<p>I have two sons that graduated from HS in 05 and 06 but I did get to go to some girl parties and put gift baskets together similar to what you are talking about (thanks to some great ideas I got from CC!). There are some clever paperbacks in the $10 range on amazon that can be tossed in these gift bags as well.</p>
<p>The two that come to mind are:
The Naked Roommate and 107 Other Issues you might run into at college.
(this one grabs everyone’s eye for sure-I know, it may not be appropriate for EVERYONE, but…)
Also, “101 things a college girl should know”.</p>
<p>Some of these books are practical and some just humorous.</p>
<p>I did this type of thing for my assistant at work when she got married and moved 1000 miles away. Many of the items that have been suggested were used. I did include a small whisk broom to help clear the dust on occassion, and some Ginko tablets to remember the good times. </p>
<p>I tell you there wasn’t a dry eye in the house (and of course I included a few adult items, which brought a ton of laughs).</p>
<p>I love your ideas, everyone. I went shopping, armed with a list from here. Couldn’t find everything mentioned, and wasn’t willing to pay the price for a few of the things. When I actually make the bags, I don’t know that I’ll use everything I’ve bought - might be overkill. Need to see what it looks like. I still really want to get some marbles! I love that idea. Neither K-Mart nor Wal-Mart nor the dollar store had any, and Hobby Lobby’s were $4 for a tiny bag. And my H thinks instead of candles, I should get little keychain flashlights. Haven’t found what I want yet. (I think the candles would be more feminine, but the flashlights are more practical.) I also thought of mini sewing kits, but didn’t find any.</p>
<p>Today, thanks to your suggestions and ideas, I bought:
highlighters
permanent markers
erasers
pencil sharpeners (“Stay sharp” or “never a dull” moment or “get the point” or something)
Good n Plenty
Smarties
fish (water bombs)
mini first aid kits
notebook atlas (plastic sheet with states on one side, world on the other - only thing I bought that was over a dollar apiece)
lemonade packets</p>
<p>Every girl simply <strong><em>MUST</em></strong> own a tiara!!!
Real ones would be too expensive. But how about the dollar store variety?? (My daughters all have “real” ones, meaning real from Claire’s. )</p>
<p>binx, wanna come hostess a tea for my D’s friends??? I’m too disorganized to pull this off…<em>ROFL</em> You’re AWESOME! :D</p>
<p>Ha! My D has one, too, from back in her preschool ballet days! The only time she’s worn it since has been on Halloween. I agree, it would be a fun addition.</p>
<p>B, I’d love to host your D’s tea, but my family would get really really mad at me if I bugged out for my D’s graduation! I found out there is a local place that hosts teas - a big old mansion. They provide hats and gloves, too. But I’m sure it’s not in my budget. I’m feeling some pressure here to do an Alpha tea (see alpha thread!) I want it to be memorable, but I also want to be left standing the next day. Trying to fiigure out what to serve, how to decorate, what to do. Since the girls go to different schools, I can’t use school colors, and will probably just go with a basic graduation theme.</p>
<p>I packed a sample bag yesterday, and decided I still have room for more, and could use an “anchor” gift - I’ve only spent about $12 per bag, and am willing to go up to about $20. I’m having fun, though.</p>
<p>binx, My S recently bought a keychain with one of those tiny flashlights attached at Auto Zone. So try your local auto parts store for that one.
Other ideas:
For “anchor gift” how about those really small collapsible umbrellas…to protect them from all the rainy days ahead.
