Care Packages For Your Soldier

Military wife; a title that would accurately describe me. Confused as to why our men and women are stationed in the middle of a desert is how I'm feeling. Nun; Not yet, but for how long I've been celibate, I have a feeling it wont be long until I'm a virgin again. That last sentence wasn't really relevant but it doesn't matter. For you military wives who have gone through a deployment, you should have a general idea of what I'm talking about. For those of you who have not yet, you're in for a surprise (and you may want to get yourself a B.O.B. in the meantime. Just to prepare).

Aside from the previous paragraph, this blog entry is directed toward anybody who has friends or family in the military and is interested in sending care packages. I know there are other blogs out there and websites which list items to send via care package, but for those of you who stumble upon this first, it saves you the trouble of looking for another (I also know I blogged a small list before, but this includes more with better descriptions and fancy links).

Here is a list of things which would be good to send to your soldier:

• Jerky
• Popcorn (pre-popped and can be flavored; Cheese, caramel, herb infused, whatever: you get the point. There are many companies out there like Fritolay with Smart Food as well as other brands.)
• Ramen
• Ketchup (Just don't be a cheapass when buying and sending ketchup, nobody likes bad ketchup.)
• Peanut Butter
• Jam/Jelly (Plastic container recommended)
• Crackers
• Cookies (Whether it be freshly baked at home, Chips Ahoy!, Keebler, Mothers. Most cookies should be safe to send, although I would steer away from obvious kinds that would melt en route.)
• Headphones (In ear or even a good set of Deejays.)
• Empty Spray Bottles
• Personal Battery Operated Mini Fan
• Colgate wisps (Some locations these are not necessary, but if your soldier does not have continuous access to a bathroom these are a godsend.)
• Granola bars
• Oatmeal
• Blankets (Although many of our soldiers are stationed in the desert, do not be mistaken that it's boiling hot there all the time, it gets pretty freakin cold there in the winter.)
• Pictures (Not all soldiers have access to electricity or the internet all the time. Facebook is not a guarentee. Print out some hard copies and send them. Walgreens and CVS have generally cheap prices on prints.)
• Deodorant
• Razer Blades (For shaving.)
• Boots (Extra pair of military grade combat boots can come in handy, especially if your soldier is an unusual size)
• Pens
• Highlighters
• Sharpies
• Fabric softener sheets
• M&Ms
• Console Games (XBOX, PS3, Wii. Some companies like Gamefly will send games directly to your soldier at their FOB.)
• Handheld Device Games (PSP, Gameboy Advance)
• Lithium Rechargeable Battery (For handheld devices: iPOD, cell phones, PSP. Lenmar Battery, or similiar devices.)
• Poptarts
• Canned Soup
• Instant Soup Mix
• Ready Mixers (Made by Healthy Choice)
• Hormel Compleats ( Hormel microwavable ready meals)
• Homestyle Creations ( Marie Callendars)
• Drink Packets (Crystal Light, Koolaid, Country Time)
• Instant Coffee
• Trail Mix
• Nuts
• Holiday Themed Items (I would avoid real pumpkins, real Christmas trees, rabbits, chicks or any other living things)
• Letters
• Books
• Magazines
• Tooth Brushes
• Rice Crispy Treats (Individually packaged recommended)
• Portable Hard Drives (With music, movies and pictures stored on it)
• Extra bags (Sandwich size, quart size, gallon. I'm sure they come in handy.)
• Qtips
• .5"-1" Paint Brushes (To clean guns)
• Hard Candy (Life Savers, Jolly Ranchers, etc.)
• Chapstick
• Soap
• Gum
• Hot Chocolate Packages
• Easymac

There are many locations where you can pick up these items: Walmart, Target, local supermarket. And it is unnecessary to send all the items in one box. Most of these items are not needed, but they do make the stay over seas a little more comfortable on our soldiers.

It is recommended to bag your items in a trash bag before you slip them into the box you are sending just to avoid leaks and water/fluid damage to your own parcel. Otherwise, your soldier has an extra bag to store personal items, trash or can even use it as a fashion item.

When sending packages from the USA, the best and cheapest way to send your packages is via USPS Flat Rate Box which ships anywhere domestic or APO/AE for one flat rate, more if you'd like to put insurance on it.

There are other obviously other things you can send, these are just things listed for those of you who haven't the vaguest clue on what to send.

For those of you who don't want to go to the trouble of putting together your own care package, you can go to different websites which package and ship variety of care packages. Troop Care Pack, Military Care Packages dot Net, I'm sure you can google more.

To see other items and restrictions based on your soldiers location, you can go to

http://www.operationmilitarypride.org/packages.html

I hope the list and links help!

As this summer comes to a close...

The summer's almost over, which means fall is on it's way. This year will be the first year in my life where I'll be able to experience fall in all it's glory, followed by winter and then lovely spring. Had you told me a few years ago that I'd be freezing my ass off next to Canada in the winter of 2010, I would have laughed. Now I'm not sure if I want to cry. What I am pretty certain of, is this winter I am most definitely going to need an electric blanket wrapped around me 24/7. Hello cancer! Here I'm already complaining about how cold I'm going to get and I'm not even to that point yet.

Seeming as it's the end of summer, maybe I ought to chat about that instead? Alright, if you insist. This past summer has been one hell of a ride. Getting married at the end of May to Combat Boots, then him leaving a few days later to be deployed to Afghanistan to fight in a war that shouldn't even concern us because it's been going on forever, is how my summer began for me. After he was shipped off, I spent a month and a half in California packing and tying up loose ends. Attended some social gatherings, skipped out on working Circus at the Honda Center and in July I was on the road with my father and this cute little devil on the way to Tennessee.

Bailey and I spent three (not so) blissful weeks staying with my aunt and her husband before I got a uhaul and gtfo out of there. We made our two day drive north and crash landed smack dab in the middle of Maine at my in-laws. I love them. They treat me like a human. A real human. I like being treated like a real human. And they say they love me (Well, my mother in-law does anyway) :). And within the first week of being here, I found a nice little house for me and the pup to wait out the rest of Combat Boot's deployment in.

Four months in and I'm ready for it to be over. I am so ready for him to come home. I hate to sound sappy, but it really just doesn't feel right without him and his ridiculous smile. I swear this deployment shit was thought up by eunuchs, because no sane strait man with lovely wife and family would want to leave (unless his wife is a bitch and his family sucks, but even then...). Although I can't speed along his deployment, I do try to make it go by easier with care packages once or twice a month with some of the creature comforts of home:
Jerky
Popcorn
Ramen
Ketchup
Peanut butter
Crackers
Chips ahoy cookies
Headphones
Empty spray bottles
Colgate wisps
Granola bars
Blankets
Slutty pictures of his wife
Not so slutty pictures of his wife
Pictures of the pup
Deodorant
Razer blades for shaving
Extra pair of combat boots
Pens
Highlighters
Sharpies
Fabric softener sheets
Homemade Cookies
M&Ms
Xbox Games
PS3 Games
And some more things

Creature comforts seem to be a plus for most the soldiers and I know my husband appreciates them.

That seems about all, hopefully I'll start making up dog treats again as soon as I move into my new place and if I do, I expect you to buy for your canine's yummy needs. :)