After the joint stocking-stuffers-we-buy-for-ourselves post, commenter Jd said:
I would also like to suggest a joint what are you buying the teens or tweens in your life post. While I don’t mind when people add suggestions I’m really interested in what is actually being given this year.
And I saw that comment and IMMEDIATELY cut-and-pasted it into a new post so I wouldn’t forget. I like the distinction of “suggestions” vs. “what is ACTUALLY BEING GIVEN,” and I agree with Jd’s assessment: I don’t mind the former, but the latter is what I really want to know / what I really find useful.
I will go first.
(image from getshashibo.com)
Shashibo Cubes. It looks like these are almost sold out; when I ordered, there were maybe a dozen or more different ones to choose from, and now there are only a few. My 10-year-old nephew had these on his list, and I went to the site to see what they were and ended up buying one for William (20, so, not a teen, but close) and one for Edward (16). I still don’t really know what they are, but they look intriguing, and it is harder and harder to find Fun/Novel Toys for kids as they get older.
(image from Target.com)
Strange Planet t-shirt. I got this for Henry (14): he saw it over my shoulder while I was looking for something else, and he laughed, and I said “Would you want that shirt?” and he said yes, and this is not a very interesting story. I also bought it for my nephew (10), along with the second Strange Planet book (Target link) (Amazon link) (he already has the first one).
(image from Amazon.com)
I bought this cute budgie shirt for Edward. I was looking at it for myself, and he saw it over my shoulder, and this is not an interesting story either, but long story short he liked it and I bought it for him.
(image from OldNavy.Gap.com)
I also bought Edward an Old Navy sherpa-lined sweatshirt, because he loves cozy things. (I did not pay $50 for it; there was some sort of good sale at the time.)
(image from Target.com)
I don’t know yet which kid will get it, but I bought the book They Can Talk (Target link) (Amazon link) for SOMEbody.
(image from Target.com)
Elizabeth (16) had Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood (Target link) (Amazon link) on her list. I have no idea what the content is like, but I found out recently that she’s watched all the available episodes of the TV show Sex Education, which I am almost too embarrassed to watch IN THE HOUSE BY MYSELF because it is so explicit, so I feel the “Might this be too shocking for her?” ship has long sailed.
(image from OldNavy.Gap.com)
Last year Elizabeth wanted flannel pajamas, and I got her some Old Navy ones on a good sale, and they were a big hit and she wears them all the time, including wearing the tops as shirts and the pants under her ripped-up jeans for warmth. So this year I got her a couple more pairs. They’re going in and out of stock, so if you don’t see the ones you want, it’s worth checking back later.
(image from HotTopic.com)
Elizabeth wanted a bunch of mushroom- and star-themed stuff. These Hot Topic mushroom earrings, and these mushroom rings, and this mushroom necklace. Some mushroom socks and star earrings that are now out of stock, which eases my pique about all these items being on a better sale right now than the one I bought them on last month.
(image from aeropostale.com)
These star earrings from Aeropostale, and I also got her the star photo-clip lights, and the celestial nail stickers and mushroom t-shirt that now seem to be sold out. It’s making me a little twitchy to see how much is sold out.
(image from Target.com)
And this super-soft star sweatshirt was on sale for Black Friday, so I bought that for her, too.
(image from Target.com)
Henry really likes red buffalo plaid, so I got him these sheets.
(image from etsy.com)
Henry had “ring” on his wish list. He already has this one in black with his initial on it in a fancy font, and he wears it all the time, and so I was just browsing Etsy looking for something he might also like, and this one made from a Japanese coin caught my eye.
(image from thebodyshop.com)
I got my niece (12) a selection of body mists from The Body Shop. I don’t know if she’ll like them or not, but it’s a fun gift to GIVE, anyway, since her mother and I both loved stuff from The Body Shop in our teens. And I was trying to think about what I liked at age 12, and some of my favorite gifts were the ones from my aunt who would give me the same gifts she was buying for her 16-year-old daughter, so I got things that were thrillingly too old for me, like a bottle of perfume I used to scent kleenex and stationery; a thin delicate gold bracelet I almost immediately bent out of shape; and an icy-pastel-button-down-shirt/hot-colored-sweater-vest/plastic-pastel-pearls combo that was EXTREMELY IN STYLE with older girls at the time.
