​Thanksgiving

(pictures from home; magazines; tape recorded tape; small scrapbook; etc)
Movie Care Package
Movie (DVD or VHS)
Microwave Popcorn (or already popped if they don’t have a microwave)
M&Ms
Doritos
Cracker Jacks
Rice Krispie Treats
Twizzlers
Cookies (Oreos and Chips Ahoy)
Ruffles chips & dip
Hot Tamales
Nachos (tortilla chips & cheese)
Make a “Now Featuring” Movie poster on your computer and add it to the package



Get Well Package

Puzzle
Chicken Noodle soup packets
Gourmet tea packets
Cold medicine
Crackers
Inspirational “Get Well” quotes
Goldfish
Dole Fruit Bowls
Get Well “pills” (candy coated mints)
Get Well card
Chapstick



​At Ease Package
Glow in the dark yo-yo
Crossword Puzzle Book
Silly Putty
Deck of Cards
Ritz Bitz
Pringles
Cookies
Twizzlers
Cheetos
Cereal Bars



​Scruff Care Package
Razors
Baby wipes
Chapstick
Shaving cream
Deodorant
Mouthwash
Lotion (if your soldier is female, step it up a notch and do something from a SPA line)
Foot powder
Soap
Big fluffy towel
Toilet paper



​Comforts of Home Package
Small Bottle of Febreze
Candle
Snuggle dryer sheets
Phone card
Blanket (a nice comfy one)
Glade PlugIns
Pair of slippers or cozy socks
Hot cocoa or coffee
Decorative coffee mug
Book on tape



​Big Kid Package
Squirt guns
Silly Putty
Silly String
Whoopie Cushion
Funny face eyeglasses
Sidewalk chalk
Crayons & color book
Jacks
Marbles
Balloons
Frisbee
Football/soccer Ball (mini)
Hacky Sack



​Sports Theme Package
Favorite sports magazine
Taped TV or DVD of favorite sport
Cheetos
Popcorn
Personalized mug
Cookies



Fun in the sun

sunscreen
sunglasses
beachball
frisbee
lemonade mix
Beach Boys CD



New Year’s Package:

Party blowers,

confetti,

a plastic champagne glass

any of those crazy year decorations you see people wearing in Times Square.

If you think your soldier will be self conscious about partying it up alone, then send enough for the guys he’s with the most. You can also include your new year’s resolution list.



 

Easter:

Go ahead and send that Easter basket! Fill it up with all sorts of candies – just be careful about sending chocolate. Even if it is cold where he is, you never know where your package will end up between your home and his. You can also send plastic eggs containing special messages from you or your family.



Halloween:

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Of course, send Halloween candy. Some may even want a costume depending on what their unit allows. You can also send scary movies if he has access to a TV and DVD player or VCR. Don’t forget the guys in his unit – this holiday is a great one to send treat bags for other soldiers too. Fake pumpkins that can be carved can also be a great surprise.



Thanksgiving:

​

This is always the hardest holiday for me to send packages since it mainly revolves around food. One idea that I’ve heard of others doing that I love is celebrating Thanksgiving early and placing a video camera in the chair where he would sit if he was there. Record the dinner, send him the tape and he can play the tape while he eats his own Thanksgiving dinner.

During one of our deployments, I sent things that represented what we normally have for Thanksgiving Dinner – he got beef jerky (turkey), rice cakes (rice), potato chips (potatoes), candy corn (corn), etc. It was definitely the most interesting package I’ve sent to him.



​Christmas:

Send the tree and all the decorations. You can find miniature trees along with the decorations at the dollar store. This also ensures you won’t spend a lot of money in case he has to leave it behind. Be sure to send battery operated lights and don’t forget to include the batteries. Send a small stocking for him to have as well and of course include his gifts. You can also send Christmas CDs or your favorite Christmas movies. One family I know watches “A Christmas Story” during the 24 hour marathon on TBS each year so they sent they soldier the DVD so he could watch too. Another I know attends a church service each Christmas Eve, knowing he was deploying, they recorded the service last year and he’ll receive the recording in his package so he can be there at least in spirit.



​Birthdays:

Party in a box! Send cake in a jar (search the net for recipes), candles, a recording of you singing happy birthday, party blowers, birthday hats and confetti. You can also send message balloons. To do this, blow up a balloon (don’t tie it closed) and write a message on it. Deflate the balloon and put it in his box with instructions to blow it up to get his message. You can also send a certain number of items based on his age. If he’s older and your checkbook would die of shock, you can always include a card/sign with that number of lipstick kisses. Leave it one short and tell him he’ll get that one in person.



​Anniversaries:

Celebrate another year by sending a CD of your favorite songs, a list of your favorite memories while you were dating or on your honeymoon or from your first years of marriage, a sappy and funny anniversary card, a detailed description of how you will celebrate your anniversary when he’s home – if you plan to give him a massage, include the oil or maybe it includes dinner at a favorite restaurant so you could include a menu.



”Taste of Home A to Z”

A – Apple Pies (Hostess or Drake Cake individual sized), Applejacks cereal, A-1 Sauce
B – BumbleBee tuna, Bazooka bubble gum
C – Crackerjacks, Chocolate Chips Ahoy cookies, Crunch n’ Munch
D – Dried Fruit or Del Monte Fruit To-Go, Doritos
E – Easy Mac, Easy Cheese
F – Fruit Loops, Fritos
G – Girl Scout cookies, Goldfish crackers
H – Hershey bar, Hawaiian Fruit Punch
I – Idaho instant potato mix, Instant specialty coffees
J – Junior Mints, Juicy Fruit gum, Juicy Juice Juice Box, Jerky,
K – Kool-Aid, Kellogg’s cereal (single size boxes)
L – Lipton onion soup mix, Lemonade mix
M – M&M’s, Moon Pies, Mallomars
N – Nabisco graham crackers, Nilla wafers
O – Oreos, Ovaltine
P – Pop-Tarts, PowerBars, Prunes
Q – Quaker Oatmeal, Nestlé’s Quik
R – Ritz crackers, Rice Krispie Treats
S – Spaghetti O’s, Spices, Sardines & Salmon (canned)
T – Triscuits, Twizzlers, Tabasco Sauce, Twinkies, Tuna, Tostitos Snack Packs
U – Utz potato chips and pretzels
V – V-8 juice, Veggie Chips
W – Whoppers malted milk balls, Whoopie Pies, Wrigley’s gum
X – CheX MiX, Trail MiX
Y – York Peppermint Patty, Yoodles
Z – Zagnut Candy Bar, Zweiback