JULY Adoption - Chilling Out!

[Lorraine]

Our JULY adoption is a group of 141 sailors, airmen, and soldiers stationed in Afghanistan – 126 males and 15 females.

 

Our theme is ‘CHILLING OUT’ and we hope to bring some relief to their hot environment by sending some items that cool or bring cooler temps to mind. They live in rooms much like a dorm with power, microwaves, and a fridge with freezer, so any kind of food can be accepted. The summer temperature runs in the high 90’s and can hit the 130’s so this group needs some “cool” things for chilling out.

 

TOP PRIORITIES: DRINK MIX (including MIO), COOKIES, GUMMY BEARS AND LETTERS. Some of them have not received any mail so let’s make sure we send letters (including local newspapers, pics of your town/area, jokes)

 

Here are some “COOL” ideas to help them through the heat and have some fun:

• Cooling towels and neck bands (see note in Pages on making your own bands)
• Powdered drink mixes (Sam’s Club has large Gatorade and Arizona Tea canisters). This group specifically requested a drink mix called MIO.
• Water balloons, squirt guns, water bomb splash balls, and mist bottles/ fans, small ice cube trays (with fun shapes)
• Baby wipes/pre-moistened cleansing wipes
• Flavorice (freezer pops) and Jell-O (does someone have a finger Jell-O recipe to send along?)
• Noxema, aloe, lip balm and burn gel
• Canned fruit (Sam’s Club has boxes of easy open single servings)
• Hard candy (like Jolly Ranchers, Smarties, Sweet Tarts, Skittles, cool burst gum)

 

Other welcome items:

• Coffee, sweetener, creamer
• DVD’s, books and puzzle books (maybe some with a water or beach theme?)
• Games, magazines, writing pads/pens
• Beef jerky
• Energy/protein bars
• Dried fruit, nuts, trail mix, sunflower seeds
• Microwaveable soups/cakes/meals/Easy Mac
• Canned meat (tuna, chicken), Mayo, Miracle Whip
• Snacks (popcorn, pretzels, etc.)
• Wet Mop refills, laundry detergent, air freshener, lotion (like Vaseline for Men)

Personal Care – They have a BX with most of the needed items but you can certainly include some items if you wish like sun screen, non-aerosol deodorant, dental supplies, Mach3 razors, eye drops, air freshener, flameless candles, cough drops, foot powder

Pillowcases accepted - Nancy will send the girl cases this month plus 55 cases from the Rocky Cross church, so we will only need 75 more. Please go to the WSL (We Stitch Love) discussion to add into the pillowcase count. Completed - thanks!

 

Shipping Dates: July 23-25 – address will be posted in mid-July. Boxes will be bulk (specify if female only) and don’t forget the letters. Let’s help these sailors, airmen, and soldiers “Chill Out” this summer.   Thank you!                

[Lorraine]

Thanks, Ruth. Be sure to record the pillowcases in the WSL discussion. This group is going to feel like Christmas hit their base this summer!

[carols_kitchen]

Jae--we usually use the large flat rate boxes.  When the addy is posted in the private room (are you on the other MAS rooms?) then we start our shipping.  Have you filled out a customs form before?  If not, give a holler.  Once you've done a few (hundred) it's second nature.  I pack everything in a 10 gallon trash bag that fits inside my box.  Also, if possible, I unpackage everything and put it in ziplocks. 

[Lorraine]

Excellent advice Carols kitchen. Wrapping in plastic or ziplocks protects from damage or can protect other packages from damage if your package is the one leaking :-)

[Lorraine]

Jae, That is correct. Make sure you have clicked "follow" for this July discussion so that you know when the addresses are posted.

[Ruth, Gun's Mom]

I am blown away!  I sent a note to a Lt. Commander (Reserves) that I met last year at the airshow during Navy Week here just to let her know what I was up to.  She's also a Mary Kay gal--sending me a box of body wash, etc, to include in the girly boxes.  This is why I do this once a year--people donate, contribute, solicit, and volunteer like crazy!

[Ruth, Gun's Mom]

Now I can tell--my son submitted the request for the adoption without telling me!  I wrote the story on the main page of MAS.

[Ruth, Gun's Mom]

He just put this on facebook-- No its much hotter than that cause the weather service here takes their reading from a ballon thats about 1000 feet up. Today was a blistering 125 degrees in the shade. This is suppose to be the hottest month with temps climbing up into the 130's and even hotter in the sun.

 

No wonder he had me send a thermometer that went to 140. 

[Lorraine]

I don't know how they survive it!

[Kim (Ethan's Mom)]

My daughter wants to see if she can get her co workers to help so I have made a list so she can post at her salon! I'll let you know what all we get. I told her I would ship everything if she would collect it.

[Lorraine]

Thanks, Kim! Postage can be a big deal. Isn't it great to get others involved? Many enjoy this opportunity to help and thank your daughter for us for taking this project to her co-workers.

[Lorraine]

We're off to a great start, Ladies, but we've stalled for a day. I hope there are more Moms/family members out there who are planning to participate this month. Even if you don't yet know how many boxes, would you write a post here to let us know you plan to help this month? Then be sure to "follow" the discussion as a reminder.

I found some neat things yesterday. My local K-Mart had a "Slushy Magic" kit so I picked up two. It has a shake cup and three reusable Magic Freezer Cubs that make any liquid drink a slushy in seconds. You just take the magic cubes out of the freezer, add them and your liquid to the cup and shake, shake, shake. I hope it works as well as it says it does (has anyone used one of these?). On Amazon I found the "Tie-Not Water Balloons with Nozzle and Knotter with 100 Balloons"
Tie-Not Inc; Toy; for $4.69 a set and ordered 4 sets.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July. Independence is a wonderful thing and our troops work hard to keep our nation free.

[Ruth, Gun's Mom]

I'll have newspaper articles and tv coverage before July 22.  I'm going after more donations than volunteers this time.  Last time we had 40 or so volunteers, but we could be more organized with half that probably.  We'll have more donations, I know.  Another thing I'm doing is contacting Gigi's Playhouse (Down Syndrome center), Gilda's Club, daycares, retirement homes, and the veterans organizations around here to make banners and cards, write letters, etc. We'll be ok!