(image from Amazon.com)
I got this fidget toy for a couple of the kids when it was on a Black Friday sale for $7-something.
(image from Amazon.com)
These popping fidget thingies are very popular at school right now. Elizabeth and her friends all bought matching ones, which is good because I could buy this 4-pack without having to decide which of my children I like least.
(image from Target.com)
Weird But True Christmas (Target link) (Amazon link) looks like it’s probably a little too young for my kids, but I got it for Henry’s stocking anyway. (I was very interested in a review of it, which pointed out that it can spoil the Santa myth if your kids still believe in that. That’s something I forget to consider.)
(image from Target.com)
This Starface gift set was more than I like to spend on a stocking item, even at the $13 sale price, but it doesn’t seem right to wrap an acne treatment set and put it under the tree, either, if the child hasn’t REQUESTED such a thing. So it’s going into Elizabeth’s stocking. She and I normally use little invisible circle treatment patches for pimples (I got very few pimples as a teenager, but perimenopause has welcomed them back into my life more regularly), but these go for a different approach: the patches are brightly-colored/holographic star shapes. If she doesn’t want to use them, I will.
(image from Target.com)
Similarly, even at the $10ish sale price, I don’t want to wrap shaving supplies, even a cute set of them, and put them under the tree for Henry (WHO NOW NEEDS TO START SHAVING, I say incredulously to those of you who have been here since he was a newborn). I consider this to be “stuff I would have just picked up for him at Target during a regular shopping trip,” but with a $5 upgrade to something more special, so it’s really just a $5 stocking thing.
(image from Amazon.com)
This Christmas kittens t-shirt was a BEFORE-Christmas present for Henry.
I hope lots of you have gift-buying reports, too; I need more things for Henry especially.
Teen boys are SO difficult. Mine is now 18 (with a 15-year-old sister, but she is so much easier). So far I have: a capo for his guitar (picks are another good idea for guitar players), $10 Starbucks g.c., fidgets (he has a bowlful and uses them often), this Uranus soap which is totally crude but made me lol (https://www.amazon.com/Uranus-Soap-Mini-Bar-Made/dp/B01F7OAZNK?th=1), a fun bookmark (one for each member of the family based on their interests, etsy has SO many great ones), and Bombas socks (spendy but he LOVES them). I also always head to Cost Plus and buy weird snacks/sweets from other countries for stocking fillers. Looking forward to other ideas!
My son is 12 and got into anime this year so a bunch of naruto things. A hoodie, gloves, bracelet. Then I got him a Snuggie blanket thing from his favourite hockey team. New pj’s, regular hoodies and a toque. Oh and a sled, can you tell I’m from Canada ha ha?
Shashibos are great, and if you have more than one you can use them together. They’re magnetic and they unfold and then fold up into like a bazillion different shapes, with a highly satisfying, gentle snapping feel.
2 children. 7 year old boy, 12 year old girl.
Well, I just bought a shashibo for each child despite having zero idea what they are and being somewhat sketched by the weird obsession with the Grateful Dead. Alas.
My children are getting: a year subscription to Yum Box (the weird treats from around the world) because I now get all these subscription box ads on the FB as a homeschooler, or b/c I clicked on ONE, one time. And a friend says that’s the only one she’s ever re-upped.
Both get pajamas, even though they are more likely to sleep in their clothes or t-shirts. Girl child is getting sheets (we did a year when I bought everyone good bedding, company store down comforters and sheets and pillows and pillow protectors) because, it’s nice to have nice sheets and it’s cheaper in the long run than buying cheap stuff multiple times. I also sometimes do bath towels (my grandmother did that for the grandchildren for YEARS and I still have like 3 of them, they’re at least 20 years old, one is a dog towel but two are still serviceable towels). We like legos. Books are hard because they go through them so quickly and we mostly use the library. Girl child is getting a pair of yaktrax because she was like “now that I have huge feet, I can use your yaktrax” and I was like “Or I could buy you your own.” She is also getting wool socks because her feet are ALWAYS cold and I’ll probably knit her a scarf and hat at some point. Everyone is getting reflective vests (more like suspenders with a waist strap) for night walking, because we do a lot of it and it’s dark and if I”m buying it this close to Christmas, it’s a gift, DAMNIT!
