Sending Holiday Cheer Overseas

This post has been sponsored by American Greetings. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It is crazy to think that 9 months of this year was spent during a deployment. Ever since Scott got back from Iraq, we have been attached at the hip! While he was gone we missed many holidays, birthdays, and weddings. That’s the nature of the military – your spouse being away during quality family time. There are thousands of soldiers who are currently deployed and will not be able to be home during this holiday season. Since I know what it’s like having a deployed soldier, I also have an idea of what goodies to send during a deployment. I’m sure any deployed soldier would agree with me; pretty much anything beats the same old food they serve up at the dining hall.

So just think how special receiving a personalized greeting card and a goodie bag would be 3-months into a deployment! The best part is that you can grab all of these gorgeous cards and goodies at your local Target! I purchased everything seen here at Target, except for the candlestick holders and candles. Special shout out to the Target dollar section for all this cute decor! I think we can all agree that Target is the best “one-stop shop” for all your Christmas card needs! I had such a blast picking up little Christmas-themed goodies during my trip.

Sending Christmas cards is an easy and selfless way to spread holiday cheer, and a great way to let the bravest men and women of our country know that someone is thinking of them. I know there is nothing as special as spending time with your family during the holidays, so I wanted to send over some holiday cards to deployed soldiers to help ease those troubles. In this post I am breaking down what to include in a holiday care package to deployed soldiers.

Cards – Check out these beautiful collection cards at Target! A few of my favorites are the Christmas tree card and the white card with red detailing. The entire card selection is so festive and memorable!
Candy – Pick out some seasonal favorites to get the soldiers in the Christmas spirit. Try some candy canes, chocolates and more. Just make sure everything you send over meets the customs requirements. No perishables, no alcohol and no pork products are easy guidelines to use.
Goodie bags – I bought these little holiday gift bags for $1 at Target. You can fill them up with candy and treats, then fill them with stuffing and a card to really make the soldiers feel special. Who wouldn’t love a festive goodie bag full of candy and a sweet card?
A thoughtful message – Deployments aren’t easy so anything to inspire a smile from a random person you don’t know would do the trick! Try getting in touch with your local church or boys & girls club to have volunteers fill out cards. Or even use this opportunity as a learning opportunity for your children – teach them a way to give in their own way this Christmas season!