Simple ideas for keeping distant relatives close

You don't need to wait for a special occasion to send your loved ones something special. Care packages warm the heart the year around! Send one to distant Grandparents throughout the year, to students, especially during exam time, or to your distant love to let them know you miss them.

Here are some unique, personal ideas for how to keep in touch across the miles.

Send a care package filled with mementos

• Keep a folder (an accordion one is best) labelled with family members names. Whenever you come across something for them-pictures, souvenirs from trips, crafts or drawings from the kids, articles, etc.-store it in their folder, and when you have enough collected, pull the package together and post it in the mail!
• Store addresses at your fingertips. You can even print out labels ahead of time to store in your folder, making it super convenient to quickly assemble any care package.
• Make sure to package the contents appropriately so they don't bend or get squished. Order bubble envelopes and other packaging materials from our online store.

Send a life-size greeting to those fond grandparents by helping your child create a giant self-portrait

• Have your toddler lie on a yard of craft paper, trace their outline, and then let them decorate their portrait with colours & collages. Pop it in a mailing tube to avoid creases.
• Know in advance how much it will all cost to mail using our Find a Rate tool.

Create a family newsletter that circulates from home to home

• One family starts off by sending a package of photos, mementos, and letters and sends it off to the next house which adds to the package and sends along to the next family. Once the package reaches the origin, that family removes its old items and replaces them with new ones.

How to show your children you still care

Going away to college or university is a very exciting time. But it can also be a stressful time too, with new friends, a heavier workload, and more responsibilities. As much as college students are trying to state their independence, they still need support from family!

After a long day of classes and labs, nothing can beat receiving a special package in the mail (in particular around exam time!).

According to students, the best care packages include:

• Snack foods
• Homemade cookies
• Coupons & gift certificates (after all, they are poor students!)
• Pictures from home
• Videos or CDs
• Seasonal decorations
• Magazines
• Helpful household items for their dorm room

Long distance love affairs

Feeling blue that the one you love is miles away? Let them know you are thinking of them with a special, romantic care package. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Create a bottle of "Miss You" pills. Write special notes to your significant other and fold them up in a bottle. Label the bottle "Miss You" pills and include instructions to take one each day.
• If your partner travels a lot for work, send a piece of home to their hotel. Include some of their favourite items from around the house-for example, their coffee mug, favourite snacks, a framed picture, and some candles.