Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mom, me and my stepdad on my wedding day.



Happy birthday, Mom! You're the strongest woman I know (mentally and physically), and I'm so grateful for you. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I could never repay you for even a little of it. I hope you have the best birthday ever -- you deserve it.

See her birthday gift after the jump!

Since my sister and I couldn't be with mom to celebrate this year, we decided to send the party to her, wine and cheese style.

Packaging was my first task. How could I mail it so that when opened, it still looked nice? The solution: a homemade custom insert for a medium USPS flat-rate shipping box.

I found a box that was about the same length and width of the flat-rate box.

And cut it down until it slid in nicely.

I wrapped the insert in brown paper and stuffed it with old newspaper.

Kevin was curious about it.

Then I filled it with wine and cheese supplies! (Hard cheeses, like gouda and
gruyere, can go unrefrigerated for a few days.)

Kevin had to investigate this, too.

I packed a little more newspaper on top to help keep the pieces from shifting while being shipped. Everything fit perfectly! And, I received word that the gift arrived in time for the big day.

Enjoy the treats, mom!