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  • #1

    I need help with a birthday and Christmas gift.

    I'm shopping for a 14 year old girl. I don't know this girl very well, or at all really. This is one of those friend of a friend of a friend of a friend's daughter's husband's cousin type situations. Anyway, I really want to do something special for this girl, even though I don't know her. She's had a tough year. Her mother passed away and her father is absent. She lives with her grandparents. Her birthday is Christmas eve, and I know how much that sucks because that's my birthday too.

    I don't know much about her. She's 14, into Hello Kitty, My Little Pony, Anime, video games, and Pokemon. I have a limited budget, so it will be small, but I still want it to be cool. I was thinking I'd do a stocking stuffed with little stuff for Christmas, and one or two gifts for her birthday, along with cards for each occasion. The problem is that I have no freaking clue what to get. I've been looking for about a week and a half, and nothing seems exciting. I was hoping that some of you guys might be a bit more creative than I am and have gift suggestions.

    Any thoughts?
    At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.
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  • #2
    I know in my store we have a bunch of Hello Kitty stuff like lip balm and shower gel, even stuff like ear buds. I've also seen all kinds of licensed stuff in any stocking stuffer section in any stores. It's usually a good place to start if you're not looking for anything specific but special. If that makes any sense.
    I would have a nice day, but I have other things to do.

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    • #3
      On the anime side -- look in the toy section of a department store or "general merchandise" store, some will have figures, or mini-plushies for $3-10 or similar things for anime characters (probably only wise if you know which specific shows she likes). Also, more off-beat stores carry stuff like that, too, from time to time (eg, one of the only times I set foot in a Hot Topic store, ever, I came out with a little 2" GIR plushie -- he is currently chained to my passenger-side headrest in the car, guarding it. It's been working for years, now).
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      • #4
        I'm not sure whether there's any difference between the Aus and US Avon catalogues apart from season, but they have a range of Hello Kitty jewellery and watches right now in the Aussie catalogue. Might be worth looking at online.

        I checked - Avon. There's also bracelet and earrings.
        Last edited by LesserSouthernFroglet; 12-03-2014, 04:19 AM. Reason: fixed link

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        • #5
          Those blind bag pony figurines are always good.
          My Guide to Oblivion

          "I resent the implication that I've gone mad, Sprocket."

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          • #6
            May I suggest less focus on Christmas and more on birthday? My birthday is two weeks after Christmas and I know there were numerous years that I got one gift for both things. But others in the family got their own special day. I applaud you for wanting to do something for her it is really wonderful. I think she would appreciate seeing the birthday paper more than christmas paper. This is of course just my opinion,. If you have one, look for Sanrio stores. Walmart and other department stores of the like have Hello Kitty stuff also. Lip Gloss, ear buds, slap bracelets, Packs of Pokemon cards, Maybe a gift card to half price books to get some new anime books. I sugges Half price books if they re in your area because she can get way more books for far less money and all the books there are in very very good condition. And they have warehouse sales several times a year that sell off excess inventory. Please let us know what you end up doing.

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            • #7
              Thanks for the suggestions so far!

              Shpepper, I totally get the whole birthday thing. My own birthday is Christmas Eve. That's actually why I'm doing this. Being a Christmas baby sucks rotten eggs. When I was told about her, my reaction was an instant "I must do something for this girl's birthday! Oh, and I should probably do a little something for Christmas too."

