CARE PACKAGES for our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2008

patriciaruth ^ | 3-29-08 | patriciaruth

[patriciaruth]

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Let me know how many envelops of cocoa and how many candy canes you send so I can keep track of how we are doing.

:-D

[JustAmy]

I plan to do some shopping today.

I have on hand a large box of granola bars, some regular size candy bars (120 bars) and a box of Rice Krispy treats. I will get cocoa and popcorn to use as packing.

I’ll let you know quantities later.

[patriciaruth]

I got two boxes of 30 Nature Valley fruit and nut bars for Kandahar and just packed two boxes of 15 caramel nut protein bars as filler with the ornaments going to our base on the Pakistani border tomorrow. So we are both on that same brain wavelength.

I figured how to pack those Bob’s candy canes with 12 in a box for 98 cents at Walmart. Two boxes flat with canes vertical/straight up in kitty corners and then put two boxes turned 90 degrees so canes are seen horizontal into the other two kitty corners. Can get 8 boxes in that way and take the canes out of the remaining two boxes and lay them out on thin bubble wrap, and then overlaid with bubblewrap. Get 120 canes into a 12x12 care package pretty quick that way.

Trick to getting 10 boxes of cocoa mix in one box is easy, too. Cocoa Swiss Miss cost 1.29 at Walmart.

Bless your care packaging heart!
Cheers!

[JustAmy]

I have 5 boxes packed. I need to finish the Custom Forms, I plan to take to PO tomorrow.

Also, last week I got 24 candy canes as Target for 2.49. I bought 4 boxes (8 doz canes) for $10.00. This week Target has 3 boxes of 24 candy canes for $5.00 so ... today I picked up another 6 boxes (144 canes) for $10.00. I plan to pack them tomorrow and mail them on Thursday along with the granola bars. I read the granola bar box again. They are packed 2 bars per pack for a total of 96 or 48 individual packs.

Tomorrow, I will post what I get mailed tomorrow.

[JustAmy]

I mailed 5 large flat rate boxes to Kandahar this morning. I will try to get two more boxes mailed tomorrow.

Box #1:
56 candy canes
12 bags MW popcorn
100 individual packages Nestle Cocoa Mix

Box #2:
48 candy canes
34 Rice Krispy Treats
3 boxes flavored Coffee Mate .. 50 packs each box ...
French Vanilla, Creamy Chocolate, Irish Creme

Box #3:
2 boxes of M&M variety regular size candy bars ... 30 bars/box
20 Rice Krispy Treats
6 bags corn nuts

Box #4:
2 boxes of M&M variety regular size candy bars ... 30 bars/box
24 bags David & Sons sunflower seeds

Box #5:
5 plastic candy-filled candy canes
2 decks of playing cards
2 packages of dice
1 tin dominoes
2 tubs soft red/white mints
1 40oz bag Reeses assorted candies
~ 85 pieces of assorted candies for filler ...
Skittles, Starburst, Snickers, Milky Way, etc.

I packed different this time. Instead of leaving the candy canes is the original boxes, I used bubble wrap and put the candy canes in loose. I’m hoping they make it without breaking.

[JustAmy]

I mailed two more boxes today. That makes a total of 7 boxes from Jim Robinson and me.

Box #1:
48 Crunchy Granola bars (packed two bars per pack
72 Candy Canes
6 Microwave popcorn

Box #2:
72 candy canes
22 Microwave popcorn
~ 75 mini size assorted candies for filler

[patriciaruth]

Here comes Santa Claus!

Big THANK YOU’s are due.

Dolander2000 has mailed big boxes to both of our adopted bases with beanie babies for the soldiers to choose and send home to their kids or hand out to local children.

JustAmy and Jim Robinson have sent out 7 boxes, see the two posts above, filled with goodies for Kandahar, including candy canes, granola bars, popcorn, candy bars, etc.

norton has his boxes ready to fill when Hickory Farms opens tomorrow and send to our adopted unit at FOB Joyce.

