59°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Can you send happiness through the mail? Yes, you can!

Just imagine opening up your mailbox and nestled among the bills and ads you find a brightly colored, fun surprise package. Just for you. Wouldn’t you be on cloud nine?

For the cost of postage and a box of candy you can totally make someone’s day. This would be great for the grandbabies or someone serving in the military.

I’ve been doing lots of online research and found you can mail just about anything without putting it in a box. You need to attach an address label and most importantly, proper postage. Some of the most interesting things others have mailed were coconuts, flip flops, beach balls and plastic bottles filled with sand and sea shells.

How fun is that? It really got my creative juices flowing and now I want to mail a silly surprise to everyone I know.

My first thought was to send Easter candies to the kids in my family. For about a dollar I got some movie theater-style boxed candy, and a candy filled egg. To make the boxes a little sturdier I added some clear tape. Make sure the recipient’s and sender’s addresses are clearly printed on the same surface of the parcel to avoid confusion about who’s receiving the gift and who’s sending.

Make sure you have proper postage. What a buzz kill to get a goodie in the mail with postage due. You can’t go by the weight written on the box of candy because that’s the weight of the contents, not including the box. I recommend going to the post office and having the item weighed, at least the first time. When in doubt, add extra postage.

It costs less than $3 each to mail the boxes of candy shown. The postage costs more than the candy but it’s a small price to pay for candy-coated correspondence.

Be mindful of the recipient’s mailbox and make sure your surprise can be safely delivered. Something fun and colorful would be a temptation for theft if left out in the open. Also, don’t send anything precious in a candy box. Take the attitude that if it gets there great! If not, you won’t be heartbroken.

Now that I’m publicly writing about this I thought I would have to hide from my dear friend and neighbor who is a mail carrier. But she told me that everyone at the post office gets a kick out of the creativity involved and it breaks the monotony of cardboard and white envelopes. We’re spreading smiles all along the way.

Of course there are some postal restrictions; your package can’t be flammable, perishable or toxic. Also, no alcohol, tobacco products or anything that would go bad without refrigeration.

Diva tips – Don’t mail chocolate in warm weather as it will melt. Instead of candy you can send stickers, colored pencils or crayons (watch the heat again) school or art supplies, hair ornaments or hot wheel cars.

Frugal Family Fun contributed by Patti Diamond from Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! www.divasonadime.com Join us on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
How an injured and abandoned dog in Pahrump overcame the odds

A stray dog that was homeless, hospitalized and facing euthanasia earlier this month is now on the mend thanks to several in the community who helped raise thousands for its life-saving care.

End of an era: 50-year-old Beatty business closing

Owner Jane Cottonwood, who made ribbons, trophies and awards for organizations all over the country, plans to retire and close her shop at the end of February.

PHOTOS: How Pahrump helped dozens facing homelessness

Every three months, the Community Crisis Intervention Committee puts together the Homeless Wraparound, quarterly happenings geared specifically toward serving those experiencing homelessness in Pahrump.

PHOTOS: Wild horses come home for the holidays

The wild horse herds that were removed from the Pahrump Valley earlier this year are finally home, and just in time for Christmas. Here’s how the community came together and made it happen.

Community Christmas Dinner set for Dec. 23

Christmas is just around the corner and it’s all hands on deck for the Pahrump Holiday Task Force as the nonprofit prepares to celebrate the season with the entire community.

A night of cookies with Santa

This past Saturday, the valley was invited to enjoy some cookies with Santa and dozens of families turned out for an evening filled with festive fun.

Like Santa? Like Cookies? This PDOP event is for you

Pahrump Disability Outreach Program will be helping families get into the holiday spirit with an all-new, free community event: Cookies with Santa.