What's the deal with the USPS Military Care Package Kit? Posted by Hannah Fleace on Jan 14th 2020 The next few paragraphs contain an expensive and embarrassing moment for me. I'm sharing it with you, so you don't make the same mistake I did! Feel free to laugh, but make sure you keep reading fo … read more
To the Family on the Brink of Another Deployment Posted by Hannah Fleace on Jan 6th 2020 Thousands of soldiers from Fort Bragg are deploying to the Middle East, and there is tension across the country as people ask, “What will happen next?”I’ve seen more than one person on my social media … read more
Basic Military Training: What to Expect Posted by Brendan Davis on Dec 30th 2019 You guys, I cannot believe a new year (and decade!) are just around the corner. That looming January 1st date usually makes almost everyone reevaluate what they want out of the fresh year. I mean, … read more
What Military Families Wish You Knew about Deployments and the Holidays Posted by Hannah Fleace on Dec 23rd 2019 Tell me if this sounds familiar . . . You’ve just spent the last week doing laundry, packing at least four suitcases, putting your mail on hold, and cleaning up around the house. You turn off … read more
8 Holiday Activities for Your Kids During Deployment Posted by Hannah Fleace on Dec 15th 2019 It is extra hard on kids during deployment when the holidays roll around and even more necessary to have family time. Here are a few ideas you can do to spend more time with your kiddos AND how to … read more
Remembering Pearl Harbor 78 Years Later Posted by Hannah Fleace on Dec 7th 2019 Saturday, December 7, 2019 marks the 78th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared it “a date which will live in infamy.” … read more
57 Gift Ideas for Holiday Military Care Packages Posted by Hannah Fleace on Dec 2nd 2019 Sending packages from home is one of the best ways to boost spirits and morale for deployed military service members and those away from home. The holiday season is tricky because you … read more
When to Mail Holiday Care Packages 2019: Dates, Shipping Methods, Advice Posted by Hero Care Packages on Dec 1st 2019 It's our favorite time of the year, here at Hero Care Packages. The holly is hung, the snow is falling, and gift giving makes us feel oh so warm when it's cold outside. Around this time of th … read more
How One Community Sent 100+ Care Packages to Deployed Troops (and you can too!) Posted by Hannah Fleace on Nov 25th 2019 Remember being a little kid at Christmas time? You wake up on Christmas morning and zip down the stairs in your pajamas. You see a spread of stockings and presents all neatly laid out … read more
Veteran's Day: Heroes of Our Past and Present Posted by Hannah Fleace on Nov 11th 2019 Today marks the 100th year we’re recognizing Veteran’s Day. To celebrate, I wanted to honor the veterans we know and love as well as all the men and women who have served in all of America’s wars … read more
App Review: Ink Cards Posted by Hannah Fleace on Oct 28th 2019 I am all about making communication as easy as possible during those long-distance stints in our relationships with our service members. A few weeks ago, I gave you tips on revamping your let … read more
Halloween Care Package Ideas: 4 Tips and Spouse Spotlights Posted by Hannah Fleace on Oct 14th 2019 For this post, I wanted to highlight a couple spouses who are seasoned pros at putting together care packages. Skylar and Sophie gave us their thoughts on why care packages are essential and a f … read more
Five Ways to Revitalize Your Long-Distance Letters Posted by Hannah Fleace on Sep 28th 2019 While my husband was in basic training, I tried to write to him every day. It was definitely a labor of love, but I felt it was important. It kept his spirits up and made me feel connected to hi … read more
Product Review: Ritz Crisp & Thins Posted by Rachel Basinger on Sep 1st 2019 I love to save money. One of my favorite things to do is use my frequent shopper’s card at Harris Teeter, a popular grocery store in the south. It’s high-end, but if you get food on sale, the pri … read more
How to Support and Utilize Back to School Programs for Military Families Posted by Christine Vande Griend on Aug 6th 2019 It’s THAT time again – Moms, Dads, students, and educators – time for the kids to head back to school. In just a few short weeks, school will be back in session. It can be a time of relief for p … read more
DIY Dollar Store Military Care Package Guide Posted by Christine Vande Griend on Jul 25th 2019 We know you look to Hero Care Packages to provide high quality, well sourced and shipped care packages for your Hero – and you know we’re glad to do it anytime! We’re also glad to help y … read more
A Matter of National Security: The Physical Fitness of the Nation Posted by Christine Vande Griend on Jul 12th 2019 By Christine Vande Griend, Hero Care Packages What do you think of when you hears that a certain topic is a “matter of national security?” Do you think of Heroes and h … read more
Oh Say Can You See: The Beauty And History of Our National Anthem Posted by Christine Vande Griend on Jun 28th 2019 Of all the abundance of patriotism we enjoy as American patriots, there is one jewel in the USA’s crown that shines the brightest, and evokes the greatest of patriotic emotion: The Star-Spangl … read more