              I think I like the idea of the licensed products like lip gloss and shower gel and such for the Christmas stocking. I still haven't quite decided on the birthday. The only thing I know is that it WILL be wrapped in over the top birthday wrapping paper, and not Christmas paper like I always got. I do have to hand it to my parents on that one. When I was little they were very uptight about making sure my birthday and Christmas were two separate events, and tried to make a really big deal out of the birthday. One year I even got my own mini fireworks show (my dad shot commercial fireworks as a hobby, and put together a small show out of odds and ends that were leftover from shows he'd done). But even with all that, things were always wrapped in Christmas paper.
              At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

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              • #8
                you mentioned video games, do you happen to know what kind of game system she has? maybe look for those stylus things that go with the DS that have Hello Kitty on them? Hello Kitty video game?

                sorry, that's all I got
                "Much butthurt I sense in you, cry like a bitch you should"

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                • #9
                  Don't make most of the focus be on the birthday. Make ALL of the focus be on the birthday. My best friend's birthday is Christmas Day, and for all her life, her birthday's been forgotten by almost everyone. Which is why every year when I talk to her on 12/25, I say "Happy Birthday!" and nary a word about Christmas. And she loves that.

                  Look, I get that even Christmas babies sometimes still like a little Christmas thrown in. But chances are good that no one has every separated the two for her. Be that person. Focus solely on her birthday.

                  Honestly, as a Christmas baby yourself, I'm surprised you didn't see this killer opportunity.

                  Also, it's been my experience that people who are into Hello Kitty love just about anything Hello Kitty you can find. So have at it!

                  "The Customer Is Always Right...But The Bartender Decides Who Is                   Still A Customer."

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                  • #10
                    You can find a ton of low cost MLP stuff on e-bay:

                    http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...+Pony&_sacat=0
                    "All I've ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who out-drew ya"

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                    • #11
                      Quoth mathnerd View Post
                      I'm shopping for a 14 year old girl. ...

                      Any thoughts?
                      I don't know where you live, but there might be a store called "Five Below" near you, and if there is, it would be a great place to check out. They sell items geared towards teens for five dollars and below. If I was you, I might do a twist on the stocking idea by starting with a Hello Kitty tin lunchbox and filling it with little items like Hello Kitty candy and tissues, as well as maybe a video game stylus and Pokemon items. If there isn't a Five Below near you, most dollar stores that I have been in, also, carry a large variety of items featuring Hello Kitty and My Little Pony and items for video games. Also, most teen girls can never have enough chapstick, especially during the winter months. Maybe place a couple of candy canes or other Christmas candy inside the package but emphasize that the present is a birthday present by placing it in a cute "Happy Birthday"bag with birthday tissue paper. Should be able to do that for under $25, Hope that helps even a little bit.

                      Just want to say that I do not work for Five Below, I just really love that place, even though I am out of my teens.
                      Last edited by EricKei; 12-05-2014, 12:58 AM. Reason: trimmed quote

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                      • #12
                        AAAAHHHHH ! ! ! I see now. I missed that in the first reading. May I add one more suggestion? A Mini personal sized birthday cake, Most bakeries make small ones that can serve just a couple people and it is always fun to get your own cake you don't have to share.

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                        • #13
                          Quoth Shpepper View Post
                          A Mini personal sized birthday cake, Most bakeries make small ones that can serve just a couple people and it is always fun to get your own cake you don't have to share.
                          Mathnerd doesn't need a bakery, as she is a most competent baker, and could probably knock that out herself in her sleep. Excellent idea, though.

                          "The Customer Is Always Right...But The Bartender Decides Who Is                           Still A Customer."

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                          • #14
                            Awwww, thanks Jester. Actually, I was thinking of baking several different types of cookies to add in with the gift.

                            Oh, and Jester, the Christmas part of this *is* an afterthought. My entire motivation was "Christmas baby! Need to do something special for the birthday!"

                            GypsyWitch, that store sounds perfect, but unfortunately, it doesn't appear that there are any locations near me.

                            I'm heading out to the mall after dinner tonight to try to find the birthday gift/s and will swing by the various big box stores to get the little licensed character odds and ends.
                            At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

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                            • #15
                              Thanks for all your ideas. Since my budget was tight, I couldn't get everything I wanted to, but this is what I wound up with:

                              For her birthday:



                              For Christmas:



                              Not pictured is 5 different lightly tinted lip glosses. I'm also going to bake a bunch of different kinds of cookies and will take a few of each kind and package them up for her.
                              At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

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