Care Package Project #1

Confession: I think most affordable note cards/stationary sets are UGLY. Or the ones I do like, are usually a bit too feminine for me to send to him. Plus that stuff is expensive. I admit, I did splurge on a beautiful set of Kate Spade cards that will probably go into the next package. Beautiful, expensive stationary I can't quit you! Too bad I'm a student on a pretty strict budget. 

For now, I decided to play around with making some of my own. I bought a pack of 10 flat cards and envelopes and a few sheets of scrapbook paper at Michael's. Thanks to a coupon and a sale, this cost me a total of about $3. 

I originally planned to line all the envelopes in the paper, but found it was easier/more effective for me to just cover one side of the note cards instead. I experimented with a few different styles, and came up with these:

I wrote in a silver metallic sharpie on the other side, just fun silly things that maybe will brighten his day. I packaged all ten up, numbered them, and left instructions on a post-it to open them whenever he needs a pick-me-up or some love :) 

I have a few actual greeting cards that are going along too, but this set is purely for fun.

This first care package ROCKS you guys. I should be able to share it in a day or two :)

Goodbyes

Driving to the airport, trying to talk lightheartedly while skirting traffic, in a rush because we were running really late. Rain and mist and gray skies making visibility lower than my mood. Getting there, late, rushed, a few heartfelt kisses, tears and "I love you's", and he walks away.


I get back in the car and the empty space beside me feels enormous. The empty space in my life for the next six months even bigger.


I have never felt an empty passenger seat so acutely.


I spent the rest of the day in bed. One day to mope and feel miserable, before picking myself up and returning to life. Groceries need buying, homework needs doing, life has to go on.


But today I am just sad. And thats ok.

How Do I Feel?

Thats the question people love to ask me now that the date is only a couple days away: How are you feeling about it?


Frankly, mixed up.


Part of me is gripped by panic every time I think about the good bye and how painful that is going to be. Even mentally poking at that scenario makes me want to just bawl. And it's stressful!


On the other hand, I'm so sick and tired of the build up, I mean, we've known since December! There's a part of me that just wants to be on the other side of this, to just start building my own routine and getting through this deployment so it can be over. I'm ready to send care packages and graduate and get through this so we can start our lives again.


So thats how I'm feeling today. I wonder what I'll be saying a week from now. That thought terrifies me a little, yo. But I can't stop this, so I just have to try and thrive on my own for a few months.

Card Stock

The start of my collection :)




Check out my Pinterest for more cards I love!

On Stress

With roughly a week to go, I was sitting here patting myself on the back for not falling prey to the stress and fighting most couples experience right before someone deploys.


Until today.


What a stressful disaster. I guess we aren't immune, we've just been saving up our frustration for one explosively awful day. We tried to do some pre-deployment shopping, getting stuff he needs, picking up some bulk care package items, you know, normal stuff. It ended up being a giant stress monster of a task.


Somehow shopping for deployment just made us face its imminent start and we just melted down. It starts with tension, building to annoyances, escalates to fighting, and ends with one and a half of us in "I don't want you to go" tears. I still want to cry even while I type this. I've been sort of pushing the reality of him leaving out of my mind, mainly so I can cheerfully function day-to-day, but after today its all kind of hitting me like a truck.


This week is going to miserable.


At least I have wine?

Gonna need a lot more of this stuff...

Drink Mix Tasting #2 [UPDATED]

Overall, the winner of our drink mix tastings so far was Mio Green Thunder which tastes kind of like green Monster energy drinks, without the carbonation (and without the gasoline taste of the peach-mango flavor). It does have caffeine, which isn't good for around-the-clock hydration, but it does taste the best. 

The other winner is Mio Orange Tangerine! It tastes pretty much exactly like flat orange soda and we both liked it a lot. I was very glad that it too lacked that gasoline flavor of the Peach-Mango flavor. Mio mixes with water pretty much instantly and you don't have to wait for powder to dissolve. There's also less packaging involved which means they're a little better for care packages as they need less space. Also less to throw away, which is always a good thing. We found them to be portable and easy!

We also got a few mixes from REI that promised hydration and were free of fake sugars.

The Vitaltye, to us, tasted like watered-down gatorade and was kind of unpleasant and weak. The GU Brew tasted like chalky off-brand Tang and was very difficult for us to drink. The Coco Hydro Coconut Water mix tastes like coconut water with just a hint of pineapple, and if you like coconut water in general, you'll probably like this mix. This was E's favorite of this batch.


Coconut water also provides really excellent hydration, so I'm hoping this is a taste E can really acquire and love while he's away. He's never tried any kind of coconut water before, so now I'm interested in giving him some other types, though the mix form will be easiest by far in terms of sending in a care package. This mix also comes in original and pomegranate raspberry.


Off to Costco soon to try to get some of these in bulk!

Separation Anxiety

Today is April 1st. Each new month sends a zing of excitement and dread through me; Deployment and Graduation (yes, capitalized!) are just that much closer. Somehow the start of a new month makes that fact more poignant than on other days.


In other news, I have begun compiling a real care package with an actual theme and everything! Yes, it is a bit early, but I know I'm going to be overwhelmed when he does go, and I want to have as many things set up in advance as possible. I will be posting pictures/tutorials when it is finished, of course!