MJY1288 has mailed a tall prelit Christmas tree to headquarters of FOB Joyce.

And I mailed out the Christmas tree ornaments yesterday for
the tree to FOB Joyce, BIG THANK YOU to Enterprise for the donation covering these boxes and their postage.
Mailed November 16, 2011, to FOB Joyce in Afghanistan, 3 care packages 12x12
Box 1, value $34.74, postage $12.95
Christmas tree ornaments:
box 18 medium blue round shatterproof
2 containers small round shatterproof (1 blue, 1 silver)
part box with 12 medium red balls
19 Balance protein bars (caramel nut)
Bag 16 Kitkat Halloween candy bars, 3 Halloween Skittle pkgs, and 1 Halloween Reese’s peanut butter cup
1 box 1000 tinsel

Box 2, value $30.67, postage $12.95
1 box tinsel
1 pkg 3’x5’ sparkle snow drape for tree skirt
box 18 medium silver balls
6 medium red balls
container 10 small red balls
2 boxes 24 silver icicles 4”
box 200 ornament hooks
11 Balance protein bars (caramel nut)

Box 3, value $14.95, postage $12.95
Glass and white lights star tree topper
4 boxes 12 medium peppermint candy canes
4 foot of Buffalo snow for tree skirt.
****

For those who can send more candy canes or hot chocolate mix to Kandahar, here is some helpful info.
Customs forms (post 496 for instructions in how to fill out)
can be got at U.S. post office as can 12x12 flat rate priority boxes for the troops, which can be mailed to an APO address for 12.95, 2 dollars less than usual.

I figured how to pack those Bob’s candy canes with 12 in a box for 98 cents at Walmart. Two boxes lie flat with canes vertical/straight up in kitty corners and then put two other boxes turned 90 degrees so canes are seen horizontal into the other two kitty corners. Stack another layer on top and can get 8 boxes in that way and take the canes out of the remaining two boxes and lay them out on thin bubble wrap, and then overlaid with bubblewrap. Get 120 canes into a 12x12 care package pretty quick that way.

Trick to getting 10 boxes of cocoa mix in one box is easy, too. Cocoa Swiss Miss cost 1.29 at Walmart.

I really need a few more volunteers to send either a box with 10 boxes candy canes (cost 9.98 for canes and 12.95 for postage) to Kandahar, or to send them 10 boxes hot chocolate mix (found stacked on pallet in aisle next to candy at my store) (cost 12.90 for the cocoa, and 12.95 for postage)

A few people sending one box each will help a great deal!

Enterprise and jtill have been very generous donors, as you will see when I post the other boxes that will go out before Thanksgiving, but I need help with leg work of getting more candy canes and cocoa mailed out. THANK YOU ALL!

Now have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

[Enterprise]

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HO HO HO!

[patriciaruth]

See post 496 for information on how to fill out customs forms for care packages.

“We wish you a Merry Christmas; we wish you a Merry Christmas”...

:-)

[patriciaruth]

see post 496 for information on customs forms.

If still have questions, let me know.

[patriciaruth]

Christmas care packages continue to go out. :-D

norton is sending two large boxes to FOB Joyce;
Total of 11 beef and 3 turkey sausages,
11 smoked cheddar and 5 jalapeno cheeses,
20 packets of hot cider and 40 cocoa mix

