How to Send a Great Care Package + Target Giveaway Winner!

If you follow me on Instagram (@thechroniclesofhome) you saw that I received a tasty little package recently.

 

This ice cream is amazing (AMAZING) and I have already managed to polish off one of the three pints I received.  I have a pretty formidable sweet tooth so when Haagen Dazs contacted me about participating as a brand influencer in their Moment for Me campaign, it didn't take me long to say, "YES!!"  The campaign is all about slowing down, appreciating special people and moments, no matter how small, and doing things to make ourselves happy.

I took a little different spin on it this month and put together a care package for my grandmom.  She's been on my mind a lot lately - was scheduled to have knee replacement surgery last week but then had it postponed due to some undiagnosed major swelling in her legs and feet, and meanwhile she's all but stuck in a chair at her house waiting for something to give so she can go forward with the surgery.

My mom lives closeby (I do not) and has been bringing her lots of meals and visiting as much as she can, but I wanted to do something that might brighten her day a little.  

I think the way to send a great care package to someone is to balance two things: what you know about the person and their likes, and some of your favorite things.  Shopping for other people can be tough but if you try to think of some of the things you love and would be excited to receive, I think it's a little easier.

Here's what I put together for my grandmom:

1. Trail Mix Clusters - I know my grandmom likes these for a little snack, and I do too!
2. Popcorn Indiana Kettlecorn - Have you tried this stuff?  I don't buy it that often because I could easily put down a whole bag in one sitting. 
3. White Truffle Oil - One of my favorite "condiments" to have on hand.  Takes mashed potatoes and mac and cheese to  heavenly levels.
4. Sarabeth's Peach Apricot Preserves - My favorite favorite favorite jam.  I could eat it with a spoon.  Okay...maybe I do sometimes eat it with a spoon.
5. Creamed Honey - I don't always see it called this, but it's basically honey that has a bit of a cloudy look.  I love it on toast with peanut butter and my daughters and I love to dip raw almonds in it for a snack.
6. Raw Almonds - For dipping in that delicious honey.  I put some in an empty jam jar and tied some baker's twine around it. 
7. Lavender candle - I know my grandmom likes scented candles and I love the smell of lavender.
8. Rose milk soap - smells amazing and is really gentle for the skin.
9. Brad's Raw Leafy Kale - these are like kale chips on steroids.  If steroids were healthy.  And tasted delicious.
10. Homemade Almond and Seed Granola - I'd just made a batch of this, and put some in a container with a label on top made from a circle of white paper and some Mod Podge.
11. Orange Blossom Honey - my favorite honey to use in tea.  It has a really mild, citrus-floral flavor.
12. Tea - My grandmom likes drinking tea so I chose two flavors I thought looked tasty for her to use with the orange blossom honey.

I padded breakables well with paper and packed everything snugly in a box before shipping it off.

She got it a couple days later and it sounded like it did add a bright spot to her day, which made me feel great.  Even though I was trying to bring a happy moment to her, it wound up being a happy moment for me too, knowing I could do something nice for someone I love.

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Haagen-Dazs has chosen me to be a brand influencer in their "Moments for Me" campaign. You can share the moments you cherish in your everyday life using hashtag #HDMoment on Twitter or Instagram, and Haagen Dazs might share it on their tumblr page!

This is not a sponsored post.

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psst...the winner of the $200 Target gift card is Nikki Wilson!