1. Work It Out!: sneaker balls; deodorant; gatorade powder; hydroxycut; power bars; cheap headphones; cheap tape players;
workout CDs/Tapes; white gym socks (no logo)
2. Cookie Mania: everyone bakes a batch and we vacuum seal them
3.
Night at the Movies: Inexpensive or pre-viewed DVD movies; stovetop popcorn; individual size movie-candy packs; entertainment
magazines (like Rolling Stone); add favorite movie quotes to a poster; take pics of kids/do DVD recording with star shape
in background and with sunglasses
4. Game Night: Poker Chips; Board Games; Packs of Cards; handheld games and puzzles;
nut mix; snack packs
5. Texas Misses Y'all (adjust for your own state): Buy a stack of Texas postcards for people
to fillout at the meeting (for their own and other soldiers); include pictures of favorite area spots; pralines or pecan cookies
or muffins; Texas pens; Texas stationery; Longhorn stuff; anything useful with a Texas theme; hot sauce; BBQ sauce
6.
Breakfast in Bed: Breakfast Bars, Individual Cereal Snack Packs, Powdered Juice Mix, Coffee, hot/cold mugs (saw them for $1
at Walmart), muffins; powdered creamer; instant oatmeal; poptarts
Upcoming Seasonal:
7. Winter Wonderland
(may not translate around here ;-) ): hot cocoa mix; cider mix; winter cookies; have older kids/parents make and sign paper
snowflakes and paste to construction paper; chapstick; hot/cold mugs (saw them for $1 at Walmart); marshmallows
8.
Luck O' the Irish: make a "kiss me I'm Irish" poster with shamrocks and kisses; send hershey kisses if still cool enough out;
goodluck charms; St. Patrick's themed cookies
9. Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Cracker Jacks; Peanuts; Sports Illustrated
Magazine and other sports magazines; sports highlights DVDs; gum with basball cards; Nerf Balls; beef jerky; favorite team
pennants
10. Are You Ready for Some Football?: Highlights DVDs, Sports Magazines, Team Pennants; Regulation and Nerf
Footballs; pretzels and chips and salsa; posters of cheerleaders
11. Surviving the Sandstorms: Eye wash, nasal spray,
Chapstick, Bandana, etc.
12. Laundry Load: Laundry soap (sample size or Tide tablets) to pack in with their clothes...in
case there are no washers or dryers; fabric softener sheets, clean socks and undershirts
13. Lotta Java: Tea, cocoa,
coffee singles, creamer, sugar, International coffee tins, cookies, for dunking in coffee
14. Thanks a Million!!:
Things that may "seem" expensive such as Grey Poupon, small amount of cash, wrap
items in green tissue paper, or an electronic
game of who wants to be a Millionaire?"
15. Hang In There!: Stuffed animal monkey, banana bread, banana chips, banana
pudding, Monkey's in a Barrel game, card with a monkey on it.
16. A Day at the Beach!: Sunscreen, beach towel, beach
snacks, flip flop sandals (shower shoes), Aloe Vera gel
17. Medicine Cabinet: Aspirin, band-aids, Neosporin cream,
A&D ointment, cold medicine, Alka Seltzer, Rolaids, etc.
18. Staying Healthy: Nutrition/health bars (ex: Powerbar,
Tigers Milk, Myoplex), vitamins, Nutri-grain bars, Gatorade or other sports drink (to stay hydrated))
19. 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.
20. Correspondence Carton: Notebook paper, stationary, 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
21. Action Heros: Powerbars, squirt guns, Red Bull drinks, small Army figurines, comic books,
etc.
22. To Be A Kid Again: Silly string, bubbles, small bouncy balls, hacky sacks, brain teaser toys (Rubix Cube,
etc.), deck of cards, dominoes, etc.
23. Bathroom in a Box: TOILET PAPER!!! (the soft stuff), razor refills, foot
powder, bars of soap, washcloths,
travel size shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.
24. Tube O Tasties:
Just as something different...send a package in a tube instead of a square box. Make
sure the parameters are acceptable.
