Stumped on bday present..

[LISA]

Ok, Cass's 17th bday is coming up, she's going to Europe for 3 wks and that is her bday present ( and Christmas thankyouverymuch :lol: ) but I want to still give her something tangible, any ideas? my mom and sister are getting her some spending $$ for the trip and my mom is lending her a set of suitcases( I think she already has some from our trip to portugual a few years back :scratch: )

I do know she needs to get some new clothes as most of her clothes are on the beachy casual side and she's stick out like a sore thumb in Paris..

any ideas you can throw at me would be greatly appreciated.. I have asked her and she wants a tatoo ( something I'm not ready to cave on yet :tearhair: )

TIA

[Cami]

I am sooo out of touch with teenagers so any of my ideas might be completely wacked. Books for the plane? A journal she could keep or scrapbook she could fill for the trip? If you want to spend a lot, does she need a new camera?

[Bridget]

A few random ideas:


A travel backpack/purse (http://www.magellans.com/ and http://www.travelsmith.com/ts/home.jsp sell a lot but she may want something funkier) or even a gift card to buy misc. travel necessities at a luggage store? (Like a waist wallet, eye mask, travel locks, stuff like that).
If she has a digital camera, an extra memory stick/battery?
Power converter? She may already have this since she went to Portugal.
Does she have an ipod? How about an ipod gift card to load up on new songs before the trip?
A gift card to Zappos to buy a new pair of sandals/boots/shoes for the trip.
Prepaid calling card.
Travel maps (those laminated fold out kinds) for the major cities she'll visit. I preferred these from Streetwise (available at B&N and Borders) because they are compact and rainproof. Other laminated maps are so HUGE and harder to deal with and announce TOURIST much more loudly.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0935039252/qid=1149689000/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_12/102-4547268-3504933?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

A bag of cheap underwear and socks she can wear and throw away (don't laugh, I've done it) to reduce space as she travels. :lol:
A Eurorail pass? Where all will she be travelling?
A bag of magazines for the flight over.
A journal is a good idea, and you could print out a laminated card in the front containing emergency contacts/numbers, etc. for her (American Express, Embassies, etc.)
Premade mailing labels containing everyone's addresses for postcards home. :lol: (I did this too - NERD ALERT NERD ALERT)
That's all I can think of for now!!

[LISA]

Thanks Bridget and Cami :) great ideas!
She does have a Ipod but um I don't know where she is getting the music on it ? I could get her a gift card to Itunes :scratch: she was asking just this morning about a power converter for it so she can charge the batteries while there?
Not sure about a Eurorail pass, she's going with family and they said they would cover cost for travel etc, I don't want her going anywhere alone :noqueno:
she's going to France,England(London) and Netherlands.
I'm loving the scrapbook idea most of all..she does have a digital camera but I think I might get her a few disposable cameras so she can have pictures to put into a scrapbook, I actually just saw a cute one(book) at work the other night.

Keep em coming :)

[Bev]

A gift card to Zappos to buy a new pair of sandals/boots/shoes for the trip.
Zappos doesn't deliver to Canada. Bastards! :mad:

I was going to suggest $$$. Lame but she can use it. :)

[LISA]

Well it turns out I have to buy her a rolling duffel bag. I went to see her uncle last night and he told me that they will be doing alot of driving so the luggage can't be hard bodied so it can all get squished into those tiny european cars :lol: so I bought her a bag today and I'll get her a folding cosmetic bag so she can hold all her soaps etc and I'll be buying her some clothes so I'll give her $$ for that, I think she's set ..thanks everyone :)

[Bridget]

Sounds like it is going to be a fun trip for her! Good gift! Something she needs is always good!!