Girls' lucky 13^th birthday ideas

It's nice to set up a party where a young teen can have some laugh-out-loud fun with her friends--or feel grown-up on her special day. For a 13^th or other teenage birthday celebration, here are some ideas for parties she won't soon forget.

1. Have your daughter and her friends wear comfortable casual clothes and sneakers (and wear bathing suits, if it's warm); take them to an amusement park for a day of rides and/or water activities.
2. Go to a beauty salon where the girls can get manicures, and then treat them to a special lunch or a tea.
3. Tell the girls to wear dress-up clothes, rent a limo to pick them up, and let them enjoy a grown-up meal at a fancy restaurant.
4. Arrange for a hotel sleepover (in a room away from other people, if possible!). Hire a professional make-up artist to come and give them lessons, and fill up small bags with an assortment of great, affordable cosmetics items that the girls can take home as party favors.

   Follow the make-up session with a rented chick flick. Have lots of special, special, plenty-to-share popcorn and other munchies on hand, or call room service for a night of total elegance. (Some hotels offer room-delivered pizza, which the girls might prefer.)

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• How to Survive Planning a Sweet 16