Mailed November 23, 2011, to base near Kandahar, 5 care packages 12x12
Box 1, THANK YOU to jtill for donating this box, insured $145.28, postage $15.80
red Santa hat with white fuzzy ball and trim
14 DVD movies:
Tortilla soup (Hector Elizondo)
Stand and Deliver (Edward James Olmos)
La Bamba (Lou Diamond Phillips)
Latin Kings of Comedy (sent as requested, but R rated for a reason, don’t recommend)
Honey (Jessica Alba)/Blue Crush/Jose and the Pussycats THREE pack
Mask of Zorro (Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Song of Hiawatha (Litefoot, Graham Greene)
Thunderheart (Val Kilmer, Graham Greene)
Pow Wow Highway (A Martinez)
Smoke Signals (Irene Beach, Irene Bedard)
Dreamkeeper (Cody Lightning)
Rescue Dawn (Christian Bale)
3 BOOKS:
Complete Sherlock Holmes, vol I (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Complete Sherlock Holmes, vol II
Every Living Thing (James Herriot)
2 bags Halloween candy:
28 fun size Snickers
32 Starburst
3 Magazines:
Reader’s Digest November 2011
Reader’s Digest December 2011
Sports Illustrated: College Basketball
Christmas theme stickers
Christmas card

Box 3, value $18.79, postage $12.95
THANK YOU to Lets Roll for boxes 3 and 4
14 boxes Swiss Miss hot chocolate (10 envelops/box)
1 box 1000 icicles (tinsel)

Box 4, value $11.76, postage $12.95
8 boxes 12 peppermint candy canes regular size and
47 individual candy canes bubble wrap cocooned.

Box 5, value $18.79, postage $12.95
THANK YOU to Kitty Mittens for boxes 5 and 6
14 boxes Swiss Miss hot chocolate (10 envelops/box)
1 box 1000 icicles (tinsel)

Box 6, value $11.76, postage $12.95
8 boxes 12 peppermint candy canes regular size and
47 individual candy canes bubble wrap cocooned.

****
Box 2 to Kandahar needs customs form done, but is packed with granola bars and movies. Also have 3 boxes movies, books, goodies for FOB Joyce that are close to finished, sponsored by Enterprise and jtill. Finally, lots more candy canes and cocoa for Kandahar, which will be going out Friday or Monday, but need sponsors, or a few troop supporters to help with postage or content costs.

It’s looking good!

Happy Thanksgiving!

[patriciaruth]

Mailed December 1, 2011, to FOB Joyce, 2 boxes 12x12
Box 1, insured $166.54, postage $15.80
THANK YOU to jtill for pledged donation toward this box
11 DVD movies:
Reign of Fire (Christian Bale, Matthew McConnaughy)
Outlander (Jim Caviezel)
How to Train your Dragon (Jay
Unbreakable (Bruce Willis)
Lethal Weapon 1,2, 3, and 4 (Mel Gibson, Danny Glover)
Mo’ Better Blues (Denzel Washington)
Lawrence of Arabia (Peter O’Toole, Alec Guiness, Omar Sharif)
Frequency (Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel)
5 BOOKS:
Most Secret (Nevil Shute)
Tunnel in the Sky (Robert A. Heinlein)
Sarum (Edward Rutherford)
Russka (Edward Rutherford)
Starship Troopers (Robert A. Heinlein)
10 Wet Wipes
1 bag corn candy
1 bag mallow pumpkins
1/2 bag pecans
3 little individual bags Halloween candy 4 corn candy, 4 Indian corn, 3 pumpkins, double Starburst)
1 magazine: Reader’s Digest October 2011, “Funny Power”

Box 2, insured $263.95, postage $17.70
THANK YOU to Enterprise for donation for this box
1 Santa Hat (red fuzzy hat with white fuzzy ball and trim)
1 miniseries DVD:
Jesus of Nazareth (Franco Zefferelli directing)
16 DVD movies:
Apollo 13 (Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise)
The Right Stuff (Scott Glen, Sam Shepard, Jeff Goldblum, Dennis Quaid)
Star Trek (Chris Pine)
Hitch (Will Smith)
The Gods must be Crazy I and II
The King’s Speech (Colin Firth)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Chevy Chase)
The Santa Clause (Tim Allen)
A Christmas Story (about Ralphie and the bee bee gun)
Tyler Perry’s Daddy Little Girls
Madagascar
Madagascar: Return2Africa
The Penguins of Madagascar
Ghostbusters I and II (Sigourney Weaver, Bill Murray)
9 BOOKS:
The Mountain Valley War (Louis L’Amour)
Rider of Lost Creek (Louis L’Amour)
Kilkenny (Louis L’Amour)
Hondo (Louis L’Amour)
Last of the Breed (Louis L’Amour)
Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
Teeth of the Tiger (Tom Clancy)
The Bear and the Dragon (Tom Clancy)
Glory Road (Robert A. Heinlein)
1 bag Butterfingers
3 candy canes
2 cherry Chapsticks
2 Imprimis newsletters (Executive Power in wartime; The Presidency and the Constitution)
1 bag Sunsweet dry mixed fruit

