College Freshman Care Package

I feel like I haven't posted in forever, but thanks for sticking with me. :) I had to present my thesis proposal to my committee last week (whew! glad that's over), which consumed a good chunk of time and about all my emotional energy to prepare for it. And this week I am flying to New Orleans for a conference, which I am excited about, but it also means I am left with little time for fun projects. {sigh} I'll get back to it soon. Actually, last weekend I devoted several hours of my Saturday to restaining my kitchen cabinets and replacing old pulls with new spray painted ones. I can't wait to show you!!! And I will once I get some time to make the kitchen sparkle and take photos of the makeover. 

Anywho, I thought I would show you all a small project from my "additional projects I'm thinking about" list that I put together about a month ago. My youngest sister is a freshman in college this year, and I thought it would be nice to send her a care package, so I searched around for some ideas and this is what I came up with. 

Here is a list of everything I included. Maybe it will help you think of some things to send your child/sibling/grandchild/niece/nephew/friend who could use some fun and useful things as the most stressful time of the semester draws near. He or she will appreciate it immensely! 

1. Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa (free, as I had some on hand) - It is much cheaper (and cuter) to scoop out some hot cocoa mix from your own big tub into clear plastic bags for individual servings than to go buy small packets from the store.

2. Handmade bookmarks - you can see how I made them here.

3. Archer Farms fruit strips ($2) - Love these! Besides being delicious, they keep forever and they hardly take up any room in the box.
4. White cheddar bunnies from Target ($2) - If you scoop them into Ziploc bags and tie a bow around it, it looks cuter. Nice packaging can make all the difference sometimes.)

5. Stickers ($1) - because why not? Stickers make everything better.
6. ToDo list with sticky notes ($2 together) - Got to love Target's Dollar Days. By the way, I realize this is definitely specific to my little sis' personality and behaviors. She LOVES organizational stuff, so that's why this is actually a fun item for her.

7. Another list-making pad with pencils ($2) - Again, Target's Dollar Days are awesome.
8. Crystal light packages ($2.79) - Need I remind you that she is a sister, not a brother? Ha ha. Great for mixing into her water bottle when she's on the go.
9. Dial hand sanitizer - Do not put this in your package no matter how good of an idea it is. (Those kids are all sick at this time of year.) I made that mistake and had to take it out when I went to mail the package at the post office. No liquids, folks.
10. Tissues ($1) - Again, for those sick gross days when you still have to go to class.
11. Darling recycled notebooks ($1.99/ notepad, except the large one was on clearance at Target for $1.74) - Great for jotting down notes in class.

12. Scotch wall mounting tape (free - had some on hand) - I included this later on, so it's not in that 2nd pic. This item is good for hanging posters and stuff in dorm room where you can't nail holes into the wall.

While the items that I included in the package were fairly inexpensive, the actual shipping cost me $14.50. Yikes! Also, I suggest paying extra for the shipping confirmation. I found out the hard way recently that USPS cannot do anything about tracking down a lost package unless you pay the $1.75 or whatever it is for shipping confirmation.

Anyway, I hope this gets those creative juices flowing for someone else who is planning a care package for their college student. :)

P.S. Don't forget to include a note. That's an important part that I almost overlooked.

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