Baby, It's Cold Outside!

 

It's not actually cold outside at the moment but it will be soon! 

I started dreaming up this package right around Christmas time when Walmart had their holiday fleece throws on clearance for $2.50.  I dug through the bin searching for ones that were more of a winter theme and not Christmas.  I managed to find enough for all of my missionaries...sometimes the stars manage to align just right. You could easily find winter themed fleece on clearance at the fabric store and you could make your own fleece throw.  Here's a link for an easy to follow tutorial:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Tied-Fleece-Blanket/  In the tutorial they instruct you to use two layers of coordinating fabric.  I only ever use one.  Two is just TOO hot for my kids. Sometimes I cut and tie the edges...and sometimes I just cut off the salvage edge and leave it be.  You choose.  Easy.

Package contents:

fleece blankets

hot chocolate

mugs

Aromatherapy Rice Bag

(click here for instructions and printable)

snowballs

(found at Gordman's last year but you can make your own, click here

or you can order them online from here)

Snowball Cookies

(click here for the recipe and printable)

I went to the Dollar Store and purchased mugs, and hot chocolate mixes.  One for my missionary and one for their companion.  I tried to get them in coordinating colors with my package...I was using cool blue, white and silver.  I'm a little OCD like that.  I'm sure my missionary just rolls his eyes.

Click here to download the package topper.

Print onto white cardstock.  Cut out.  Place on top of package.

Don't forget to write a note on the back!

"Bloom Where You're Planted" - Quote Card



Occasionally, when I'm sending a letter I will include a quote card.  Most of the time they go along with the theme or topic of my letter.  I know.  I'm strange.  That's the way I fly.  I try to always make them 4x6 inches so that they will fit nicely in a regular envelope.  Just print them onto heavy card stock and cut them out.  Occasionally, I send magnets (for their fridge) or a 4x6 inch frame with them when they leave on their mission.  That way they can use it to decorate their apartment and just change it out when they receive a different quote card. Just pick up a frame at the thrift or Dollar Store.   Laminated cards could be used as bookmarks. 

 

This would also make a nice birthday gift...you could send a new quote card every month.  Guess I better get busy and make some more!!

 

Click here to download the quote card.

 

Photo credit:  yeah...I don't know.  I always go to the free photo sites

and most of the time they don't tell you who took the photo.  Sorry.

7-up Lifting Ways to Have a Great Mission

I found 7-up Lifting Ways to Have a Great School Year from Colette on My Computer is My Canvas and tweaked it a bit to make it work for missionaries.  The poem is all over the internet so it's impossible to find out who the author is and give them credit for the original idea.  Sorry. 

 

You can download the free printable by clicking here.  Simply print onto heavy white cardstock, cut them out, punch a hole in the top for a bit of ribbon (optional) and laminate for durability.

 

I absolutely LOVE this idea and send it to my missionaries when they first enter the MTC.  For my foreign missionaries that can't receive packages, I just take off the bottle/can of 7-up and send the bookmark by itself.   So easy!

Don't forget to send one for their companion...or companions, if they're in the MTC.

Maybe a Postcard Will Do



Here's the thing...you've got to write letters to get letters.  People are great to send a letter to your missionary occasionally but if they never hear back, then the writing slows down and they just don't think about it any more.  It's a rare person who writes letters expecting nothing in return.  Our lives are BUSY!!

 

I had a goal while serving my mission to reply to each letter that I received.  I did it!  It was hard, but I did it.  I remember many a p-day when I would pump out 14 letters.  My handwriting has never been the same.  I used to get a blister on the callus of my writing finger.  Seriously!

 

When Mason was on his mission I realized that most missionaries just don't have the time to reply in long letters.  Maybe it's a 'girl thing' but he just couldn't do it.  He would write, but it was taking him forever to get caught up and he was getting stressed and missionaries NEED mail and they DON'T need more stress.  It occurred to me that many of us (mom's and dad's NOT included) don't really need a LONG letter.  They just need something...

 

"Thanks so much for your letter!

It's wonderful to hear from people at home.

Things are great here!  I love missionary work.

Stay strong and keep the faith...

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Doesn't take much to keep a niece or nephew, aunt or uncle, or ward member happy but all will be thrilled to receive anything in return.  Every missionary, no matter how busy, has time to jot a few lines.  Postcards keep things nice and tidy and short and simple AND the postage is less.   Winner, winner chicken dinner!

 

 

For the Elders...

 

 

...and for the Sisters.

 

When Mason was serving in Ohio I was able to go through some of his photos and have them made into postcards (see that post here) but Matt wasn't as...creative?...with his photos and I just couldn't find anything that would translate into a good postcard so I searched the internet for free photos that were applicable and went to work on Photoshop.  I came up with four styles for the Elders and four for the Sisters.  Had them printed (front and back) at Alphagraphics (love that place!) on a heavy cardstock that is glossy on one side (for the photo or picture) and matte on the other (for writing).  Tied them up with ribbon and sent them on their merry little way with some postcard stamps.  I even had his mission address printed at the top for the return address.  All Matt's mail had to go through the mission home anyway and that way I didn't have to worry if he was transferred. 

 

Printing Tip: If you just copy these files on 8.5x11 paper you will have a .25 inch white border around the entire edge of the paper as the copy machines are not designed to print right to the edge of the paper.  You could have them shrink down the file (for the front and back) so that the entire post card prints...or...you could have them print on larger paper and print two copies on each page.  This is the option that I usually do as I am always sending more than four post cards in my package.  Print the 'back' of the post card onto the back side of the front image and cut out.

