Hello Everyone, I need some inexpensive suggestions for a unique young lady who is turning 18 in a month. I want to have the family over (as usual) and also do something special for her with maybe a few select girlfriends (hers and mine). We are thinking a girls night out for a movie and dinner, but would also like something outside the usual box to set this birthday apart from the rest, also to set a tradition. For example, when she turned 10 she got her ears pierced and had ten friends over for a sleepover, and had her friends sign a t-shirt and book. When she turned 13 I rented a cabin in the Poconos for her and 5 friends for the weekend, they went horse back riding and all kinds of other great activities which I took pictures of and made a small scrapbook of. When she turned 16 we surprised her with "allowing" her to get her belly pierced (after we freaked at the idea),- when we returned home all her friends were at our house for a surprise birthday party. These are traditions we have set and have done also with our other two children. Its been fun. Now, I'm looking for some suggestions for a keepsake for her now that she's going to be 18. I know I will get some GREAT ideas from all of you and can't wait to read them all.
THANKS in advance!!
D.
How about a Mini- Spa Day for her and a few friends? Massage, Nails, Facial, etc.?? You could get robes monogrammed for them to wear and keep. I wish someone would do that for me!! Hve fun with whatever you do!
Well, I have a suggestion, but it's not for everyone. I don't know your family or your daughter, so I don't know if the idea would scare you or interest you. Skydiving (or something similar) would be quite an experience if she's the adventurous type. Your husband or you could join her or send a willing friend up with her. I surprised my husband one year for his birthday when we were younger -before we were married and had a child. We both went up and got the pictures and the videos. We figured if your gonna do it and spend the money, you might as well get the whole package and remember it well. He loved it! I don't know if you have a place like that near you, but there's a place here in south Jersey that's pretty close to us in Washington Twp. Anyway, it's just an idea (you said you wanted outside the box), even if it just helps you think of something else that would be great.
I hope you come up with something great to make it a memorable birthday for her! Let us know what you end up doing.
Hi D.,
Looks like you have yourself a young lady who is going to be a woman in just a few short years. Well, Congratulations to you! Not too sure how much you may like my suggestion...so here it goes!
May I suggest the idea of a Mother & Daughter Party!
Some of my past expereiences include helping young ladies learn more about the 4 steps to a polished look! A pulled together look for interviews, college visits, just a Great feeling of having that look! In the form of a private little DIVA fashion show with clothes, jewelry, and a few handbags! Providing information on current styles and colors for the FALL season! It is a ton of FUN! S.
I say NYC, too! You can write to the View or Regis&Kelly for free tickets to their show. Have some friends write too, b/c they only send you 2 or 4 tickets per request. Shopping in the fall in NYC is great & so much to see. Take her to Tiffany's to pick put her own 18th Bday present w/ her girlfriends!
I was going to suggest a show as well. If a show and meal in NYC is too much, you can always knock out the transportation costs and a little off the meal and show costs and do Broadway at the Academy in Philly....
Happy BD to your 18 yr old!
How about getting a few girlfriends together and going to NYC for a broadway show and some shopping. you can find a fun restaurant to go to for lunch or dinner to celebrate her birthday.
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How about a spa day with a few girlfriends. You can all go and get massages, facials, hair, nails, etc, and then go for lunch/dinner to celebrate.
One of my daughter's birthdays I took her and 6 friends to a hotel near a new outlet mall, we stayed the night and then went shopping the whole next day. We had room service, movies in one of the rooms...just had a blast. After shopping all day, we stayed one more night and then left for home in the morning. We stayed up and told stories, talked about boys, did each other's hair...good clean fun.
How about a spa day like manicures, pedicures, hair or something topped off with a nice lunch out somewhere?
For my 21st birthday, and then later for my brother's 21st, my mother made each of us a small photo album ("brag book" size, one photo/page) and put in a photo of each year of our lives, from newborn to just before the birthday we were celebrating. On the first page she wrote a nice note about how the pictures showed how wonderful, beautiful, special we were and how it was such a joy to watch us grow up. She tried to include photos of special times, events and/or activities in our lives. It's something I will always cherish, and now that I'm in my 40s, my own kids love looking at it. I'm planning to do it for them someday.
Regardless of your gift choice, she's lucky to have such loving parents who are so committed to making her birthdays special. Have fun!
I dont know if this is something you might concider but when my daughter turned 16 she was always joking about a box of money so my husband and I went out and got 200 one dollar bills and put them into a box for her. When she opened the box we had the camera set on her I got some wonderful pictures of her throwing the money into the air all smiles.. Thats started a new tradition for us each holiday including christmas we give her a box with something different in it she just loves getting the boxes. She is 27 now and has told me the boxes have been the high light of the past 11 years, she loves trying to figure out what is in each box and the hold a special meaning for her.
