Ideas for personalizing packages
These have proven to be invaluable because of all that damn sand. Gallon sized and larger are the
most popular. People are using them for just about all of their belongings to keep the dust out, from
their toiletries to their laptops. One idea to make these more appealing and private (and just to do
something nice for your soldier) is to personalize them. You can make fabric bags with zippers (or drawstrings)
and sew the Ziplock in, like a liner. This way they has the protection from the sand that the Ziplock
provides and the privacy of having their things in an opaque cover. The fabric also helps, if only a
little, to protect from the intense heat of the sun if it has to be left out for a little while. You can
make pockets or patches on the outside that give extra space, or print out pictures of yourself on
inkjet fabric and sew them right on. This way when your soldier goes for their
batteries (or whatever), you're right there for them to see.
While your soldier probably doesn't need a full-fledged heal 'em and wheel 'em first aid kit complete
with stitches and an emergency thermal blanket, it IS a good a idea for them to have some basic supplies
so that each time he/she has a head ache or sore muscle he/she doesn't have to run to the medic or the
PX (if there's one available). You can always run out and buy one at Wal-Mart or the PX, but something
I have found to be nice is making one for my husband myself. It just makes me feel like I'm doing
something to help and he really appreciates that I've taken the time to do it. An advantage
of this for him is that if you are very close to your guy you know what medicines he might need most.
For example, if you know that he gets heartburn easily you might want to include extra Tums or something.
It also depends on your particular guy, but I know that my husband doesn't ever take medicine unless I
pretty much make him, so he isn't that familiar with which medicines he should use for what. That being
the case, I made a list myself of when/why he should use each thing that I put in the bag. Of course he could
just read the label, but if you're anything like we are, we don't really follow the instructions to the letter
(for example, my husband takes 3 Advil for a headache instead of 2). And since I'm usually the one dishing
out the treatment and the dosage, I know what he uses more than he does! Plus, it'll mean a lot to
your soldier when he/she hasn't seen you for 3 months and goes for his/her Tylenol; he/she will really like that handwritten note from you that says "Take 3 of these and see how you feel in a few hours."You can include the
basics, like Tylenol, Advil, Aspirin, Band-Aids, Tape, Tweezers, Antacids, Pepto Bismol, Flea
Collars (for their ankles), Anti-Itch creme (like Cortizone)...some of these are listed on the home page.
Help keep your soldier cool!
With daily temperatures being about 125 degrees about half of the year, your soldier will appreciate anything to help them stay cool. Cold wraps for the neck are a good way to do this. Of course you can go out and buy these, but they are really not difficult to make yourself if you are inclined and have the most minimal of sewing skills. You can buy crystals that, when dipped in cold water, expand and retain the water (at gardening supply stores). Put those inside a wrap you've pre-sewn and voila! you're done. He/She has a wrap that you lovingly made yourself and will keep them cool for several hours. When the coolness starts to wear off, they just dip it again in water. One woman made enough of these for an entire battalion (over 600)! I have to admit that I won't be doing that, but wow, can you imagine!
What to do when you want to send foods that may perish and/or melt
***READ FOR HOLIDAYS & SPECIAL OCCASIONS***
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Short Answer:
DON'T SEND THINGS THAT MELT!
LONG ANSWER:
While it is not recommended to send foods that will melt or spoil, some people have their hearts set on
sending things like chocolates to their love. If you are one of these people, be aware that there's
about a 99.99375823% chance that they will melt. If you still want to take the chance, there are
precautions you can take. Freeze them first. Pack them totally separate from everything else in
the box. Granted that this isn't as cute or as romantic as spreading them out in the box, but better to have
them in a separate container than to have them arrive melted all over that great mixed CD that took you
3 hours to make. You can still make them cute and romantic, though. If you are dead set on sending
something that might melt, put it in one or two Ziplock bags and then inside a can of some kind. Coffee
cans are a good example. They can be thrown away when he/she is done with them because there really
isn't any sentimental value. Don't like the way it looks and want to do something cuter? Paint the can and
print out pictures of yourself or the two of you and paste them onto the can. Then cover them with
decoupage glue for protection. Make it nice, but be sure to tell him/her that it's okay to throw it away
He/she doesn't need extra stuff to lug around and you can always make them something nicer for when they come
home. Or tie ribbons or something similar around the can. Be creative. You can make it still look nice but be safe
for the other items in the box. You don't want your soldier to get a package you've worked so hard on, only to
find that everything has been ruined by the Hershey Kisses that you shouldn't have sent in the first place!
