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Christmas on the USS INGRAHAM

Moms are you ready to start Christmas shopping????

 

Our adoption for October is the USS Ingraham.  There are 201 sailors serving aboard this frigate -

191 males and 10 females (all officers).  As we all know it is very difficult to be away from your family during the holidays so after speaking with our contact we have decided to brighten up these sailors holidays by helping them celebrate Christmas.

 

We can send Christmas decorations such as small trees, battery powered lights and wall decorations.

I would like to see each of them receive a small stocking (6")  filled with candy or small items and a candy cane for Christmas morning in addition to our other packages.  What do you ladies think?

They requested very few things but could use sunscreen and lip balm since the weather is hot where they are deployed.  Microwavable meals would be a big hit with the crew also.  Most of them are into games, movies and sports and could use some new items to pass around.

 

The Captain is onboard with anything that will boost the morale on her ship and they are grateful for the support from home and will appreciate anything we do for them.  They enjoy seeing the smiles on the faces of the sailors when they receive mail and care packages from home.

 

Since this is a small group could we get enough of the small Priority boxes filled so that every sailor onboard would have a box to open for Christmas plus a pillowcase and a Christmas card?

 

Okay moms what fabulous ideas do you have to help the USS Ingraham celebrate Christmas this year?

 

191 Males

10 Females

 

Check in with Nancy on We Stitch Love if you can help out with the pillowcases.

Pillowcase count - females 10 DONE

                              males 191 - we have 191  DONE

Our count as of 10/13

Nancy - stocking for the Captain

Molly - stocking for our POC

Molly - 2 energy drinks for each sailor

Susan - Christmas stories

 

Small Stockings - Total needed 201

      Great job Pam we have enough stockings for everyone on board!

Pam - 200+  MAILED

 

 

Small boxes -  We need 201

                        We have 201!!!!!!!!! 

Molly - 16 plus POC stocking, energy drinks and Pop chips- mailed

Evi - 8 plus decorations  mailed

Kim - 10 plus snacks, suncscreen & lip balm  mailed

Pam (GM Mom) - 24 mailed

Nancy - 8 mailed

Chowchow - 16 plus cards mailed

Pat L - 24  mailed

Susan - 8 mailed

Julie - 8 plus cards & decorations  mailed

Laura - 12  mailed

mominPA - 8

Kat - 14 mailed

mombyheart - Homemade cards mailed

Proud Navy/NYPD - 1 female mailed

Matt's Mom - 9 female plus two boxes of decorations and a gingerbread train kit mailed

Packing Party in San Antonio - 35 mailed

Diane - 10 boxes of treats

I know several of us have bought items to ship but not sure how many small boxes it will work out to be so I will change the numbers as we pack them up.

We have several moms sending blank Christmas cards for the sailors to send to their families and several that will be sending Christmas decorations.

 

The shipping dates will be October 21 - 26 and the address is posted in MAS We Ship Love and mark the boxes "Christmas" or we could write "Don't Open Until Christmas".

Views: 3241

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by carols_kitchen on October 3, 2011 at 4:13pm
I would.  They should receive them in time to mail them out to their friends and families.  I also include greeting cards and/or lined writing tablets with envelopes every time I mail a box.
Permalink Reply by Susan mom to Niko on October 3, 2011 at 1:20pm

What fun!!  I just pulled out my decorations for the house for Halloween...  good thing the stores are full of Christmas!!  Spotted some fun stuff at Michaels last week... will get back and see what I can get for this adoption!! 

Yep I do have the Christmas story book... anyone have another favorite they want to post?? 

Permalink Reply by Molly Molly Fo Folly on October 3, 2011 at 5:34pm

I like that idea valeriejean ---- xmas cards they could send to loved ones

Are we doing anything like gift wrapping in xmas wrap >? OR what about gift wrapping the inside of the flat rate ---stickers etc so its festive 

Permalink Reply by Matt's Mom/Cathy on October 3, 2011 at 8:02pm

I would love to wrap the items inside the small boxes but that will take up precious room that we could fill with other items but wrapping inside the boxes would be a great idea Molly.  I really want them to feel like it is Christmas when they open their packages so we have to have wrapping paper. 

