RE: Military wives support (Full Version)

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peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Military wives support (6/13/2008 3:15:14 PM)

quote:

What do you ladies send your hubbies in care packages? I've got some ideas but would like more. Have any of you tried to use a vacuum sealer thingy to be able to send homemade treats? Did it work?

here is a repost of something I typed up before in a post...about what can and can't ship over there....

on sending packages over to someone in the war here are some tips that people may not know......
*you will need their name. You can no longer send to just any soldier...there were logistical problems with that so a few years ago they changed that.
*The shipping is the same as you sending it anywhere in the US...so it's not that bad. Esp now that they have certain preset boxes for a certain price.
*If you choose to send things like food, please remember a few tips...
1...don't send chocolate...esp in the summer...it will go rancid very quickly and sometimes it takes those packages a few weeks to get there. I think the quickest one of my packages got to hubby was about 2 weeks.
2...don't send something that will melt easily. The temps there in Iraq get to about 130-140 F every day...the shade about 110-120. Things melt very quickly in that kind of heat
3. Do not try to ship pork products. I know several people that had it sent back to them because they were sending their soldier Vienna Sausages without realizing it's a pork. It's against their religion to have those kinds of products shipped into their country. Vienna sausages now come in chicken and that can be shipped, but the pork can not. Watch on beef jerky too...sometimes that contains pork products.
4. try to keep the individual packages as small as possible...soldier do not always have a lot of room to store things.
5. put anything that could leak into a sealed baggie...you don't want them to receive cookies that taste like soap...uugghhh
6. use a very sturdy box...they go through the wringer to get there and are thrown, tossed, stacked, etc. So pack as sturdy as you can. It is best to wrap the box with brown packing paper...then tape up all the seams well so that it doesn't catch on something and rip open. Covering it is important because of customs...you can't have logo's on the outside of the box when you ship it. You could choose to mark through them, but I have found it easier to just wrap the box in the brown paper. We were also told to address the box inside too just in case the packaging got ripped off.
7. food is always a good thing to send...they share it. Usually they have a tent or building set up for the guys (and gals) to congregate in...and they typically put out their food stashes for everyone to share in their bounty. So send more then you think one soldier could eat. Some places have PX's but not all do. Sme the nearest PX is a days drive away...so they can't get to things easily or safely.
8. when sending homemade cookies, place a piece of bread in the box along with it. It will absorb any moisture and the cookies will stay fresh longer.
9. You can not send certain things through customs (besides pork that I already mentioned)...some others are...
no currency, no precious metals, no pornographic material, no firearms, no explosives, no fruits (that includes fruit cake), no living plants, no animals, no alcohol, and no pork.
10. Middle East countries also do not allow nutmeg or allspice into their borders...they consider it an aphrodisiac...so do not send items containing those ingredients



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/14/2008 2:17:37 PM)

MILITARY SPOUSE ESSAY CONTEST



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/14/2008 2:25:19 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: IAMJulie

What do you ladies send your hubbies in care packages? I've got some ideas but would like more. Have any of you tried to use a vacuum sealer thingy to be able to send homemade treats? Did it work?


I don't send anything homemade ... even if sealed well -- it's stale, dry, squooshed and crumbled once it arrives (according to my DH). Besides, he assures me that sweets (cookies, candy, PopTarts) are in great supply over there, whereas protein-based snacks (jerky) and salty (nuts, chips, Cheez Its) are not. Spicy flavors are especially appreciated. The Pringles cans fit really well into the flat rate boxes, as do bags of nuts, trail mix, beef jerky, healthy granola bars, etc. As gum is pretty popular, too. I've even sent individual serving packets of noodle soups, Easy Mac, tuna salad/crackers, and those little cheese-n-cracker things. I also send my wonderful DH magazines, plus we save the Sunday comics to send him, too.

What's been really popular has been rubber bouncy balls, fake plastic bugs (they are such boys!) and rubber duckies.... my DH leaves them around for others to find/play with .... he reports that they are all over the base now! (I found patriotic ones at www.Orientaltradingcompany.com) ... I've probably sent him 5 dozen mini rubber duckies. Water guns, water squoosh balls, etc .... also popular. As are small, inexpensive hand-held games.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Military wives support (6/14/2008 2:35:28 PM)

quote:

Spicy flavors are especially appreciated.

my mom has a recipe for some crackers (like a trail mix kind of thing) that she makes and it is spicy...if you want the recipe for it. (She works at a home health care agency and they petition dr's offices to get business sometimes, and they make gobs of this stuff to take to the dr's offices when they do that...they all say they love it though).

quote:

As are small, inexpensive hand-held games.

yeah....just make sure it doesn't look like a gun. Seriously.....hubby had two games, one was a fishing one and one was a hunting one...they looked like a fishing rod (hand size though) and a rifle (plastic toy rifle, hand size again). They were OBVIOUSLY games. Well, customs didn't like the gun looking one so it got taken out of his stuff when he got back.



