Care Packages and Ice Cream Cone Maker

I ordered a lot of gifts from Amazon.com for Christmas. Usually we just recycle all the boxes but this year, Mario kept all of them. I asked what for, and he said they were for me to use to send him care packages to Afghanistan. I thought that was funny because I didn't send him a single care package 12 years ago when he was at OTS. In fact, his roommate's girlfriend would send extra to her boyfriend to share with Mario because she felt bad for him. I know, I am an unthoughtful wife. I did write him and talk to him almost daily though.

So yesterday I asked Mario to go to the post office for me. He returned with more boxes. I asked him if he would like to spend the day shopping for stuff for me to put in these boxes. He could make his own care packages and then I can mail them periodically (or weekly as Mario suggested.) Mario laughed at my suggestion. So I am looking for ideas on what to send him. I told him each package will be filled with about a ream's worth of paper because the boys like to make him tons of cards and pictures.

I saw on a friend's blog that there are waffle cone makers similar to waffle makers. I thought a waffle cone maker would go well with Mario's ice cream maker. Plus I don't normally buy ice cream cones because of the transfat in the cones. So this would be a perfect early Valentines, birthday, or anniversary gift for Mario to use before his deployment. The kids and I were excited about surprising Mario with it when he returned from Charlotte. But Zach said first thing, "Did you show dad his ice cream cone maker yet?" So much for a surprise. We tested it out last night and wow, it is awesome. It was so easy to use and the cones were huge and very yummy. Mario loved his gift and so did the rest of the family.