Mailed December 1, 2011, to base near Kandahar, 3 boxes 12x12
Box 2, insured $116.01, postage $15.80
9 DVD movies:
The Great Raid (Joseph Fiennes, Benjamin Bratt)
The Quick and the Dead (Sam Elliot, Kate Capshaw)
Night at the Museum (Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson)
Night at the Museum II, Battle for the Smithsonian (Ben Stiller,
The 2 documentaries on wolves were wrapped in Christmas paper and silver bow
Wolves: A Legend Returns to Yellowstone
Yellowstone: Valley of the Wolves; Christmas in Yellowstone
Louis L’Amour 3 pack: The Sacketts miniseries with Sam Elliot, : Conagher with Sam Elliot, ; Catlow with Yul Bryner
BOOKS:
Fallon (Louis L’Amour)
The Key-Lock Man (Louis L’Amour)
2 boxes 30 Nature Valley fruit and nut bars
5 freebie paper perfume/cologne
3 Franklin Graham newsletters
1 box 10 Swiss Miss hot chocolate
magazine: National Geographic on The Bible, King James version
1 Happy Hanukkah card (signed Yehuda and Merry Band of Patriots)
1 Christmas card signed with jtill, Enterprise, Lets Roll, Kitty Mittens, patriciaruth, PGalt real names.
1 roll Scotch tape to tape the bow on the wrapped package.

Box 9, insured $59.10, postage $15.25
6 boxes 12 peppermint candy canes
1 box 22 peppermint candy canes
BOOK:
NatGeo hardcover coffee table book: Indian Nations of North America (Christmas wrapped with bow)

Box 11, value $14.82, postage $12.95
3 boxes 24 peppermint candy canes
3 boxes Swiss Miss hot chocolate
Nativity scene window sticker figures
2 boxes Reach mint waxed floss

****
Boxes 7, 8, and 10 for Kandahar are close to packed, and have one with Christmas presents for FOB Joyce to finish.

Anyone able to send hot chocolate to Kandahar?

[JustAmy]

Hi Patty

I have another 120 candy canes to mail. I can pick up some hot chocolate mix today and get these mailed Monday. Will Monday be too late?

I can get the candy canes in the mail today but if I add hot chocolate, it won’t go out until Monday.

[patriciaruth]

I also bought more candy canes but am having trouble finding cocoa.

Please send cocoa! My candy canes will go out tomorrow, so yours can wait till the cocoa goes with them.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

[patriciaruth]

Mailed December 3, 2011, to FOB Joyce, 1 box 12x12
Box 6, insured $173.43, postage $15.80
11 DVD movies: wrapped in Christmas paper, ribbon, bows as three packages, one gold reindeer, one silver Christmas trees, one green and red holly .
Indiana Jones, Crusaders of the Lost Ark (Harrison Ford)
Indiana Jones, The Temple of Doom (Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw)
Indiana Jones, The Last Crusade (Harrison Ford, Sean Connery)
Indiana Jones, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Harrison Ford)
Die Hard (Bruce Willis)
Die Harder (Bruce Willis)
Die Hard with a Vengeance (Bruce Willis)
Live Free and Die Hard, unrated version (Bruce Willis)
Wolves: A Legend Returns to Yellowstone (documentary)
Yellowstone: Valley of the Wolves and Christmas in Yellowstone (documentaries)
The Rise of Black Wolf (documentary about one of the Yellowstone wolves)
2 Books:
Tactics of Mistake (Gordon Dickson)
Conagher (Louis L’Amour)
52 peppermint candy canes
File box with two sets of dividers, one for movie, one for books with index cards made out for use of lending library.
Reagan 2012 Calendar
6 Magazines:
Popular Mechanics: WarPlanes
Sports Illustrated: World Series: NBA Preview; Sports in America; Penn State; The Perfect Pack
Christmas card for the troops signed with first names of all the Christmas contributors