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/15/2008 11:53:20 PM)

Well, my wonderful DH called me this morning (Sunday) around 4:30am ... it was nice to get to speak with him. He said that he will be "out of communication" for a few days .... so please keep him in prayer.

(sigh)



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/18/2008 2:01:44 AM)

Well, my wonderful DH reports dust storms, temperatures near 110, and that he saw his first "camel spider." He has also been helping the chaplain by leading an evening bible study, which I thought was pretty nifty.

(I think I'd have a heart attack if I saw one of those spiders.)

By the way, Crocs (or the Walmart knockoff) seem to be the safest, most preferred Shower Shoes over there, right now .... less stubbing of toes on rocks/gravel as with flip flops.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Military wives support (6/18/2008 10:11:42 AM)

quote:

(I think I'd have a heart attack if I saw one of those spiders.)

LOL...me too from the way Paul describes them.



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/20/2008 1:00:00 AM)

My wonderful DH called today for a quick call. He is still trying to get permission to come home a week or two early from his deployment.... and that is still just at the request/maybe stage.

BUT, they are already saying that they want him to come back for 60+ days in fall/winter (not counting training and travel time, mind you ... so it's more like 75 days.)

BUT (and this is a big BUT), instead of returning to Iraq, he may may may may may may may may get to spend 60 days in Florida instead -- serving as an instructor pilot. So, for those of you so inclined, please pray that the military "powers that be" let him come home early and if he has to leave for 60 days in the fall, he heads to FLORIDA.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Military wives support (6/20/2008 8:07:43 AM)

Praying Harvie, at least then you could head to Florida with him... or maybe the pets would pose a problem. Either way, it would be nice to have him in sovereign territory.



MissGizmo -> RE: Military wives support (6/20/2008 8:17:47 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: peculiar_lady2

quote:

(I think I'd have a heart attack if I saw one of those spiders.)

LOL...me too from the way Paul describes them.


My nephew sent a picture of one. I'm glad it was a picture only & not the real spider.



doinkdom -> RE: Military wives support (6/20/2008 10:36:47 AM)

got curious about the camel spider, so I looked it up online and let me just say

[sm=eek.gif][sm=eek.gif][:'(][:'(][:'(]



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/22/2008 12:28:57 AM)

My wonderful DH reports that sticky traps (the kind to use for mice/rats) work great for catching big scary spiders AND scorpions! He has a bunch in his "hooch" (and one under each foot of his bed.)



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/29/2008 1:17:51 PM)

It's not bad enough that he's away from home for months.

It's not bad enough that every day he has to dodge mortars just living on the base.... and every day people are injured.

It's not bad enough that the temperatures are near 120 and there are constant dust storms.

It's not bad enough that the food is dreadful and the preparation is outsourced to India.

It's not bad enough that it took them over 45 days just to get his pay correct.

NOW some cretin has stolen his clothes right out of the laundry, leaving him with practically no underwear, socks, tank tops, t-shirts, etc.... and there is "nothing that can be done about it" when he reported the theft. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I am one ****ed off Mouse, and I want my wonderful DH HOME. Got that? HOME! HOME! HOME! HOME! HOME! HOME!



BlessedMamaofmany -> RE: Military wives support (6/29/2008 1:29:29 PM)

(((Harvie)))

Justin's been having lots of sand storms where he is too. The internet is terrible and he's out of phone card minutes. Normally this would be no big deal, but my grandma died today and I need my man. *sigh*
Sandy



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Military wives support (6/29/2008 2:28:44 PM)

((((((Harvie)))))). One of the guys that was with Paul kept getting stuff stolen too...esp his towels. His wife sent a hot pink towel after the first few were stolen and that seemed to not be wanted by whoever stole the others...lol. So maybe you should get Ron some hot pink undies!!!! LOL[8D]

((((Sandy))))))...contact the red cross...they may be able to help you find a way for him to at least call and talk with you even if he can't do much else.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Military wives support (6/29/2008 2:34:20 PM)

quote:


NOW some cretin has stolen his clothes right out of the laundry, leaving him with practically no underwear, socks, tank tops, t-shirts, etc.... and there is "nothing that can be done about it" when he reported the theft. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.


Micah had that happen also and we solved the problem by drawing useless designs on his socks and boxers and coloring the very bottom band on his undershirts. You can use Sharpie markers and they survive the wash pretty well.