25. Stress Reliever: Back scratcher, bubble wrap, yo-yo's, bubbles, squeezy tension ball
26. Sloppy Kisses:
Since we know chocolate melts over there...send a bunch of Hershey's kisses. Bound to be "sloppy kisses!"
27. I'm
Nuts About You: Peanuts, cashes, pistachios, peanut butter cookies, any candy or cookies with nuts
in them
28.
Rocks On: Pop Rocks, music CDs.
29. And this little piggy went to the sandbox
foot care kit) Foot powder, Dr. Scholl's boot inserts, foot lotion, foot file, fresh socks, toe nail clippers.
30.
Chili Today, Hot Tamale: Hot Tamales (candy), small cans of chili, red pepper flakes, 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.
31. How do you eat your OREOS??!!: Regular Oreos, peanut butter Oreos, double stuff Oreos,
low fat Oreos, chocolate filled Oreos, chocolate covered Oreos
32. New Baby: A "Its A Boy/Girl" birth announcement
card, candy pacifiers, baby bottles filled with candy, baby wipes (which they need), baby lotion, baby powder small stuffed
animal, bubble gum cigars, baby boy stuffed bear, cheerios, Gerber Graduates - Banana Cereal Snackin' Squares, Veggie Crackers,
Veggie Wagon Wheels, Fruit Juice Snacks, Cereal Bars, Johnson's Take Along toiletry pack, Sugar Babies, Milk Duds, Sour Patch
Kids, Mini sweet tarts, Jerky Steak Bites - for teething, and can of powdered pink lemonade[Now I realize blue kool aid would
have been more appropriate] (printed a new label - Baby Soldier Formula - Caution - use of this product may cause baby to
require less sleep than normal babies, ability to sleep anywhere, develops strong patriotism, etc., and a disposable camera
to record his rapid growth
33. Crazy for cookies: Any type of cookie in the cookie aisle Would be great during the
holidays.
34. From the local zoo: animal crackers, peanuts, peanut butter from the elephants, beef jerky from the
lions, dried banana chips from the chimps, trail mix from the birds ,Hostess Snowballs from the polar bears, tuna from the
seals, postcards, stuffed animals or plastic zoo animals
35. You got the “write” stuff: pens, pencils,
markers, stationary, envelopes, your own letters of encouragement, phone card, blank greeting cards, post cards, hand made
cards, gel pens, stickers, sheet of computer printed return labels
36. Sweet Dreams package: cookies, hot chocolate,
tea, pillow, powdered milk, book, small reading light, marshmallows (for the choc), mug
37. Fiesta theme: Margarita
drink mix, Pina colada mix, lemonade, Salsa, Torango Chips (in a triangluar pringles type can), cheese in a jar (found in
chips isle), hot tamales candy, Fire Balls candy, Red, green, yellow balloons, Chili peppers (canned), Refried beans, taco
or fajita seasoning, tobasco Sauce, pinata (filled with candy),Taco Bell sauce packets
38. Lets Play Ball: baseballs,
peanuts, major league gum, sunflowers, baseball cards, baseball hat, shreaded beef jerky (looks like snuff), sunglasses, popcorn,
fake beer (near beer?), Cracker Jacks and a pennant from a hometown team, game day programs, stats on teams and players
39.
Brain Teasers: those little games you get at parties and you have to put those little balls in the holes, crossword puzzles,
puzzles, those puzzles that are small and metal and you have to take them apart and then put back together, rubiks cube, travel
size games of checkers and chess
40. Emeril of Iraq ( or other place ): all kinds of hot nuts and sauces and spices,
Sun-dried tomatoes, dried shitake mushrooms olive oil, minced garlic (jar), balsamic vinegar, dry rub spices, marinades, specialty
oils pesto, capers, anything from Emeril's food product line (esp BAM! essence), perhaps some grilling utensils (spatula,
tongs, etc), Emeril recipes/cookbook (Every Day's A arty sounds like a fun one) napkins, coasters, etc from his restaurants
in New Orleans, Las Vegas, or Orlando
41. Under the Sea: anything with Sponge Bob? Fish shaped crackers, salt packets,
Blue colored Kool Aid, shark gummies, swedish fish, little game that has those fish going around and you have to fish for
them? Goldfish game cards, At Oriental Trading company you can buy those toy fish. Maybe a Go Fish game. Tuna, those Sea Monkeys
you add water to and they grow. Maybe the crystals you add water too and they grow to resemble underwater coral growths, How
about one of the medium sized Conk seashells so he could hear the ocean? Salt water taffey is always a hit too
42.
