Happy Birthday: How to Celebrate Across the Miles

My daughter turns 19 this month, and this will be her first birthday away from home. She is at college, and while we will be able to celebrate with her early during her Spring Break, there is something that feels off about not seeing her on the actual day. It’s a tough pill to swallow because it marks another change in our family dynamic. But there is the opportunity for fun as well, and I am planning an awesome birthday care package.

The first thing I am going to do is line the box with festive paper. Then, I am going to fill it with some of these goodies:

    1. Reel viewer with photos from home – This is a fun twist on scrapbooks, and can be ordered everywhere, from Etsy to Uncommon Goods.
    2. Desserts in a cup – These can be found in grocery stores on the baking aisle and zap up in the microwave in minutes. You can choose from brownies, banana bread, blueberry muffins, etc.
    3. Balloons to pop filled with little toys or quarters for laundry – The secret is to blow-up and deflate the balloon a few times to stretch it out so the items will fit.
    4. Party supplies – Let’s face it, college students are poor and don’t have extra money for streamers and noisemakers, but what’s a party without them?
    5. Hidden money in a mason jar – All you need is the jar, a toilet paper tube, their favorite candy, and some cash.
    6. Favorite color theme – Pick their favorite color and buy everything accordingly.  They will probably prefer “green” (h$nt, h$nt).
    7. Message in a bottle flash drive – This is a cool little tool that comes with room to leave a love note inside, and is easy to find online.
    8. Organizer filled with snacks – Go big or go home!  If you really want to splurge, pick up one of these closet organizers and fill it with all kinds of sugar!
    9. Supply kit – Toilet paper is a big issue in my daughter’s suite; people literally hide it between uses. In addition to that treasure, I get requests often for cleaning supplies, detergent and other household items. Maybe throw in some first aid items for good measure.
    10. Actual cake – My mother-in-law once famously mailed a fully cooked and frosted cake to my husband when he was in college. It got there a little worse for wear, but was apparently still delicious! I would suggest sending the icing separately.  😉

What are your favorite care package goodies?