Hey ladies I'm just curious to know and maybe it might give myself and other ladies some ideas.... What's the most unusual or creative gift you've ever sent your husband during deployment or even just given for a birthday or other holiday? I have a new idea for a gift to send my husband for his birthday. I think it's really cute. It's kinda like daily affirmations but instead he gets daily doses of me. Ex: He'll pull a card from a jar and it'll say something like: Picture me: dancing or Hear me: singing your favorite song or Feel me: hugging you. I thought these little "doses of me" might help him through a tough day or just put a smile on his face. I can't wait to see what fun stuff you guys do for your other half.  

You don't have kids do you.... Mine was lucky if I sent a card during the holiday's.lol But we im'd and had a web cam so we got to talk every night...That is when he would get his gift..to see me and the kids..... 

I was kind of wondering about diffent ideas also. My husband just deployed and i was trying to also get some good ideas for care packages 

IPissedMyPants-->No we don't have any kids yet, so yea I have alot of time on my hands lol. I don't have webcam although even if I did, he never really has time to be on anyway. I do speak to him almost every night though but I like to send him little things that will encourage and comfort him when he can't talk to me. This is his first deployment so it's all new to us. I'm sure the next one I wont be sending as many care packages. Ryanjen--> Just try to send things that you know he'll like and that will make him smile. I try to send things that I know they can't get at the PX over there like sweets and candy. His roomate loves my packages cuz they always have junkfood in em. :) I always try to send enough for him to share. I now realize that it's jus the little things that count, I don't have to go all out or spend lots of money on expensive gadgets. My hubby is happy if I send a sexy pic ;) Get creative. 

So, I had to join the board to post, on this subject, so here it goes, I have been thru 4 deployments, and currently on one right now. Here are things I did for my husband and sent to him in a care package. I took a box of Special K cereal and took the cereal out and put Hershey Kiss candy in the box and then I took red paper and made the box say SPECIAL Kisses's. Next Idea, I took Hershey kiss wrappers the ones that say Kisses's on them, I took them out of the candy about 3 bags I used and then I found a small box and put them all in there like a jewelry box and put a Thousand Kisses from me to you on it. Next, I bought him a Talking Alarm Clock with a Picture Frame, I believe I got it from Radio Shack and put my picture and recorded a message for him so he could wake up with my VOICE. Last, I went to the Walmart Website and took a Picture of him and me and made it into a Pillow so he can always sleep with me. Those are some of my ideas sorry if there stuip just had to post these. 

I really like the idea with the pillow and the alarm clock. 

Yea I'm with ryanjen, they're not stupid at all they're fun and cute I like em. I want to get a recorder, a cute one, that I can record lots of different things on. So far I've only found the kind that you can record one message on. I like the pillow thing too. Ooh I also wanna get my husband one of those mini keychain digital picture frames so he can take "me" with him while he's out doing what he does. 

nicki I got 2 different types of those keychains for my 2 bros who are in the army. The one from Walmart stopped working except when hooked up to the computer almost immediately, and the one from CVS either my bro doesn't know how to use or stopped working too. Just wanted to give you a heads up, they seem great, but may not work long out there. I have been sending pictures of things we have been doing back here at home like the award ceremony and I will send him pictures from my graduation next week. He says these help him not feel so bad about missing them. I also look for sweet cards to send him just to tell him I miss him and love him. I love the pillow idea though. Also not sure how many of your hubbys asked about this but I know my husband said that they would LOVE american water. apparently the water there doesnt taste that great. Just another idea 

i just got things that would keep him busy. silly stuff. barnes and noble has a lot of little puzzley, goofy, waste of time things. those lil handheld electronic games from walmart like poker and hangman and crap... the boys could pass those around... if they broke, oh well. $10. the kisses and pillow ideas are greeeeaaat. very very sweet. i sent him an album and filled it up w/ pictures of us and his family. i sent him MY dogtags from when i was in the navy for him to wear... other than that, i sent food/candy he liked that he couldn't get over there. reminder: any chocolate other than M&Ms don't ship well! the candy outside of the M&Ms keep em from melting. we did a lot of "seasonal" packages. valentines, st patricks day, christmas of course... so they could celebrate too. my mom's office shipped a super sturdy coffee pot for him to "share"... (yea right... like they didn't know him better) haha...but in the box w/ the maker was REAL coffee; flavored coffee...from starbucks and other specialty coffee places. not the cheap ole' maxwell house... um... that's about it... i didn't spend too much time getting crafty b/c stuff gets damaged in the mail and my husband wouldn't remember it anyway! hahah. some men are a lil more sentimental however... lol i have a webcam i don't use... anyone who doesn't have one, you're more than welcome to have it. it's kinda cheap...but it gets the job done! it's nice to set up even for a few minutes just to blow kisses and give him a quick flash! hahhahahah. he'll really appreciate that! =D 

Eng you just gave me some great ideas for fathers day! 

