I was searching for a cool way for my son to stay in touch with his young children while he is deployed. “A Story Before Bed” lets a person record audio and video of themselves reading a children’s book into their webcam right in their web browser!
The best part is that parents who are members of one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces who are deployed away from their children for any amount of time are eligible to sign up for free coupon codes from A Story Before Bed. Click here for more information.
You need a valid e-mail address ending in “.mil”. Enter it in the field below, and periodically we will send you a coupon code for a free recording. That’s all there is to it.
How Does A Story Before Bed Work?
You need a computer with Internet service and a webcam. Each recording cost $6.95, except for the special promo mentioned above.
- Choose a children’s book from the growing library. You can select books according to title, publisher, age, and length.
- Record y0urself reading the book into a webcam.
- Preview your recording and pay for it if y0u like it.
- Your child can play it back as many times as they like!
This is a great way for the deployed parents to stay in touch with young children! The child can see each storybook page, a video with the parent as they read the story!
I love this and we have already tried it with my son who is now deployed. Visit A Story Before Bed for more information.
Let me know your experience with this service if you decide to try it too!
Thanks to all of you, here are some great ideas for sending cakes and cookies to your deployed sons and daughters for those special occasions like birthdays and holidays.
You can send cakes and cookies through an online company or do it yourself! Following is a list of great suggestions from who else but the fabulous Army Moms (and others) who LOVE to make their deployed children feel special! Thank you everyone who contributed to this list!
Do It Yourself Goodies
- Some assembly required birthday cakes! Well I mailed 6 cakes to my son in late september last year while he was in Iraq. i baked them in the aluminum pans that have lids. after baking a cooling i wrapped the pan in saran wrap, put the lid on and taped it. i then included tubs of icing, sprinkles and candles along with birthday plates and napkins. i called it my “some assembly required birthday cakes”. they all arrived intact and he said they ate them!
- I bought a pound cake at the grocery – found it in the deli area in a foil pan. Included a can of frosting and other birthday accessories. Included a can of frosting and other birthday accessories. It arrived in Afghanistan during hot weather in good shape.
- Old tins are good to ship baked goods in. Some of our boxes took one to three weeks to arrive.
- Buy some tootsie rolls and make him a tootsie roll cake. Wrap the cake in saran wrap and place candles around the cake. Not only will the cake get there in one piece, but your son will be able to share the tootsie rolls with others and light the candles.
- I always make them a cake out of twinkies and put plates, balloons, napkins and confettii in the center. I tape the twinkies end to end in a round shape put birthday ribbon on the out side I put the choclate cupcakes on the top and fill in the whole. That way it is fresh and is a nice treat for all the guys in the unit.
- You MAKE CAKE IN JAR AND SEND ITEMS SUCH AS ICING AND FUN DECORATIONS WITH IT!
Cake in a Jar Recipe (thank you Julia!)
1 cake mix – whatever kind (I like to buy the different holiday ones that Pillsbury does)
4 wide-mouthed Mason Jars (Wal-Mart seems to have the cheapest price for 12)
Pam spray
Mix the cake mix and pre heat oven as directed. Spray the 4 jars with the Pam spray and set on a cookie sheet. You want to fill the jars only 1/3 full of cake batter. Bake for directed time, I have a cake tester I use to make sure they are done. As soon as you take them out of the oven, carefully screw the tops on. If the cake has risen above the top, carefully slice off excess so cake is even with the top. As the cakes cool, you will hear the tops pop as they seal themselves.
The cakes are said to last in the jars as is for 6 months and can be frozen for 12 months.You can send icing with it!
You can also make breads like Banana Nut or Zucchini in the jars doing the same thing.
Buy Cake and Cookies Online
- Cheryl and Company
– Offering cookies, brownies and FREE shipping to APO/FPO addresses.
- BakeMeaWish.com – Send Birthday Cakes to Soldiers Home & Abroad!
- dejacreations.com – sends free birthday cakes to deployed soldiers
- Soldiersangels.org – Operation Birthday Cake
Have some ideas or recommendations? Leave a comment. Thank you!
SOURCE: SAN JOSE — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Skype today announced the Holiday Military Connection program, which will allow hundreds of American servicemen and women stationed overseas to have the unprecedented opportunity to join their families stateside for virtual visits this holiday season, thanks to a partnership between Skype and the USO.
The Holiday Military Connection program will connect troops in the Guam, Yokosuka, and Camp Hansen (Okinawa) USO centers with their families stateside, through live, face-to-face Skype video call conversations during Thanksgiving dinner. For the first time, deployed men and women will virtually share a holiday meal with the ones they love most, but from whom they are farthest.
In addition, the USO and Skype’s Holiday Military Connection program will enable the estimated 140,000 troops visiting the 18 Pacific Region USO centers to make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls home to loved ones all season long. Troops can also make unlimited1 calls to family and friends’ cell phones and landlines free of charge through the donation of Skype’s Unlimited World subscription plans.
For some troops, many of whom will be returning from deployments on submarines or aircraft carriers, the live calls will mark the first time seeing their families in more than a year.
