DIY Valentines Day Care Package Ideas for Military

Whether it’s your spouse or child, loving a member of the US military often means that for periods of time we have to say goodbye to large pieces of our hearts. It’s never easy, but part of being a military family is making the best of every situation and using the holiday apart to bring your family closer than ever.  One of the best ways to make the holidays a little easier is by starting a new tradition. For as long as the US postal system has been delivering packages to our military, family members have been sending care packages, the civilian equivalent of a gift basket. As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, families are looking for ways to let their service members know they’re thinking of them by sending them sweets from home. You can make this Valentine’s Day even sweeter for your loved ones with a Valentine’s Day “Basket” surprise. Turning a care package into a #HSYMessageOfLove gift basket is really easy.

First, head over to your local post office and pick up the Priority Mail® APO/FPO Flat Rate Box, it’s perfect for sending care packages to military no matter where they are. First hit up your local Target or dollar store for inexpensive basket filler, cards and craft supplies. Stop by the Valentine’s Day section for sweet treats. Due to the sometimes long travel and range of temperatures the boxes go through, make sure to stick to items that are nonperishable. Hershey’s has a huge selection of delicious Valentine’s Day goodies like Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Hearts filled with Caramel and Reese’s Peanut Butter 5 oz. Heart, two of my sailor’s personal favorites. I suggest picking up a few extra because they often share with friends who don’t receive gift baskets. Plus, the more tightly packed your box is, the less likely it is that anything will be damaged on arrival. 

Compensation was provided by Hershey via MomTrends.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hershey or Momtrends.

In addition to sweet treats, you can also fill the box with love. Think of ideas like:

• 14 cards featuring 14 things you miss about your service member
• “Open when…” letters
• “52 Reasons Why…” playing cards
• Link to a Youtube video you created for them
• Cards collected from family members
• Joke strips or comics strips
• Photos

Now it’s time to assemble! A few tips for making sure your Valentines Day “Gift Basket” arrives in the same condition you sent it:

• use mailing tape
• place liquid items in separate zip lock bags
• use durable boxes in the smallest size needed
• pack tightly
• use basket filler

This year, Hershey is spreading the #HSYMessageOfLove and encouraging you to start the tradition of creating Valentine’s Day baskets for your loved ones. Check out the Celebrate with Hershey’s website for more information, including recipes!

Compensation was provided by Hershey via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hershey or Momtrends.