Missionary Package: Christmas

I had SO much fun putting this package together!

It was tiring, and tedious, but I am rather please with the way it turned out and it was a whole lot of fun :)

 

THE BOX:

My strategy for this package was to avoid crazy shipping costs by getting a small box and just jam packing everything possible in it. Mission accomplished. I lined the bottom of the box with Christmassy scrapbook paper and the sides with polka dots. I painted the box red and made a "Merry Christmas" banner for when he opened it! It was perfect for the box shape. I'm not sure how I would do that in a box with 4 flaps. Another smart box idea that I didn't think of is getting a flat rate box from the post office. I was kicking myself for a while once the pounds started adding up, but it all worked out pretty well for me. 

 

Gatorade (aka Priesthood PowerAde)

Chapstick

Tic-Tacs (Missionaries can't chew gum)

Hot coco with candy canes

 

Fruit snacks

Goldfish

Beef Jerky

Snickers

Starburst

M&M's

 

Sheet music for Love Story by Taylor Swift

and I Can Show You The World from Disney movie Aladdin

3 bookmarks

-Missionary quotes

-A poem

-My favorite scriptures

 

More "Open When" letters. I made these a couple months back but decided against sending them all at once because I am almost positive Joseph would just sit on his bed and open letter after letter until he had read them all haha! So I space them out, sending a few at a time:) You can find "Open When" letter post here. Making the letters was my favorite part of the whole package. Some of the topics were:

-When you're having companion problems

-When you need a good laugh

-When you're bored

-When you need to feel uplifted

-When you are discouraged

-When you feel like reminiscing

It was so fun writing these! For all of the letters I prayed for guidance on what to write and say. Especially the spiritual ones. It was really uplifting for me as I felt the spirit guiding me what to say, scriptures to share, talks to print out, testimony to bare. It was such a cool experience.

 

Warm socks for the winter months

Lint roller

Hand sewn Hand Warmers.

I just sewed two square pieces of material, flipped it inside out so the seams weren't shown and filled them with rice before stitching them up completely. You can also fill them with oats and they will work the same. You pop them in the microwave for a minute or two and they will stay warm for up to a couple hours! Just slip them in your pockets and they will keep them nice and toasty:)

 



This was the final product before I shipped it away.

I put the letters in the box and wrapped almost everything because I thought it would be fun for him to have something he could actually open on Christmas morning.

Everything has a cheesy saying to go along with it, if you couldn't read them in the pictures just leave a comment on this post and I will send them to you:)

I loved putting this together and any of my ideas are free to be used!

Goodluck!

 

All my love, Lauren.

Just Another Missionary Post

I love the girls I follow on my blog.

I've never met them, but have you ever had that silly connection with someone totally random?

Yea. That's me with them.

They are all super great and I love them.

One of the gals I follow is Aleigh.

I have followed her blog for almost a year now and I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER.

She is the craftiest, sweetest, most fun person ever :)

And no I have never met her but who says I can't think she's awesome?

She has definitely had an influence on my life.

So this post has to do with missionaries.

Sweet Aleigh has a missionary who is coming home in just a few days and I'm crazy excited for her!

For no good reason at all, except for the fact that

1) They are crazy in love and adorable

2) She is proof girls CAN wait for missionaries

3) I have been following her story and can't wait for him to finally be home!

4) I love happy endings :)

 

And what a happy ending this will be.

Check out her blog and her story with her sweet love :)

She posts more and more of their story once a month and I am always left on the edge of my seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and I have a couple ideas I'm working on for y'all.

A post about running,

Joseph's Christmas package,

a Young Women Project

just to name a few :)

 

All my love, Lauren.

5 Things

Hey there!

 

 

No need to say I have a really hard time keeping up with myself haha.

Stuff magically piles up...

And where did the time go?

I keep nagging myself to blog, then it takes a friend to nudge me back into it;)

So to get back into the swing, I will list 5 things and bombard you with pictures.

 

 

1. Track season is starting and ohhhhh how bitter sweet haha. Say goodbye to after school naps and hello to sore aching bodies, but it is so worth it. I love what I am doing, but I feel like I know NOBODY in track. Everybody has their own friends and I didn't really branch out last year either. So trying to make friends:) Trying to get back in shape(I thought I already was!?!?!?)

 

 

2. Joseph(because no blog post would be complete without mentioning him, right?) I get a kick out of his stories. Apparently it is totally possible for the inside of your nose to freeze;) Monday emails can't come quick enough.

 

 

3. My friend, Dorian, is getting baptized on the 21st! NO WAY!!! Everyone is so excited because he has been investigating the church forever... Really, though. Has it been 6 or 7 years? I am sooo excited! This is news of a lifetime. I am so excited for him to receive the constant companionship of The Holy Ghost and receive the blessings of The Temple. I'm beyond excited. Maybe even more than Dorian.

 

 

4. I was a vegetarian for 6 years and just started eating meat a few months ago. Boy did I miss out. Cheeseburgers are the best haha. And bacon. And biscuits and gravy is SO much better with sausage. Chicken noodle soup too.

 

 

5. Which brings me to my last topic. I have been sick for going on my... 7th or 8th week now? Fevers, chills, coughs, head aches, nausea, I've seen it all. Gosh dang. Pray for me guys because I'm sick of it. (Pun totally intended)

 

 

Life lately, in pictures.....

 

Finally finished this painting! I'm really proud of it.

Priest and Laurel South Stake Temple trip!

Las Vegas temple

Beautiful and crazy hard hike on a mountain over looking the entire city!:)

 

 

 

I think that's all for now:)

All my love, Lauren.