10 Holiday Gifts for the Punk-Alternative Rock Girl

When I was growing up, my mom always wanted to buy me the cutesy, girlie-girl things, and I always rejected the idea of owning these things because they just weren't me. If I left my mom to pick things out for me on her own I ended up returning half my gifts, and if I picked out the gifts myself I missed out on the surprise and my mom missed out on surprising me. So, I decided that maybe I could help some parents out there who just don't understand what their rock 'n' roll girl wants this Christmas. Keep in mind while reading this list, most rock 'n' roll girls pride themselves on individuality so you might want to take my suggestions less literally and use them as a starting point rather than the be-all-end-all.

1. Music Player
This is an essential for anyone who considers music to be a huge part of themselves, and so, rock 'n' roll girls definitely need some form of a music player. The best option would be an MP3 player. There is of course the iPod, good for a techy and/or Apple lover. If you have a girl who seems to rebel against anything mainstream you may want to stay away from the iPod since it seems to be the MP3 player everyone owns and opt for an MP3 player from Creative Labs. My own MP3 player is from Creative Labs and I absolutely love it! They have a price range that can suit any budget from $39.99-$414.98. They also ofter many accessories that would make great stocking stuffers.

2. Band Ts
If you know what bands your daughter is into you can Google that band and probably find an infinite number of websites that sell their shirts as well many other forms of merchandise baring their name. I would advise against buying band Ts, however, if you really don't know what bands your daughter listens to. Usually a person has a set of bands they love, a set they hate, and a set that sits somewhere in the middle, you don't want to get them something from a band that can't stand. One great place to find many band Ts is Hot Topic, which can be found in many malls as well as online (hottopic.com).

3. Posters
When shopping for posters you can look for band posters, but again, only if you know what bands she likes. You can also look for posters with funny sayings, and by funny, I mean a little sassy funny. As a teen I loved to make my room my own since it was really the only place in the house where I had any say so in the decor and posters were a fun and easy way making my room my own. If you're a really "cool" parent, you might even let them paint their walls, or at least pick the color, I would have loved a can a paint for Christmas!

4.Gift Cards
I know a lot of people don't like the idea of giving gift cards because it seems like the easy way out, but for your daughter it may be better then standing in the long after Christmas return lines. If you look at it as a way for you and your daughter to spend one-on-one time together the gift card gets even better. Write a little note with the card, or make a coupon, for one day with you where you can go shopping and out to lunch, maybe even go to a movie. She may act too cool to hang out with you, but believe me, the memories will last a lifetime. My mom took us kids out for our Birthdays to spend our Birthday money every year and it was great.

5. The Pocket DJ
This is a little book of playlists and would make a great stocking stuffer. I like to use this book to make playlists on my MP3 player, so if you are into idea #1, then this would be a great companion. The playlists vary in categories from classic rock to hip hop, there is bound to be quite a few playlists that your daughter would enjoy and it is a great chance for her to expand her musical taste.

6. Totes and Messenger Bags
If your daughter likes to have everything with her all the time then a nice big bag is a great gift. Messenger bags are great for school as an alternative to a book bag and a tote works great as a purse or a bag for someone in college. Hot Topic has a great selection of rock 'n' roll style bags and a quick Google search of the words "punk rock bags" will definitely supply you with many websites that you can browse for just the right bag.

7. Pins and Patches
Another great stocking stuffer are pins. I always got mine from Hot Topic (if you can't tell already, this store is a sort of one stop shop). Look for pins with funny sayings, favorite bands, or childhood cartoon characters. Pins and patches are an easy way for your daughter to make her back, hats, or even clothes more unique.

8. Books
I don't know any parent who doesn't love to see their child reading, and what better way to get them to read more often than to buy them a book about their favorite musician or on how to personalize their clothing. Generation T is an awesome book that shows several different ways to take old t-shirts and make them into different shirts, skirts, handbags, etc. Who knows, she may find that her knew hobby is repurposing her old t-shirts. You may even buy her some clearance t-shirts from Old Navy or some other store with rock bottom clearance prices so that she has some shirts to get started with. There are also numerous books about musicians and even the history of different genres of music that would make great educational gifts. Even though these books may not be your first idea of educational reading, learning is learning, and the reading alone is good for the mind.

9. Jewelry
I'm not really talking about pearls here, I'm thinking more along the lines of funky neon colors in the shapes of guitars, stars, and skulls. The finishing touch to any outfit is the accesories. Check out hottopic.com for some great unique jewelry. Generally speaking, anything chunky and funky works.

10. Makeup
Granted you need to know your daughter pretty well to pick out makeup for her, but if you do know her taste well enough to pick her out some makeup then I would go ahead and do so. Makeup can be kind of expensive for a teenage budget, so if someone else can buy it for her I am sure she will be grateful. Claire's Boutique has great makeup kits with a wide variety of colors. Hot Topic, once again, is a great place to look for makeup. Hot Topic has a more "exotic" variety of colors than Claire's.

So there is my list with a few places to look. I hope this helps those parents out there who are struggling to shop for their rock 'n' roll girl.