Ha ha ....mine is adult rated. I bought a plain white pillow case and some neon paint. I painted my breasts and then pressed them on the pillow case. Only my husband and I knew what it was. He loved it. I also bought some printable paper that can be ironed onto fabric and a plain white pillow case. I printed out pics of me and our girls and ironed it on. It was a big hit. I got tons of requests from other soldiers. My husband felt like he was sleeping with us when he slept on the pillow. I bought little wooden hearts from wally world and had the girls paint them and write on them. They wanted their daddy to know their hearts are always with him. He still has them! I took pics like crazy and mailed them in a small album for him. He loved it! I would only suggest this next one if your husband has his own personal laptop. I would take provocative pics and videos. 15 months is a loooooong time. that kept him connected with me. he looked forward to them. 

Chrissy--my husband had a laptop that was loaded with pics and videos and then it broke over there he can't access his files but his drives still work. So what I do now is load the vids and pics onto flash drives and send em to him. 

I got this off of Cafemom I hope it helps some. I used a little bit of everything to send my hubby. Sorry its long. Themed Care Packages "Surviving the Sandstorms"- Eye wash; Nasal spray; Chapstick; Bandana; goggles/sun glasses; etc "Laundry Load"- Laundry soap ('sample Size or Tide tablets kind) to pack in with their clothes….in case there are no washer/dryers; Fabric softener sheets; clean socks and undershirts; Febreeze "Lotta Java"- Tea; Cocoa; Coffee singles; creamer; sugar; International Coffee tins; cookies for dunking in coffee "Thanks a Million!!"- Things that may "seem" expensive. Ex: Grey Poupon; electronic game of "Who wants to be a Millionaire?"; . "Hang in There!"- Stuffed animal monkey; Banana bread; Banana chips; Banana pudding (the kind that doesn't have to be refrigerated); Monkey's in a Barrel game; card with a monkey on it. "A Day at the Beach!"- sunscreen; beach towel; beach snacks; flip flop sandals (shower shoes); aloe vera gel; "Medicine Cabinet"- aspirin; band-aids; Neosporin cream; A&D ointment; cold medicine; alka seltzer; Rolaids; etc. "Staying Healthy"- nutrition/health bars (ex: Powerbar; Tigers Milk; Myoplex); vitamins; Nutri-grain bars; Gatorade or other sports drink (to stay hydrated); "MRE/Mess Hall Survival Kit"- restaurant Size condiment packs of: bbq sauce, mustard, ketchup, mayo, relish, salt. Pepper, taco sauce, ranch, cheese in a can dip, etc "Correspondence Carton"- notebook paper; stationery; pens; pencils; stickers (who knows they may even play with these!!); envelopes, address book (filled out already of course); camera (with a note to send back once it is full); "Action Hero's"- Powerbars; squirt guns; Red Bull drinks; small Army figurines; comic books; Gatorade; Red Bull drinks; etc "To Be A Kid Again"- silly string; bubbles; small bouncy balls; hacky sacks; brain teaser toys (rubix cube, etc); deck of cards; dominoes; slinky, Frisbee's; Pez w/ dispenser; Nerf balls; sand box toys (pail, small shovel, etc); "Bathroom in a Box"- TOILET PAPER!!! (the soft stuff); razor refills; foot powder; bars of soap; fresh, clean, soft washcloth; travel Size shampoo/conditioner; toothpaste; toothbrush; etc "Ruck Sack Snack Pack"- packed full of your loved one's favorite snacks….possibilities endless. Doritos; M&M's; nuts; chips; dips; crackers; jelly beans; beef jerky; gum; etc. "Breakfast on the GO"- mutrigrain bars; instant oatmeal cups; small boxes of cereal; pop tarts; Hostess donuts: Otis Spunk Meyer muffins; cocoa; coffee; Tang; "Tube O Tasties"- Just as something different…send a package in a tube instead of a square box. Make sure the parameters are acceptable though. "Stress Reliever"- back scratcher; bubble wrap; yo-yo's; bubbles; squeezy tension ball; "Sloppy Kisses"- since we know chocolate melts over there….send a bunch of Hershey's kisses. Bound to be "sloppy kisses!" "I'm Nuts About You"- peanuts; cashews; pistachios; peanut butter cookies; any candy or cookies with nuts in them; Nutter Butter's; Peanut Lover's Chex mix; Fiddle Faddle with peanuts "Rock On" or "Charlie ROCK"- pop rocks; music cd's "Chili Today, Hot Tamale"- hot tamales (candy); small cans of chili; red pepper flakes (like the ones at pizza parlors); salsa sunflower seeds; Cajun flavor Pringles; Spicy chex mix; Boston red hots; peppered beef jerky; taco bell hot sauce packets; Extreme Doritos; chili powder; nacho cheese sauce in a can; Tums/Rolaids, Jalapeño Ritz "And this little piggy went to the sandbox"- (foot care kit)- foot powder; Dr, Scholl's boot inserts; foot lotion; foot file; fresh, clean socks; toe nail clippers; scrub brush; odor eaters for shoes/boots; foot soaks (either include a small bucket or large Ziploc bags to soak feet it) "How do you eat your OREOS??!!"