College Care Packages by Ginny Baird

A new movement is sweeping our nation. If you have children in college, at least it appears to be! With my husband and I having six kids between us (currently ranging in ages from 19 to 31), we’ve had plenty of experience with having kids in college—and sending out those lovingly crafted packages that help far-away students feel at home. The funny thing is, neither my husband nor I remember receiving any care packages when we were at university. Either times have changed, or we had horribly bad parents.

One thing is clear. When I attended college, the institution didn’t subject my parents to a barrage of correspondence urging them to purchase pre-fab packages made by the university itself. These all come at a cost of course and are most especially promoted during exam season. I’ve never purchased one, but can see how they might be a boon to busy parents. For my husband’s and my part, some of the joy in sending a care package comes in creating it.

At times, we’ve sent themed packages, centering on a holiday when the kids wouldn’t be home, like Valentine’s Day or Halloween. The package might include some homemade treats along with a few nifty gifties. The sillier, the better, and the kids always enjoyed receiving the unexpected surprises: ranging from pumpkin straws to blinking light rings, which a few of them wore to parties. It really is the thought that counts, even when your child is left wondering, What were they thinking?

On one occasion our youngest boy asked me this when he discovered an unexplained stack of mini post-it notes in his box. Generally, everything in the package carries a significance. What was the meaning of this? The truth was there was a tiny corner of the box—among the Tupperware containers and little presents—that needed filling. I glanced around my office and…voila! The stack of mini post-its was the perfect fit. Besides, I reasoned, son could use them to bookmark certain pages during his…ah-hem…arduous studies.

Just this week, I sent out another care package to this particular child, who is our baby, hence the caboose in a long train of siblings who’ve gone through schools: all of them out of state! Much to our delight (and after some gentle nudging), Gordon opted to study at the University of Virginia, which thrills us on two counts. One, he is just two hours away, and two, we pay in-state tuition. This also means the United Parcel Service can get a package to him by ground service overnight. What could be more ideal for shipping a box of homemade apple cake, brownies and peanut butter cookies? I mailed it the day before yesterday, and received a happy text from Gordon that he and his roommates were already enjoying the goodies last night!

Here is an easy recipe for one of the treats I included.

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup of peanut butter (both smooth and crunchy work great)

1 cup of sugar

1 egg

Blend everything together then form small 1 inch balls and press flat with thumb on cookie sheets. Use fork to form cross-hatch pattern in each cookie before baking at 350 degrees in a preheated oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Our oven is quirky, so when I’m baking two cookie sheets together, it takes 18 minutes for both batches to be done.

Remove from oven and lightly press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. For serious chocolate lovers, use Hershey’s Special Dark Kisses. Let set on cookie sheet for five minutes then remove to wire rack until completely cooled. Yield 20-24 cookies.

Do you send care packages to your children, or do you remember getting them? Please share what you like to give—or once enjoyed receiving as a student yourself. Gordon has three more years of college left, so we’re looking for ideas!

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Ginny Baird writes contemporary romance novels and novellas. Book 3 in her Romantic Ghost Stories series The House at Homecoming Cove releases on October 15^th and is already available for Pre-Order. Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iBooks. Want to keep up with news from Sweet Romance Reads authors? Sign up for the SRR newsletter today. Like chatting about Sweet Romance? Join the authors of Sweet Romance Reads in our cyber Café. Don’t miss our Café Open House October 17^th from 12 to 5pm ET. Save the date!

Inexpensive Holiday Cards by Angela Benson

Happy Holidays!  I hope you’re gearing up for a safe and happy holiday season.   

I really look forward to sending holidays cards this time of the year.  Hubby and I like sending out the personalized cards with our photo and a personal greeting.  From the response we’ve gotten, the recipients enjoy getting them.  The good news is that these cards are fairly inexpensive.

On Sunday we’re going to Flash Digital Portrait Studios in the local mall for our holiday photo session.  We usually just use a picture we’ve taken on our phones [the picture above is the one we used last year] but I found a great deal on Groupon that I couldn’t pass up.  The photo session and a package that includes three images on CD and one traditional print sheet cost only $15.99.  We’ve had our pictures taken at this place before when it was Olan Mills and I hope we are as happy with the results this time as we were then.

I’m going out all for this photo session.  I haven’t decided what we’re wearing yet, but I do know there will be some red involved.  And right before the shoot, I have an appointment to get my make-up done at the Clinique counter in Belk, also in the mall. This is a much cheaper route than going to a salon.  At the Clinique counter, they only ask that you purchase one or two items, which will probably be around $30.  A salon would charge at least $30 for the make-up session and you wouldn’t get any products.  Again, I think I’m getting a pretty good deal.

To get even more bang for my photo dollar, in addition to striking some poses for the holiday card, I’m also going to try to find a pose that will work as my author photo.  The photographer’s assistant suggested that I bring a few copies of my books to use as props in those poses.  We’ll see how it goes.

After I get the CD with the pictures, I’ll create our cards on Staples.com. With another great Groupon deal, I’m getting 50 custom cards (with envelopes) for only $10.  I don’t think I can do much better than that. 

In total, I’ll spend about $57 for 50 personalized holiday cards, a semi-professionally done author photo and two Clinique products.  That’s a pretty good gift for me to give myself.  I just may give it someone else next Christmas.

If you’re still with me, you’re probably wondering how we’re going to get our cards mailed in time for Christmas.  Well, we’re not.  Over the last few years, we’ve gone from sending Christmas cards to sending more general “holiday” cards.  That way, as long as the cards arrive between mid-December and mid-January, we’re fine. 

I’d love to hear about your holiday card plans for this year.  Do (did) you send Christmas cards, holiday cards or something else?  Have you already put yours in the mail or have you joined the high-tech revolution and started sending only e-cards?  Feel free to also tell me about any good Groupon deals you’ve found.  I’m always looking for a good buy.

Happy Holidays!

Angela Benson is the author of 14 novels and two novellas.  In the novella, Friend and Lover, Reed Lewis thinks his best friend, Paige Thomas, is engaged to the wrong man, so he devises a holiday ruse to make her see things his way. Celebrate the season with this light-hearted holiday romp about two friends on the path to becoming so much more, and the grandmother who helps them get there.