The Mom in Me . . . gift ideas for 18-year-olds

Most of my posts here have to do with my books and writing career. But I'm also a mom, and have decided to occasionally post a thought or two about that part of my life under the heading The Mom in Me. 

A friend of mine’s son turned eighteen recently, and we were discussing how much harder it is to buy for teenage boys than girls. It made me remember some of the fun gifts we gave our daughter when she turned eighteen. Being me, I had to come up with something that fit the “theme.” :-)

So, with that in mind, I set out to find items that somehow related to her and/or the number eighteen. Thought I’d share a few of them, just in case anyone out there is looking for some inspiration.

First off, in doing a little research, we discovered that Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States, and that his image just happens to grace the cover of a fifty-dollar bill. That was a no-brainer!

After cash, jewelry almost always works for a girl. She got 18k gold earrings and an 18-inch strand of pearls.

From there we had to get the creative juices going. I think we came up with 18 different shades of blue, and gave her a blue shirt or socks or something like that. We found 18 kinds of candy that she liked, and wrapped 18 individual little gifts. That was a fun box to open (and watch her open).

In Kansas City, 18th & Vine is a famous historical jazz district. She likes jazz music, so we gave her a jazz CD featuring some local artists.

I can’t remember everything, and that’s probably about the extent of it, but you get the idea. We did some online searches and spent time brainstorming. It took some effort and thought, but it made for a fun and memorable birthday.

Feel free to share additional ideas! What creative gifts have you given?