Fun and slighty ridiculous college care package

So, my best friend is a Freshman in college. Weird, I know. I'm a Freshman in high school. (it's actually really legit to be experiencing these "firsts" together). She is going to school in another state, so weekly lunches flew out the window. Now I send her stuff. Not big, important things, but little things, like magnets or dried oranges or key chains. Its the thought that counts, you know? She lives in the absolute middle of nowhere, so little things become little bit bigger things. For example, the store that sells the aforementioned dried oranges does not exist in her tiny little college town.

In the last couple of weeks I have realized how awesome chewing gum is. If you open a pack of gum and share it with the people in the surrounding vicinity (especially at school) you have new friends. Also, the new Sour Patch gum is like eating a never ending bag of Sour Patch kids. I mean, who doesn't love that? And yes, my school allows us to chew gum, I not being rebellious.

I wanted to send her and her roommate/bestie/awesome person a gum sampler with all different flavors and varieties and such. If that just doesn't sound like a package full of happiness, I don't know what does.

I first gathered my supplies: 

I needed a decent sized box, and this recycled Trader Joe's box fit the bill

Gum- Duh! I bought more on the way to the post office, so this was all I had to photograph, sorry. 

I had some fun paper lying around, so I decided to wrap my box in that. (Sorry this picture is blurry- I realized it after the fact)

I chose to type up a little card with a few gum puns (Chews and Omnonominate) and a happy little picture of an elephant blowing a bubble. The mac-n-cheese box made a great mouse pad.

I wrapped and taped my box up really good so none of the processing machines snag the paper (beware!- this will happen and the contents of the package can be lost. We have learned the hard way. Tape EVERYTHING)

I made a little envelope for the card to go in. It just had to be pylon orange. I mean, how else would my friends see it amongst all the gum?

I had to strategically lay the first layer packages in the box so everything would fit and not bulge out too much. (this was only the first layer)

All done and ready to arrive in 3 days! 

I think this would be an easy way to cheer anyone up. I mean, who doesn't smile when they see a neon wrapped box FULL of chewing gum? 

Go and find a way to make someones day a little brighter!