Seasonal Gifts for Tweens (reviews and giveaway!)

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these products from Chalk of the Town, Playmobil, and Eco Lips, free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own

Ah the elusive, hard to buy for person.

No, not your mother-in-law. That has it's own pitfalls,

Let's look at the tween.

Oh yes, you can give them a gift card, but then, the DRAMA- 'you don't know them well enough to give them a real present' (admit it, you SAW the eye rolls while reading that...)..

get the wrong game or music, and you're just as out of touch.

SIGH...

But today I have some great ideas, that offer things the tween/teens love, but might just not want to admit to-but they'll love getting them!

First up, how about a little creativity, and a chance to speak their mind. Chalk of the Town is a line of chalkboard products ranging from T-Shirts (kids and adult sizes, short and long sleeved too), to Tote Bags to Patches, allowing your favorite tween (and siblings/adults too), to create and design their own wearable fashion using Chalkboard markers. PLUS they’re both erasable and reusable so you can design again, again and again!

We were sent a good sampling of their available products, as you can see!

Miss Grace immediately wanted to check out one of the t-shirts, so she opted for the short-sleeved heart one, and decided to use optional seasonal Nutcracker and Best Day Stencils (there are 7 different stencils you can buy)with it. The kits, as we received, come with 2 chalk markers- white and pink, an erasing cloth, and a washing/wearing an instruction guide. She called her final creation #SantaRocks, and I have to admit it looks pretty cool There is just enough room to write inside the outer frame of the heart, for some additional hashtag and keyword fun! The markers are easy to use and easy to erase if you make a mistake. We both loved how they dried very quickly, and did not smear or wipe off after they had sat just a short time. The stencils were easy to clean with just soap and water too!

Then we decided to make another holiday-themed project, with the Chalk of the Town tote bag! They have 2 tote bag options (the other one is an 'I'm reading..." tote), plus a chalk patch, you can adhere to any tote bag (or clothing) This is the smaller of the two. Like the T-shirt, it comes with a pink and white marker, eraser cloth, and instruction guide. I do wish there were more color choices available with the tote bag, as far as markers go. Even one more color (green), would have been better! The other tote bag, FYI, comes with a blue and a white marker. But we used the Nutcracker stencil and made a fun bag to use while going to see a local production, or for gift giving to your favorite ballerina (along with the markers, so they could change it out if they wanted!). You can purchase additional marker sets , and I would highly recommend it, if giving more than one item to your favorite tween/teen! The tote has a fancy silver outline around the heart, for a fancier look as well. But the tote turned out really cute and won a high five of approval from the kid!

The stencils can be used on more projects than just the chalk ones, and there is a lot of fun in being able to write up what you want YOUR t-shirt to say, on any given day! One wash, and all the marker come off with ease, and you're ready to start again! You can purchase all of the Chalk of the Town products on their website, or you can get them through their Amazon store! They even have some Halloween kits in case you need some last-minute 'this is my costume' fun!

Looking for something equally handy, but not so creative?

This adorable You are My Sunshine Sunflower Ring

from Amazon is perfect for your favorite tween/teen,

to remind them how much you love them, thanks to

the words engraved on the underside of the ring! And it reminds them to be sunny, stand tall, spread seeds of happiness and to hold their head high!

And it's worry-free for you, as it's inexpensive, but looks much pricier. So if it gets left behind accidentally, you won't be so crushed with the loss of an expensive ring.

Plus they have different styles if your free spirit likes open or curled rings!

And how about some fun stocking stuffers too?

Eco Lips was the first organic balm on the market AND their USDA certified organic facility is powered by renewable energy and solar energy. 5,900 square feet of solar panels on their roof, powering 75% of their electricity.

Eco Lips sources all of their ingredients sustainably and ethically from trusted sources around the globe. Their products are Fair Trade Certified™, Non-GMO Project Verified, Leaping Bunny Certified, and gluten-free.

We were sent half of their seasonal Holiday pack (which comes with 2 of each flavor): Candy Cane Raspberry Truffle and Gingerbread! Miss Grace declared Candy Cane her favorite, and she really liked how well it kept her lips smooth and free from wind and sun, while outside during the cool Fall weather we had last week! Plus they seem rather sturdy, taking quite a fell falls (pun intended) from her purse and pockets! She loves how great they are made and sourced, so it's a win-win!

So yes, your tween may SAY they are out of the Playmobil stage, but add in a little Comic Con love, and suddenly they just MIGHT like a Comic World Viona Surprise Set in their stocking this year! PLAYMOBIL is expanding the magical world of EverDreamerz with the new Comic World line!! With 12 magical characters (plus Colorista, a new limited edition character! ), there is sure to be one your tween might like to have as her mini-me! Especially if her school colors are green and white, then she might just want this little set! Each mystery box has five surprises inside- including the surprise character, a character-specific charm, trading card, sticker, and accessories. This one is fun, as they can add their own writing to her banner and #1 'foam' hand! Plus the included sticker shows its true message with some applied water! It's a little bit of fun in their stocking this year!

And now for the fun part: