MOPS

From my cousin Kristi who dose this with her kids:

Encourage Military Moms and Their Families

A Little Love and Creativity Goes a Long Way

David, whose father is in the U.S. Air Force, is an elementary school student. His father deployed for the fifth time in July 2010 for six months. David received a KidsLink Card Kit, and he said: “[I'm going to write Dad] stuff that's interesting that's happened to me that I can't really tell him otherwise … I never got to talk to him when he was out in the desert [before] except once every two months, so it's going to be nice, ... [and] also he can write back. So it's going to be helpful a lot."

Last spring, over 250 MOPS groups were a part of creating over 5,300 KidsLink Downrange Card Kits for children of deployed military personnel. Those kits were distributed to five different U.S. military installations around the U.S. and one in Germany. Now your MOPS group can be a part of expanding this project again to reach out to more families!

KidsLink Downrange is a project from MOPS and Cadence International to support and encourage military moms and their families. MOPS groups can make card kits that contain everything a child needs to write to his or her deployed parent throughout the year, as well as other resources in the area. These kits will be delivered to children at multiple US military bases worldwide this coming spring.

Here is this year’s schedule!

September-October 2010: Your MOPS group pledges a number of kits
December 2010: You’re advised where to ship your finished
kits (via email and on kidslinkonline.org
website)
January-February 2011: Your group makes card kits
February 15-March 15, 2011: Your group ships your kits to the advised
location (no earlier than Feb. 15 and no
later than March 15)
April-June 2011: Card kits are distributed to military kids

Now is the time to pledge how many kits you will make for this year’s project so…

Be a Link and Pledge!

Want to know more? Watch this video, then pledge the number of card kits your group will create and send to military kids.

http://www1.mops.org/web/email_blast/email_blast_web.php?appeal_code=mim100925kld&email=kristilaroo@yahoo.com

Hey, I'm Back Sorta....

Hey all! I know I have been gone a while but the hubby is home and we have been moving and working. Things are still a little crazy esp. with my comp going down on me and trying to get back in shape.

The other reason I have not posted in a while is because I am running out of ideas when I am not sending packages out everyday. Now my days are filled with occupying myself and my daughter waiting for my husband to come home from work. If any one has any ideas please let me know. I will try to get some more ideas and put them up soon. Thank you for staying with me!

Operation: Hi Honey/Mom

My cousin Kristi gave me a wonderful site that puts your beautiful family pictures on Canvas. It makes a great anniversery gift or mother's day gift for those back home. Just click HERE to find the web site. Opperation Hi Mom awards 1 free canvas print to soldiers over seas to be sent to thier mothers on mother's day and operation Hi Honey does the same for thier spouses back home on thier anniversery. Now not everyone will automatically recive a photo just by being a deployed member so make sure you read the Honey Directions here and the mom ones here (sorry couldn't find the mom link :( )

Welcome Home Banners

www.buildasign.com/Troops This site has done several give aways for military families to welcome home there troops. the banner above and the one below are the ones that welcomed my husband home for R&R. I payed (I think) $30-45 total for both banners. My husband had to drive from NM to AZ so the above banner was on his jeep at his folks place and he had a bag full of everything he would need to stay the night in NM if necessary. the lower banner was hung on the wall of our home, it would have been hung outside if not for the mass amount of snow we received.

Rcordable Books

For Christmas I bought a recordable book from Hallmark they are about $30. I shipped it to my husband who read and recorded the story and sent it back for my daughter so he could read her a bed time story every night. They have 3 different ones. "All the ways I love you", "Bright and Beautiful", and at Christmas time they have "the night before Christmas" Ask for them at your local Hallmark store and make sure you do this well in advance of the occasion (Christmas/Birthday/etc.) It took one week for the book to get there then he had to get the time to record, repack, and ship it back to me and then it took over 2 weeks for me to receive it, so plan ahead.

Holiday Packages

Birthdays:

For birthdays you can got to the dollar store and get a bunch of fun little toys like army men, little planes, party hats, signs, blowers, streamers, any little fun toys that they will enjoy and find silly but that can also be tossed to children along with candy as they travel along roads and go out on missions. You can send a box of hostess cupcakes or Twinkies along with a box of candles so they can blow them out and make their wish. I say hostess cupcakes because they are individually packaged, won't go bad or get Stael in the mail and the frosting won't get every where if the box is tossed around. Send a singing card and maybe even a video for them to watch of every one back home wishing them a happy Birthday. You can also send a few real gifts wrapped in birthday wrapping paper. I sent James a new game for his PSP. Remember not to send things they can't use or things that are very large. Large things tend to be left behind and things they can't use will eventually just have to be sent back. If you want to get them something they can use when they get home take a picture, put it in an envelope and send it rather than the gift it's self.

Anniversaries:
For our Anniversary I sent champagne glass (still in it's box) a personalized (small) bottle of sparkling apple cider completely covered in 2-3 layers of bubble wrap, a flame less candle air freshener, a card, and his gift wrapped in white wrapping paper. His gift was a very expensive watch that he had been wanting for a few years now and could use there.Christmas:

For Christmas once again little dollar store toys and candies are great and can be tossed to children on missions and on the road. Home made goodies are Perfect for this time of year even chocolate can usually make it safely to the recipient because it is much cooler. I made my husband and his roommate each a tie blanket because they kept complaining of the cold nights. The blankets where the perfect fix. James' roommate got a small set of whittling knives because he enjoys whittling, James got another video game. I also sent things for them to decorate their room with. You can get window stickers, door covers, even decorating a small 1 foot tree, decorating it, and sending it in Bubble wrap works great. I got the miniature stockings and filled them with coal (chocolate), candy canes, and a small toy or you can send a full sized stocking.

New Years:

For New Years you can send hats, goofy glasses, party poppers, and anything to help bring in a happy new year.