Need Creative Ideas for Deploying Military Mom

Throw the party, and then consider this - instead of giving her a gift now, collect money/items from the team so you can send this mom a care package from the team every two months during the deployment. Gather information about what sorts of things you are allowed to send, and what would be most appreciated where she is going. We had one friend who was over in Saudi Arabia for a year - we sent him small toiletry items, baby wipes (very useful if you're out in the field), his favorite candy, and his favorite hot sauce. Things like the Starbucks VIA packets or packets of good tea are often appreciated. If she won't have access to skype where she is, prepaid phone cards are good (find out which ones actually work where she's going first). Also, find out what you can do to help the daughter while mom is away. One of the best gifts you can give to this mom is the assurance that someone will be watching out for and helping her child while she's gone.

I think a scrapbook is a fun idea! It would be thin enough she could take it with if she wanted and it would give each family the opportunity to write a little note and include some pictures of all the girls, etc.

Shutterfly and Snapfish have great books at good prices. You can do pages that are all pictures, all text or a combo of both. Snapfish just redid their process and it's really easy to do both on the pages with various sizes of pictures, etc.

You could send an email to each family (except hers of course) and have them email you a letter, note, poem, whatever. Then you could go in and make the book and just add pictures from through out the year. Possibly other parents have pictures they can send you as well.

Once the book is done, you could actually make two copies and send one with the mom and leave one with the daughter that way they can share in the messages and it would be neat that they both have the same thing. The books are very reasonable and if each family just gave a few dollars I'm sure you could do something nice.

Maybe you could even get enough for a gift card for a mom/daughter pedicure or something before she leaves. Good luck! Makes me teary just thinking about it!

I also think the scrapbook is a great idea, but I also thought about each individual girl making a card for the mom, and maybe writing some memories they have of her, and her daughter and their family. And maybe include some pictures in it. I was thinking of this because she could take them with her and easily put them in a backpack. A scrapbook would be hard to take with her because it is bulky. I'm sure she'd want to read them for comfort while she is gone. I think your idea is lovely, and especially a pot luck is a good idea because everyone will likely be there and you can just hang out all afternoon if you wanted to. Maybe you can come up with a song for the girls to sing for the mom, Maybe you can change the words in a song and make it convey the message that you want to send to the mom. Whatever you decide to do I'm sure it will be appreciated more than you know. Good luck figuring it out, and have fun!!

Scrapbook is a good idea. Don't think I would do big dinner, whole team, signs etc. it will only make it harder for her and her girls. Save that for her return. Let the family have all the time they can get together.