I think they’re also getting ski lessons at a nearby hill, but maybe not. I’m super grumpy about this “must buy gifts because this time of year is the GIFT BUYING time of year” and I tend to buy things whenever, just because. I took them horseback riding last weekend because they enjoy it and we weren’t doing anything and they like the riding place – and I couldn’t WRAP that or save it but it’s also not cheap (in the realm of what we’ll be paying per ski lesson per child). But we also haven’t done anything in nearly two whole years (we have, but not a TRIP or anything) so, whatever, it’s fine.
There must be other stuff. IDK. We tend not to do tons of toys, our house is small and has two dogs, two children, and two adults.
We did a six month Yum box subscription for my Covid-depressed daughter last winter and it was a very nice pick me up!
This year, I’m buying my 11 year old son a drone, and a balance board, and an ecosystem (from suggestions from years ago-Swistle!); my 10 year old niece is getting brush markers and a water-color pad, along with some washi tape; my 12 year old niece is getting a messenger bag with the start of a pin collection; my 13 year old nephew is getting a scientific specimen from Evolution (https://theevolutionstore.com) and my 14 year old daughter is getting mostly clothes, including cool stockings and socks and inexpensive jewelry from urban outfitters. All the kids seem like they are into record players and records, but we’ve already done that for birthdays. This age group is hard!
Things my 16 year old girl put on her list that we are getting her: a field guide to our state’s trees & plants, a new case for her phone, a better desk lamp, and a couple of switch games. Things that weren’t on her list that we are getting her: her own Switch (3 out of 4 people in our house will have their own Switch), Season 2 Part 2 of FruitsBasket (an anime she likes), christmas pjs (a tradition), the animals of the world t-shirt from snorg tees, ear muff head band, small suitcase and accompanying toiletries bag. For her stocking I got her a cute fox magnet and I’m going to get her more fun stickers and the chocolate covered caramels from a local candy store that she really likes.
My 19 year old boy’s list was just a bunch of Switch games so I’m picking a few off there. Things that weren’t on his list are a Splatoon Art book and Splatoon manga and a Splatoon hoodie (he really likes Splatoon), 8-Bit Mario Ugly Christmas sweatshirt, t-shirt with the DDR arrows on it (another video game he really likes). I’ve only picked up some candy for his stocking so far. I’m thinking of getting the Shashibo cube for his stocking even though it’s a bit pricey for a stocking stuffer.
Questions about the pimple patches (the ones you currently use) — Do they actually work? Do you wear them at night/home? Or do they disappear enough that you can wear them out and about?
I just spent a day and a half on snorg, so thanks for THAT suggestion!
Yes they work for me, it has been a real game changer. I use the hero invisible pimple patches and wear them overnight, I don’t think they blend in enough to wear during the day but full disclosure I have worn one during the day because my mask covered it #NoShame.
I can’t tell if the pimple patches TRULY WORK or if they just make me feel as if I’m Doing Something About It. I attempt to wear them mostly at night/home (and/or under my mask) because I feel self-conscious—but with some of the uglier pimples, I think the patch is more discreet/unnoticeable than the pimple.
Those pop-it things are INFURIATING I have kids taking out 5-10 of them and piling them up and trading them in class and OH MY GOD PUT THE TOYS AWAY. I teach band. If you need to fidget with something, fidget with the keys on your clarinet, it’s not like you’re just sitting there listening to a lecture. The only thing worse that has started popping up lately are these “sensory tubes” which are SO LOUD AND ANNOYING DO YOU NOT REALIZE THE ENTIRE CLASS CAN HEAR YOUR STUPID CRUNCHY PLASTIC TUBE https://www.amazon.com/Fidget-Adults-Multi-Color-Tubes-Sensory/dp/B07ZVLYLQQ/ref=asc_df_B07ZVLYLQQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=507671659147&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1931045706501526618&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008455&hvtargid=pla-995807558059&psc=1
ok, I have to laugh because my seven year old was talking about her bus driver and said
Miss Sylvia is so nice…
(darkly) unless you have a pop it.
We got Shashibo cubes for our then-14-year-olds last year — I feel so ahead of the trend!