Mailed December 3, 2011, to base near Kandahar, 2 boxes, one 12x12, one slightly bigger
Box 7, insured $72.07, postage $15.25
DVD TV series: Home Improvement, seasons 1-8 (Tim Allen)
10 boxes 10 Swiss Miss hot chocolate (2 have marshmallows)
4 individual peppermint candy canes

Box 8, valued at $5.95, postage $15.90
box that the Home Improvement 8 season set came in, which looks like a tool box, foil over cardboard with metal lock and metal handle. I decorated it with red bow and spray of green holly leaves and red berries.
36 peppermint candy canes

[JustAmy]

Mailed December 5, 2011 to base near Kandahar....

Box #1 12X12:
Hot Chocolate Mix ... 50 Dark Chocolate and 50 Rish Chocolate. Total 100 individual packages

Flavored CoffeeMate ... 50 each Irish Creme, Hazelnut and French Vanilla. Total 150 individual packs.

Box #2 12X12:
Hot Chocolate Mix .... 50 individual packages Dark chocolate

Flavored Coffee Mate .... 50 individual Creamy Chocolate packs.

7 Toothbrushes

1 4oz can French Vanilla Maxwell House coffee mix.

72 Candy Canes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have 48 more candy canes but need something else in box. Do we need more hot chocolate mix? If so, I can pick up more Wednesday which would put it in Thursday’s mail.

[goat granny]

ping.

[patriciaruth]

With the box I mailed today and the one you just mailed we now have totals of 700 cocoa mix envelops and 713 candy canes on their way to the base near Kandahar.

You have 48 candy canes left, that’s 61 more candy canes than cocoa. If I had my preference I’d say get 6 boxes of cocoa mix to go with the candy canes so they are even and can be passed out together by the chaplain. However, 700 is 100 more than I promised them, so if you want to keep the candy canes and forgo sending more boxes, I say give yourself a break! You did great!

I don’t know what you’re paying but my local supermarket was charging almost $4.00 a box for those rich and dark chocolate brands of cocoa mix. I opted for the store brand at $2.00 a box so I could send them to FOB Joyce and even out the cocoa and candy canes sent there, a total of 100 each to our adopted unit there.

I wiped out WalMart. That was great at $1.29 a box while it lasted.

So, my vote is “put your feet up and pat yourself on the back!”

I have one box left to send out to FOB Joyce, and then I’m going to do the same.

[patriciaruth]

JustAmy (see post 637) also mailed out a final box to Kandahar today, with more cocoa and candy canes.

That brings our total candy canes send to Kandahar to 713 and total cocoa mix envelops to 700. FANTASTIC!!

In order to fill the space left in my box I added the movies I was going to send early January for the Superbowl. If anyone is interested in sending some knoshes or nachos for the soldiers in January, please let me know.

Mailed December 5, 2011, to base near Kandahar, 1 box 12x12
Box 10, value $44.11, postage $12.95
3 boxes 10 Swiss Miss cocoa
2 boxes 22 Peppermint candy canes
4 DVD movies:
Hoosiers (Gene Hackman)
Trouble Along the Way (John Wayne, Donna Reed)
Groundhog Day (Bill Murray, Andie McDowell)
The Longest Yard (Burt Reynolds)
7 packs 12 Orbit berry red sugarless gum
1 calendar 2012 Landscapes
2 perfume sheets
sheet angel stickers
2 angel card