Care packages are the bread and butter of items sent to military members, especially around the holiday season. If you are planning on building a care package for a loved one, here are four ideas for you this season:
Fandom Frenzy
Simply because military individuals are adults doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy fun things. Sure, they can use sensible items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and socks, but it’s always a delight to receive unique items geared toward something they love. There are fandoms like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, and Disney, which offer themed t-shirts, snacks, socks, games, and jewelry. Books, movies, and even comic books can also be helpful as they can be passed around and enjoyed by more people in the squadron.
Foodie Heaven
There are a few things better than getting your favorite seasonings or snacks you haven’t had in months delivered right to your door. Making a food-inspired box can be helpful, mainly because it can help spice up food that feels the same day in and day out. To change it up, add local snacks. If you live overseas and are sending a care package home, unique flavors can be a fun treat for those who have yet to experience Shrimp, Garlic Pringles, or Matcha Kit-Kat bars.
Healthy Habits
There’s a reason why the classics are the classics: a box that contains excellent razors, soft socks, and even well-made underwear can be helpful when far away from home. Perhaps you can include a paid subscription to a service like Down Dog, a yoga app, alongside workout bands, and decide to do identical sequences on the same days, even from afar, to bond with one another.
Ready Made
If you know you want to send a care package, but the odds of you putting it together are low, check out subscription boxes or pre-made gift boxes you can send them. During the holiday season, many businesses will create easy, done-for-you options along with gift wrapping and a note. There are subscription boxes for everything, so whether they love tea, books, or mystery boxes with a puzzle they have to solve, you’ll be able to find a resonant one to send them.
Odds and Ends
Care packages don’t have to make perfect sense. You can build it up over time with small things you find that remind you of them. Writing a note, throwing in some Sour Patch Kids, a fun card game, a Sudoku book, or crayons and a coloring book can create a fun surprise to open on a hard day.
No matter the type of care package you send, it means the world to the person receiving the box that you thought of them. So go with your gut on what feels good to put in, even if it doesn’t make sense to somebody else. What matters is the love in which you send it to them this season.
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Written by Aj Smit
Aj Smit is the author of the book Red Thread: Weaving an Embodied Life of Joy, speaker, glitter enthusiast, and professional weaver of Joy. She is a military spouse in S. Korea with a pup and houseplants galore. Aj has led various Red Tents, retreats, and workshops internationally over the last ten years to help others discover how to weave creativity and curiosity into their lives. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram at @TheJoyWeaver and TheJoyWeaver.com