presents for sil?

[beccas302]

So, my SIL is leaving for Iraq within the next two weeks and will miss christmas. She asked me to NOT send her anything right now (because she'll be packing up her house) and instead asked for care packages through out the year. DH and I were talking about it today, and we decided to send 12 different boxes (one a month). So, should I do themed packages? I didn't want to just throw random stuff in the box, but I also know that spaces is going to be somewhat limited.

 

You'd think I'd be used to sending care packages, but when it's your SIL instead of your DH, it's a lot harder *laughs*. Besides, I doubt she'd enjoy half the stuff I sent hubby while he was gone

[redraccoon]

Themed is kinda a fun idea -

*Many places they'll have at least a laptop so they can watch movies - so a movie night pack would be fun.

*Maybe a summer picnic

*Too much chocolate is never enough

*Favorite Foods (I sent mexican munchies - chips, salsa, 'n such) to my BIL

[jarerice]

I got my sils a purse.

[HAnderson]

I like the themed care package idea. That way there is always a little bit of a surprize when she gets it.

[scrabbler]

I thought I heard phone cards are a great gift for those overseas....easy to pack up too!

[wyntyrose]

themed care pkg's are a great idea. I sent one or two a month to my dh when he was deployed. don't forget to include staple items that sometimes are hard to get, sound strange but I know from a female solider that certain brands of feminine products weren't over there. So for her I would send the brand she preferred, lol, sometimes it is the littlest things. My dh loves Starbucks frappucino's so each pkg had those in it.

[jbdinos]

So, should I do themed packages? I didn't want to just throw random stuff in the box, but I also know that spaces is going to be somewhat limited.

 

Remember since space is limited... that the postal service has two sizes of "flat rate" boxes.... and you can fill them to bulging as long as you can get them closed. Depending on what you are sending each time you may want to consider those. And don't forget to check each time on weight if you have enough stuff that is too much for one box, check weights, size, and cost... sometimes it's cheaper to send 2 flat rate boxes than one larger one anyway.

[BoulderChick]

Themed packages are a good idea. We send my Brother different food items and his favorite soap and shampoo.

You may want to wait until after she gets there to see what she has available to her, for instance my brother can get the Starbucks Frappucinos, but has a difficult time getting good fruit juice. So we get him juice boxes from Whole Foods. We do juice boxes because they are small and they try to keep their mini fridge stocked with water so he can just put in one or two at a time.

We also send our packages in the USPS one price priority mail boxes. That way we don't over buy and the shipping is much less, especially for the weight. I sent him a one price box that weighed 10lbs and the Post Office lady said it would've been $22.00 had it not been a one price box. And the boxes are free!

Also a great Christmas gift idea for your Sister in Law may be a pillow top type mattress pad. My Mom sent one for my Brother for his birthday and he LOVES it! and we've also sent him the extra long twin sheets to help him be comfortable.

You could even offer to help with her internet costs. My Brother pays about $60 a month on internet. We are soo greatful that he has it, we are able to chat with him online. Every time I see his name and picture pop up on Yahoo Messenger I am soo Happy and Thankful! When my Dad was deployed when I was a kid we rarely got to talk to him, and when we did the telephone bills were through the roof. So having the internet to communicate with is a true blessing. Sometimes we even get to see him with his computer camera and that is Very Cool!