Care package idea

October 14, 2010 12:29 PM

What's the best item to send someone in a care package - who isn't feeling well? I'd love your suggestion. (under $25)
posted by quiverandquill to Grab Bag (20 answers total)

Tea. Along with a tiny jar of honey and maybe some vanilla in case they don't keep those things around.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=182466&pid=CSE_Froogle&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=141176

Even people who don't drink tea appreciate when they're sick.
posted by 256 at 12:32 PM on October 14, 2010

"Not feeling well" how?

When I'm down in the dumps (not necessarily physically ailing) a good dose of zydeco perks me up.

If this person is going to be in bed for a few days, a DVD of a TV show would be nice. They can watch as they feel able. Better if the show is kind of mindless.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 12:37 PM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

My go-to when I'm feeling lousy, either physically or mentally, is my copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Seriously.
posted by .kobayashi. at 12:43 PM on October 14, 2010

A snuggly, freshly-washed comforter and some beautiful, colorful refrigerator magnets to remind him he is loved every time he goes into the kitchen.
posted by amtho at 12:44 PM on October 14, 2010

Seconding "not feeling well" how? Are they physically ill or having a rough time personally/emotionally? What will make me feel better when I'm sick is sometimes different than what will make me feel better when I'm depressed, though I sort of think some Flight of the Conchords might work in almost every instance.
posted by scody at 12:45 PM on October 14, 2010

"Whisky may not cure the common cold, but it fails more agreeably than most other things." -- Scottish proverb
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:45 PM on October 14, 2010 [2 favorites]

Munchables.

Candy/Chocolate, Cookies, Brownie Bites, Muffins, Cupcakes, Individual Bags of Chips, Goldfish Crackers, Breakfast/Fruit/Granola Bars, Rice Krispie/Cereal Treats..
posted by royalsong at 1:01 PM on October 14, 2010

Socks. Like these
posted by lois1950 at 1:16 PM on October 14, 2010

I'm a big fan, in the case of either emotional or physical rough patches, of dropping off something in the way of a basket filled with tea (or hot chocolate); a nice loaf of lemon bread or some simple cookies; a wee jar of something sweet like jam; one or two awesome chocolates; a teensy airport bottle of something perhaps a little alcoholic in nature (depending on whom it's for); and most of all, a stack of the worst trashy tabloids and mags like the Enquirer or People and maybe a Vanity Fair or MOJO or something more luxurious and specialty-like (that I may or may not thumb through first, for you know, conversational purposes). And, a handmade card including the best joke I've heard lately.

And, depending on the person, I may throw in some "used" things like a book I enjoyed or a wee ceramic figurine or old neat thing (I deal antiques) and use a nice old flower pot or basket or something to contain it. I've been known to dig something out of my garden and plant it in a vintage pot from my stock and drop it off. I figure people I'd do that for know me and know what I do, and like the quirky things even if they're not brand-new. And most of the new stuff I can get within a three or four block walk, so it gives me time to think about what the person would like.

Then, I like to ring the doorbell and run, and spare them having to pretend to enjoy my company if they're not up to it. (Which reminds me - I have a friend who's been fighting the lice battle for weeks on her kids' heads, and whose cat barfed on her new rug and whose other friend was gravely ill for a while and she's pretty stressed lately. I'm off to make a care package and deliver it! Thanks for the thought!)
posted by peagood at 1:28 PM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'd send a DVD box set of a funny TV show, like Arrested Development or a season of Eastbound and Down. They are pretty entertaining to watch again, even if the recepient has already seen them, appeal to most audiences, and can currently be had for almost nothing (used) on Amazon.
posted by halogen at 1:48 PM on October 14, 2010

This is not a what TO give, but a what NOT to give: Given my own personal reaction to tea, I'm going to strongly recommend against it, unless you know the person likes tea -- the smell of tea makes me feel really nauseous when I'm sick. I hate it most of the time, but something about it when I'm sick just makes me want to throw up. Since I don't know how many other people feel this way (though clearly not many), I wouldn't give tea to anyone unless I already knew them to be a tea drinker.
posted by brainmouse at 1:53 PM on October 14, 2010

An assortment of fruit juices. Gourmet tinned soups. As mentioned above, a stack of trashy tabloids and gossip magazines. When I'm sick, I can't handle anything more complicated than that.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:40 PM on October 14, 2010

Audio books, knitted socks and Chicken Run on DVD.
posted by springload at 3:45 PM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

Are we talking physically not feeling well? My "cold cabinet" contains Emergen-C magic vitamin powder, crackers, blue Gatorade, ginger ale, box of tissue with the lotion on it, and aseptic packs of chicken broth. (I used to have nice tinned tom kha gai soups, since they are the best, but can't find a good brand in the States.) Strawberry Haagen-Dazs has to be brought in during the actual cold, because it gets freezer-burned if stored too long.
posted by cyndigo at 4:20 PM on October 14, 2010

Things I would like to have when I'm sick:
- books
- magazines
- seasons of tv shows
- favorite movies I never get sick of watching
- tea
- a soft blanket
- Mrs. Grass or homemade soup
- heating pad or hot water bottle
- homemade foodstuffs like cookies, muffins, scones, breads, jams, etc.
- candies, especially things like lemonheads or caramels to suck on
- cough drops that are really more like candy
- cozy slippers or socks
- some Tylenol
- a book of crossword or sudoku puzzles
- a straw in my drink (even if it's just water or 7-Up)
- a mix CD or playlist put on onto my iPod with soothing music like Bon Iver or Sigur Ros.
- someone to baby me by offering to refill my glass, fluff my pillows, tuck in my blankets, grab something for me, change the DVD, feel my forehead, coo and say "poor baby."
posted by gumtree at 4:23 PM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

I just sent a care box to my daughter and another one to her best friend (they're at different colleges). They love a variety of teas and different kinds of crackers, handmade socks or scarves, cough drops and Emergen-C, and silly cards or notes. I think the biggest thing is showing that you care and are thinking of them. Also, ask them what they'd like - that way you know they'll use what you send.
posted by garnetgirl at 6:23 PM on October 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

When a friend far away mentioned on Facebook in quick succession that she was (a) a fan of the Colbert Report and (b) suffering from a bad cold, I expressed mailed her a Colbert DVD and a box of instant chicken noodle soup.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:08 PM on October 14, 2010

i hate tea and i hate the assumption that everyone loves it and therefore needs it when sick or that it is a good gift. it's the scented lotion of adult gifts. so don't give someone tea unless you know they like it.

i personally would love a copy of of one of my favorite movies, or a movie that the giving friend and i had enjoyed together.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:42 PM on October 14, 2010

Wait. what?

People don't like tea?
posted by 256 at 9:25 AM on October 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

When I'm sick I like to snuggle up - so a snuggly blanket, fuzzy socks, soft PJ's, or even a heating pad. You can get good deals on blankets at places like Marshall's and TJ Maxx.
posted by radioamy at 10:27 PM on October 16, 2010