And to go along with it, a small bottle of sunscreen and cheap sunglasses because…“their future is so bright, they just have to wear shades!”</p>
<p>Those are great ideas, PackMom. I’m shopped out today, but making a list for tomorrow!</p>
<p>A young man from our community died last night. He actually died Saturday, as a result of a one-car accident involving speed, alcohol, and lack of seatbelt use. He was taken off life support yesterday. HS Junior, starting quarterback. I just ordered Sam Spady cards to put in my wish bags.</p>
<p>Binx…for the marbles, you might try Michael’s, by the floral supplies—they sell bigger bags of marbles (the kind you put in the bottom of glass vases to hold flowers up). I’ve sometimes found they sometimes price things differently, depending on what section they are in (and what the label says)…“playing” marbles vs. craft marbles? This is a great idea, by the way! You’re so thoughtful!!!</p>
<p>yep, we ALL have tiara’s, I just bought another one for us…</p>
<p>I think some safety pins, to remind them to be safe, and that most of the time the problems are small enough a little pin can get them through it</p>
<p>some twinkly lights, the christmas kind, to have light in during the dark, sad, or difficult times</p>
<p>Heading out to Target - remember seeing some fairy lights there once before, GCM. (By the way, enroute to D’s violin lesson yesterday, we passed a train with two sets of initials on the cars - the second set was CGM and I thought of you!)</p>
<p>What a wonderful idea! I wish I had creative thoughts like this. I ordered several copies of a small hardcover book and CD of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” for DD and some of her friends. Amazon has it for about $6. I’m in tears just thinking about it. That song makes me cry on a good day!</p>
<p>Maybe you should include some waterproof mascara for the moms - lol.</p>
<p>Binx, this is an incredible idea! I may borrow some of these ideas for my D’s off to college party in August. Are you tying notes to each item or making one list? I did read a beautiful thing on this site about a graduation gift from a father to his daughter. His message read, “Duct tape mends everything, even broken hearts”. I actuallly think I just saw your name in that thread for graduation gifts. Another poster mentioned the Dr. Seuss book, “Oh the Places You’ll Go” and that Amazon.com has journals and stationary with that theme. Happy Mother’s Day! Susan</p>
<p>freshstart19 - I didn’t answer your question about whether I’m labelling each individual item because I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to do it. I’ve written up “wishes” for each item and formatted it for address labels. I think I will attach a wish to each item, but I’d like to go through the wishes as a group somehow, to make it more formal.</p>
<p>I did find marbles - at Target (and later, at Ace.) I ended up buying booklights, rather than flashlights. Have about 20 items.</p>
<p>I’m going to try doing up a bag for a guy friend who’s party we’re attending on Saturday. Won’t be quite as sentimental, although he’s the type that would appreciate most of it. I did get him a roll of duct tape so he can be a real man. :)</p>
<p>My D mentioned the other day, when I was teasing her about cooking supper (she has no clue), that she has no desire to learn, except when she thinks about the future. I was teasing her about living the rest of her life on banana bread, since that is the only thing she knows how to make. Maybe this summer we can do a few simple things. Actually, I could probably use a 4 ingredient cookbook myself!</p>
<p>I made my S & a few of his graduating buddies “desk kits.” They were more practical than cute, but very useful & my niece was thrilled when she took hers up to college with her. S grumbled, but we did use it helping him move in on move-in day.</p>
<p>Some things it had that might also be useful for your kit:
envelopes & “Forever” stamps for keeping in touch with loved ones
duct tape – it fixes everything
push pins
sewing kit (hasn’t yet been opened)
“Sharpie” marking pen
mechanical pencil
scotch tape
stapler remover
stapler
mesh laundry bag
paper clips
double-stick tape</p>
<p>Can’t remember all the other stuff, but it was a nice assortment. I tried keeping a list of the things I end up using in the course of a week & tried to include all of those things in the kit. I figured it was easier for me to get them where I knew all the stores than for them to try to scrounge them on campus, the bookstore, or get to a office supply place. I put it all in a zippered plastic case from the $1 store & the recipients were delighted.</p>
<p>Just an end of story report -
We had our “tea” last night. It went much better than I had even hoped. We had 5 mother-daughter pairs. The girls enjoyed being the center of attention, and were so much fun to watch. They didn’t all know each other, but got along great, with lots of “friend me on facebook” comments at the end. </p>
<p>The bags of wishes went over very well. The girls took turns pulling out an item and reading the tag out loud. Lots of giggles, especially over the marbles and the fish. </p>
<p>I spread the food out on the kitchen table, with the tea set at one end and the punch bowl at the other. We ate in the dining room, with a centerpiece of a jumble of items the moms snuck out of the house - everybody brought a handful of items that meant something to their daughter - treasured stuffed animals, photos of special people, awards, toys, books… It provided a great conversation topic as throughout the meal, one of the girls would recognize something of theirs - that they had forgotten all about, and it would spark another memory story.</p>
<p>Each mom wrote a letter to her daughter that was presented at the end of the bag of wishes. We took mother-daughter photos, and group photos. We watched the girls play a fun round of “never not ever.” If you don’t know the game: each girl starts with 10 points (ten fingers up). Each, in turn says something about themselves like “I have never, not ever owned a dog.” At that point, each of the other girls who HAS owned a dog, puts a finger down. Last one to have any points remaining is the winner. Meanwhile, everyone learns a lot about the girls, especially as it gets close to the end, and the girls comments become much more revealing. Lots and lots of giggling for both the moms and the girls. </p>
<p>Thanks for all your help! I got lots of compliments for creativity for the bags of wishes, and I hope you don’t mind that you have all remained a secret. ;)</p>
<p>oh, binx, what an AWESOME PARTY!!! Many kudos for planning something so special and meaningful to both the daughters <em>and</em> the moms! I’m quite sure that this was a gathering that will be fondly remembered by all for many, many years. CONGRATS on your last grad! </p>
(My daughters all have “real” ones, meaning real from Claire’s. 
)</p>
I agree, it would be a fun addition.</p>