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (6/29/2008 3:53:28 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: BlessedMamaofmany

(((Harvie)))

Justin's been having lots of sand storms where he is too. The internet is terrible and he's out of phone card minutes. Normally this would be no big deal, but my grandma died today and I need my man. *sigh*
Sandy


I am very sorry for your loss. (((( hug ))))



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (7/4/2008 5:34:42 PM)

My wonderful DH celebrated the 4th of July by working ... it was 119 degrees.



BlessedMamaofmany -> RE: Military wives support (7/4/2008 5:47:57 PM)

same with my man. He worked all day. I think it was probably the same temp too LOL
Happy 4th all!
Sandy



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (7/6/2008 12:31:09 AM)

IDEAS NEEDED!!!!

My wonderful DH is due home soon.... (squeak!!!!) ..... so, what should we do our first night together?

(We have no kids.)

[sm=funny.gif][sm=funny.gif][sm=funny.gif]



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Military wives support (7/6/2008 12:36:49 AM)

[;)][;)][;)]

Skinny dipping in the pool?



BlessedMamaofmany -> RE: Military wives support (7/6/2008 7:12:11 AM)

I second that. That sounds like a lovely first evening home.
Maybe order in from his favorite eatery and have a nice dinner too?



Harvie -> RE: Military wives support (7/6/2008 2:09:00 PM)

Hmmmm.... skinny dipping n' steak ... I bet he'd love that!

[sm=funny.gif]



Sideways -> RE: Military wives support (7/6/2008 2:37:25 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harvie
My wonderful DH is due home soon.... (squeak!!!!) ..... so, what should we do our first night together?


Honey, if you really need to ask.... [8D][8D][8D]

No seriously, as long as there's some edible food, and time alone with you, well, even the food is optional. [;)]



OneOfHisJewels -> RE: Military wives support (7/6/2008 6:57:39 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: peculiar_lady2

quote:

What do you ladies send your hubbies in care packages? I've got some ideas but would like more. Have any of you tried to use a vacuum sealer thingy to be able to send homemade treats? Did it work?

here is a repost of something I typed up before in a post...about what can and can't ship over there....

on sending packages over to someone in the war here are some tips that people may not know......
*you will need their name. You can no longer send to just any soldier...there were logistical problems with that so a few years ago they changed that.
*The shipping is the same as you sending it anywhere in the US...so it's not that bad. Esp now that they have certain preset boxes for a certain price.
*If you choose to send things like food, please remember a few tips...
1...don't send chocolate...esp in the summer...it will go rancid very quickly and sometimes it takes those packages a few weeks to get there. I think the quickest one of my packages got to hubby was about 2 weeks.
2...don't send something that will melt easily. The temps there in Iraq get to about 130-140 F every day...the shade about 110-120. Things melt very quickly in that kind of heat
3. Do not try to ship pork products. I know several people that had it sent back to them because they were sending their soldier Vienna Sausages without realizing it's a pork. It's against their religion to have those kinds of products shipped into their country. Vienna sausages now come in chicken and that can be shipped, but the pork can not. Watch on beef jerky too...sometimes that contains pork products.
4. try to keep the individual packages as small as possible...soldier do not always have a lot of room to store things.
5. put anything that could leak into a sealed baggie...you don't want them to receive cookies that taste like soap...uugghhh
6. use a very sturdy box...they go through the wringer to get there and are thrown, tossed, stacked, etc. So pack as sturdy as you can. It is best to wrap the box with brown packing paper...then tape up all the seams well so that it doesn't catch on something and rip open. Covering it is important because of customs...you can't have logo's on the outside of the box when you ship it. You could choose to mark through them, but I have found it easier to just wrap the box in the brown paper. We were also told to address the box inside too just in case the packaging got ripped off.
7. food is always a good thing to send...they share it. Usually they have a tent or building set up for the guys (and gals) to congregate in...and they typically put out their food stashes for everyone to share in their bounty. So send more then you think one soldier could eat. Some places have PX's but not all do. Sme the nearest PX is a days drive away...so they can't get to things easily or safely.
8. when sending homemade cookies, place a piece of bread in the box along with it. It will absorb any moisture and the cookies will stay fresh longer.
9. You can not send certain things through customs (besides pork that I already mentioned)...some others are...
no currency, no precious metals, no pornographic material, no firearms, no explosives, no fruits (that includes fruit cake), no living plants, no animals, no alcohol, and no pork.
10. Middle East countries also do not allow nutmeg or allspice into their borders...they consider it an aphrodisiac...so do not send items containing those ingredients



Believe it or not, marshmallows also have pork product in them. They wouldn't travel well anyway, but just thought I'd say. I learned that the hard way when I worked at a preschool. We had a muslim boy that we never gave pork to, but we gave him marshmallows once and his.mom.was.not.too. happy.about. it. That's how I learned marshmallows have pork product in them.



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