Breakfast on the Go: individual packages of cereal, instant oatmeal, trail mix, hot chocolate, coffee, mug, chex morning mix,
donuts, Pop Tarts, cereal bars
43. You Stink: soap, deoderent, socks, laundry soap tablets, air fresheners, Foot powder,
Odor eaters, baby powder, Fabreeze, baby wipes, new undies, tee shirts, whoopee cushion
44. Big Cheese/Promotion Box:
Cheese curls, cheese balls, cheese flavored chips, cheese Doritos, cheese popcorn, cheese and crackers, cheese flavored crackers,
tubs of cheese spread, cheesy instant mashed potatoes
45. Jamaica in a Box: Jerk Seasoning for their MRE's, Bob Marley
posters and CD's, sand bucket and shovel (They have all the sand they need there), travel magazines from Jamaica Some beach
towels with board games like twister, checkers on them, sunglasses, tropical fruits (since you can't send fresh fruits, he
thought either the canned ones or dried fruits) pictures of the Jamaican countryside we took, little tropical things like
palm trees, fish, etc that you can get from Oriental Trading Company postcards from Jamaica, sunscreen one of those hats with
dread locks attached, translation guide on how to speak Jamaican or Patois as it's called there, a Jamaican Flag with an explanation
on what the colors mean
46. Sun Tea: Get one of those plastic 2qt jugs with the handles and the push button spout..
fill the inside of the jug with tea bags, sugars and sweet and lows and see about finding a restraunt that carries those little
packets of real lemon...or even include a few real lemons??? Include a spoon and some cups...or Celestial Seasonings 'summer
tea' bags that you use with cold water....
47. Pool/Sand Party: a burnt cd with the 'beach boys' or any other group
singing about...summer time fun... beach ball, squirt guns--water balloons--ummmm, koolaid and those little paper umbrellas,
several different types of "water bombs" that you soak in water and toss around, footballs, vollyballs, sand toys, those velcro
pads you wear on a hand & the balls that stick to them. bunch of beach towels, , chapstick, bottles of aloe vera, Beach
Towel board games(Twister, Checkers & Tic, Tac Toe), hacky sacks, insect repellent, plastic baseball bat and ball sunflower
seeds, buckets and shovels(to build sand castles), soft-sided cooler plastic Trucks to play in the sand with, croquet game,
kiddie blow up pool, ice tea, lemonade, sunglasses, sunscreen
48. Hawaiian/Luau: Macadamia nuts, coconut creme cookies,
Kona coffee, sugar in the raw packets, photos/cards with Hawaiian scenery, go to orientaltrading.com they have a TON of Hawaiian
things like paper palm trees, grass hula skirts, leis, coconut novelties, tropical staws w/ palm trees, flamingos, pineapples,
etc. pineapple chunks, 'hawaiian tropic lotion smell', Hawaiian punch juice boxes, sun glasses, pina colada drink mixes, bag
of seashells, line the box with tropical themed wrapping paper, Hawaiian girl car ornament, inflatable fish, sharks, palm
trees, Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, Dole tropical fruit cups, dried mango, papaya and pineapple, those Loreal Kids
Shampoo in fish shaped containers, teriyaki chicken and beef nuggets, Barbie dolls dressed in bikinis, colorful flip flops
49. Kick back and have some fun: Dominoes, playing cards, magazines, books, music CD's, those relaxation CD(the ones
with sounds of waves, etc), crossword puzzles, word searches,jig saw puzzles, hand-held electronic games, squirt guns, water
balloons, bubbles, hacky sacks, nerf Balls, jokes and funny pictures and cartoons
50. Going Nuts/Hang In There Package:
banana chips, barrel of monkey game, I think Little Debbie makes some Curious George Banana Twin cakes, Bath & Body Works
has some Kids Bananarama wipes, all kinds of nuts - carmel corn with nuts, peanut butter, peanut butter crackers, baby ruth,
snickers, almond joy, planters bars, peanut brittle, Peanut - Almond or Peanut Butter M&M's, all flavored corn nuts
51.