- regular Oreos; peanut butter Oreos; double stuff Oreos; low fat Oreos; chocolate filled Oreos; chocolate covered Oreos; holiday Oreos "Muchas Gracias…Nachos Supreme"- Doritos &/or Fritos &/or any corn tortilla chips; Mexican Velveeta; salsa (wrapped in bubble wrap); small can of olives (don't forget the can opener); bean dip; nacho cheese dip; small can of green chilies; jar of jalapenos (wrapped in bubble wrap); taco seasoning; small paper plates or bowls (so they can make their nachos); taco sauce (especially easy are those condiment packets from Taco Bell); You could also send the sauces from the various Mexican dinner kits (they also have tortilla's in those dinner kits that are sealed so they would probably get there without molding or drying out); Taco Bell Nacho Supreme kit "Sweet Tooth"- Nerds; Gummy Bears; Laffy Taffy; Bubble Gum; Tootsie Rolls; Lolli pops; (any candy that won't melt) "Pamper Party" (for females)- Feminine hygiene products; shampoo/conditioner; hair barrettes and scrunchies (same color as their hair); facial scrub &/or soap; facial mask; lotion; shower gel; razors; facial moisturizer; tweezers; nail care kit; toner; special facial products (alpha hydroxy; eye cream; etc); "Congrats on your promotion"- congratulation party favors; all your loved ones favorites snacks; sparkled cider (wrapped in bubble wrap of course); etc. "For the Fisherman"- Goldfish crackers; tuna pouches; canned smoked salmon; cans of sardines; gummy worms; Go Fish card game; Field & Stream magazine; electronic fishing rod game; Sponge Bob Square Pants stuffed toy; fishing game toy (made by several different toy companies. Has a small fishing pole with a magnet on the end. Fish have magnets on their mouths); "Say CHEEEESE!"- disposable cameras; cheese dip; Doritos; Cheetos; Cheese nips; Better Cheddars; Velveeta; "Kick Back & Relax"- Dominoes; playing cards; magazines; books; music cd's; crossword puzzles; jigsaw puzzles; word searches; hand held electronic games; squirt guns; water balloons; bubbles; hacky sacks; Nerf balls; board games (Axis & Allies, Clue, Trivial Pursuit, etc); "Christmas in July"- wrap everything in Christmas wrapping paper; peppermint flavored hard candies; "Italian Stallion"- Italian cheese Ghardetto's; Pizza-licious Pringles; Pepperoni pizza Combo's; small Boboli pizza bread; pizza sauce (for dipping Boboli); canned Ravioli, spaghetti, lasagna, etc; "American Classics"- Pez with dispensers; Cracker Jacks; Lifesavers; Necco Wafers; Pop Rocks; Nerds; Good & Plenty; Candy Necklaces; Candy cigarettes "Deployed on Thanksgiving"- canned turkey; instant mashed potato cups; hard breadsticks; gravy in a jar (wrapped in bubble wrap); Hostess apple pies; small can of corn (or other veggie); something special to cheer them up on **Thanksgiving (pictures from home; magazines; tape recorded tape; small scrapbook; etc) Packing Put anything that could leak or melt or has a scent in an zipper-Style bag (zip lock bagging something along that line). DO NOT include food items in a care package with ANY hygiene items or chemicals of any type. If food is in the same box as something like soap in extreme heat, it can end up tasting like soap. So enclose hygiene items in a zipper-Style bag. Use a sturdy box and cover all previous labels and markings with heavy black marker or adherive labels. (They can confuse and slow down processing). Fill all extra space with foam, peanuts, newspaper, bubble wrap or popcorn. Double tape all seams with strong packing tape. I suggest using the USPS flate rate boxes. No matter which Flate Rate Box you choose, the postage is the same, regardless of weight and destination. This is anywhere in the U.S., and DOES include any APO/FPO mailing address as well. Call toll free to order free supplies: 1-800-610-8734. Boxes come in a couple different Size's and they also have envelopes. 

Yeah I picked up a few of the flat rate boxes. they said if it fits then it can ship, with the exception of the hazardous/illegal items lol. the biggest one is 12 bux and the 2 smaller are 9 bux to apo/fpo addys 

Well, since my name is Kelly, for MY birthday I sent him a Barbie brand Kelly doll so he could "spend it with me" That's about as creative as I got other than the x-rated photo montage set to music which is now "our song". Snacks and goodies are such a hit, and don't even worry if they like them or not, if they don't there is plenty of sharing and trading going on! Small games and toys like the little nurf guns and rocket tossing things, mini footballs, etc. Even having the internet with webcams on both sides, he still really appreciated getting packages with things he could hold and know came from us.