Sather

If you're looking a gift for that hard to please teenager, one word comes to mind: cool! When you're a teen, its all about what's in and what's out. You remember the teenage fads? Do leg warmers, Atari and boom boxes ring a bell? It's hard to believe that these are fads gone by. So its important to do a little research to find out what really qualifies as being "cool", before actually purchasing a gift for a teenager. If you're at a loss, here are some really cool gift ideas:

Money: Okay, it may not be cool, but it can certainly buy cool! There's not a teenager on the planet that would turn away the gift of money. Go ahead and throw a few bucks into a huge box. They'll have a great laugh when they discover that its money, not a big screen TV, hidden inside.

Team Jersey: Suitable for a teenage boy or a teenage girl, a team jersey is a great way to buy them some team memorabilia and keep them looking cool. Find out what their favorite teams are and visit your local sporting goods store. Or go online. Team Web sites usually have a link to where you can buy their gear directly.

Moon Chair: Have them relaxing in style with an oversized moon chair. Also called Papapons, these unique circular shaped chairs are extremely durable and can be used indoors or out. They'll love lounging in one while listening to tunes on their iPod or MP3 player - which also happen to be very cool gift ideas!

Music Store Gift Certificate: It's a well known fact, teens love music! Hip hop, rock, alternative, reggae - they listen to just about everything. So, why not give that special teen the gift of music? Pick them up a gift certificate to their favorite local music store. Ask their parents where they shop for their CDs. Or you can buy them a gift card to an online music store like iTunes, Napster or Real.

Leather CD Case: The average teen owns about ten music CDs, which are usually scattered about their car, room or the rest of the house. Help them get organized with a leather CD case. You can find these virtually anywhere - from Wal-Mart to Wilson's Leather.

Gift Basket: Teens are not the typical recipient of gift baskets, that's why giving them one is so much fun! Their response to opening one of these bundles of goodies is shock, awe and absolute excitement. Teens love junk food, so you're better off opting for a snack, candy or cookie basket.

2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Visit The Home Gift Shopper at http://www.homegiftshopper.com for more teen gift ideas.