I’ve got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine….

Ok, not really… But I DO have a box full of sunshine, because this week’s Frugal Homemade feature is a cute little care package for one of my best friends’ daughters, who also happens to be one of my daughter’s best friends. In honor of surviving the first two weeks of college pretty far from home, I thought I’d send her some love from Chicago, probably right around the time she’ll start to get a little homesick. I chose a happy “box full of sunshine” filled with sunny yellow gifts, but you could change it up many different ways:

• A box full of good luck (green)
• A box full of rainbows (red, yellow, green, blue, purple and orange)
• A box full of hometown goodies (cookies from a favorite local bakery, Tootsie Rolls, or Garrett’s popcorn from Chicago, Dylan’s Candy Bars from NY, a box of beignet mix from New Orleans, etc.)
• A welcome to your new town box filled with small denomination gift cards to restaurants & coffee shops near campus — along with the usual college staples of ramen, canned soup & Chicken in a Biskit crackers — Haha!

I went a little above & beyond because my recipient is such a close friend, but this can easily be done for under $15.00. I’ve been collecting items in anticipation for a few weeks now, and I think she will love everything in her Box Full of Sunshine! She is also very health conscious, so I didn’t want to get her tooooo much junk food.

Here’s what I included in her box:

• Yellow patterned PJ pants — Cost Plus
• “Good morning, Sunshine” coffee mug — Marshall’s
• Toffee & Almond chocolate bar (because of the yellow wrapper!)
• A cute little trendy yellow composition book
• Light up marquee letter “M” customized with yellow scrapbook paper (a $2.00 clearance find at Target!)
• Yellow frame with a quote or encouragement
• Mango & Coconut bath soap
• A yellow bath pouf
• 3 little yellow bracelets, also from Target for $1.00 each
• Boom Chicka Popcorn (the one in the yellow bag, of course!)
• Body Shop “Sweet Lemon” body butter — TJ Maxx find
• Banana hand sanitizer and purse tissues — clearance at JoAnn Fabric
• Yellow nail polish & an EOS “Lemon Drop” lip balm
• Yellow & white binder clips in a cute yellow tin — Staples
• Lipton Tea & Honey — mango black tea drops
• Gevalia iced coffee singles in caramel & vanilla

If you look around for one specific color at a few stores you’ll be surprised how many items you can find in one specific color! Eventually I had to stop myself because I’d already bought the box. 😉

Once you’ve gathered your care package items, you can wrap them in coordinating tissue paper. I used a combination of yellow & white because the yellow I bought only came with two sheets. (Not happy with that discovery!) Add a personalized note explaining the “theme” and you’re all set to ship. I included a cute little yellow guy on the outside of my package as a hint of what is to come. 🙂

You really can’t go wrong with a new college student’s care package! I’d love to hear what themes you choose for yours, too.