Care package items..let's start a list!

[Bunchkin]

Let's all share the items we are putting into the care packages that many of us are sending. It will give all of us ideas of things to send that we didn't think of.
Food, personal hygiene, fun stuff, magazines.......

Here's what I've included in my first box:

Ragu pasta express
Mini Oreo cookies in a resealable bag
Quaker instant oatmeal in individual cups
Skippy peanut butter in a new squeeze tube
Hickory Farms summer sausage beef stick
Granola bars
SweeTarts-Easter themed
Trail mix in little packages
Bag of Combos
Pantene 2 in 1 shampoo
Lip balm
Dental floss
Deoderant
Roll of toilet paper
Individual packets of tissues - Tones brand, they are strong enough to be a paper towel
Q-tips
Baby Powder
Small container of hand/face wipes
Small bottle of bubbles
People magazine
Nascar magazine
Letter from my family
Coloring pages from DD - and a Sponge Bob sticker
post cards with encouraging words on them- some showed our local area, downtown Chicago
envelopes with our return address on them

And I put everything into Ziplocs.



Who's next??

 

[wovenwonder]

Just wanted to say that I thought the 'bubbles' idea was cute! What a great way for them to release the stresses of the day.

 

[Mishetta]

What a great thread! Thanks for starting it Bunchkin!

Along with most of the items you mentioned, I included in mine:

Playing cards
Jump Rope
Hand held games (you have to press buttons to make a ring go around a fish's tail, trying to get all the rings around the tail ~ this is all encased in water) DON'T WORRY, SEALED IT IN DOUBLE PLASTIC BAGGIES.
Comfy insoles for shoes/boots
Soup in styrofoam cups (just add water)
Can of VEGETARIAN baked beans (hope someone has can opener)
Nutter Butter cookies
Gold fish crackers
Roasted nuts
Roll on deodorant
Sunscreen
Personal note thanking them for what they are doing for my family & my country.

Oh darn it....I can't remember what else...wish I had a copy of the Customs form I had to fill out!

 

[MelanieC]

So far I have sent two packages to DH here is what I included:


1st Box:
3 boxes girl scout cookies
package of pay day candy bars
3 USA Today papers
1 Free Press (our local free paper for our small town)
Family Pictures that we had done the weekend before he left
printout of his favorite Dallas Cowboy Column
his Dallas Cowboy Weekly paper
Drawings and cards from the kids
A couple letters from me
Cards that my Girl Scout troop drew for him

2nd Box:
envelopes, pen & pad of writing paper in ziplog bag.
lotion
blistex and chapstick
package of Pay Day Candy Bars
Twizzlers
Slim Jims
Sports Illustrated
2 USA Today Papers
1 Free Press
2 disposable cameras
1 pop up light ** he really wanted this for his tent**
extra batteries for the pop up light, gameboy & CD Player
1 can of mixed nuts
letters, cards and drawings from all of us
Pictures of the kids
deck of cards
smiley face and sponge bob stickers from the kids


Melanie

 

[cgcw]

I sent a 6 pack of bubbles too. It seems like everyone (no matter what age) enjoys bubbles.

I included a couple of package of peeps -- blue, white and pink (closest I could get to red). We sent packages of individual size wipes. Cans of sardines. Crackers, playing cards, tea bags. Everything was packed in a ziploc.

In the new box we're working on there are vanilla wafers and animal crackers and a can a mixed nuts. I added some packages of soup mix -- the kind you just add water too. Yesterday, my daycare kids colored pictures of cheeseburgers which we'll include too. Not the real thing, but hopefully will bring a smile.

Thanks for the other ideas shared here!

 

[nativetxn]

Uh Oh, Melanie, you're not supposed to send Slim Jims, they have pork. Oh well...too bad

I sent just about the same things y'all did:

individually wrapped tissues
Blistex and Chapstick
Teddy Grahams with frosting (individual packets)
one use cameras
sunscreen
Listerine mouth care strips
animal crackers
beef jerky
cheese and crackers(individual packets)
Lever 2000 antiseptic wipes
Eye drops
ritz peanut butter and crackers, ind. packs
Breakfast minis
phone card
1.75 ounce packages of sunflower seeds, honey roasted peanuts and cashews
Chocolate chip cookies (individual packs)
Assorted wonka candies (not chocolate)
Jolly Ranchers lolly pops
Chrystal Light
Country Tyme lemonade

I haven't sent any magazines or anything yet. I also addressed an envelope to myself and put an index card inside. I wrote a letter asking them to just drop that envelope in the return mail so that I will know that they got the package. I encouraged them to write anything they want or need on the index card. I used a thank you card as my letter and wrote on the card itself.

