Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Teenage Niece

Teenage girls are a finicky bunch (it's been a little while, but I remember those days). Here are some hot items this year that will be sure to make her holiday a happy one.

The Athlete

Get that active girl something she can use and will appreciate. I'm not suggesting something as pedestrian as socks (though the variety of sports socks out there are mind boggling). No I mean winter gear.

Here are some great gifts for winter sports:

Under Armour ColdGear Mock $49.99- Makes a great base layer or can stand alone for winter runs and practices. It provides warmth in a light weight, breathable, fabric that doesn't compromise mobility.

Under Armour ColdGear Frosty Tight $49.99- Match up with the mockneck for full body warmth. It also provides compression for muscle support.

Nike Thermafit Reversible Cap $22.00- Keep her noggin warm with this moisture wicking and stylish hat.

The Prep

Ever trendy and stylish, the preppy and popular kids love being the first off and on the bandwagon. Here are some popular picks that haven't yet fallen off the cool radar:

High School Musical 2 $15.99- If she somehow hasn't managed to get this yet, she'll probably appreciate a copy of her own.

Hannah Montana CD's and DVD's $13.99-$19.99- The younger to middle age teens still appreciate the new pop princess and her "hot" dad Billy Ray ("hot"- to teens, not me).

iTunes, Napster, Yahoo! Music gift cards $5 and up- MP3 loving teens can't get enough new music; keep them from downloading illegally this season.

Emo

These fragile and unpredictable teens can be catered to by indulging their love for melodrama and sadness. Here are some picks:

John Mayer or James Blunt CD's $14.99-$19.99- Mellow, emotional, and somewhat melodramatic. A good backdrop for their pouty and love-stricken moods. I'd pick Jeff Buckley over these guys, but hey, I'm not a teen anymore.

Emo Boy Vol. 1- Nobody Cares About Anything, So Why Don't We All Just Die? $13.95- Speaks for itself. An interesting paperback.

The Nerd

Being a nerd myself, my heart goes out to these girls. We really prefer to buy our own stuff, because you will so mess it up by buying us the wrong type of card or game set or one we already own. Really, just give them:

Gift cards $5 and up- To Barnes and Noble, a local comic shop, Best Buy, GameStop, or Circuit City. Really, they'll know what they need better than you do.

General gifts

Teens love to eat out at restaurants, shop with their friends, and pick their own stuff. Our "old people" taste in gifts sometimes mortifies them.

Gift cards to Applebees, McDonalds, Burger King, etc. will most likely go over great.

If they are driving, a gas card would be most appreciated with the current gas prices.

Oh, and before I forget, all teenage girls love cash. It's even better than a gift card.