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It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. Right? Ugh, that expression is so much easier said than done. One of my best friends moved to Illinois this summer. Her husband received an incredible job opportunity and they just couldn’t pass it up! Thankfully, the move is temporary, but it will be for a couple of years. She is a southern girl through and through and I knew she was going to feel homesick moving so far away from home. I wanted to give her things that would remind her of home and comfort her when she was feeling stressed, exhausted, and homesick. Instead of buying her one thing for her new home, which is GORGEOUS by the way, I decided to make her a going away basket full of little reminders of home. Each part of the basket went with a different letter and each letter included an encouraging scripture card that fit that occasion. I started each letter with, “Open When You are Feeling….” My hope was that each gift and letter would help her feel better during that moment. I made her a total of 6 different cards.
Open When You Miss The Sweet Sweet South
There are certain things that remind us of home. For this part of the basket, I wanted her to have a taste of home when she started feeling homesick. A local jar of Texas salsa, two mini bottles of wine, and a letter full of all things Texas.
Open When You Can’t Even
I knew there would be moments where she would just be over it! Sometimes, you just need to get in your jammies and chill out! This gift included one of her favorite types of candy, a romantic comedy, popcorn and wine. This letter reminded her that home is not where you live, but who you live it with and to enjoy every second of this new chapter.
Open When You Feel Stressed
We all experience stressful days, but being far from home with a house full of boxes definitely does not help. For this part of the basket, I included a bottle of wine, homemade essential oils bath salts, and a book to read while soaking in the bath.
Open When You Have Your First Snow Day
Moving from Texas to Illinois means a major change in weather! She would finally have a real white Christmas! I wanted to make sure that she stopped and enjoyed the moment. I included a mug from Magnolia, (I have a matching one) candy canes, marshmallows and plenty of hot chocolate packets!
Open When You Need A Mollie Day
One of our favorite things to do is to open a bottle of wine, sit on the couch in our jammies and talk late into the night. We are also really big fans of Target. It is our magical place that takes all of our worries away. For this occasion, I included a bottle of wine, a Target gift card, and a card reminding her to call me anytime, day or night.
Open When You Open and Unpack Your Last Box
Unpacking is exhausting! I wanted her to have something to look forward to and clearly there are few better ways to celebrate than by popping a bottle of champagne! I made this letter a celebratory letter to help encourage her about their fantastic new journey!
For the actual gift basket, I purchased this beautiful wicker basket from Target. I knew that this would be something she could also use in her home for décor and storage. I packaged everything together and made her promise not to open it all at once!
Have you made a going away basket before? What would your Open When cards say?
