<p>jym…I believe that minimum is no longer in effect…I think you used to have 6 items but no more!</p>
<p>Megpmom: Maybe for D’s roommate you could find a large, plastic dreidel that opens & fill that with treats. Some of them come already filled that way. Just a thought.</p>
<p>Megpmom–how about different colors for the holiday treats? Red and green for your daughter, blue and white for her roommate. That way the difference is recognized.</p>
<p>Thanks, NorthMinnesota!! I hadn’t checked back in a while b/c of the minimum requirement.</p>
<p>ddd928 can I introduce you to my 2 sons? :)</p>
<p>A nice pen and a nice journal are always welcome for me. Moleskine and Sensa, that sort of thing.</p>
<p>I’m also a HUGE fan of space pens-they write forever and well, and you can keep them in your pocket constantly so you’re never without a pen, and they dont stab you/stain.</p>
<p>Along with the things she forgot, last week I sent my D two refrigerator magnets (to go with the fridge she took) “to remind her of where she came from”: One says Jersey Girl and the other Exit 63. They will make her laugh. I filled a box with layers of things and between each layer I put the comics section of our local paper for the past week, because we shared a love of comics. I added in odds and ends of stuff. She will think by the end, “My mother is nuts”. Can’t wait for October, with both her birthday and Halloween. For her birthday I am thinking about an “assembly required angel food cake”, a cake cut into quarters, separately bagged in ziplocks, with icing to glue it back together, candles and writable icing. Fun.</p>
<p>Bugmom-great ideas!!I guess college is the neverending care package opportunity.Be careful at post office however.I used flat rate box for 10.75 thinking it was best deal.Found out that it was 3.55 cheaper to send in regular box.Flat rate better deal for long distance or really heavy(mine was neither) Sent some “relive childhood” stuff-glitter pens,Disney princess search-a-word,mini princess puzzle.and a bag to share of stretchy band rings,plus purple shiny door decoration with tiny ghosts,all at Dollar store!!Hope she likes it.Door decorations are in almost every season and a dollar!Plus reusable and not fattening…</p>
<p>Sons can be harder, my son liked the Jets so I would send things in that theme, candy, pennant, sox,etc. I also sent more food, but would forward magazines also. Some he had coming already to our home, a sports illustrated and a gaming one, but sometimes if something I knew he liked caught my eye, I’d send that too. Having something fun to read was always welcome.</p>
<p>Debruns, can I just forward the magazines by writing on the label or do I have to put them in an envelope?</p>
<p>When my son was at camp we sent small nurf shooters for he and his suite mates. They were a big hit. Also playing cards for Texas hold em. No matter how many decks go off to school, there always seems to be one card missing. Holiday boxers can be found at Kohls or Target. My older son wears his Charlie Brown Christmas boxers year round. Target makes holiday tshirts with a little ‘bling’ every season for around $5. Nothing over the top but usually something cute. My kids love funky socks. Again, Target. I’ll second the iTunes cards another member prev suggested. Homemade treats of any kind, or a favorite candy.</p>
<p>Kajon, I just put them in a large manila envelope. I usually sent more than one. Newstands and B&N would have interesting ones in subjects he liked.</p>
<p>I also sent him newspapers or clippings that I thought he might like. </p>
<p>In the winter, an extra pair of gloves was always appreciated…you never stop losing one. : )</p>
<p>@megpmom, whose D has a Jewish college roommate: Huzzah for your sensitivity and awareness! It would be a bit more sophisticated this year, if you could do it this way: Chanukah comes (this year) Dec. 2-9. If you time your package so it arrives in that time-window, and just wrap the roommate’s treats in plain wrap paper rather than a stocking, you can’t possibly offend. Find a plain card, write: Happy Chanukah! and you’ve done something truly nice there. </p>
<p>If that timing doesn’t work, then send your D’s roommate the same contents you’re sending in Christmas stockings…just not the stocking! Use plain wrapping paper rather than Christmas wrap for the roommate and don’t change a thing you normally do for your own D to make her Christmas joyful.</p>
<p>If you want to jazz it up for the roommate: there’s chanukah wrap paper, although not in every single town in America. Plain wrap paper of a color is really fine (think: gold, blue, white, silver…) </p>
<p>Jewish kids that age are NOT jealous of Christmas presents anymore; they’re l8! I bet it feels lesser to send one in plain wrap and the other in the bright red stocking, but it will make perfect sense to the Jewish roommate.</p>
<p>DS’s “care packages” went mostly unappreciated last year, his freshman year, so I won’t be doing them this year. It is important to note that they were cathartic to me in helping adjust as the first little chick left the nest, and he’s only a few hours away so we did get to see him several time during the year.</p>