This year, one 15-yo got a bluetooth speaker (not a fancy one, just for pairing with music in their bedroom), some carefully selected earrings (Etsy), and an embroidery kit with a printed pattern, hoop, thread, string, all included (also Etsy). Oh, and a Time Timer.
The other 15-yo got computer memory (per request) and a nice flashlight for daily carrying. Also a couple of games (one on Steam for computer playing and one card game for non-computer playing) and a couple of shirts.
This isn’t going to be helpful AT ALL but I saw some rings and jewelry made of coins at a little vendor stand and I thought it was SO very cool so I hope the ring goes over well. I didn’t buy any but kind of wish I had.
My mother started buying me real jewelry when I was about 7-8 years old and I still have it, but I was a very responsible child. I think my daughter (8) could handle it, however, her brother (4) tends to covet and also break things. So. That will wait until she’s older.
Why are teen boys SO HARD to buy for? Mine only wanted X Box gift cards. I bought him two cards and we found fake novelty boxes at Walmart to wrap them in. The boxes say they have gross things inside so at least that will amuse ME on Christmas morning!
I also got him: expensive preferred-brand sweatshirt that I flip out over the price of normally, a box of assorted fidget toys, some really nice tech winter gloves (so he can play with his phone while waiting for the bus and not get frostbite), some LED string lights for his room that can be like ten different colors.I also got a game that he and his sister can play together involving hiding a plastic poop emoji. Whatever, they’ll play with it and that’s all that matters!
I’m getting one nephew a wireless portable speaker, another new ski goggles (he thinks he is getting a job at a nearby ski resort. Without a drivers license I think this is not going to happen but not my job to burst his bubble. )
My niece is harder. She wants clothes her mom won’t let her wear. Is not responsible enough for nicer jewelry or upgraded stuff. Doesn’t play a sport or like games. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do just yet.
I do not know if this will be helpful, but sometimes makeup or nail polish is an acceptable form of physical self-expression when the preferred clothing isn’t.
(when our niece swapped from lego, she swapped to patterned/colored duct tape for literally years, which was glorious because: holiday: duct tape: delighted niece. Presumably that only works if one’s niece likes making things with duct tape, though. But I deeply appreciated getting a free ride out of the teen gift-giving years via duct tape!)(now she wants books and regular stock-the-apartment sorts of things, so we’re set again, I think)
My 21-year-old son likes all the Marvel movies and shows, so I got him an Avengers poster on Etsy (so many different styles!) and a book called All The Marvels, by someone who read all the Marvels comics and digested them in a reportedly very engrossing way – I though that would be fun because he’s been reading things online like soandso is going to be on Loki or in the next movie, they might be going to turn out to be x character from the comics, and he’ll read about the plots from the comics but doesn’t read the comics. (After he saw Watchmen, he asked for the book of Watchmen comics, which I gave him a while back.)
Etsy is good for just about anything related to an interest they have – last year I got him a Baby Yoda mug and a Mandalorian helmet magnet. I got a college age female relative a little boba tea charm, and I got both her and him some redbubble stickers with lyrics and/or album art from singers I know they like. The teens and twenties I know are putting stickers on their laptops and water bottles, and redbubble has stickers of many things (caveat – the printing on one was a little blurry, but the others were fine).
Last year I got him a Uniqlo hoodie with cozy sherpa-style fleece inside, similar to what Swistle got Edward, and I see him wearing it a lot.
I got paints for my 10 year old niece, and my mom got her a set of brushes and canvases. The thirteen year old nephew got money specifically to use hanging out with his friends (for movie tickets, burgers, etc).
14yo son:
Football is Life T-shirt (Ted Lasso reference)
Wireless earbuds (not AirPods but he can trade up if he wants to use his own money)
Fleece PJs (tradition)
Ramen bowl with cute faces on the sides
Jersey for our local women’s professional soccer team (he already has the men’s jersey so let’s be equal opportunity supporters, I say)
Socks with cat designs
Azul board game (for the whole family, actually)
Left, Right Center dice game
Favorite snacks/candy
I don’t think we”ll every top the Comfy I bought him two years ago on a last-minute whim, which he would wear exclusively if we would allow it.
My kids are both getting standup paddle boards. They won’t be able to use them until summer, but they’re each getting some small stuff as well.
