AK_Mom4 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 For DS20, he generally just likes me to send him candy - all different types, the stranger the better - and packages of socks. He really is very easy to shop for. But DD18 loves to get presents. There really isn't anything she "needs" and she doesn't have much room for keeping things. I'm limited to what that will fit in a priority mail USPS box. Any great ideas out there for cool things you sent to your college student that they just loved? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Baked goods. I have sent cookies, bundt cakes, even a pie. And double chocolate muffins with a jar of Nutella to spread on them. (Anyone need to be adopted?;)) We have sent silly stuff that my husband picks up at industry conferences. Things like goofy stress squeezers and a programmable personal fan (you can program it to read an electronic message as it spins.) I have also sent cans of nuts and favorite chocolate bars near exam time. My son likes games so we usually send him one each semester. I have actually purchased two games from Kickstarter for this purpose. One game, Cards Against Humanity, has been a huge hit in his dorm. Kids in other suites have borrowed it but it is definitely not for the easily offended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I just made a basket for dd and her new fun roommates. Bags of candy, fun sticky notes, those huge, and I think funny, marshmallows (I forgot the cocoa) , yogurt covered pretzels, funny band-aides and some cute wrapped tissues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 For a girl I'd also look for nice personal care items. Scented lotion and bath gels, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Baked goods. I have sent cookies, bundt cakes, even a pie. And double chocolate muffins with a jar of Nutella to spread on them. (Anyone need to be adopted?;)) We have sent silly stuff that my husband picks up at industry conferences. Things like goofy stress squeezers and a programmable personal fan (you can program it to read an electronic message as it spins.) We did these kinds of things for our daughter. We also sent favorite food items that were harder to get hold of in the small city where her campus was located. She appreciated getting things like papdadam, her favorite flavors of gum and teas, specialty crackers, etc. And, yes, home-made baked goods were always a hit, although that does require a little more planning and packing, so that they arrive reasonably fresh. For example, we discovered that both priority and express mail took a day longer than average to reach her, because of the combination of a small city post office and then the campus mail system. And the campus post office often wasn't staffed full time during finals (because it was mostly handled by student workers). So, I had to learn to send boxes that had fresh baked goods only early in the week and to make sure they would arrive before finals week. We found that home-made bread would be good if it was cooled thoroughly, then wrapped in a couple of layers of aluminum foil and a zippered plastic baggie. Muffins could ship similarly wrapped, but of course had to be packed so that they didn't get squished. Don't forget the basic rule about sending baked goods: You must send enough to share. It was always a good day for my daughter's roommates and friends when a box arrived, and I learned quickly to send at least double what I thought she would eat, since she would inevitably have to hand out a bunch of it. Our daughter also appreciated iTunes gift cards and gift cards for local businesses (like the coffee shop and health food store). We sent books and DVDs occasionally, too, when we knew she'd have time to enjoy them. I sometimes sent pictures of our dog being especially cute or programs from shows we had attended that I thought would interest her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 My daughter is at boarding school and I have numerous food items on subscribe and save from Amazon.com that get mailed to her on a regular basis. Gingerbread construction company (http://www.gingerbreadusa.com) will mail gingerbread houses for a ton of different occasions. Mrs. Fields cookies for birthday or just any time. Itunes gift cards and gift cards in general For Halloween last year I filled a plastic pumpkin with halloween candy and mailed it to her. She was the most popular girl in her dorm. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 (edited) I just sent a package with three pairs of shoes from home (as two pairs of her shoes recently fell apart), some new underwear, and a candy bar. (One must always send something that falls into the goodie category!) Does your daughter's college have a mascot? My daughter's college mascot is the owl, and I have sent owl bookmarks, t-shirts, and decorative items that are much appreciated. In addition to care packages, I also send postcards from time to time. It's fun to receive mail, any mail! Regards, Kareni Edited September 14, 2012 by Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 Well, her latest care package turned out rather heavy due to needing a 12 pound special saxophone stand from home. She wasn't planning to use it and had left it for little sis, but ended up auditioning for an advanced group and well.... you know how it goes. So I tucked in a bunch of card decks (regular and UNO), a funny card game from the discount bin, and poptarts as that was all there was room for in the box. Next care package will go out before Halloween, so I will take up some of these great suggestions - I snagged a fold-flat pumpkin basket from the clearance bin last year and was wondering what to do with it. It will make a great gift for DD18! I love the idea about lotions too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Fantastic thread!! My ds will be going off to school next year, so I'm taking notes!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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