<p>A side note: One item in my over-preparation last year did just pay off. After reading all the “what to pack for college” threads I got a roll of quarters for the laundry room only to find out it’s all done with a card swipe. As he was walking out the door yesterday he mentioned that although his apartment this year has a laundry room that accepts card swipes, the “good” machines only take quarters. Tossed him the roll and felt needed again (if only slightly so).</p>
<p>SoCalGal09,</p>
<p>Darn, My entire post disappeared after I pressed a wrong key. Start again.</p>
<p>I really can appreciate your statement about feeling needed again. To be honest, occasionally, I wish DS could be a little homesick, so I can feel that he is missing us a little and I’m not the only one pursuing him to make some contact. (Though I am generally happy he has adapted so fast to dorm living, not unexpected given his history of dealing well with separations.) I have thankfully refrained from calling him tonight even though I’ve been dying to find out how his first day of college went. (He just called me yesterday per my instructions.)</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the topic for this thread. When I started missing sonny, I went shopping over the internet for him and bought him 3 pairs of shoes - walking shoes, rain boots and snow boots for walking in NYC. DS said he does not need them 
, I hope he will feel differently once he sees my care packages. I also purchased concert tickets for him to attend a NYC event with his friends later this month for his 18th birthday. So my care packages have been substantial because September is his birthday month and it is his first month away in college for studies. </p>
<p>I have to admit I wish DS is still home. I had a good cry when I felt autumn in the air and I saw school buses pass by our house today, which evoked memories of sonny leaving and coming home on the buses. OK, I admit I as a parent can be regressed too. I really miss not seeing sonny on a daily basis and our face to face chats. :(</p>
<p>evolving, we went halfway across the world the same day that DS left for college last year. It kinda broke my heart when my extremely independent son asked, “What if I need you?” before we left. Ended up he didn’t, and it probably was best for all that the first two weeks he was flying without a net.</p>
<p>As mentioned earlier, I think it’s a girl-boy thing. DD, a high school junior, appreciates the subtleties of our relationship. I see her totally loving a care package focused entirely on her in the first month away. We’ll have to check back in two years to see if that’s true…</p>
<p>I haven’t read the entire thread, so forgive me if this is a repeat.</p>
<p>The cheapest and easiest way to ship that I found is the Post Office’s Flat Rate shipping boxes. Last year, I kept a couple in the spare room and would toss stuff in as I collected it. When one filled up, all I had to do was tape it and run it to the P.O.</p>
<p>Inside: consumables (dried fruits, nuts, turkey jerky, tea, hot chocolate), practicals (fun pens, batteries, chapstick, mini flashlight), funs (a silly Christmas headband, super-fuzzy socks), a clipping (comic strip, article about something of interest), a sheet of stickers, and a souvenir of something DH & I had done recently (button from the State Fair, trinket from the art festival). I always included a cheap toy, the cheesier, the better. Most times I’d enclose one of those iTunes freebie cards you get at Starbucks.</p>
<p>But the weirdest thing that got a big reaction was once when I wanted to send the box before it was full, so I tossed in some bubble wrap. After that, I always included a little strip of the stuff; apparently popping bubbles relieves stress.</p>
<p>^I just ordered a roll of bubble wrap to cover a bar that hangs down from my loft that I am habitually banging my head against, and may have purposefully ordered a roll that was a bit bigger than I needed just so I would have it. :P</p>
<p>I just sent a big box of stuff to my D. Clothes and a pair of shoes she forgot, hangers, dry erase markers and dry foods. Mostly noodles, some hamburger helper, stuff to make cupcakes.</p>
<p>It was a medium sized box, weighed 19 pounds and cost me 13.94 to send UPS. I sent it Tues. and it should be there Thurs afternoon. I looked on the usps website and to send the same package priority mail (3 days) 25.50 or parcel post (5 days) 14.95.</p>
<p>So if it’s a bigger package look at UPS, it was really easy to send also. My town has a UPS store, it’s really convenient and only took a minute to send it.</p>
<p>Also the only time it was cheaper to send something in the Flat Rate Boxes from the post office was the time I sent her leftover Halloween candy. Other than that, it’s always been cheaper to ship it priority. </p>
<p>My oldest won’t let me send him stuff. Boo, hiss. I think he has to go to the post office and pick it up now since he’s off campus. He has a keurig coffee maker and I wanted to send him k cups but he said he will buy them himself. I think I won’t listen, wait for an amazon sale and ship them to him. He’s kind of a killjoy for hovering mama’s lol! </p>
<p>The daughter on the other hand, loves and appreciates every single little package.</p>
<p>My daughter called and wanted to open her care package while on the phone with me, so I could share her fun. Now that just part and parcel of how it’s done - and I so appreciate the thought.</p>