HS Graduation Gift for My Sister

How about a t-shirt, windbreaker, coffee mug or lanyard/key chain/wallet for her ID - from her college bookstore? Kids LOVE to go off to school with some college identity stuff - and they love wearing it the summer they go off. If she's a coffee or tea drinker, the mug will remind her of you every day. If she's sporty, she'll wear the athletic gear all the time. The bookstores also have lots of accessories for the dorm room - go on line and pick something out.

Maybe some memories of Chicago such as Chicago Pass-http://www.citypass.com/chicago
Or perhaps an overnight or two stay with a high school friend, at a downtown hotel on the Mag Mile.

My Goddaughter graduated from High School last saturday. I got a big picture frame and put pictures of her from when she was a baby until now. For the background I used Gold wrapping paper, gold is one of her school colors. She loved it. She had her open house that same day so she displayed the picture frame as part of the decorations. Girls love pictures of themselves. :) I gave her money too.

I like the luggage idea. I got luggage from my parents when I graduated from high school (almost 20 years ago) and I still have it. Also, you might pick up some postcards. Address them to yourself, stamp them, and give them to your sister. Tell her when she's at school, all she has to do is drop one in the mail and you will send her a nice big care package in return. I loved getting care packages at college, especially with homemade goodies!

I got a locket for my HS graduation from my grandparents and 14 years later I still treasure it. It was not expensive and is sterling silver, not gold. Maybe you could do this and put a photo in it. I got my best friend a locket when she graduated medical school. I put her picture in one side and mine in the other. She loved it!

We got our niece a camera so she could commemorate all her memories from her college years.........

I love Jon Hart designs (luggage, etc) and the embossed leather mongram is a nice personal touch. If she is "fashion" minded - a great designer and smart investment.
I do love towels, but again, personalized is awesome!!
My sister and I were only two years appart, so I got her a new sheet set, towels, a caddy and filled it with our favorite products that you typically can't afford when at school :) she loved it and the caddy is still around her house carrying cleaninig supplies - LOL!
Remember, whatever you get her, she'll love that you thought about her enough to send something she wants and needs.
Best,

I know this isn't really sentimental, but someone got me a laundry basket and filled it with all of the miscellaneous things that I would need. I'm sure she got a lot of it for a dollar each, but it was WONDERFUL! I needed all those things and to have them all together, I really appreciated it. And in there, maybe you could include a "sister" frame with those beautiful sayings with a great picture of the two of you that she could look at and remember home and what great memories she has - plus it's hard to lose. Pictures are really important in college.

How about a monogrammed blanket, rug, large tote bag, laundry bag?

I still have my laundry bag and tote from college. The Bath sheet I wore out years ago using it like a beach towel.

http://www.personalizationmall.com/Personalized-Blankets-...

http://www.universityfashions.com/custom-apparel/blankets...=

http://www.keepsakes-etc.com/mobl.html

http://www.greenpeababystore.com/cushnee-monogrammed-bath...

When I graduated HS, my older brother bought me a nice suede portfolio-type briefcase. It has come in handy SO many times in my life. I still have it (30 years later), remember who it came from, and use it occasionally--still. It's classic and will always be "in style"!

Money is always the right size, the right color - it's never out of style.
I've never heard of anyone who exchanged it - it's extremely versatile.
(Hey! I rhymed without even trying!)

Really, practical is best. You can give her a heartfelt card with something sentimental in it. 10 years from now she probably won't remember what you gave her but she will remember the support from you!

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I always buy logo wear for the college they will be attending. She'll think of you every time she wears it

I haven't read them all but I got a laundry basket full of the toiletries I'd need. She'll definitely need a good coverage bathrobe if she'll be in the dorms (most of us walked from the public bathroom to our rooms in a bathrobe, then got dressed in our rooms). She'll need a caddy for all her tioletries, flip flops (b/c, yuck, it's basically a public shower!), a couple towels and washcloths, shampoo, soap, razors and on and on. You get the idea. I remembered that gift and appreciated it more than some of the more "keepsake" gifts that really ended up in a box in the closet.

Also, maybe looks up some of the popular restaurants in the area she'll be at college (really any fast food or pizza joint) and get her gift cards. I remember being so broke it almost took all my cash just to hang out with my friends at the pizza place for food and a few drinks.

I also LOVE the IOU care package idea. It's so great to get packages and mail. Everyday you pass and check your mailbox hoping something is in it. And the college sweatshirt idea is great too - they are so expensive for the college kid to buy themselves.

I wish I knew someone close going away to college this year! So many great ideas!

Lots of good ideas here. If she's going to be away at college where she doesn't get home frequently, maybe an "IOU one care pkg per month"
Send as suggested, brownies, cookies, etc...or maybe one or two months a gift certificate for a restaurant in that city that she could go with a friend.

I think any of the gift ideas are great, if you want to do something along with that this is what I did, I made postcards on my computer and put different choices of items of what I would make and send to the person 4-6 times a years....I had selection like different cookies, brownies, chocolates and then I would make them and send them to them so they could have homemade goodies to share with their friends or keep them to themselves. Some of my college kids didn't like like sweets I made loaves of bread or pancakes and sent to them. I know when I was in college I loved getting anything from home. Just an idea. When I mailed the goodies I usually bought those throw away containers and then put them in a ziploc bag and then a priority mailbox.

I like the laundry basket idea. And just to add to that, I got a laundry basket when I went to college and it had little cute notes written along the rim from the person I got it from. So simple, but so sentimental at the same time. Students also need a shower caddy, which is also something that can be written on. It can be a message or poem or good wish. But every time they pick it up they will see it!

I got my niece and high school graduate babysitters the One Trip Tote! It's at www.onetriptote.com. It's an awesome collapsible LARGE carryall. Great for packing up all stuff to and fro on weekend, great for laundry, beach, shopping,storage. It's a really clever take on a tote. Great price point too! Love the black and white damask fabric.