If you were a 17 year old babysitter, who did a fab job, what would you want for Christmas?

[Carrotsandcelery]

And before you get carried away, the budget is £10

iTunes giftcard.

Some nice Ted Baker smellies (that's what DD's 17yr old mate likes anyway).

Second the iTunes giftcard, or £10 cash wrapped around a bar of chocolate

I really didn't want to give her a voucher or money. I give her loads of money over the course of a year. I wanted to give her something, but then if I was 17 I would probably want the money too.

All my teenage relatives aged between 14 and 19 love iTunes cards or HMV vouchers.

Get her a nice make-up set from Boots if you don't want to give her the cash (if she wears make-up), or nails.

I think the itunes voucher is probably what she would most want. She does wear a little make up but she is not too girly. She isn't macho either though. Just a healthy teenage girl.

I am afraid most teenagers want the grubby cash .

Itunes vouchers are annoying in that they start at £15, so over budget. You could do Topshop or something which does £10 ones. Alternatively, Superdrug do great sets of nail varnish (the accessorize ones) which are on 3 for 2, so if you can find things for other people as well, that might work for you.

Soap and Glory gift sets from Boots are lovely and very reasonable.

My 17 yo niece asked me for cash last Xmas and I got her a New Look card instead. I can't bear the thought of her pissing the gift money I give her up the wall.

I was going to say itunes card too.

She could get a couple of bits with a Primark voucher.

Pretty, cute or funky scarf, hat/gloves/ depending on her style.

Phone holder, maybe you could add phone protector shields with it, and a long distance phone card?
My favorite gift for most people are books or cd's.
Some books most teen girls would enjoy, again, depending on personality.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan -by Lisa See
The Shopaholic Series-Sophie Kinsella

How bizarre iscream as I am reading Snowflower myself just now. She is a good reader and studying English and I used to be an English teacher so maybe some good reading material would be a good personal gift.

I was also considering this but wondered if 18 (which she will be by Christmas I have realised) is too old for this.

:) I really liked Snowflower. My son's girl friend lent it to me a couple of years ago. It is a film now too, but we are afraid it won't measure up to the book, so are not going to see it until it is available to rent.

No idea about the make up book, my youngest niece (21) is obsessed with make up and I know she would like anything to do with make-up or hair.

I have only got to the stage where she is first married but I like it so far. If I got her a book I would like to get her something intellectually stimulating but nothing too heavy as she has exams after Christmas and might need some light relief.

I wouldn't want to get anything too adult either - it wouldn't feel appropriate.

Any ideas?

i make jewellery, and i think a macrame/ shamballa style bracelet would be appreciated by most teenage girls.

I've got a 16 year old and she would be v happy with -

An Urban Decay eyeliner (about a tenner);
A Mac eyeshadow (ditto);
Bubble bath or smellies set eg Ted Baker / French Connection / even a Lush bathbomb set;
'Posh' chocolates or even 'unposh' chocolates!;
Nice notebook and pen;
Anything from Urban Outfitters - eg they do pretty picture frames for less than a tenner;
Copy of a fashion magazine, a big bar of choc, some hot chocolate and some marshmallows;
'Posh' shampoo and conditioner set - eg Tony and Guy or John Frieda or somesuch;
Book bag from Topshop, or Paperchase or Accessorise.

I can come back with more if any of these are along the right lines!

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.
Half The Sky- Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn

Water for Elephants by Gruen
Life of Pi-Yann Martel

I Am a Cat-Soseki Natsume
The Cats Eye by Margaret Atwood.

Anything by her is good.

Money. Sorry to be disappointing, but I that is what I wanted and didn't really have.

A really good book would have been good, but you don't know what a 17yo wants/needs to read, so give cash.

Soap and Glory, but I see I have been beaten to that suggestion :)

Oh yes, MAC voucher would go down extremely well.

Lots of great ideas here. Thanks everyone. I am going to mull it over for a while.

I would have liked some classic jewellery to keep, like gold stud earrings.

A book would be risky unless you know what she likes/already has etc.

If I was going to go for a book for somebody doing English A level, I'd probably go with:

A book of Slyvia Plath's poetry
A beautiful edition of Pride And Prejudice and the Kiera Knightley DVD to go with
The Bell Jar
The Handmaid's Tale
Jane Eyre and the TV DVD alongside (or the DVD of the latest film, if it's out yet)
A book of Carol Ann Duffy's poetry (she has a new one out)
Dracula or Frankenstein (but Frankenstein is a set text on a few A level courses, so she may well have read it)
DD1 loved Madame Bovary too but I can't stand it, personally!