Graduation gifts
 

Hey y'all,

My girls are graduating from the 8th grade next month, and I need graduation gift ideas. Originally (at the suggestion of a friend ;)) I was going to get them books, specifically The Skin I'm In. But they've all read that book. Then I thought about that Dr. Seuss book, Oh The Places You'll Go. What y'all think about that? I have 12 girls all together, so I'm trying to also be cost effective. I want to make sure that it is a memorable event for them as this is a big step in their lives: they'll be in High School next year!!!! I'm very proud of them, and I want them to know it. What y'all think? Oh, and it doesn't have to be a book, either. Just something special.

I think all the ideas you've mentioned are good - I do like the Dr. Seuss idea as well; that'll be something that will make them think about their futures. Unfortunately, it's been a looooonnnnng time since I've been that age, but what about something like a journal/diary? Or maybe something that they can start their own scrapbooks? Now scrapbooking itself can be expensive, but a book to put pics in, maybe something like a "memories" book.

Coincidentally,
 

my niece is graduating from 8th grade this year. She mentioned to her mother that she was ready to start getting her nails done. (My sister-in-law almost had a heart attack at the thought of her little girl growing up). But anyway, her mom decided to have a ladies day out right before school starts. So they are going to have lunch at a nice restaurant, get manicures/pedicures, and get their hair done. It will be a very memorable day for her, and they will have time to bond and talk about all of the wonderful and not-so-wonderful things she can expect as she embarks on high school.

What about a scrapbook? A REAL scrapbook that has the stencils, matte boards etc.

With the scrapbook, they can keep momentos, photos, etc of events that happen up until their senior year. During their senior year, they should have a memory book and they can keep their senior memories there.

If you purchase the books, they could get together periodically to work on their books. I don't know if you will follow them throughout their tenure, but that could be a way that you all get to bond.

:D :confused:

How about giving each "young lady" a gift certificate to a local book store that way she can pick a book of her choice.

I like the scrapbook ideas myself. :D :cool:

Also, here's an idea that can be added to the scrapbook idea or you can do by itself since buying 12 scrapbooks could get real expensive real quick.

You could buy a disposable camera and a roll of black and white film (assuming you own a camera). Take both their graduation. Take pics on both. Take more regular shots on the disposable camera, them graduating, with family etc.. With your camera equipped with the black and white film take nicer, posed shots- perhaps of you and each of them or all of them together.

Get the pics developed. Pay once for the development and then get reprints of the colored film and put the pics in a little .99 cent photo album. Pick out the black and white shots you like best, one for each girl and blow it up to a 5X7- give them that in an inexpensive fram as well.

I gave B&W photos of probate in frames I painted red to our latest Kappa line and they loved it. Individual, personal and cheap! I found the frames, and you could as well, at Wal-Mart that are meant for little kids soccer/baseball whatever team photos. It has space for a 4X6 of the team and then an oval area for an individ pic. You could put the group photo at graduation in the big spaceand then a pic of you and each girl in the oval space.

Another thought from yesterday's "A Different World" episode
 

A time capsule

Maybe the girls could get a few items important to them from this school year, place it in a time capsule and retrieve the capsule the morning, day, week of their graduation from high school.

THIS is really cheap!