 

Here's the postcards for the Elders:

 

 

click here to download the Elder post cards (fronts)

click here to download the Elder post cards (backs)

 

...and for the Sisters:

 

 

click here to download the Sister post cards (fronts)

click here to download the Sister post cards (backs)

 

 

And just so 'ya know:  Here's what the back of the post card looks like...

 



 

I wrote and included this sappy little poem to use as a package topper...

(with the help of my good friend, Tonya)

 

For the Elders:

  

 

you can download the poem by clicking here

 

For the Sisters:

 

 

you can download the poem by clicking here



Thanksgiving Dinner in a BAG

 

This was all over the internet last Thanksgiving so I'm sure that you've seen it before but I thought I'd post a little tutorial anyway.  This was so much fun to make and my husband, Jeff just laughed and laughed at me and I'm sure my missionary just rolled his eyes but they are all so good to just humor me and let me play and have fun.

You will need:

large brown paper bag

2 brown paper lunch sacks

1 piece of white paper

hot glue gun

glue sticks

 

Turkey dinners

Hormel has a brand

that doesn't need refrigeration

canned vegetables

stuffing mix

instant mashed potato mix

gravy mix

fruit pies

 

Hormel has a brand of dinner that doesn't require refrigeration.  I found them on the same aisle as the macaroni and cheese.  I purchased enough for four not knowing if just one would fill them up and thinking that if it did, they could use it for another meal.  Lucky I did, because the day it was delivered, the Zone Leaders were there and they had enough dinner for all four of them. 

 

Start by putting everything in the bag.  Remember you will be folding the front edges in to make the front of the turkey so keep the big bulky stuff toward the back.  Keep in mind how it will be sitting during shipping.  I was using a tall, narrow bow so I knew my turkey would be standing on one end during transit.  What was on it's side while I was making the turkey would be standing up in the box.  You don't want your fruit pies getting crushed!  When you're finished, pack it all in place with popped popcorn.  I also included a tube of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies for both Matt and his companion.  Because they are a more sticky cookie, I put a small square of waxed paper in between each cookie.  Lay your turkey back down and fold/tuck the edges inside and glue closed with a hot glue gun.

 

click here for the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe

 

click here for tips on mailing cookies

 

'Crush' in the four back corners of your filled bag so that the back of your turkey will be rounded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To make the drumsticks of your turkey, fill a quart size Ziploc bag with caramel corn and using your hands, mold it into the shape of a drumstick.  You could use regular popcorn but it's not as malleable and I like to think it's the dark meat (ha, ha...everyone laughs, but Matt loved the caramel corn!).  Insert the caramel corn into a brown paper lunch sack and shape with your hands as shown below.  Twist the ends closed. 

 

click here for a soft Caramel Corn recipe

 

To make the poultry frills cut a piece of paper measuring the length of the paper so 11" x about 2".  Cut all along one long edge a little more than half-way through making your space between cuts about an 1/8 of an inch apart.  Apply a dot of glue to one end and start wrapping around the end of your drumstick securing with more hot glue at the end.  Don't forget you need to make two drumsticks!  Using a glue gun, glue your drumsticks in place.  There you have it!  So fun!  It just makes me giggle, it's SO CUTE!!

 

  

I stood mine up in a box and added crumpled tissue paper for support around the sides and a package topper.  Don't forget to write a note on the back of the topper!

 



 click here to download the free package topper

 

Here is a link to a video tutorial from Martha Stewart that I found invaluable:

http://www.marthastewart.com/286383/paper-bag-turkey

 

 

 

 



Rise & Shine!

 

Whenever we're in Hawaii, I pick up some Coconut Syrup.  Oh.  My.  Goodness!  It is SO yummy!  I probably bring home more than I should, I'm sure.  I've looked into ordering it on the internet but it's super pricey and we - as in Matt and I, 'cause we're the only ones around here that like coconut - appreciate it all the more because we only get it every other year or so.  Seriously.  It is a little bit of syrupy heaven!  ...and I just noticed that it's not even in the photo, sheesh!

 

 Now that he is on his mission (he's actually home now, but I'm super behind on posting) it felt a little strange to just send up bottles of syrup so I came up with this Rise & Shine breakfast package.  So fun!  Include all things breakfast-ie...

syrup

plastic bottle so it won't break while shipping

 

pancake mix

the kind where you just add water

 

juices

the kind that don't need to be refrigerated prior to opening

 

bacon

the pre-cooked kind

 

I'm sure you will have TONS of ideas to send in your Rise & Shine package.  What does your missionary like for breakfast?

 

 

 



click here to download the free printable

 

Note:  My very first effort at Photoshop...I've come a long way since then, baby.

Here I Am!!



 

I'm here...maybe you thought I had dropped off the edge of the planet?  Or that I didn't have a missionary out?  Well, one missionary has come home from Seattle just over a year ago and another has gone to beautiful Alaska and has been out five months...AND...I currently have nephews in Russia and New Zealand and nieces in Russia, Massachusetts and Virginia so I'm sending out packages for six.  Ka CHING!!  Mind you the ones out of the country get packages that are significantly smaller.  I am still very much in the mode of creative packages...just have a lot less time to blog about them.  With work three days a week and babysitting my grandson the other two days of the week it doesn't leave a whole lot of time to blog about them but I take photos with the hope that one day...

Guess what?!  It's 'one day'!  Yesterday my husband and I arrived in San Francisco for a work convention.  He's in meetings.  Me?  Trying to catch up on some blog posts.  YAY!!  So, if you're a 'follower' then please accept my apologies but I'm going to try to flood your inbox with new posts over the next few days.

 

Note:  No, this isn't the view from my hotel window and it's a good thing because I wouldn't get ANYTHING accomplished this week I'd just be day dreaming...my view is of the freeway and construction.  Still.  Happy to be here!  (photo credit:  I wish I knew.  Isn't it beautiful?)