A Fast Guide to Spreading the Love Without Filling the Suitcase
My sweet boyfriend will soon be hopping on a plane and heading to Belize for a week-long mission trip with his church. It's become a bit of a tradition in our relationship for me to give him a care package when he is headed off on a long trip. It wouldn't be very practical to send him a box of cookies and a pack of playing cards on this trip, however, so I had to get a little more creative. This is what I came up with: a practical, functional, and heartfelt care package!
- A Nalgene brand water bottle (Nalgene bottles are extremely durable, seal well, and are quite portable.)
- A caribeaner (good for hooking the bottle to a backpack or belt loop)
- A splash guard (you're going in for a sip of water on a hot day and... BAM! It gets all over your face! But not with a splash guard. These are a MUST!)
- Lifesavers
- Sour Patch Kids
- Stickers
- Bug Bands
- Itch Relief Stick
- Bug Spray
- Band Aids
- A breakfast bar
- Gum
- Small letters in an envelope
- Small tubes of sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Hairbands
- Small bouncy balls or other small toys
- A picture
- Wet wipes or portable hand sanitizer
Whenever you are making anything some one is going to take on a plane be sure to not only pick small things that will be space efficient, but also to pick things that the TSA will approve of. Be sure to read up on regulations before you make your purchases. I packed everything in this package inside the Nalgene and saved him tons of space! I cut the sticker sheets into smaller sticker strips so they would all fit inside a small envelope. I also made my letters smaller than usual so they would all fit inside the same envelope. Speaking of letters...
2: Make It Meaningful
Even the most essential items can have more impact when you select them with the person in mind. Take the bandages in this particular package for example: Despicable Me minion bandages.
Alex loves the Despicable Me series and especially the quirky minions. I also got him Monsters University (another series we both love) and Spiderman stickers not only for his enjoyment, but also to give to kids while in Belize.
3: Functional Can Still Be Personal
People I know who have been on this trip before say that Belize is full of mosquitoes and Alex is very bite-prone! (Seriously, it's been a bad summer for bug bites.) With this in mind, I got a pocket-sized container of bug spray for him and Bug Bands. Bug Bands supposedly repel bugs for up to 120 hours so I got him a regular one and a glow in the dark one for night time. We will see if they actually work but... with the inevitable in mind... I also got him a pocket-sized Benadryl anti-itch stick. IMPORTANT! If you are putting these things in a water bottle, I suggest putting them in not one, but two plastic baggies just to be on the safe side! (The baggies may also come in handy later, you never know!)
4: FOOD!
I tried to pick small, portable things that wouldn't melt. You can pick anything that fits with receiver's fancy. I think food is pretty much a must in any care package. After all, nothing says, "I'm thinking about you while you're gone" quite like candy! Just try to pick things that will travel well. If it won't melt, spoil, or crumble to pieces, it's probably a good choice. Not sure if it's good enough? Try putting it in your back pocket and walking around for a day with it there... just kidding!
5: If at First You Don't Succeed...
You may have to try several times to get a good, space-efficient fit. Don't get frustrated, it's worth a few tries! Once the project is finished, you'll be proud of the lovely care package you've assembled! Here's what I ended up with...
Viola! I think it's
a masterpiece!
Who would've thought it was so easy?! Do you have any great for care package items? Be sure to comment!
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