Civilian Role Play Participation: Another Way to Help Our Military Posted by Christine Vande Griend on Jun 14th 2019 As patriots, we all want to be there for our military Heroes in every way. What if I told you I’ve found a great way to help our Heroes be ready for anything? I tried to find a way to help … read more
Military Care Package Ideas: What To Put In A Care Package in 2020 Posted by Jack Wray on Feb 11th 2019 One of our top questions is what to put in a care package for the military. After all, most of us have never been in deployed, so it's hard to come up with military care package ideas, and even har … read more
Mailing a Military Care Package Yourself [Step By Step Guide] Posted by Hero Care Packages on Jan 28th 2019 We get tons of questions about how to mail military care packages. Imagine the frustration so many people experience: You spent the time assembling your service member’s favorite foods, magazines, … read more
Military Care Package Restrictions: A Definitive Guide (2019 Update) Posted by Hero Care Packages on Jan 17th 2019 One of the most common questions we get asked here at Hero Care Packages is: what are the military care package restrictions, and how to I make sure I'm not breaking them? We decided to … read more
What It's Like to Be Deployed on Thanksgiving Posted by Rachel Basinger on Nov 21st 2018 Did you know that Thanksgiving wasn’t established as a holiday until President Abraham Lincoln called for a nationwide day of thanks in 1863 amidst the fighting of the Civil War? … read more
Product Review: Brownie Brittle Posted by Rachel Basinger on Nov 14th 2018 Everyone loves the taste of a soft, warm brownie, fresh out of the oven, with a little vanilla ice cream on the side. For our deployed service members, that likely won’t be an option while … read more
8 Surprising Things You'll Learn about Veterans Day Posted by Rachel Basinger on Nov 7th 2018 In four days, it will be the eleventh day of the eleventh month. History buffs know that day as Armistice Day, which in essence ended the First World War, but others may think of Veterans Day. In … read more
How to Send Thanksgiving Overseas with Your Care Package Posted by Rachel Basinger on Oct 31st 2018 Since today is Halloween, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about sending a package for the next holiday—Thanksgiving—if your loved one is deployed. Tomorrow, Thanksgiving i … read more
How to Send a Care Package Even if You Don't Have Family in the Service Posted by Rachel Basinger on Oct 24th 2018 We’ve written several posts recently of ways to send care packages to heroes you don’t know. In our post about getting your school involved, we focused more on how a classroom could put toge … read more
Are You Getting Scammed? How to Avoid Care Package Scams Posted by Rachel Basinger on Oct 17th 2018 We’ve heard from some of our readers that they’ve been exposed to some care package scams, so we wanted to give you the down-low on how to avoid care package scams. Obviously, almost eve … read more
Product Review: Enjoy Life Seed & Fruit Mixes Posted by Rachel Basinger on Oct 10th 2018 When you are traveling and want a convenient snack option that has both sweet and salty flavors, you probably normally default to a delicious bag of trail mix. And it’s a great thing t … read more
How to Put Together an Amazing Autumn-Themed Package Posted by Rachel Basinger on Oct 3rd 2018 For many people, fall is their favorite season. It’s cool enough to wear a jacket, but not too cold where you have to wear a parka. It’s warm enough to wear a short-sleeved shirt with jeans, but … read more
How to Get Your School Involved in Sending Care Packages Posted by Rachel Basinger on Sep 26th 2018 It’s late September, so it’s back to school for everyone! The relaxing days of summer at the pool—but with the heat!—are gone, and the cool, crisp days of autumn with falling leaves, bonfires, ap … read more
The Origin of Care Packages: From 1946 to Now Posted by Rachel Basinger on Sep 19th 2018 Did you know that the phrase care packages is actually a registered trademark? In 1945, a humanitarian organization called Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE) began a pro … read more
Product Review: Nature's Bakery Fig Bars Posted by Rachel Basinger on Sep 12th 2018 This summer when I attended a teacher conference, I had the opportunity to try Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars for the first time when they put out snacks for the teachers. They were delicious, a … read more
Celebrating Constitution Day with a Themed Care Package Posted by Rachel Basinger on Sep 5th 2018 September 17 is significant for a lot of reasons. It’s my sister’s birthday, National Wife Appreciation Day , National Apple Dumpling Day, and, most importantly, National Constitution Da … read more
One of the Best Items to Include in a Care Package in 1943 or 2018: It's Not What You Would Expect Posted by Rachel Basinger on Aug 29th 2018 If I asked you what soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fought during World War II liked receiving the most from the States, you might say food or cigarettes. The unexpected answer is b … read more
What Service Members Really Want in a Care Package Posted by Rachel Basinger on Aug 6th 2018 Maybe this is your first care package and you want to make sure you get it right, or maybe you want to surprise your service member with a package and don’t know what to get. We interviewed fi … read more
