Alright guys, it’s time to talk about the best part of college. No, I don’t mean making life-long friends or broadening our minds with a liberal arts education. I’m talking about care packages! Let’s be honest, nothing is better than walking away from the post office with a goodie-filled box someone made just for you, especially if you’re a first-year and homesickness is starting to set in. But getting and giving go hand in hand, and if you’re like me, making a bomb ass care package can be almost as fun as getting one. So without further ado, here is my guide to making the best care package your friend will ever get!
Self-Care Items
Self-care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity! While there are lots of ways to care for yourself, my personal favorites are usually in the pampering spa-like form, so I always send my friends some spa items in their care packages. Head to your local drug store or look on Amazon and grab some single-use face masks, awesome smelling hand cream, or nail polish. If you really love them, you could even go to Lush and get them something there. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love Lush?
Framed Photo Collage
One picture in a frame? That’s cute, but ten cutouts of your craziest, funniest exploits? That’s even better! So print out 6-10 pictures of you and your friend and get out your scissors and glue. You don’t have to be an Art Major to make a cute collage, I promise. The focus is on the memories, not your art skills. Just arrange them all on a 4×6 sheet of paper (or bigger, just make sure it fits in your frame of choice), glue them down and stick it in a frame. Voila, you have a beyond-cute friendship memento that your friend will love!
Treats
No care package would be complete without something yummy to eat! This could be baked goods, candy, or that weird thing you found at Whole Foods that one time (blueberry pancake flavored pork sausage anyone…?). I personally think that baked goods are the best, but I know that not everyone has the time or resources to bake brownies whenever they want. Store bought can’t beat homemade, but it can still be pretty damn good. Just keep in mind that packages have a tendency to get jostled around, so things with frosting are generally a no-no.
Funny, Miscellaneous Randomness
This is by far my favorite part. This category is where all of your laugh-out-loud inside jokes and weird joint obsessions come in handy. Do you both love Gilmore Girls? Get them a shirt with a famous Lorelei quote on it. Do you spend most of your time texting each other Ryan Gosling memes? Cut a bunch out and toss them all in the box. My best friend once went to Russia and got me a mug covered with shirtless pictures of Vladimir Putin. It is obviously now my prized possession. In this category, anything goes. Just throw in something that will make your friend smile!
The bottom line is, you know your friend better than most people. You know what they like and what makes them laugh. Just send that to them! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive. The only requirement is that the care package is made with love.