Care Packages for UF Students

Who doesn’t enjoy getting a care package delivered?

We know you really care, you care a lot about your student and want them to be happy. Whether it is for a birthday, a little something to ease the stress of midterms or finals, a pick me up when they are feeling sick, holiday treats, or congratulations on a job well done; there are many care package options that will surely bring a smile to your student’s face. Sometimes it is nice to go with the local shops; most all deliver. Then again, there are some excellent national choices too. We have given you plenty to choose from– all of which our kids, interns, or we like. All you have to do now is decide what care package to send. There is variety there too. For instance; if you are looking for sweets (and who isn’t?) for a birthday, pick me up, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, religious holidays, or just because…

Where to start? A great parting care package gift that you can leave in their room or send as a package is this package of Open When College Pack envelopes. We suggest filling them with either a message, picture, or gift cards purchased in advance but we love the messages. When you take your first big test, when you’re sick, when you’re tired of dorm food, and more.

(Note: GF or V indicates gluten-free and vegan are available.)

PHOTO BY HEART2HEART CAKES

Locally we recommend:

• Bearkery Bakery Dream Cakes – Temporarily closed
• Cold Stone Creamery – two locations offering their signature ice cream cakes, birthday cakes, ice cream cupcakes, ice cream sandwiches, and more. You can even send them an eGift card.
• Gigi’s Cupcakes. – Bakery chain offering a rotating selection of gourmet cupcakes, plus cookies filled with frosting. GF
• Heart2Heart Cakes – Offers custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, pies, candies, and more.
• Midnight Cookies – Delivers the most amazing cupcakes (12 cupcakes for $20, plus a delivery fee). Who wouldn’t appreciate a cookie cake or cupcakes on their birthday?
• The Cookie Cache – custom, decorated cookies for any occasion, holiday, theme, or season!
• Uppercrust Productions –This is more of an artisan bakery that has been around for over 35 years. If you are looking for scones, tarts, eclairs, macarons, or cakes & cupcakes, you will want to try them out. GF

National and delicious options include:

• Bake Me A Wish. If you’re looking for a full catalog of desserts to choose from, this is where you should start! Bake Me a Wish has cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, and more – all for a reasonable price! Plus, you can personalize your selection with any message you wish GF
• Baked by Melissa – If you’ve ever been to New York, you know the name Baked by Melissa. These are tiny cupcakes that come in assorted flavors including cookie dough, red velvet, brownie, and more! You can get a box of 25 or up to 100 and send it directly to your student for any occasion! These are available for purchase through their website or on Amazon. Trust us, these are always a hit and they taste delicious! GF, V
• Debbie’s Doodle’s Cookie Company – They ship from South Florida right to your student and offer delicious, homemade chocolate-chip and brown sugar butter cookies. They come delivered in dry ice and then a birthday box with a card. From the presentation to the cake itself, it was seamless and delicious.
• Milk Bar Store – Don’t be fooled by the company name – Milk Bar offers some of the best cakes we’ve ever tasted! Think a Funfetti boxed cake that your student likely baked from time to time, but SO much better! They also have cookies, truffles, and pies – and anything you choose is going to have you eating the whole thing, it’s THAT good!
• The Dirty Cookie – Have you seen the famous cookie shots? If not, think of a cookie, but shaped in the form of a shot glass. You can fill it with milk, coffee, ice cream, or alcohol (21+), and you can pick a cookie shot in several different flavors! Is there a better way to celebrate your birthday, the end of an exam, or just making it through another week of quarantine? The answer is, OF COURSE NOT! Use code HUH15 for 15% off your purchase and enjoy it!
• Wicked Good Cupcakes – GF Our personal favorite is the Wicked Good Cupcakes Birthday Box. I sent these to my daughter last year and she loved them. Just make sure you get enough for their roommates. If we’re going by the name, you know these are going to be wicked good! These desserts come in a festive box filled with cupcakes in a small jar, plus birthday décor and candles if they’re celebrating a birthday. You can pick different sized boxes based on your budget. Plus, these last for at least 10 days without being refrigerated or your student can freeze them for up to 6 months (even though we know they’ll be devoured as soon as they open the box).
• NatureBox – College kids love to snack so why not give them healthier snacks that promote wellness and reduce stress? Their snacks have no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners, no corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, or MSG – just healthy deliciousness.

Still sweet…

• Edible Arrangements If you are thinking something more along the lines of fresh fruit (and because who doesn’t like sweets, said no one ever), then Edible Arrangements is the way to go. From their traditional fruit bouquets to their fruit platters, the best gifts are Edible.® They even have strawberries dipped in cake batter and rolled in mini sequin sprinkles, miniature cakes made with fresh pineapple and dipped in white chocolate or you can create your own box.

They will think this is sweet too…

• Drizly – For students who are 21+ then parents can order any type of alcohol, mixer, and even energy drinks

Flowers and Plants

Maybe flowers (or a cool plant) are something your Birthday Gator would prefer. Even better, combine balloons with flowers! Many florists – like most of these – deliver balloons as well. Locally we like:

• Floral Expressions 352-375-1234
• Prange’s Florist 352-335-0100
• The Flower Shop 352-371-2469
• The Plant Shoppe 352-371-6249
• The Sill

Nationally, here are some of our tried and true favorites:

• Bouqs – These beautiful flowers come from eco-friendly farms that use sustainable growing practices, which means longer lasting flowers and no middlemen. You can buy individually or start a subscription.
• GiftBlooms.com

Yes, Soup For You!

Soup can be nice when they’re feeling under the weather. Locally, you can get soup sent from:

• Chabad One bowl of chicken Matzo ball soup can cure just about anything.
• Hillel 
• Crane Ramen
• Mi Apa Latin Café
• Panera
• Sweetberries

There are also national options:

• Spoonful of Comfort
• Challah Connection

More Gift Ideas

We understand that there are other things that are nice to receive other than food and flowers. One of my daughter’s favorites was when I sent her the comfiest sweats she ever owned. (Yes, I too now have a set or two.)

• Have you ever slipped into Lou & Gray sweatsuit? It’s perfect study-for-exams attire. Here are some other national companies that have some great options to bring a smile to your student’s face.
• Darden Restaurant e-gift card or a physical card – Olive Garden, Yard House, Cheddar’s, Bahama Breeze, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Red Lobster.
• Greetabl – this is great when you want to send something small, thoughtful, and personalized.
• Knackshops– They offer some great college care packages or you can make your own.
• Lovepop – don’t forget the card. They have some really fun cards for birthdays, Halloween, Get Well, Graduation, and Just Because. They even have sticker pops and gift tag pops.
• Mouth – great for care packages for birthdays, wellness in a box, get better, exams.
• Cameo – This is a really fun way to indulge your celebrity-obsessed friends. Arrange for a personalized message from their favorite celebrity, whether it’s an actor, athlete, musician, reality tv star, or creator. You can arrange for them to get a personalized message from their favorite person. Depending on the person, prices vary.
• Our Campus Market – choose from healthy to gourmet for birthdays, move-in, Trick or Treat, Just Because, and more. Kosher, gluten-free, and vegan packages available – You can even include a gift card to one of their favorite places.

Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Find out more about how to use HaveUHeard as a great resource. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.