These are offered all over the web, but for a start, here are some on Amazon: Heart Hand Warmers

If you’re looking for a more personal gift for your missionary, check out Lily Gene on Etsy.  She does these cute prints of special places, and can even add little details like a postage ink-stamp of a particularly important date.  It’s all totally customizable!   With all the options she offers, there are several fun things you could do.  Either send the missionary a map of the country or state where he’s serving (what a great idea for a farewell or homecoming gift!), or send a print of his home state / country.  Lily Gene also has a “someone in _____ loves you” custom postcard and other ideas.  Lily Gene was featured in this month’s InStyle, so check out the shop before things get backed up! I can’t stop thinking about what a cute idea this is, not only for missionaries, but anyone!

February is a big month for those sending care packages to missionaries, and there is one reason for that!  Valentine’s Day is a holiday with a wonderful and easy theme, perfect for getting the creative juices flowing.  But if you’re feeling stuck on inspiration, or want to do something different, try out some of the ideas posted on this site.  For a full list of Valentine-related posts, click here:  Valentine’s Day Missionary Ideas.  I’ll post traditional ideas, plus a few new trends.  Check back often to see what’s new!

Include a kit to help your missionary make his time capsule. I printed out a few “prompts” with phrases like, “Resolutions I have for this year include…” and “Currently, my favorite place to eat is…” and “Three predictions I have for this year are…”

You can check out more suggestions at Thrilled By The Thought.

“These are your favorite?” I gasped. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? I’d make them all the time!”

He shrugged, sadly. “I thought you knew.”

LESSONS IN MARITAL COMMUNICATION, PEOPLE!

And Hubby’s not the only one who likes these cookies:

I’ve tried to find the exact recipe on-line, but I can’t. Here’s the one I use:

1 Cup butter

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup white sugar

Cream above ingredients together

2.5 eggs, added one at a time (I know, I know. Two and a half??? The original recipe is double this amount, but it makes about 6 dozen cookies, so…)

1 tsp vanilla

2 Cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Then, add the goodies:

2 cups quick oats (go easy on this…the dough can get too hearty, and the cookies won’t spread when you bake them)

1   12-oz package chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate)

6 oz coconut

1 Cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)

1 Cup raisins

Drop by spoonfuls on lightly sprayed cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Mouth-watering, no?

The day before I was going to write a blog post about it, my brother emailed me, saying he’d received the tin of toffee. Here is a picture of how it arrived:

In my brother’s own words: “megan’s toffee, huddled, hiding in the corner of the tin”

Needless to say, the toffee didn’t make the blog (although my brother ate it anyway). Since then, I’ve brooded over which is the best method for sending homemade treats. Do certain baked goods hold up better than others? Is there a type of packaging that is best for protecting the goodies over which we’ve slaved? What do they really look like when they arrive?

In this spirit, I’m declaring October “Cookie-Mailing Month” here at Missionary Ideas. In addition to regular Halloween-themed posts, I’ll be testing recipes, as well as packing & shipping methods. Hopefully, I can get to the bottom of this.

It is also my pleasure to announce this blog’s very first giveaway. Going along with our cookie-mailing theme, one winner will receive a Reynolds 00590 Handi-Vac Vacuum-Sealing Starter Kit, which I will be testing this month as well. Just in time for packaging and sending Christmas cookies to your missionary!

To enter the drawing, you have several options: 1. Get my new button for your blog,  2. Make a comment with a question or suggestion about sending homemade treats, or 3. Announce this giveaway (and include the link) in your Facebook or Twitter status. Each contestant can get up to three entries; just let me know how you’ve entered in your comment below!

Let the Month of Cookie-Mailing begin!

The Irish Jewelry Company

There are several beautiful necklaces — and gifts for men, too!

A necklace is inexpensive to mail, which is great news if your missionary is serving overseas, but beware of investing in an expensive gift is there’s a chance the package won’t arrive.