The 15-almost-16-year-old girl: the Hedgehogs! 2022 calendar of previous Swistle posts; a popsocket with a pic of her and her boyfriend on it (he’s getting a matching one); socks
The 13-year-old boy: a puzzle; a whole bunch of shirts since he simultaneously outgrew almost everything he had; we got him a new mattress but gave it to him already
Family gifts: we all are getting matching pyjama pants, including the boyfriend; I picked up a small outdoor movie projector for the summer; an escape-room-in-a-box game
Hm. I have a mountain of boxes in my closet, so I know I’m missing a bunch of impulse-buy stuff.
I have two teen boys (13 and 15). My son who doesn’t like “stuff” and never has gift requests actually asked for something this year! He wants a subscription to MasterClass. They are having a 2-for-1 sale so we got it for him a and are giving the second subscription to my FIL. He is also into the Dune movie and books and requested the Dune board game, so he is getting that too.
Other things I got him are a Dune T-shirt “Fear is the Mind Killer”, a Paul Atreides Funko Pop bobble head (he collects them), Champion hoodie, a neon light in the shape of a cactus for a desk decoration.
My other son is getting a trip to IKEA to pick out and build his own desk (this is what he asked for), a Champion hoodie, fuzzy-lined crocs, a Roy Kent Tshirt (Ted Lasso), a smelly candle, a black Adidas snap-back hat.
Last year I bought the Settlers of Catan game as our family gift off of Swistle’s recommendation. We loved it so much that one of this year’s family gifts is an Expansion Pack to the game.
I have a 14.75 (lol) year old girl, and she specifically asked for money for books and clothes. Unfun to wrap. But it’s been a rough couple of months, so I’m going to honor that as much as I can. Here are the little extras: a small blue purse, a reversible happy/sad octopus plushie, a journal with prompts (hope this isn’t too childish), a shashibo cube (thanks Swistle and folks!), some new curly hair products to try, and the new Adele record (her father is buying a record player). Candy, toiletries and socks, and a coffee giftcard in the stocking. ‘Tis what it is. Oh! And part of her gift is that we are treating her friends to the new Spiderman movie.
My nephews turned 14 and 12 a few weeks ago (b-days are four days apart). The older one just wants money these days because he’s saving up for a PS5, so he got that plus a set of fun socks. He was happy about both.
Last year he also got money, and a burrito blanket (round, burrito-patterned blanket you can wrap yourself in, they also exist in a pizza version and likely others). That was a recommendation I got from here, two years ago I think. If you do get one, be careful about what size is actually sold, and look in the reviews for comments about how thin or fluffy the blankets are and if the printing is nice.
The now 12 year old is deeply into Minecraft, as are the 12- and 14 year old daughters of a friend. For all of them the main draws lies in creative mode building and in playing together (on separate devices in separate rooms) or with friends. My nephew also asked for and received books on programming your own Minecraft mods, and had gotten an online course on programming (not Minecraft specific) this summer.
One unexpected thing was that he also asked for a mini-fridge for his room, I’m assuming that some of the game streamers they watch have something like it. He doesn’t like soda much and prefers plain water from the tap (I’m in Germany and our tap water is excellent, so no one worry please), so I’m not sure what he’ll use it for, but my parents managed to find an affordable used one and he was thrilled.
The gift was also coveted by the 14 year old for a hot second, which made me happy because I’d be able to gift him an actual THING this year; alas, by the end of the day, he’d already decided he didn’t want one after all. But in general, I think a mini-fridge could go down well with quite a wide range of ages and all genders.
A family gift in their family last year was a VR headset for the PS4. It was a huge hit and is still used heavily by all family members. A special favourite to play with it is the game Beat Saber, where in a 3D VR environment you hit boxes (with a virtual lightsaber) that appear in a long stream ahead of you to songs you pick out. It’s similar to other music games in that regard, but it’s its own thing as well, and AMAZINGLY fun to play. Also kind of a full body workout. Fully recommending that one, and I admit to checking Ebay now and then to see if people finally got their PS5s and the great PS4 selloff has begun, just to maybe buy one and maybe get a VR headset and maybe be able to get Beat Saber. It will most likely not happen, but that I’m even considering it is another datapoint in how enjoyable it is.
Just remembered, cozy onesies/overalls seem to go down well with basically all ages, up to late teens (depending on the person and their cozyness-preferences of course).