthestars.com/.
Planet Quest Board Game Planet Quest. A space board game where astronaut to blast off through space and try to be the first to collect all the planets in the solar system by answering True/False question cards. They have to watch out for the black hole, Asteroid belt and supernova or getting lost in space. This game is for 2-4 players. This game is $24.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Just fun astronomy gifts:
LeapFrog Solar system fun facts floor puzzle is $9.88 at www.areyougame.com.
Solar System Rule. This12 inch ruler is made of transparent plastic and decorated with the vibrant colors of our solar system. Displayed on its front position are mesmerizing illustrations and diameter/temperature measurements of the sun, the 9 planets and asteroids. It is $2.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
Moon In My Room. This light hangs on a wall. It is authentically detailed to look just like the moon. There are twelve different phase settings let you match what the real moon looks like outside. The Moon In My Room comes with a CD to learn exciting facts about the moon and its unique relationship with planet Earth. It is $29.95 at http://www.physlink.com/.
A Vacation Plan:
If you live in a city it can be hard to see the stars. Plan a vacation some place that is “dark”. There are also quite a few places that will give unusual sites like the Northern Lights in Alaska. Take the time to look around and see what you can do with your family budget. It does not have to be expensive or a faraway vacation. It does not even have to be longer then one night. A child would love to go out into the country and get to stay up late, spending the night looking at stars they cannot see at home.
Written by Lori-Lee Craig
Medieval Magic
http://www.medievalmagic.ca/
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
The joy of Christmas sales shopping at the Mall or on the Internet.
I am always hunting for the right Christmas gift. I love it when I can find it on sale. Every one seems to have sales after Christmas, not before. I love shopping, but not around Christmas. The malls are always full of people all trying to get the same thing I am at the same time. If there is a sale it is even worse. The stores always seem to run out of the sale item just before I get there, but they always have lots of the more expensive item that is not on sale. So I have been shopping on the Internet.
I have done the eBay thing. Finding items for less then in stores, even with shipping and handling costs. You can even find some one-of-a-kind pieces at good prices. Other times I have been able to find the holly grail of Christmas gifts. The ones all sold out in all the stores. You always end up paying a lot for it, but at least you got it. As any parent knows, some times filling your kids Christmas wish is worth paying extra. For the most part eBay is good, but only if you make sure you buy from some one with a high rating. Otherwise you take the chance of not getting the gift in time, or at all.
All the big chain stores have web stores now, the Bay, Sears, Chapters, Wal-Mart and more. Some times it can be faster and cheaper to order online from them instead of going into the physical store. There has been quite a few times when I was unable to find an item in the store, but found it on their web site. I could order it, have it delivered to my home, or pick it up. What ever works best for my schedule.
When I shop on line I can have the items shipped directly to the person I am getting it for. This saves me money and time. Some of the online stores will even wrap gifts for me. When I run out of time to mail gifts I can order gift certificates that can be emailed before or on Christmas day. This comes in handy when I get an unexpected gift from some one or have an unexpected quest. I can actually order and print off a gift certificate in minutes. I have a gift and no one knows I did not have it 10 minutes before.
There is much more competition on the worldwide web then the mall. I can find larger selections, great pricing and occasionally some great sales. One site that always has unique gifts and good pricing is http://www.medievalmagic.ca/. They are having a 25% to 50% sale on every thing even the one of a kind pieces and sterling silver jewellery. They also have gift certificates for that last minute gift. No matter if you shop in a physical store of online it is always fun to hunt for and find the right Christmas gift.
I have done the eBay thing. Finding items for less then in stores, even with shipping and handling costs. You can even find some one-of-a-kind pieces at good prices. Other times I have been able to find the holly grail of Christmas gifts. The ones all sold out in all the stores. You always end up paying a lot for it, but at least you got it. As any parent knows, some times filling your kids Christmas wish is worth paying extra. For the most part eBay is good, but only if you make sure you buy from some one with a high rating. Otherwise you take the chance of not getting the gift in time, or at all.
All the big chain stores have web stores now, the Bay, Sears, Chapters, Wal-Mart and more. Some times it can be faster and cheaper to order online from them instead of going into the physical store. There has been quite a few times when I was unable to find an item in the store, but found it on their web site. I could order it, have it delivered to my home, or pick it up. What ever works best for my schedule.
When I shop on line I can have the items shipped directly to the person I am getting it for. This saves me money and time. Some of the online stores will even wrap gifts for me. When I run out of time to mail gifts I can order gift certificates that can be emailed before or on Christmas day. This comes in handy when I get an unexpected gift from some one or have an unexpected quest. I can actually order and print off a gift certificate in minutes. I have a gift and no one knows I did not have it 10 minutes before.
There is much more competition on the worldwide web then the mall. I can find larger selections, great pricing and occasionally some great sales. One site that always has unique gifts and good pricing is http://www.medievalmagic.ca/. They are having a 25% to 50% sale on every thing even the one of a kind pieces and sterling silver jewellery. They also have gift certificates for that last minute gift. No matter if you shop in a physical store of online it is always fun to hunt for and find the right Christmas gift.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Celtic Woman a must have to any Celtic music collection
Celtic Woman
We saw Celtic Woman two hour concert at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland, on 23 August and 24 August 2006, on TV tonight. I forgot to breath at one point. I had shivers up and down my spine listening to them. If they came to Canada I can tell you they would sell out. Celtic Woman: A New Journey, CD was released on 30 January 2007 as well as the DVD. I know what I want for Christmas this year, the DVD. If you love Celtic music this is a must have. I wish I knew about them when they made their first album
Celtic Woman is comprised of five Irish female artists. vocalists Chloë Agnew, Órla Fallon, Lynn Hilary and Lisa Kelly, and fiddler Máiréad Nesbitt. They sing every thing from traditional Celtic tunes to modern songs. They have released three albums, Celtic Woman, Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration and Celtic Woman: A New Journey.
It is like a Celtic version on Bond, only with vocalists. The show they put on is wonderful, making it worth buying the DVD. People are always asking us about Celtic music and tradional songs. I had to let people know about them. Wow. Here is their web site link: http://www.celticwoman.com
We saw Celtic Woman two hour concert at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland, on 23 August and 24 August 2006, on TV tonight. I forgot to breath at one point. I had shivers up and down my spine listening to them. If they came to Canada I can tell you they would sell out. Celtic Woman: A New Journey, CD was released on 30 January 2007 as well as the DVD. I know what I want for Christmas this year, the DVD. If you love Celtic music this is a must have. I wish I knew about them when they made their first album
Celtic Woman is comprised of five Irish female artists. vocalists Chloë Agnew, Órla Fallon, Lynn Hilary and Lisa Kelly, and fiddler Máiréad Nesbitt. They sing every thing from traditional Celtic tunes to modern songs. They have released three albums, Celtic Woman, Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration and Celtic Woman: A New Journey.
It is like a Celtic version on Bond, only with vocalists. The show they put on is wonderful, making it worth buying the DVD. People are always asking us about Celtic music and tradional songs. I had to let people know about them. Wow. Here is their web site link: http://www.celticwoman.com
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