All of this was put into 3 separate packages that went to two marines.

Katholyn

 

[SuiteDisney]

Uh Oh, I sent Slim Jims, too... great big ones! I sent my care package out a week ago Monday, and they didn't seem too concerned about the customs form. I just put "toiletries and paper goods." I hope it's not a problem. The "shoe size" box was also more for Paul Bunyan shoes. If they send it back, I'll just break it up into a couple boxes and send it again.

3 bars bath soap
4 rolls toilet paper
Q-tips
Hydrocortizone cream
deodorant
3-pk microwave popcorn (it was on a list I saw - I hope they have a microwave.

medicated body powder
2 crossword puzzle books
3 snack boxes of Cracker Jacks
shampoo
hand sanitizer
lotion
shaving cream
tin of roasted peanuts
2 disposable shavers
after shave gel
salad seasoning
lemon pepper seasoning
25 burned music CDs
bite sized tootsie rolls
antacid chewing gun
cinnamon-sugar mix
2 decks playing cards
Blistex
Lip-Ex lip balm
dental floss
4 - AA batteries
3 pk Velamints
cinnamon mints
choco-mints
2 pks Halls Fruit Breezers throat drops
bag of jelly beans
bag of chocolate Riesen
bag of Werther's butterscotch
book of ghost stories
4 magazines
10 long Slim Jims
3 pks gum
sunscreen
bandaids
paper and pens

 

[sncbird]

Here's what we've done so far:

Box 1 - A snack package to Bobby, Patty's son:

2 Boxes of Triscuits
1 Box of Ritz crackers
Snack size packs of Oreos, Chips O Hoy, Nutter butters, fritos, potato chips, etc.... Granola Bars, Peanut Butter Crackers, gum, lollipops & Non-chocolate Easter Candy.

Box 2 - Solider we adopted from OMP. His commander said their Battalion was in dire need of the personal care items - of course I had to include snacks!!!
Hand sanitizer
Wipes
moisturizing eye drops
lip balm
hand lotion
Q-tips
foot insoles
foot powder
deodorant
soap
toothbrushes and toothpaste
Crossword puzzle book
package of pens
cards and dice
all the snacks I listed for Bobby's Box

Box 3 - The Female Soldier my Browine troop is working on:
Besides the things mentioned above we added:
Hair clips
Pony Holders
Candles
Nail files
Stationary
stuff from Bath and Body works!!!

You guys have given me even more ideas!! I love the bubbles idea!!

Thanks Bunckin for this post!!

 

[MelanieC]

DH just e-mailed and said that he could use powdered lemonaid and tea. He say's he is getting tired of drinking water.

He also wanted a
soap holder, toothbrush holder and something to put all of his tolietries in.

I also forgot to mention that I sent Easy crossword puzzles.

 

[delswife]

Wow, this is a great thread, very helpful!

The first four boxes I sent all had the same thing in them. Three to the 82nd Airborne and one to the marine Patty gave me.

disposable camera
pen
paper
envelopes
candy
slim jims
hand lotion
hand sanatizer
eye drops
baby wipes
hot sause
seasoned salt
jokes from the internet
sunflower seeds

The guys I work with found out that I was doing this and they all want to start adding to the boxes I am sending this week. I didnt realise how many of them served in the military! One guy was in the vietnam war and is very excited about it!!

So far the new boxes only have
toliet paper
candy (two big bags of blow pops)
q-tips
nascar magazine

But I just started them, so they should be full soon.
My daughter and I are trying to gather 81 letters to send, theres 80 guys in the 82nd and 1 for the marine Patty sent me. We hope to have that by the weekend.

