<p>Our grocery store had little battery operated votive candles - perfect for a jack o lantern or whatever… supposedly they flicker like the real thing</p>
<p>I’ve sent two care packages so far and despite my usual lack of creativity, have tried to find a theme for each box. Most recently, of course, our theme was Halloween. I sent some candy, a small witch with a flickering light (it was made out of some pourous rubber material) and some small decorations. As part of our theme, we include pictures of our dog and tell a story as if he was in college. I try not to send too much food (freshman 15) and she tells me her room is already packed - so the piece of paper with photoshopped pictures of our dog and a corresponding story seem to work.</p>
<p>Love the idea of sending photos of the dog! Honestly, sometimes I wonder who D misses the most! Wonder if I can snap a pic of our dog in a Halloween hat or something before he chews it bits? Last year I sent a string of little orange lights.</p>
<p>I just sent a care package to my D and at the last second threw in a picture of the dog. D was thrilled with the dog picture!</p>
<p>We get frequent requests from D for pictures of the cats. She, in particular, wants pics of 1) the cat she fell in love with while volunteering at the local humane society during frosh year Christmas vacation 2) the kitten that rode home above her front driver’s tire during her 3 week visit in May (she also rescued and found the owner of a lost dog during that visit!)</p>
<p>Although care packages have become much less frequent, I do make sure to send something goofy in each one! That’s the very best part!</p>
<p>[ThinkGeek</a> :: Stuff for Smart Masses](<a href=“http://www.thinkgeek.com%5DThinkGeek”>http://www.thinkgeek.com)</p>
<p>I order fun, unique and even a few reasonably priced items from this site. I love sending their caffeinated shower gel just before finals. And they have lots of fun puzzles, tee shirts, and stuff I just don’t see anywhere else. Definitely fun…</p>
<p>Thanks. Can’t wait to check it out.</p>
<p>We always send a pumpkin. Pick a smallish one, trim the stem down to an inch or so, and write the address right on the pumpkin with a sharpie. It’s a big hit when it shows up in the dorm mailroom.</p>
<p>We do the same thing with coconuts!</p>
<p>Wait–I love this idea. Can someone confirm that USPS really ships pumpkins??</p>
<p>I’d like confirmation on the pumpkin shipping, too! Wouldn’t it be funny if CC posters overwhelmed UPS with pumpkins this year?</p>
<p>Great thread. I don’t want to send too much stuff because his dorm room is so small. So far I haven’t sent a true care package (just stuff he asked for), but I’m getting ready for Halloween.</p>
<p>My daughter just informed me that we should send mousetraps. Yuck. Is there a fancy care package for this? Maybe something including replacement trailmix that lured them into the room in the first place?</p>
<p>I know the USPS will ship almost anything if it is labeled, but my first thought on the pumpkin was “If they drop it, they’ll have smashed pumpkin all over the post office floor.”</p>
<p>But I guess a smallish one would be sturdy enough. But you can’t carve a small one, can you? They’re called “pie” pumpkins and have more pulp and less interior space. Fun idea, anyway!</p>
<p>I always include a mini pumpkin in kids’ Halloween care package. In May when we moved S1 out of frat house following his graduation, I asked what that nondescript gray object was on his desk. You guessed it!</p>
<p>“Nondescript gray object” = YUCK!</p>
<p>I am so sending a pumpkin! I wish I could be there to see D’s face when she gets it! 
:)</p>
<p>Love the pumpkin idea, but I’ll have to go to a PO in the next town. Most of the window staff at the one in my town are truly UNcustomer-friendly. I can’t imagine they’d mail a pumpkin for me – more likely they’d through me out.</p>
<p>I think this is some what silly bordering on dumb but I put little boxes of Animal Crackers in the care packages to my S. When he was little if he was really good on a shopping trip I would get him one of these. He still remembers…</p>
<p>One Mom’s “silly” is another Mom’s norm. (See my post #98 regarding what I’ve sent to my 22 year-old.)</p>
<p>RochesterMom, that’s not dumb; it’s sweet.</p>