Cold Season: some cough drops, kleenex, tea, instant noodle soup, hot chocolate, get well card phone card to call MOMMY
52.
Poker Party: Poker chips and cards... for snacks so far I have pizza, cheese and bbq pringles, sunflower seeds, tobasco flavored
microwave popcorn (found at dollar store)... and since I have read of people being successful sending cans - I am going to
send O'Douls non-alcoholic beer in ziplocks and bubble wrap. maybe send cheese/cracker snack packs with Pepperoni pieces,
chips and dips, salsa, pretzels, shelled peanuts, dice, play money, dealer visors and a lucky rabbits foot and shot glasses,
felt to play on, Crackers & Pub cheese or velveeta (no refridge req'd kind), beef summer sausage, salami, or pepperoni,
drink mixes (Bloody Mary, Margarita, etc - for virgin drinks), Gatorade or iced tea powder some kind of multicolor hard candies
(in case they run out of chips, chocolate - Tasteations or Nips or equiv. for the summer, men's magazines, CDs/Music &
batteries, cards, chips, dice , cigars/cigarellos - the real ones - recommend Black-n-Mild - they're pretty cheap, bubble
gum cigars & candy cigarettes - for those that don't want the above, party-themed napkins/plates/decor
53. Salute
to the Heroes: bag of toy soldiers, donuts, water guns, small black flashlight, there are some fire stations that will give
a t-shirt to another fireman in a different area that may be visiting, maybe if you explain what you are doing they may give
you a t-shirt from their station a St. George Medal. St. George is the Patron Saint of the Military. The inscription on the
back reads: "Keep us safe, day and night. Give us courage, strength and might."
54. Warm Them Up: Hot Tamales, flamin
hot Cheetos,hot sauce, hot nuts,cajun spices,Fritos and Jalapeno Dip, Atomic Fire Balls, Cinnamon Gum, Red Hots, Hot-Flavored
Planters Peanuts, Mini bottles of hot sauce, Cinnamon TicTacs, IcyHot Sore Muscle Rub, Crystal Lite Iced Tea, Andy Capp Red
Hot Fries, Jalapeno Jelly Belly Beans, a Hot Rod magazine and Tums,Icy/Hot Cream
55. Cool Them Down: A few of Angel's
chilly willys squirt guns (forgot to put them in the bday box - space cadet!) Fan/Mister & Batteries Dentyne Ice &
Koolerz gum IceBreakers mint tin Lemonade Drink Mix SnowBall cakes Cool Ranch Doritos Sunglasses (also forgot to put them
in bday box - I must get organized!) water bottle "wet suit" candy ice cream cone thing-a-ma-jigs
56. American A-Z:
A- Individual Apple Pies B-Baseball: Plastic or nerf baseball and bat C- cotton candy in a bag, chocolate chip cookies, D-
Ding Dong Hostess Cakes E- F- Flags, Nerf Footballs, G-Gatorade powder H- Hot Dogs(Vienna Sausages(chicken)) I-Ice Cream -The
astronaut Ice Cream someone else mentioned J- Jokes, jelly bean ( red white and blue ) K- Kool Aide mix, Kellog’s cereals
L- M- mac n cheese N- O- Oreos P- poker cards/chips,phone card to call home, Mr Potato Head, popcorn Q- Q-tips R- Racing:
Die Cast Cars, Schedules from Race Tracks, Ritz crackers S-Sunflower Seeds, Soldiers (Toy Soldiers), slinky T- tea for sun
tea, twinkies, taco bell sauce U-Unity: Photos showing people's support of our soldiers(signs in yards, etc) V- volley ball
and net W- watermelon flavored hard candy X- Y- yo yos, yellow mustard Z- zingers
