OCTOBER 19, 2013 PACKING PARTY ~~ for the Crew of the Mighty USS Shoup

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

 

The word is out:  the Molly's Adopt A Sailor adoption will be the crew of the USS Shoup.  Their deployment is already into its 5th month with no date of return in sight!!!

The 300 sailors who make up the crew include 60 women and 240 men.  The Mom of the Month would like to send the tastes and flavors of fall -- packaged apple goodies, pumpkin & spice treats.  They do have a wish list which I will post here in case anyone wants to supply some of those items.

We can still go ahead with our plans of home-baked Thanksgiving goodies/desserts, 'pies in a jar', Thanksgiving decorations, footballs and Christmas cards.

They will be receiving the boxes around Thanksgiving and I thought we could make that our theme since food and football to together for Thanksgiving!  If anyone has ideas about decorating the inside of the boxes, please speak up and tell your thoughts/suggestions.

We will go ahead and collect from all our friends and families their left-over, unused Christmas cards from last year.  They'll be packaged in small bundles so our adoptees will have cards they can write and send to their loved ones at home.

If anyone can think of something else along the line of Thanksgiving, football & early preparations for Christmas, please suggest them!!

The date is October 19th, beginning at 12:30 pm and lasting until we finish!  Feel free to bring a bag lunch or a cold drink.  I will have ice water, coffee and tea on hand.

 

ALSO, don't forget notes and cards wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving!!  You can consider including pictures of our foliage as it is starting to turn - it will be a reminder of the season and home for anyone from a northern state.

So Moms, let's get ready to party!!!  SHIPPING DATES WILL BE OCTOBER 21-23.

[Besties4dogs (NukeMM)]

I can do the 19th but my son's PIR is the 25th.

[Besties4dogs (NukeMM)]

I can do the 19th but my son's PIRis the 25th.

[Kelly's Mom]

I'm definately in !! Any of those dates work for me. I've been so disappointed because I haven't been able to make any events, looking forward to meeting everyone !

[Joniana (Helen)]

Hi Donna, am hoping to make another packing party soon, but am not free any of those dates.  Our weekends in the fall get taken up by football games in New Haven.  Hope to connect with you before you "go South".  Take care.

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

I was in Hallmark's today to pick up a couple of cards and picked up a flyer too.  This is true for all Hallmark stores everywhere!!! 

October 14-27 is their pre-season Stock-up Event.  Buy one, get one free.  This applies to Holiday cards, boxed cards, stationery & gift wrap!

Here is a way to get some Thanksgiving cards (cello-wrapped) and some Christmas cards for the adoption - oh, and for you too!

This will be there only Buy 1, Get 1 free event.  There will be another later, but it will be buy 1, get the 2nd 50% off.

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

Also, if you have the store "5 Below" near you, they have some great soft footballs in really nice colors.  They range from $3-$5 each.

Just another FYI ...

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

I found some great paper, cone-type pumpkins today!  Just got 2, but they should look good on a table or two.  I found them in the Dollar Store.  Also, got one pack of Thanksgiving napkins.  Wanted different ones, so I'll have to look somewhere else.

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

HERE IS THE WISH LIST FROM THE MOM OF THE MONTH:

 

Their wish list includes:

-noodles -beef jerky -hygiene items (soap, shampoo, chap stick, hand sanitizer and deodorant);

-females: feminine products  (PLEASE PUT AN  "F",  for Female, ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX) -instant coffee packs (just add water singles) -juice packs (just add water singles) -sudoku and/or funny page -non chocolate candy (skittles, starburst, sour patch kids??) -mini Pringles can chips -protein bars -granola bars/cereal bar;

-most important CARDS AND LETTERS from home.

[allboyz5 (Ship 12 Div 16)]

Wow!, I didn't even know these parties existed, and now I just got invited to two just today. I am actually going to one on Saturday in my area. I won't be able to make the 19th, but let me know when the next one comes up.  I live on the North Shore, not sure if that's close by.

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

Packing parties take place all over the state.  The previous one was in Beverly.  Plainville is southwest of Boston, right off Rte. 495, so not too close to you.  Maybe an hour or so.  I used to commute from here to Lowell and it took me an hour to get to work.  Minus traffic of course!

[Chellita]

Operation "Sailors, Socks and Pie" is definitely a success :)

It has been a 13 hour day for me.

I had super help from dear, life long friends and also from a new MA Mom, allboyz5, with whom I have many connections!

She was great!

We have to re-visit about a 1/3 of the jars, they didn't seal properly so its back at it in the morning. But I'm confident we can make it work.

OH!! I have 300 pairs of the most yummy socks!! Thick, beautiful socks from Renfro Corp.

White, navy, brown, green, black, crew, knee, peds..

I am going to wrap each jar in a pair of socks and tie them up with jute twine.

My mission for this week is to come up with a label I can print out and stick on each jar, this has been an effort but so very joyful. There is a whole lot of love in each one of these jars!!

I also have many letters coming, probably 25 from my mother, and I've been told "a whole bagful" from my niece in Seattle who had her 7th grade class each write letters as a service project!

I need to get some sleep now.

I hope you all are having as much fun with this as I have!!

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

We are going to have to change your name to "SUPER Mom"!!  Great job Chelita and friends.  The sailors are going to be one amazed group of adoptees that is for certain!!  What a wonderful thing you've done for them.