Hi! I'm usually over on MM but would love your expertise for a military care package I'm assembling.
A group at work is promoting a drive for packages for troops in Afghanistan. They provided large, flat-rate USPS priority mail boxes and sheets of suggested items; participants like me need to fill our boxes and return them to the office with $12-something for postage by the end of the month.
I shopped today but have a little extra room. I'm nearing the end of my budget, so the suggested X-Box games are not going to happen. haha Do you have any suggestions for more modest items I can use to top off my box? (We were told there are no female soldiers in the group that will receive these packages, and alcohol, chocolate and a few other random things are off limits.) What do you or your loved one see as low-hanging fruit that gets overlooked? I'd love to send something that's not exciting but would be really useful.
Thanks for any ideas and also for what your family does for our country!
What I have so far: Individually packaged Wet Ones antibacterial wipes Two-pack Right Guard Big tube of toothpaste 5-pack of toothbrushes Froot Loops (single serving) Pop-tarts Can of cashews Box of Welch's fruit snacks Big bottle of sport-safe sunscreen Sudoku book
My husband liked air fresheners and dryer sheets because his room would get stinky and he said they helped.
ETA: I thought of some more
burned CD's of current music. If they have their laptop, they can burn the CD onto their computer and put it on their ipod or whatnot. It's much faster to do it this way than to download it from the spotty internet
Post by iluvmytxrgr on Apr 7, 2013 19:40:02 GMT -5
Socks non-aerosol air fresheners head to the travel section at Walmart and get laundry detergent, febreeze, sunscreen and lip balm. tuna packets beef jerky peanut butter fruit cups trail mix
DH loves powder mix-ins for his water bottle. They have a bunch of different brands and flavors that you can pick from, I usually send a box of Arnold Palmers, peach tea, and some blueberry pomegranate mix. Magazines are also a big hit and once he finishes with them, they get passed around for others to enjoy. I usually send Rolling Stones, Outdoor, Climbing, Men's Health, and Men's Fitness. I also sent Tiger Beat this month because I thought it'd be funny. Chapstick is good. Last deployment I sent IcyHot patches because he was doing more labor intensive work than he is this time around.
Magazines. Instant Starbucks (h seriously lived for these) and, oddly, pillow cases. He said what they were issued made him break out. Maybe not the thing to buy a stranger though
Trail mix. My friends complain that their choice in snacks is just junk, so they wanted something a bit more substantial.
Oh, also those peanut butter single serve packets.
I sent spice mixes, too, but taste is probably too individual. Not everyone will be excited for Cambodian lemongrass curry to sprinkle on bland chicken.
Post by NomadicMama on Apr 8, 2013 11:55:39 GMT -5
I once needed to fill space, literally, in a box for DH, so I stuffed in a roll of paper towels. DH appreciated the roll quite a bit. I've heard that nice toilet paper is appreciated.
I have sent my DH nice instant coffee (the Starbucks kind, I think). Even though he works is an office and has access to many luxuries, there are times that he has had to attend early meetings off the FOB, so the coffee was greatly appreciated.
I once needed to fill space, literally, in a box for DH, so I stuffed in a roll of paper towels. DH appreciated the roll quite a bit. I've heard that nice toilet paper is appreciated.
I have sent my DH nice instant coffee (the Starbucks kind, I think). Even though he works is an office and has access to many luxuries, there are times that he has had to attend early meetings off the FOB, so the coffee was greatly appreciated.
Thank you for helping support the troops!
It's my pleasure, but it's sweet of you to thank me.
I saw TP on the suggestion list and thought, "No way." But maybe I will do that! haha Coffee, too.
I picked up two little boxes of single-serving-sized pb on the way home.
My MIL and her friends would all use the first half of a roll, then mail me the last half so it was small enough to fit in my cargo pocket.
OMG, I'm dying at this. How does one go about asking friends? Hey, friend, my DIL is deployed, so, um, do you mind not using up your double ply name brand TP and giving me the leftovers?
On a serious note, I think it's a travesty that we're having to send basic toiletries. Deployed SMs should be getting fun silly stuff, something to lighten their days, not the essentials for hygeine.
My MIL and her friends would all use the first half of a roll, then mail me the last half so it was small enough to fit in my cargo pocket.
OMG, I'm dying at this. How does one go about asking friends? Hey, friend, my DIL is deployed, so, um, do you mind not using up your double ply name brand TP and giving me the leftovers?
On a serious note, I think it's a travesty that we're having to send basic toiletries. Deployed SMs should be getting fun silly stuff, something to lighten their days, not the essentials for hygeine.
Speaking of travesties, I was all WTF at the fact that they no longer get breakfast.
OP, I think everyone else has given great suggestions. The only other thing I can think of that I've sent is our Sunday paper. Obviously they weren't current by the time they got there, but he still liked catching up on local news, reading the comics, and doing the crosswords.
Speaking of travesties, I was all WTF at the fact that they no longer get breakfast.
OP, I think everyone else has given great suggestions. The only other thing I can think of that I've sent is our Sunday paper. Obviously they weren't current by the time they got there, but he still liked catching up on local news, reading the comics, and doing the crosswords.
I could be wrong, but I think that it is the smaller, more remote FOBs that aren't serving hot breakfast. My DH is at a larger base (?) and hot breakfast is an option. Yes, it's unfortunate that not all of our service members are able to eat a hot breakfast if that's what they want, but a cold breakfast is not going to ruin them. I don't eat a hot breakfast most days (unless toasted PopTarts count as a hot breakfast).
I like the idea of the Sunday paper. Lots to read, then it's good filler when it comes time to ship things home.
Post by amaristella on Apr 9, 2013 16:21:10 GMT -5
Now that I think about it I remember being told that some guys really like getting issues of People magazine and stuff. I guess that it helps them feel connected.
Cold breakfast is totally different than no breakfast. The latter would have me appalled, but I'm totally cool with cold breakfast. I mean, who hasn't eaten cold leftover pizza for breakfast at some point in their lives? Also, I think I had cereal every day for my entire childhood, and I'm still kicking.
My freshman year of college people would put their pizza boxes outside their dorm rooms, with leftover pizza if there was any, before they went to sleep. A friend of mine lived on those leftovers. Mmmmm, room temperature leftovers.
Although, maybe my perspective on breakfast isn't the norm. I tend to eat leftovers from dinner. If it makes me not-hungry, I'm a fan. I would get weird looks, but I loved getting the traditional Japanese breakfast of rice, miso soup, and fish when I lived there.
At our welcome reception to for the program I did in Ireland, they served us pizza. As we were leaving, the director said, "I don't want to stereotype, but is it true that Americans eat leftover pizza for breakfast?" We were all like, "Um, yeah? Who doesn't?" and she gave us the leftovers to take home after remarking that she'd never seen anyone do such a thing before and she'd thought it was an urban legend until we told her otherwise.
Thank you all so much! The box is nearly overflowing and, with your input, I feel confident it's full of stuff someone will use and appreciate. Thanks again!