 

[Bunchkin]

I'm so glad to see that there are such great care packages going out to all our troops!!!!
YAYYYYYY!!!!!

There have been tons of great ideas listed!!!

And isn't there a Slim Jim that is all beef?? I thought I saw them at the store. Maybe it was another brand??

Let's keep these great ideas rolling!!!!

 

[TwinMom7]

This is absoultely AWESOME!!!

I've just sent my 8th box this week - 1 box per week for Bobby and friends.

A few weeks ago, Bobby's friend Nick called his wife. She asked him if he'd received any of her boxes and he said, "not yet, but that's ok - I'm just eating Bobby's stuff."

So all of the goodies you're sending will be shared by many!!!

I just read the report in today's paper - from the reporter traveling with Bobby's unit and he said that one of the Marines had received a box of Girl Scout Cookies - and several of them were sharing the cookies for "breakfast".

 

[Mishetta]

I forgot to mention but I also sent Slim Jims & mine were all beef.

 

[WDWLVR]

I've got two boxes ready to go (will go to the post office tomorrow) for Bobby and Mike. They include:

Go Snacks - Cheetos
Go Snacks - Pretzels
Go Snacks - Funyuns
Go Snacks - Doritos
Box of Triscuits
2 cans of easy cheese
6 pack of tic tacs
Chap Stick
Coppertone Face Stick
Eye Drops
Ultra Wet Ones Big Wipes
Disposable Camera
yo-yo
mini football

 

[CourtasanSatine]

I have sauce packets if anyone needs or wants them

 

[jamsmom]

Question for powdered lemonade and tea. What size aqre you buying to send. Are you sending the ones that mix with water w/ 1-2 teaspoons? Should I include plastic silverware?


Here is what I have sent Titus thus far in several boxes:

hard candy
itty bitty hand santitizer
several travel baby wipes
Dove wipes
Lever 200 wipes
Bath clothes (about 5" X 7")
4 pk Lever sopa
1 Lava soap (real sm bar)
Sunblock
Sun stick
throat lozenges
Battleship hand held game
5 different chapsticks/blistex
sm. envelopes
1 pad of paper
fruit cups
4 flea collars for the ankles
2 packs moleskin
8 sm kleenex packs
numerous listerine-type breath strips w/ different falvors
pert champoo- travle size
deck of cards
2 eye drops
small travel aleve
baseball magazine
vanilla wafers
big box variety packs of 6 to a pack of fig newtons, oreas, chips a hoy

car magazine
football magazine
Discover magazine
People magazine
Ritz bits
sm rdg light w/ batteries and extra bulbs
word search
altoids
Gummy Army men (like gummy bears, but green like the toys kids play with and edible)
4 candy sticks
cheese crackers


Starting of next box: little cans of potted meat, ham, foot powder, dorities in a can, tabasco type sauce...

I wrapped some of this in bubble wrap. They can have fun popping the bubbles

I also wrote in the first box sent that whatever he didn't like or didn't need, to pass it around to see if anyone else could use it.

 

[nativetxn]

Carol, can you send ham? I thought pork products were prohibited.

The drink mix I sent comes in the little tubs that makes 2 quarts each, I think. I didn't send spoons.

 

[jamsmom]

OH... I am glad you said that. I completely forgot. They are the little bitty ones and I was going to include crackers.

 

[ead79]

Let's see what I can remember off the top of my head:

gum
M&M's
Twinkies
Jolly Ranchers
individual cookie packages (Oreos, Nutter Butters, Chips Ahoy)
individual chip packages (Fritos, Doritos, Lays, Cheetos)
ramen noodles
soap (WDW)
lotion (WDW)
shampoo (WDW)
toothbrush/paste (WDW)
granola bars
hot cocoa packets
coffee packets
instant hand sanitizer
little cereal boxes (Kelloggs ones--Frosted Flakes, Pops, etc.)
tuna with cracker lunch kits
peanut butter, jelly, and cracker kits
"Big Chicken" postcard (landmark from my hometown)--I wrote a letter to both of my soldiers on these

That's all I can think of.

 

[MelanieC]

I didn't hear that you couldn't send pork? Why is that?


Melanie