Valeriejean sending cards for them to mail out would be a great idea.  I could send some of the ones my friend gave me to them also.  Our public library will put some of the Christmas cards out for their patrons to send messages to our sailors.

 

Permalink Reply by chowchow on October 4, 2011 at 10:33am

I think the ideas are great I would love to help with this just let me know how and I think the stocking idea is great along with a small box for each sailor. 

 

Permalink Reply by Matt's Mom/Cathy on October 4, 2011 at 10:41am
Glad to have your help chowchow!  Start thinking of items that could be included in the small boxes.  I am thinking about maybe a movie or game along with some personal items and treats.  It is hot where they are so we will have to send items that will not melt.
Permalink Reply by chowchow on October 4, 2011 at 2:32pm
Well I know that the sport magazines & sport books have been a great hit on my son's ship, but believe it or not the candies like gummy worms and cookies have been the most popular.  Even one of the women on the ship wrote and thanked me for the gummy worms.   Just a thought!
Permalink Reply by Pat L. in IL on October 4, 2011 at 9:29pm
chowchow, Thanks, we love hearing about items that the sailor's really like!!
Permalink Reply by Laura on October 5, 2011 at 2:18am

Hello all!  I am new at this. I want to be consistent with the boxes that I pack so I need a little clarification. 

I have several "APO/FPO Flat Rate" boxes.  Is that the same as the small priority box?

 

Also, (and I hope I don't sound silly when I ask this) what size for the Christmas sock?  They come in so many sizes.  If you could give me an approximate top of the sock to heel measurement I would be grateful.  I don't want anyone to feel that their sock was scrawney compared to the next guy's sock. 

Sorry, I can't think of a way to word that without making it sound like the 191 guys will be comparing! (we know they will).  Nice to hear that the females have control of the ship!

Permalink Reply by Molly Molly Fo Folly on October 5, 2011 at 6:36am
GREAT QUESTION LAURA -------------- lets decide on a stocking size or what about the small vhs tape size box for each kiddo we could fill them and wrap them, then put them into a large flat rate !!   we did something like that once and I cant remember how many fit into the large flat rate. I think we even had a picture of the vhs box inside a flat rate.  if we did the vhs box we could wrap it as a present ?
Permalink Reply by Kim (Ethan's Mom) on October 5, 2011 at 7:49am

I was thinking the vhs size small priority boxes is what I would send unless we want to send a larger box. Good question on the size of the stockings! Ihadn't really thought about that until now.

I always include a new toothbrush for my kids in their stockings. Last year my sailor was deployed and it is a tradition from years ago that they get their Christmas stocking out of their dads sock drawer. lol (long story)    So you guessed it, my sailor got an old grubby sock sent to him with all the things he would normally get except his orange was a chocolate shaped orange. I can only imagine the looks on his buddies faces when he pulled that tube sock out of the box. haha

You ladies have a great day!!

Permalink Reply by Matt's Mom/Cathy on October 5, 2011 at 8:36am

Laura the box that the Post Office has labeled FPO/APO is the same as the large Priority box.  They have a smaller box which ships for $4.95 and that is the size that we could use to fill with items for each sailor.  You would then pack the small boxes inside the large (FPO/APO) box for shipping.  Does this make sense?  I will go by the Post Office today and pick up some of the small boxes so that we will know how many we can pack in a large box.  I know we have done this before but I don't remember how many will fit.  I will take a picture and post it also.  Thanks for helping out!  Just a warning sending care packages is very addicting.

I am thinking a small stocking that could be filled with a candy cane and Christmas candy or whatever items you would like to send.  I will see if I can find a stocking today and post the measurements so that we will all be on the same page.  Don't want anyone to get shorted on their stocking.

 

That is a funny story about your son's stocking Kim.

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