Care Packages???

Since I first started dating someone in the military, I have been fearing the dreaded first deployment and all its misery. He's been to training overseas, but that wasn't the same since he wasn't in battle, and it wasn't nearly as long, but here it is, a month and a half into our first deployment together. 

I haven't ever sent a personal care package. I've helped out with non-profits who told me what to get and where to bring it, but I certainly have never sent something through customs before. I spent hours searching the web, seeing all these overdone, wildly decorated boxes coordinated by color and theme, and that kind of stuff makes us not-so-creative types lose a little wind in our sails when we think the guy in the bunk next to him is getting that while your significant other is getting a box, so here are a few tips on your first non-over-the-top care package:

1. It's A Lot of Junk: If you send a box full of paper and decorations, you're wasting your money on shipping, and if there isn't a practical use to it, it's going in the trash because they don't have a lot of room to work with to begin with.
2. Multi-Use: The more uses he can get out of the things you send the better. That zip-lock bag you sent his toiletries in can be used for multiple things, and those are the items he will be grateful for.
3. Spoil Him: He may have the things he needs, but he may not have the things he's used to. Send him the shampoo and body wash he loves, eye drops or glass cleaning kits for the sand in his eyes, 100% cotton socks, comfy pajama pants, slippers, anything that will make him feel more at home. Items like Vicks VaporRup, Icy Hot, foot powder, and lip balm are also good ideas.  
4. Downtime: Did he bring his IPod over there with him? What about an e-reader? Those are great gifts that you can pre-load beforehand. Board games, cards, and dice are also great. 
5. You Know Your Guy: If he is into all that colorful, artsy-crafty crap, then go for it. I know my man would be like, "What the hell?" - if he got that from me. Now, my man loves coffee, booze, and his electronic cigarette. And since I can't send beer through customs (I don't think), I sent him a coffee maker that doesn't require power (just water) and all his favorite American coffee. If he likes books, send him one. If he likes X-Box, send him a game or two. Personalize for the person you're with, and don't make some cookie cutter care package you saw on Pintrest.
6. Be Thoughtful: With the little time you actually get to talk to your significant other, let him know you were listening. My guy told me when he first got there that it was super humid in their shipping container barracks, and after a little Google research, I found that mold has been an issue in the barracks at their particular base, so I made sure to include some small dehumidifiers (that again didn't require power) to try to make it more comfortable for him. 
7. Spice It Up: Send some Hot Sauce, Taco Bell packets, or make it a little more local with his favorite barbecue sauce from the restaurant he loves in town. There is plenty of food around base, but it's usually kind of bland, so these things are commodities there.
8. Send All the Good Stuff: He's not in the good US of A, so send him the things he misses from home. My gifts were the snacks, nuts, and candies he loves that aren't so readily available over there. Beef jerky and sunflower seeds are also good options.
9. Remember the Little Things: With the introduction of smart phones, most guys have access to pictures, messages, and videos, but anything personal usually gets pushed to the wayside. Depending on how secluded your guy is, you might want to include a USB with these items, but the best thing you could send him is a handwritten letter and maybe a few physical pictures inside.
10. Last Tips: Most posts will tell you not to send anything perishable, but I sent some securely-wrapped, homemade chocolate chip cookies for his birthday last care package, and they made it there fine. Just try to make sure you safely separate toiletries from foods because you don't want those cookies getting there covered in soap. Most of the time, the best way to do this is to send them in separate packages. 

The biggest thing to remember is that you know the person you're with, so you best know how to make him feel cared about. No matter what you see online, know that anything he gets from the person he misses at home will mean the absolute world to him. Deployment is hard, and if you've read this far, you're doing fine. He'll be home soon, and focusing on sweet things like this will only make the time go by faster!