Recordable Books

Recordable books aren't just for kids anymore.  You can record your own voice or your child's voice reading a book and send it to your solider.  Then when it's the middle of the day over there and you're fast asleep at home and not on Skype your solider can hear your voice whenever they want.  Another option is the recordable gift cards available nearly everywhere.

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Digital Picture Frames

A great way to send pictures to your solider in a fun way is to send them in a digital picture frame.  Pre-load lots of great pictures and if you're really adventurous mix in a few sweet quotes and messages that you've typed up using a photo editing software.  These frames have come down in price in the recent years so price shouldn't be as much of a deterrent as it may have been in the past. You can get a key chain version for as little as $20.

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Decorate and Delight!

So I'm sure you've all thought about wrapping up the items you send off to your special solider to make it more like a gift when the package arrives. You've probably even stuck a few stickers around the inside/outside of the package to "decorate". Next time think about going a little overboard! Make a special gift with a personal touch.

DECORATE!
Adding some extra touches makes a package full of "stuff" much more personal!

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Father's Day Care Package

A great blog full of Father's Day ideas during a deployment. Thanks MilitaryAvenue!

Father's Day is this Sunday - talk about creating a void for our family going through our first deployment. I'm sure the void will be felt all across the globe on the 15th.

I fortunately have stayed on top of this one (I'm not on top of much lately). Hubby's care-package is in the mail & he should be receiving it any day now. I hope it oozes with love! (As opposed to oozing with sticky-melted chocolate!)

I'm not great at 'themes', maybe with some practice I will get there... but for now the theme is simply: "From Us" :)

1. A letter from our oldest, 14;
2. Some pictures from our 3 and 5 year older from their "Write from the Heart" books;
3. My 5 year old made a 'dot to dot' for Dad. I'm not sure it actually makes a picture - but he sure enjoyed doing it and that is what counts!;
4. A copy of my 5 year-old's preschool "report card";
5. Diego stickers. The 3 year old insisted on buying Diego stickers for Dad. Logical. So I put a little note on them that maybe he could attach them to the envelopes of letters he sends us;
6. The 'regular items': Our church bulletin, town newsletter and the daily-papers from our "Uncle John" calendar. I send them to him every week just to give him a little touch of home;
7. Some new stationary (post-card sized paper in a rainbow of colors with envelopes). It was a huge pack and I split it in two. I sent half to Hubby and kept the other half for us to send him letters;
8. "42 Lunch Notes" - These are great. I picked it up on a whim and crossed out the "Lunch" part of the title and hand-wrote "Deployment". The notes are smaller then a postcard. Hubby can write a quick note for the boys and include them in envelopes mailed home. Sometimes it is hard to come up with words to write to the kids and these have a smaller writing space but I'm sure they will be a keep sake to the boys;
9. COOKIES! He said they are getting cookies out the ying-yang. BUT we made some anyway because his children helped make them :);
10. Beef Jerky - Hubby's favorite snack. I'm just glad he can eat them without me having to smell his breath! [Hey sometimes we have to find the small blessings of these deployments ;)];
11. Some extra-dark Dove chocolates. I'm sure they are going to be melted to smithereens by the time he gets them - but it is the thought that counts sometimes right!

So that sums of his 'Father's Day Care Package'. I hope he loves it! Because we sure do love him. I realize I am going to need to find more care-package ideas as we deeper and deeper into this deployment, or he will get really tired of melted chocolate and beef jerky :)

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Sealed Strength

Deployments can be hard and loved ones left at home often feel like we have no one that understands. A group of ladies has come together to help women cope with deployments with a kind word and a friendly letter.

All you have to do to sign up is go to their website. They will pair you with another woman who knows what having a loved one deployed is like. You'll quickly have a great pen pal! Pin It

Free Postcards!! Operation Postcards!

If you feel like you're always running out of stamps or looking for a quick way to send a note you should definitely look into Operation Postcards.

Here's how it works:

Operation Postcards is an easy way for you to send them a REAL personalized postcard that'll let them know how much you care. Just upload a photo. Type in a message and send it off to them. We print and mail your personalized postcard the next business day to anywhere in the world. They can hang it on a wall, share it with friends or carry it in their pocket.

You can use your computer or smartphone to send your postcard. Simple as that! Pin It

Seven Deadly Sins Care Package

Looking for something different to send? Why not do a theme of Seven Deadly Sins?

1. Lust- playboy or porn (beware as technically this isn't allowed) swimsuit magazines or Victoria's Secret catalog could also work!
   
2. Pride- something from the branch they are in or the American flag
3. Envy- something from home or hometown
4. Greed- playing cards and poker chips
5. Sloth- a movie and popcorn
6. Gluttony- chocolate or his favorite candy
7. Wrath- Small punching bag (inflatable) or a video game
   

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