Deployment Care Package Ideas

Like I said in my "About Me" section both my husband and I are active duty in the Air Force. It is definitely challenging at times with having two kids and trying to work out our work schedules so that way someone is home with the kids in the evenings BUT I wouldn't trade it for the world!

I am definitely one of those moms that would love to be a SAHM but I know that I would go stir crazy so bad. When I was on maternity leave it was wonderful til about the last week because I just felt like I needed to be back at work and being productive in my job. So let me say I am jealous of all you SAHM because you all can handle the daily home stress way better than I can!

My husband is currently deployed but actually in transit back to the states so I should be seeing him in the next few days and I am so very excited. While he was gone I sent him quite a few care packages of things he needed and then of course things I wanted to surprise him with to spoil him a little bit. So I thought I would share my ideas on care packages.

1. DON"T go online and order a prepackaged care package from a website- for 2 reasons. One they can very easily get lost on the mail. I had sent one to my husband back in 2009 and it never made it there and I was out 50 bucks. And secondly they aren't really that personable. Our spouses like something that you have put thought into. Even if it is a small package with just a few things they really enjoy that you took the time to go out and buy those things for them and send it instead of going online and in 5 seconds ordering the first package you see.

2. Put a card in the package. It doesn't have to be a novel that you have written it can just be a simple note or a "Miss You" Hallmark card. They are sentimental and lets your spouse know you are thinking about them. 

3. Send their favorite snacks! You can never send too many snacks for them. Most of the time if they don't want every snack in their care package they will put it in the community pile so that anyone from their work can have it they want. This deployment that my husband is on the chow hall had horrible food and I think I heard him complain about that more than anything else. So I knew he loved tuna so I sent him a huge box of tuna and some mayo to mix it with. I have never seen my husband so happy over something to menial but it is the small things that they love!

4. If you have kids have them draw pictures for them. I think this is by far the best thing you can ever put in a care package for your spouse if you have kids. My husband and I both deployed at the same time in 2009 and my mom had my daughter draw pictures and I cried when I saw them because they were so cute and I loved how she would draw a house with all of us in front of it. She also would write little notes on her pictures and that just tugged at my heart strings!

5. I am torn whether to put this on my list or not because each unit and person that deploys is different. When I deployed I asked people NOT to send me baby wipes. The reason being is that is the first thing that people think of to send someone since it is the desert and it is dusty. Well I had baby wipes coming out of my ears because there were so many already there. I did like when people sent the disinfecting wipes though. Those made me feel like something was cleaner than when I just used a baby wipe.

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6. For women that deploy: Send them girly stuff! So when you are at your deployed location most everything is tan. NOT a cute girl color! Yes we are at war but we still like to feel like girls at the end of the day and pamper ourselves. It can be something simple like some nail polish or a small pedi kit to keep your feet looking pretty. I loved when my best friend sent me a cute pink VS blanket to put on my bed and when I would get cute new eye shadows from my other friends in the mail. Really made my week!

7. Lastly send them some funny stuff. My boss got sent 8 small water guns so we went out and had a water gun fight one day at work. Made us laugh and for a moment forgot that we were in Iraq doing the same every day. 

Hopefully these ideas help because I know how sometimes you can draw a blank on what to send someone!