{care packages} off to college

My little sis went off to college this year. Bittersweet for me. I miss her dearly, but am so excited she is getting to experience such a wonderful adventure. The bright side is that I love putting together care packages, so with her at a distance I am getting to do just that.

The first one was fun because I didn’t have to worry about it being too big or heavy to ship. It was gimongous because it encompassed so much: going away to college, her eighteenth birthday, and graduation. I like nothing more than a gift that you get to unveil bit by bit, so each item was wrapped separately with a tag that hinted at its importance. The first large tag ended with, “Here are a couple things so that you…” The little tags and gifts were as follows:

• Lottery tickets “…have fun trying your luck at new things.”
• Stylin’ Sweatshirt “…are comfortable and stylish, as would be expected.”
• Fuzzy Blanket “…stay warm & cozy.”
• Toolkit “…can fix it when it’s broken.”
• Sister Journal (from when I went to college) “…don’t forget the past.”
• New Sister Journal “…keep in touch.”
• Pocket Reminders “…remember the important things on your first day.”

All the gifts were wrapped in the blanket and tucked into a milk crate, cute and functional. Gotta love it. My favorite parts to watch her open were the heartfelt gifts.
When I went away to college Caley was around six years old I think. I made her a journal that we could send back and forth and fill with letters, poems, drawings, pictures…whatever would help us stay in touch. Given that it was her turn to move away, I made us a new journal to send back and forth.

Before wrapping it up and wrote in it and created the page above for her to fill in with a bunch of her favorite things and thoughts. When she looks back it will be a snapshot of what she loved, a tiny time capsule.  (It might even help me put some future care packages together…) My other favorite item in the package was the pocket reminders. I found this idea one day perusing pinterest. I loved it. I altered it a little and fit all my items into a little tin with a note that read:

“Some things to keep in your pocket on the first day of school.”

• An eraser to make all those little mistakes disappear.
• A penny, so you’ll never be completely broke.
• A rubber band to help you stretch beyond your limits.
• A paper clip to hold it all together when it seems to be falling apart.
• A marble for the days you’re sure you’ve lost yours.
• And a kiss to remind that you’re loved.

To really carry it over the top, I found a 2013 penny, so if she actually keeps it, it will have the year she went to college on it. A good luck charm of sorts. To make the note fit into the tin I folded it middle-school-style, does anybody else remember doing this? I couldn’t believe I could still figure it out.

Love you sis!