Birthday Swag Bag for 12-yr-old Girl?

[MommyBird]

I am with Bleeker on this. Bags are not necessary. Half the kids will forget them anyway and then you will be left with even more junk to stow or throw!
I shudder to think of all the useless shaped erasers I have tossed. Those round decorated pencils...always donated them to my church...but never to be used in my Sunday School, GA or AWANA class...they constantly roll off the table!

As for a iTunes card less than $5, I don't think there is such an animal. I have sons ages 17 and 19 and iTune cards flow through here often.

Making something that coordinates with your donation theme sounds like a winner. Just call the organization first and run your idea by them. It would be a shame if their work was thrown away because of a rule violation.

Have a great "tween" party!

[janeryan1981]

I think that the flash drive is a great idea. I know they have some 4 gb at Office Depot right now for $12.99 that have all kinds of fun designs on them.

As far as candy and treats, have you though about doing Personalized Fortune Cookies? With it being a martial art theme, I thought that could be cool. You can make the fortunes read whatever you like or just thank them for coming to the party.

Just a thought!

[Jones]

To go with the fortune cookies why not just do an all Asian them. I'm thinking paper fans, small mirrored lipstick cases or small "silk" bags, cool chopsticks. There most be any Asian market in San Diego I bet you good find tons of stuff there.

[bikermaze]

I never understood the bags either but it seemed like a good staple. However I'm against the useless junk idea for the contents of the bag though. Perhaps something useful would be good.

Try to pick items that go with the theme yet are useful. Perhaps you could find some martial arts themed notepads and pens? Something that's cheaps and may be bought by the bulk. Keychains and little trinkets that can be hanged and used as decors on a cellphone, ipod, bag, etc can be done as well.

Make it thoughtful yet unique.

The problem with cheap technological gadgetry is they die off quickly. But I'm for the USB thumb drives by the bulk sort as gifts. They seem good enough.

[Lex87]

Your niece sounds a lot like my niece -completely spoiled by her parents! At her last birthday she was given some expensive Disney-inspired children's jewelry and I have to say it seemed really over-the-top and silly. She was also given various electronic gifts too -like an iphone and a laptop computer. If she doesn't get the things that she wants she throws a fit, though and I think she's being encouraged to be too materialistic. She's very good with technology too, I just think that my sister shouldn't give her EVERYTHING that she asks for.

There's a lot of cheap non-ipod mp3 players that you can pick up for $20 or so - that do play itunes. I know I gave my niece a barbie mp3 player a few years back that probably cost like $12, and you could buy different clothing packs and accessories to change the clothes on her.

I loaded it up with her hannah montana and high school musical cds and they made me want to gag.

however, I was pretty surprised at her 8th (? she's in 2nd grade) birthday party last June - one of the other kids gave her an ipod nano. Or some little square colorful ipod. Most of the kids had cell phones. I know my niece has a cell phone, a netbook, a wii, a digital camera, an ipod now, and an electric scooter.

She's been on facebook for a year or so and chats with me on instant messenger. She knows how to use my sister's blackberry better than my sister does... and if I watch her texting and calling people on her cell phone, it's just like watching a teenager. But - SHE'S 8.

Unfortunately, she's the only grandchild, my sister's only kid, and there's multiple aunts and uncles, so we all tend to buy her one nice gift at birthdays or christmas - i can't remember what it all was, but this christmas she ended up with a ridiculous stack of loot (including the electric scooter, 2 zhu zhu pets, a hockey table, a barbie car, a barbie house, a moxie dolll?, a moxie house, and ... ) and sat complaining she hardly got any presents this year. I just get her books for birthday or christmas lately, because it's gotten ridiculous.

She's a nice kid and the rest of that, but... that is just way too much stuff for an 8 year old.