What It's Like to Be Deployed on Fourth of July Posted by Rachel Basinger on Jul 3rd 2018 “On a pole set up there, the American flag fluttered against the sky. The sun was shining warm and a cool breeze was blowing.” – Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder This pas … read more
Why We Should Keep Up the Tradition of Writing Letters: Lessons from D-Day Correspondence Posted by Rachel Basinger on Jun 6th 2018 Exactly seventy-four years ago on June 6, 1944, almost 160,000 Allied men landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, starting at 6:30 in the morning. Today we call it D-Day. Heavily fortified … read more
A Day in the Life: Air Force Posted by © Hero Care Packages on May 20th 2018 The final article we have in our series is outlining what a day is like for an Airman deployed around the world. We’ve discussed the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and now we’ll finish … read more
A Day in the Life: Marines Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Apr 26th 2018 Hoo-rah! Our third installment about a day in the life is here. We've already discussed the Navy and Army life, but what's it like for our Devil Dogs? Let's dive in. First T … read more
A Day in the Life: Navy Mar 25th 2018 Like all services, the life of a Navy sailor is varied. We'll focus on the most common type-- a sailor deployed on a ship at sea. Ships and Deployments: Normally, ships deploy for … read more
A Day in the Life: Army Feb 28th 2018 When looking into what to get your Hero, it’s a great idea first to get acquainted with what the job will entail. There are a lot of different army jobs, but today we’ll focus on one of the most … read more
The Best Free Military Resources (Our Top 4 Picks!) Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Jan 12th 2018 Military families can have a tough time – especially new military families. Navigating the world of military service, moving constantly, and dealing with active deployments – it’s a lot to take i … read more
Product Review: Country Archer Beef Jerky Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Nov 16th 2017 Beef Jerky is like gold. Healthy, delicious, compact... It's every service member's top snack. But it's hard to come by. It sells out at ship and base stores and it's a bit more expensive than the … read more
4 Great Resources for Military Spouses (And Why You Should Bookmark Them Now) Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Nov 8th 2017 Life as a military spouse can be difficult – we all know that. Whether your spouse has been reassigned for the third time in two years, or you’re going through the stress of your spouse deploying … read more
The Family Challenge: Competing for Your Hero Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Nov 3rd 2017 We wanted this blog post to go out to one of our customers who had such a great idea, we had to share it. Cindy Bush of Wisconsin wrote to us with a great idea she came up with. "My son is a … read more
The Secret Technique We Use (And You Can Too!) To Get Special Shipping Rates From USPS Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Oct 30th 2017 The USPS rates can get out of control. Flat rate shipping is $18 to APO/FPO locations, and that's not cheap. Try to ship by weight, and prices can range from $10 to well over $20. That can make it … read more
Product Review: Starbucks Via Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Oct 23rd 2017 Boy, oh boy, what we could say about Starbucks Via. It's versatile. It's easy. It fits in a pocket. It's better than the mud normally available on deployment. And best of all? It tastes. Exac … read more
How To Get Free Shipping Supplies From the Post Office (Delivered To You, Too!) Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Sep 24th 2017 Sometimes, gathering up packing materials can be a headache. It's even harder when you're trying to ship anything besides parcel post at the post office. There are box size restrictions, and you ne … read more
Addressing a Military Care Package Online Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Aug 12th 2017 Our goal here at Hero Care Packages is to try and get military care packages into the hands of as many service members as possible. Whether you DIY, or use let our military veterans send the ca … read more
Shipping to Our Soldiers: Four Ways to Save on Military Packages Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Jul 27th 2017 One of the greatest assets The United States of America has to offer the world is our military. Every year, thousands of soldiers are uprooted from their homes to protect the libert … read more
Felt: Handwritten Cards for Your Service Member Posted by © Hero Care Packages on Jul 20th 2017 The best thing we on the home front can do is to send a personalized card. That's why we have one in every care package, with no character limits. It's that important But t … read more
What NOT To Send In a Military Care Package Posted by Hero Care Packages on Jul 13th 2017 We often get the question: What can I not send in a military care package? It's a good question. What to avoid sending in a care package is almost as important as what you put in it. After all, … read more