Monday, October 17, 2011

(The Registry Post) What Do You Want in YOUR Crappy Day Package?

Updated on 1-13-16 to add a new question below
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So, I was thinking:  you just never know when someone would LOVE to send you a Crappy Day Package, but they are discouraged because they don't know where to start.  And it isn't NEARLY as much fun to send a package if you've just had to ASK the person what sorts of things they'd like, so I thought we could get a list going in the comments section of this post!  Then, when somebody wants to send you a CDP, they can come check the comments and see if you've left any helpful information =)!

Now, you are welcome to mention specific things that you like, without feeling like you are obligating anyone to give you those things, because all sorts of information could prove to be helpful. 

For instance, I could tell you that my VERY! FAVORITE! coping mechanism ice cream right now is Ben and Jerry's Red Velvet Cake or Mint Chocolate Cookie.  That doesn't mean that you should feel obligated to give me that ice cream especially if you would have to mail it from far away, but perhaps you might come across a cute Ben and Jerry's ice cream Christmas ornament, or ice cream-themed stationary, or ice cream flavored lip gloss (I think I've seen that somewhere), and, knowing that I like ice cream, you decide that any of those things could be a fun present. 

Another example:  Swistle had mentioned that she liked See's Candies, so when I saw a very delicious looking shopping bag with mouthwatering pictures of See's chocolates on it, I thought that it might be something she would enjoy or else it was going to torture her by reminding her that there is NO See's Candies' store near her; it was a gamble.

And:  I know a dear, sweet person who likes owls.  A few weeks ago I came across a cute set of owls that were actually a salt and pepper shaker, a sugar holder (I think) and cream holder (I think).  I sent them to her, and it sounds like they were a nice surprise =). 

Final example:  Knowing that impossible challenging times were coming, I took matters into my own hands a couple of months ago and ordered MYSELF a Crappy Day Package to have on hand in case things got as bad as I suspected they would hard.  It can be a tricky thing to get YOURSELF a Crappy Day Present, if you are going for the element of surprise, but, this particular time, it worked out for me.  I have an unhealthy relationship with enjoy and use a lot of yarn.  I get a certain craft-themed catalog, and I had previously noticed that they offered a "grab bag" assortment of yarn.  I had never ordered it before because I have yarn in nearly every room in the house already it seemed frivolous, and I usually buy specific yarn for a specific project, but after hearing the news about Husband's deployment, I thought it might be a good idea to be prepared..."desperate times" and all of that...I did eventually open my box, and look what I found!
Beautiful blues!  I LOVE blue!!

This isn't quite so blinding in person.  TEN skeins of Christmas red with a silver sparkly running through it!  I LOVE sparklies!!
There are two things I enjoy about yarn:  softness and color.  This yarn is not at all soft, but I think the colors are beautiful, and, I should have remembered to add someone-to-watch-the-kids to my order so that I could USE all of this beautiful yarn, but, all in all, I'd call this a success!
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Hmmm, I think I will list some questions you can answer, in case you are feeling shy about this or uncertain about how to start:
  • What is your favorite color?
  • What is your favorite season?
  • What is your favorite treat?
  • What is your favorite scent?
  • What is your favorite ice cream coping mechanism?
  • What do you like to do in your free time moments?
  • What do you not enjoy doing, and why, but have to do anyway?
  • If someone gave you money with the instruction that you had to spend it on something frivolous for yourself, what would you buy?
  • Do you have any decorating themes in your home/office?
  • Is there something that you REALLY, REALLY like?  (Burt's Bees, horses, cats, fairies, unicorns, birds, patriotic stuff, babies, chocolate, Diet Coke, etc....)
  • What is the VERY! BEST! present you have ever received and why was it the best?  (The purpose of this question is to give people another idea of the sorts of things that make you happy.)
  • What are you passionate about?
  • What are (some or all) of your favorite books and/or authors?
There!  That should get us off to a good start!  Feel free to answer none, or any, or all of the questions, and elaborate as much as you'd like on your answers!  Add any additional information that you'd like that I am too tired to think of at the moment =).  Go, go, go!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Example of a Crappy Day Package #4 (Edited)

A Lovely, Lovely Person* sent me a surprise Crappy Day Package!  So, here we have more excellent examples of Crappy Day Presents:
I enjoyed and appreciated all of the bright, happy wrapping paper (I know from experience that it takes A LONG TIME to wrap that many things!), and I LOVED the tags that Lovely Person put on each package (click on the photo to enlarge if you want to read them**);  she wrote a mysterious little description of each item and noted when it is something that she has for herself.  I arranged all of the presents in a nice display on my dresser, so that I can be cheered up by seeing them (and smile when I read the tags) whenever I walk by.


This was the first thing I opened;  I just couldn't resist the mystery of "probably broke";  I wanted to see what it was!  GOOD CHOICE!  I've been using this for my daily infusion infusions of liquid chocolate (otherwise known as Ovaltine with enough milk to make it a liquid).  And something about that lone little flower DOES make me feel better!

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I forgot to take a picture, but something I opened on the day I awoke to discover the news story of a base WHERE MY HUSBAND WILL BE GOING being BOMBED by someone who doesn't like the American presence there a very stressful day turned out to be a bottle of the hair conditioner Lovely Person likes to use when SHE is having a stressful day!!  The thoughtfulness of that gift was a great comfort to me on that hard day!
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Another opened present!  I think it is fun to get things that I wouldn't normally think to buy for myself.  I haven't tried the blue one yet because I am enjoying the yellow (honey!) one so much.

Isn't that just THE CUTEST little fuzzy face?!  THE MOMENT Marie noticed this she asked if she could have it;  she named it her Rose and likes to take it her with her wherever she goes.
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That is everything I have opened so far, but I am almost certain that I will be opening MANY things next week when I return from visiting Husband.  I am so very excited to be in the same room with him, but it will be the last time for *SEVEN MONTHS* or longer;  I'm afraid it is going to be VERY HARD to leave him to come home.
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Thank you again, Lovely Person!  Your package was such a nice surprise and continues to slow the arrival of or help me through Crappy Days!
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*I will be keeping Crappy Day Present senders anonymous so that the sender doesn't have to worry that Person Q is going to see what they (the sender) sent me and possibly feel bad that their (Person Q's) package was not as fabulous as mine ;-). But if you don't worry as much as I do aren't worried about that, you are welcome to claim your package in the comments!

**Identifying information has been removed.

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EDITED:
I have now opened all of the beautiful presents!!  Here are the other things I discovered hiding under the cheerful wrapping paper:
Sparkly nail polish! (I LOVE SPARKLIES!!)

Handmade soap! (I LOVE handmade soap!) Smells VERY NICE!

Cool stamps!  What a GREAT idea!  EVERYBODY needs stamps!  And Lovely Person cleverly disguised the sheet of stamps, so I had no idea what could be in the package!

Pretty Henna designs! (I think those are beautiful on pregnant bellies!!)

HEART KITCHEN TOWELS, SQUEEEEEE!  Have I mentioned that I have a heart theme in my kitchen?  When we were married, someone gave us a colander with hearts for the holes;  now I have heart measuring cups, measuring spoons, muffin pans, cake pans, and I even have a few heart bowls that the children haven't managed to break in my dishes pattern =)!
Oh!  I didn't get a picture, but Lovely Person also sent a nice-sized re-usable shopping bag!  (I LOVE bags!!!  *cough* some might say that I have a little bag PROBLEM *cough*

Thank you again, Lovely Person!!  Your package helped with QUITE A FEW irritating Crappy Days!!