<p>I already started collecting trinkets for next year’s Valentine’s Day care package. Walgreen’s had all their left over SVD stuff on sale, it may not be too late to still pick up 1/2 off items.</p>
<p>I got some great stickers for the outside of the box, and lots of little trinkets like snow globes, glittery red photo stands etc.</p>
<p>Bump bump bump</p>
<p>It must be difficult for international parents to send care packages… Also, I was on amazon the other day and I signed for Amazon Mom which is basically Amazon Prime with free two day shipping. I would recommend that you guys check that out. Also, if you use a student email, you can get a year of free amazon prime.</p>
<p>@unique6, There’s an Amazon Mom? BTW, do parents send their kids birthday gifts in the care packages or do you guys usually wait till your kid gets home for the holidays? My birthday’s during Summer vacation so I’m lucky!</p>
<p>Yep, and you don’t really have to be a mom to sign up. You basically sign up and they send you a bunch of emails about diapers and whatnot. Here’s the link.</p>
<p>[Amazon</a> Mom](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/mom/signup/welcome]Amazon”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/mom/signup/welcome)</p>
<p>Thanks for posting the link, unique6. PreppyDude, our son wanted one main gift as his present & was home a couple of months before his birthday, so we were able to order it & send it to him as his official bday present. It wasn’t really a ‘surprise’, but he was thrilled nevertheless & it was exactly what he wanted. I included a few inexpensive goodies (mostly the edible kind) to round it out.</p>
<p>Bump…</p>
<p>@ libbyb4, thanks for bumping this thread!</p>
<p>Rereading this thread reminded me of the value of those handwritten notes–at the end of the school year, my kid brought home only one folder of papers, tests, etc to keep, but I noticed the note I stuck in a care package, inspired by reading these posts, was tucked in there.</p>
<p>I travel a fair amount for work. Last year I started sending postcards. I thought that would be “lame” but I noticed they were all tacked up on her board when I visited. Cheap and quick. I send care packages, but I was surprised to learn my kid loves to have snail mail. Consider going old school sometimes and send them a card or note.</p>
<p>I have a student doing a year abroad. I have discovered that Amazon overseas recognizes my US login and account information. I had to pay for a separate account for European Prime, but it was inexpensive. So now I can send my D care packages from the European Amazon site without paying a customs fee or outrageous shipping fee and it’s delivered to her school in two days.</p>
<p>It may be too late if you’re already hooked up with Amazon Prime but Amazon Prime is cheaper for students if you sign up for Amazon Student which has all the shipping advantages of Amazon Prime for half price ($39.50 instead of $79)…and that only gets billed after a free trial period of several months. (Other Amazon Prime advantages, like video streaming, are not part of Amazon Student benefits.)</p>
<p>The main catch is that Amazon Student is only good for four years. So if you do it for high school, you may not be able to keep it going during college. (Or, then again, with a new college e-mail address and opening a new Amazon account, you might be able to work it out, especially if you plan ahead and are cool with changing your Amazon account!) Everything on the account tied to Amazon Student is subject to free 2nd day air (or $3.99 per item for next-day delivery), regardless of where it is sent. (It doesn’t have to go to the student; you can send things to your home or presents to family across the country.) It quickly pays for itself.</p>
<p>@D’yer Maker. Is Amazon Students allowed for Boarding Schools? I thought it’s only for colleges.</p>
<p>I don’t know. I thought it simply required a .edu e-mail address…but it’s possible that your college has to be on an approved list. In which case, to quote Emily Litella, nevermind.</p>
<p>Amazon Prime is probably a good value at $79 if Amazon Student isn’t available. For college it has been fantastic. Used books are much cheaper and for $3.99 over the purchase price (each) they’re delivered the next day. I’d give Amazon Student a try. But if it’s not available, read the rules. I don’t think you can downgrade from Prime to Student. It’s definitely a way to lure users to the full-priced Amazon Prime product and if you’re already a Prime customer, they don’t need to lure you in.</p>
<p>Appreciate the information, D’yer Maker. My free-trial month is about to expire. I agree it’s a good value even for $79. Just makes things much more convenient.</p>
<p>Please explain the dry ice thing…? I don’t get it…</p>
<p>Spoke to DS and kids are getting Halloween Care Packages. I was going to wait for parents’ weekend and bring stuff, but decided to go ahead and take the plunge and send something that perhaps he’ll get this weekend.</p>
<p>Sent some candy corn, Halloween card with a little cash, caramel dip for apples that he can hopefully get from Commons, individual pkgs of microwave popcorn and an Entenmann’s box of mini chocolate chip cookies.</p>
<p>@RBGG, Does Mem. House have a microwave oven in the common room? I was thinking of sending the same sort of goodies.</p>
<p>I do bi- monthly door decor from the 99 Cent Store . My D enjoys getting anything at all !</p>
<p>I want to send some “cobwebs” and one string of small “skull” lights along with candy, but not sure if these will pass Mem House fire restrictions. Anyone know about this? Guess I can ping advisor.</p>