Now’s the time to start planning for sending gifts to your husband, wife, son or daughter that’s serving overseas. With only a handful of days left before the shipping deadline, getting great ideas for gifts may be difficult, especially if you’re like the rest of us, juggling holiday events, wrapping other presents and attending festive functions.
To help you on your way to gift-giving greatness, here are a handful of ideas for that special someone. Holidays are meant for family, and sending the right gift will make your stationed loved one even brighter.
Great gift ideas:
- Create a photo album of your best photos (try Snapfish)
· An electronic tablet loaded with games, books and magazine subscriptions
· DVD collections of classic movies, new television shows and old favorites (like House M.D., The Wire or check out Time Magazine’s “All-Time TV Shows” for ideas)
- New paperback or audio books
· Good, old-fashioned board games like Monopoly, Scrabble or Life
- A scrapbook highlighting the past year’s events
- Framed photos
- Collection of your children’s art or school work
- Prepaid cell phones, calling cards or a pre-paid Skype account to stay in touch
- Video games
- A high-tech flashlight, watch or sunglasses
- Digital camera with a printer
· An iTunes gift card so that they can get music, movies and television shows
Overseas shipping regulations to keep in mind:
· Never write the destination country as a part of the address because it may delay delivery and may increase your shipping charges
· All overseas military shipping must be through the United States Postal Service
· Avoid any hazardous materials (like guns or alcohol) and always check your shipping location for any additional restrictions
· Remove batteries from all electronic devices and don’t send batteries separately in the package
· Package all boxes securely and must not weigh more than 70 pounds
· Print address clearly instead of writing in script or cursive
· Don’t use “recycled” boxes to ship, especially those that have names of products or businesses, and if you must use “recycled” boxes, cover them in brown shipping paper
- Ship packages as early as possible
Remember, the last day to ship packages to military overseas is Saturday, December 17 . This ensures a Christmas delivery. Check with the United States Postal Service for more details and locate your nearest Post Office.
To find military postal codes for your overseas family member, visit Operation Home Front for a complete listing. Always make sure you have the complete military address including an APO/FPO.
