<p>Creative but inexpensive gifts to say "I love you" to our new college students?My D likes to curl her eyelashes,and I found a travel eyelash curler (small flat 2 inch type) That would be great in a care package.There are some very funny t-shirts,and food is always appreciated but what other ideas that are more unusual ?</p>
<p>What about some of her favorite candy, an inexpensive pair of earrings,a favorite movie on DVD, some photos of when she was little (make copies, first!)</p>
<p>Having sent a couple of boys to school, they didn’t care that much about care packages. Put money in their debit account, and they were happy. My D will be a different story!</p>
<p>I sent my son an Itunes card w/ a note included.</p>
<p>Twizzlers - he loves those things.</p>
<p>My D used to love when I would send prior to holidays, decoration stuff. For instance, before Valentines I would send window clings, doilies to make stuff with, heart shaped paper, stickers, etc. Her and her friends would sit around and decorate their rooms, doors and halls with the stuff. Halloween isn’t too far away!</p>
<p>Gum and mints. My kids ALWAYS go through these. Small cheap picture frames.</p>
<p>So far I have sent a bunch of his favorite snack foods and a framed family photo. The next package will include a new Saints t-shirt!</p>
<p>A friend of mine went on “care package” sites and tried to copy them for less money (which usually was the case) She saw balloon-grams, cookie/teddy bear baskets, etc. and sent some fun ones. I think I heard of a pajama-grams that you can add candy or a stuffed animal too but they aren’t cheap.
My sister and I have sent a roll of quarters often for laundry, Gift cert. for local sub shops, newspaper from home, earplugs, cookies/brownies, photos of family/friends, a pretty umbrella,(my niece loved a bubble one) scarf, gadgets we thought were cool in a store, most not expensive but not something they would think of.
I think almost anything is appreciated…keep your eyes out and you will see things in stores, catalogs, etc. that will catch your eye and you’ll know, “This is a great gift”.</p>
<p>Just remember - whatever you send, may have to come home or be stored at the end of the year. Smaller, the better. Or the more consumable, the better!</p>
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<p>I’d LOVE it if someone did this for me!!!</p>
<p>My mom always drops off Valentine’s Day gifts to me. She also collects weird things she’d think I’d like, like fluffy pens, elephant dolls [I love elephants], magnets with funny sayings, bracelets, and other things. I really think that just sending things you know your D likes is the best way of showing love since it shows how well you know her.</p>
<p>Whenever I send a package, instead of using paper or packing bubbles or that stuff to fill the gaps, I pack it with plastic bags full of candy, microwave popcorn bags, granola bars, etc. </p>
<p>His freshman year I hit the stores the day after halloween and stocked up on every high end super creamy chocolates imaginable (dove bars, Cadbury, symphony bars, etc). The box weighed 15 pounds!!! It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turns out everyone on his floor know he had all this chocolate, and the hungry inebriated hallmates would come to visit at all hours of the night!</p>
<p>I have sent homemade cookies, banana bread and silly game things that guys like (the parachute troopers to drop out of windows were a big hit-- they are usually for little kids birthday parties). I am sure there are girl equivalents of such silly party favors. The stuff that comes in tubes with a straw that blow into plastic bubbles was also a hit, as were paddle balls. Silly stuff to amuse them.</p>
<p>I did also send halloween stuff in advance- that was appreciated.</p>
<p>Holiday goodies are fun. There will be bunches of Halloween things out–or they are already out. </p>
<p>I have posted this before, but I got a group of friends together to make care packages and we all brought enough of one thing for all the kids. It is a fun way to keep in touch with the moms and to hear about how the kids are doing in school. I think we had six to eight moms each time we got together. If you are only shopping for one thing, you can find bargains. Last year, for our Halloween package, the girls got earrings, popcorn balls, toothbrushes and floss from our dental technician mom, tiny pumpkin lanterns, and socks among other things.</p>
<p>MY s is now a junior. He now prefers the folding green stuff that goes in his wallet :(</p>
<p>Magazines, clippings from the local paper, flip-flops, inexpensive stuff to make Halloween costumes or theme party outfits from (funny glasses, cheap earrings, etc. ). The Priority Mail flat rate boxes are awesome. I know a mom that sent a loaf of french bread in a poster tube.</p>
<p>It is evidently MUCH easier to send a fun care package to daughters than it is to sons!!! ;)</p>
<p>I think daughters are wAAAy easier for care packages (and also Christmas stockings). My son is still in high school. I think if I were sending a care package to him it would include MORE food, probably gift cards to some fast food places I know he would love, and I know this is weird, but probably themed holiday boxer shorts (like the kind you can get at American Eagle or Old Navy because that always cracks him up).</p>
<p>If they don’t have one already, a flash drive is a good gift.</p>
<p>Gift cards to gas station, Dollar Tree, Walmart/Target, Starbucks.</p>
<p>I second the holiday stuff! Too cute. </p>
<p>Lip gloss. Chocolate. Baked goods. Cute pajamas. Decorative post-its/pads of paper.</p>
<p>Oddly enough DD loved the coloring books and crayons I sent one time. I think it was Disney princesses. It was one of those silly things you and a friend could start doing in the lounge area and pretty soon there is a crowd. Good icebreaker. 
Also sent home made baked goods, candy to share and anything themed to current season and holiday for decorations. Also sent microwave soups, popcorn packets and easy mac. The post office one-rate boxes are great, I could really stuff those.</p>
<p>Food, magazines, occasional DVD, CVS gift card (to purchase toiletries, etc), any regional food that your child can’t get at school (for D it is salsa)</p>
<p>As freshmen we sent off things to share with others on the floor, eg bags of m&m’s, and in one case even suggested they “share with others.” They could always use the ruse, “my mom sent me this care package so here’s some to share…” as a way to make first contact with new people around the dorm. </p>
<p>Exam time: individual packets of hot chocolate, raisins, nuts.</p>
<p>By junior year, like Jym’s crew, mine had morphed into TV evangelists: “Send me the MONEY.” By then, they were more in charge of their college lives and knew what they needed most.</p>
<p>TV Evangelists…lol here.</p>