Many teens are simply not into the hearts, flowers, stuffed animals and chocolates routine of your typical Valentine's Day. Finding the right gift for these teens can sometimes be very tricky. That's when the quirky and out of the ordinary come into play. These gifts might seem a little "out there". However, they are sure to appeal to teens with more unusual tastes.
Name a Star
The International Star Registry offers three different "Star Kits". They offer a Custom ($54.00), a Deluxe ($109.00) and an Ultimate package ($154.95). With these you can name an actual star in the heavens after your teen (or any name you wish)! There are also two "Heirloom" Packages offered. (These are not revealed until you reach the ordering page.) Each package comes with a full color parchment certificate containing the star's name, the date and its coordinates. In the Deluxe and Ultimate packages, this certificate is framed. Each package also contains a sky chart with the location of the star in the sky circled in red
Own a Piece of Ireland
In all fairness, it's not very much of Ireland. The purchase is a one foot square plot in the Macroom Land Trust, "enough to stand on" as the advertisement says, but still, a piece of Ireland! A $35.00 package gets the gift recipient a numbered, frame worthy certificate, a map with the location of his plot, photographs from the area near the plot and a written history of the area. The certificate comes in several different styles from which you can choose and the heading can be personalized.
Become a Lord or Lady
Much like owning a piece of Ireland, this involves owning a piece of an estate in Scotland. Once owned, this little parcel makes you officially a Scottish landowner of your own "estate". (As small or large as the parcels you have purchased!) Ownership of this "estate" bestows the right to use the title of Laird, Lord, or Lady. If the "estate" you buy is big enough, you are even invited to come and take up residence! Every parcel sold is part of the Keil Estate in Lochaber and is individually identified on the deed, which will be included in your personalized documents.
Inspiration Key Necklaces
These little antique-style keys can represent either something your teen desires or something he already possesses. Symbolizing Faith, Success, Journey, Peace, Hope, Friendship or Wish, each necklace is $12.94 and comes with a 20" nickel-plated ball chain. They are 1 3/4" to 2 1/4" each. They are available at What on Earth.com.
Boom Boom Cards – TeenDeck
The website describes the cards as the "spreading of guerrilla goodness through the world through random acts of kindness". Boom Boom cards give teens an opportunity to look outside themselves for a little while and enter a community of people who are committed to making the world a better place. They will receive a deck of cards, each with its own "Boom Boom" or act of kindness appropriate for their age level to carry out. These include things such as, "Next time you're at the store, return someone's buggy to the store for them. Revolutionize it: Return two!" or "When your parents ask how your day went, actually tell them! Revolutionize it: Give details!" To revolutionize something means to take it up a notch.
After performing each Boom Boom, the teen can then go online and record his "act of guerilla goodness" among their peers. Each card has its own number, and its location will appear on a map. That is especially important because the next step is to pass the Boom Boom card on to another person, so that person can continue the random act of kindness, record it and continue to pass it on.
Teens are not always easy to buy for, and those with unique tastes tend to be even more difficult. With the help of these tips, perhaps your Valentine shopping will be made a bit easier.
References:
A Piece of Ireland. 2010.(accessed Feb 1. 2011).
Boom Boom Cards: Intentional Acts of Kindness. 2011(accessed Feb 2. 2011).
International Star Registry. Feb 01, 2011.(accessed Feb 1. 2011).
What on Earth. n.d. (accessed Feb 2. 2011).
Melissa Rayburn - null
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