A Care Package for the Family Matriarch

To all you grandparents out there: Are you still fortunate enough to have a living parent? Then send them a care-package!

How wonderful to have the matriarch in your family still alive and well. We need to honor and respect them and nurture them the way they did us and our children. And one great way is through a care package. If they live in town, you can still do a care package. If they live in another city? Nothing better than receiving a care package in the mail. 

I do better with care packages if I can come up with a theme. There are tons of themes and suggestions online and on Pinterest. Some of the ones I do are often based on the seasons--a "Box of Sunshine," a "Fall Surprise," a "Spring in your Step." You get the idea. I love to send my mother-in-law care packages....mostly because she is a fabulous mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She's the cherished matriarch of our family, and we all love her dearly. Sending her a fun package every once in a while makes me very happy--selfish I know.
 
So it's August in Texas with the oppressive heat never ending. I decided my theme this time would be "Chill Out." As I said, it's much easier for me to think of silly little gifts for the box if I'm focused on a theme. So for my "Chill Out" theme, I went with cool, blue items and cool mint treats. (Every box of surprises has to have sweets!)

As you can see, I chose random "cool blue" items from a craft store and a kitchen supply store.

The procedure-

Once I establish my theme, I just head to my favorite craft store. I have the best time in there looking for anything "blue." I found a blue notepad to put by her telephone. I also got a glass candle holder. She's not big on burning candles, but I got her a supply of LED tea lights. I also went to a linen supply store, and bought her blue tea towels (Doesn't everyone need to refresh their tea towel supply occasionally?) and a new guest fingertip towel for her bath. Just silly things I know, but I have fun with it, and she always seems to enjoy discovering what's in her box. As you can see from the photo, I even found some blue cooking utensils.

Here's my list (but you'll come up with much better ideas):

• notepad and pen
• blue cooking utensils of silicone
• a ceramic heart with an imprinted prayer
• a coaster
• dish cloths
• tea towels
• fingertip towels for bath
• blue glass candle holder
• LED tea lights
• magnetic bookmarks (She's an avid reader.)

This sweet heart can go on her side table by her favorite chair, or her bedside table.

I HAD to get her this hand towel as it fit my theme--it had the word "chill" on it!

My mother-in-law is from England, so she often has her tea in the afternoon. Now she has a tea coaster!

The shopping continued--

Next I went to the grocery store to pick up some treats. My mother-in-law hosts a coffee klatsch most afternoons when friends and family (but really, with my mother-in-law, EVERYONE is family) are getting off work. It's fun to include some treats in the box that her coffee chums can enjoy. Again, the treats were in keeping with my theme. 

If I was a good daughter-in-law, I would make some mint treats, but these mint Oreos will have to do. :)

No "Chill Out" package would be complete without some York Peppermint Patties.

Lastly--

I printed up a card for the box and stuffed the box with lots of blue tissue paper. . . of course! I just try to have fun with it!

The finished box to be mailed.

Final thoughts--

This blog is for and about grandparents. And if any grandparent readers are lucky enough to have a surviving parent or in-law, I hope you honor them. My blog is about nurturing the relationships you have with your grandchildren, but we should honor and tend to the relationships with our own parents. Those surviving members of our families, whether it be parents, grandparents or dear aunts and uncles are deserving of our love and devotion. The love and wisdom they can impart is a precious thing. Sending a care package is just another way to say thank you for all they mean to us.

Tag, you're it!

If you have sent care packages with a special theme, please share. I'm always looking for new ideas, and I know my readers are too. Share anything you've done for the generation before us--I'd love to hear that too. We've got to keep stirring the pot!

Added note:  My emphasis was on a matriarch as my mother-in-law is the last remaining relative of that age group. But of course you know, these suggestions apply to grandfathers and great-grandfathers as well!