H Y D A W A Y

This is a guest blog post by Hydaway ambassador Zelphia Peterson. Follow her on Instagram @z_claire29.

I love sending care packages. Plain and simple, it’s just a joy for me to figure out what someone wants or needs, and surprise them with something that is both thoughtful and extremely practical. This fall I partnered with Hydaway and sent out a couple of care packages. One was for my future sister-in-law as she started her first year at grad school, a close friend that just moved away from home for the first time (across the country, too), and a few family friends just starting their freshman year of college.

However, how do you know what to put in a care package? So I have put together a guide for how I assemble a care package. Feel free to mix and match, and personalize it to your loved one. I hope you can use this to make someone’s day brighter!

Category 1: The Essentials

• Packs of travel tissues: Perfect for throwing in a backpack.
• A water bottle: I recommend Hydaway: it collapses for easy shipping and storing!
• Lip balm: Everyone needs lip balm, end of the story.
• Travel hand sanitizer gel: Have you been in an airplane or college dorm lately? A must.
• Notebook: Good for creativity, extra doodles, or the class you forgot about.
• Nice pens: To go with the notebooks, obviously.
• A pack of socks: Because nothing is more useful or gets lost in the wash faster.

Category 2: The Snack Pack

• Healthy snacks: Individual-sized trail mixes, good granola bars, dried fruit, beef jerky, etc.
• Easy snacks: Microwave popcorn is the MVP! Soup packets work well too.
• Favorite snacks: Are they addicted to Cheetos or Oreos? Spoil them just a little.
• Hydration helpers: I love sending water add-ins, like lemonade powder or Nuun tablets.
• Coffee, tea, or cocoa: There’s nothing a warm cup of comfort won’t help.
• Minty fresh gum or mints to feel your best.

Category 3: The Fun Stuff

• Movies or books: One or two favorite movies and a good book can make a difference. Also if physical movies arent your thing a Netflix subscription easily works.
• Pamper products: Face masks, nail polish, perfume spritzers, nice lotion, etc.
• Small puzzles: Not too time-intensive, plus you get a great sense of accomplishment.
• A nice scarf, winter gear if they need it, another pair of earbuds, etc.
• You can’t really go wrong with a Starbucks or Chipotle gift card.
• Handwritten letters: If your person loves words, write them an encouraging note!
• Holiday decorations: To make their space more cheery for the next holiday coming up.
• Physical copies of pictures: Facebook is great, but you can’t put those on your real wall.
• A fun mug: Like the one that tells other people when they can talk to you.
• A reed and oil diffuser. They look classy and make any place smell great.

In conclusion, I hope this blog inspires you to spread the love and send a care package.