I am fortunate to have a delightful niece who is 15 years old. She’s a young woman actually and we love her dearly, but when it comes to Christmas gift ideas, she is becomes a bit of a challenge. I am also blessed with a daughter who will soon be 13. As I begin my Christmas list I like to add unique gift ideas for her. I find that it is difficult to come up with gift choices for a preteen. I know I once a teenager myself, but it was so long ago. And yes, some of the styles that were popular when I was a teen are now coming back in fashion. But that’s kind of frightening!

Teenage girls are no longer interested in dolls and dollhouses (at least that's what they tell me). The toys they are now interested in are technological gadgets such as MP3 Players and cell phones. Buying my niece a cell phone is out of the question, as my budget and her parents would not allow it. But teen girls love accessories, even for their gadgets. So cell phone holders or other small purses to carry them in are a great choice. Also I've found that personalized tote bags with their initials or monogram are also highly popular.

When you get down to it, it’s all about high fashion for teens. For some teenage girls, high fashion is something akin to Miley Cyrus. But for others, they wouldn’t be caught dead in such gear. So, you have to be aware of her personal taste so you don’t offend. Jewelry is always welcome (remember, teen girls love accessories). The possibilities here are endless. There’s casual jewelry for the girl who hates to dress up, there’s elegant silver jewelry for the more particular teen, and everything in between and much of the jewelry personalized for her is quite nice. A simple locket or even a friendship bracelet can become treasured keepsakes. If you’re not comfortable giving her jewelry, consider a jewelry box or a quilted jewelry roll up.

Make-up is a new and exciting venture for young teens. Many girls love to collect eye shadows and lip glosses in every color of the rainbow and spend hours playing with it all. While giving a gift of make-up is a bit personal, consider giving her a cute cosmetic bag or two to keep it all organized and tidy. Cosmetic cases come in everything from a purse size to the size of suitcases.

While at times it seems that pleasing your young lady is the ultimate challenge, finding her a meaningful gift doesn’t have to be difficult. Taking a moment to consider her new lifestyle and interests will lead you in the right direction.