Skype’s partnership with the USO and the launch of the Holiday Military Connection program expand upon a successful trial program that started in May 2009, in which Skype donated calling plans to USO Pacific centers.
“The USO is focused on lifting the spirits of America’s troops and their families; we are proud that Skype can play a pivotal role with the USO in helping connect military families and in turn make a season that is often challenging for them that much less difficult,” said Don Albert, VP and GM of Skype Americas. “Skype is committed to removing barriers and helping to foster meaningful connections that make a difference in people’s lives. Through the USO and Skype’s Holiday Military Connection program, we are doing just that for thousands of military families.”
As part of the Holiday Military Connection program, Skype is also giving away 2,000 holiday gift sets consisting of a headset, plus Skype calling credit or a Webcam to servicemen and women who visit a participating USO center during the week of Thanksgiving. The gift sets will allow troops to continue making memories with their families even after the holiday season is over.
“The USO is thrilled to partner with Skype on this amazing program. Staying in touch with friends and family is truly the best morale booster for troops who have been deployed. With Skype, we can help troops stay in touch all season long at no cost to them or their families,” said Tom Kolstad, USO Vice President for Pacific Operations. “We cannot wait to see the looks on the faces of the troops and their families when they share their meals face-to-face on Thanksgiving Day.”
Those interested in learning more about the program and how military families can connect with Skype can log onto the Holiday Military Connection program Website: www.skype.com/go/uso. Visitors to the site can also submit their own story of how they use Skype to stay connected.
There are over 186,000 U.S. Troops serving overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of them will be away from their families this holiday season. Since they can’t be home for the holidays, maybe YOU can help!
Last year, thousands of Americans sent cards to our Troops! This year, YOU can send a card to our Troops! The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to honor and extend a warm holiday greeting to those who’ve served and continue to do so.
The Red Cross established an extensive process to ensure all cards sent to our service members are safe and arrive in time for the holidays. Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7.
For more information, visit http://RedCross.org/HolidayMail
Show the troops you care this year by sending a care package to someone you know or someone you don’t know.
The U.S. Postal Service has announced deadlines for mailing packages to service members in Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas locations by Christmas.
Holiday mail for the U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan should be sent by Dec. 4 for arrival by Christmas. Holiday mail going to other military overseas APO/FPO locations should be sent by Dec. 11. Except for military mail going to Iraq and Afghanistan (APO/FPO AE ZIP 093), Express Mail can also be used to mail packages to other overseas military locations until Dec. 18 for delivery by Christmas.
Mail sent to overseas military addresses is charged at domestic mail prices. Flat-Rate Priority Mail boxes offer the best flat rate price or value for holiday package shipping. Customers can use Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes to ship anywhere in the U.S. or to our troops overseas. The contents for Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes can be any weight for one low rate. If it fits, it ships. For more information, visit http://usps.com.
For more information about sending care packages to the troops, see Resources page.
Military Overseas Mailing and Packaging Tips
- Priority Mail packaging products, including the Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes, offer the best shipping value, and can be obtained FREE at any Post Office, or online at shop.usps.com. Customers receive a $2 discount for using the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box to mail to any overseas military address, no matter the weight of the box, for just $11.95.
- To save a trip to the Post Office, you can mail your packages from your home or business using Click-N-Ship with FREE package pickup. All you need is a computer with internet access and a printer, a weight scale and credit card. Prepare your packages, go to www.usps.com and access Click-N-Ship.
- If you use a regular box, use one strong enough to protect the contents with no writing on the outside.
- Cushion contents with newspaper, bubble wrap, or styrofoam. Pack tightly to avoid shifting.
Package food items like cookies, fudge, candies, etc. securely in leak-proof containers. - Use pressure-sensitive or nylon-reinforced packing tape.
- Do not use wrapping paper, string, masking tape, or cellophane tape outside the package.
- Print the complete military service member’s name, unit, and APO/FPO delivery address, and your return address on one side only of the package.
- Place a return address label inside the package.
- Stuff fragile items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage
- Remove batteries from toys/appliances. Wrap and place them next to the items inside.
- Purchase insurance and delivery confirmation service for reassurance of package delivery.
- All mail addressed to military Post Offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms. To see updated APO and FPO addresses and mailing restrictions by individual APO/FPO ZIP Codes, Click here, select “Pull-Out Information” and click on “Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail.”
- USPS packaging materials are eco-friendly and have received the highest green, recycling ratings.
- Purchase other packaging products, including tape, envelopes, padded bags, corrugated boxes, and cushioning material from your Post Office.
- Free military mailing kits can be ordered by calling 1-800-610-8734 and asking for the Care Kit.
- Call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) or go to usps.com for more holiday mailing information.
Hey Army Moms! If your son or daughter is deployed, and you have preschool grandchildren, pass this information on to the parent left behind.
KidsLink Downrange is a project where MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) groups all around the world help military kids connect to their deployed parents by creating KidsLink Card Kits that kids can use to keep in touch with their mom or dad. This project is being carried out with Cadence International and its children’s ministry arm: Military Children’s Ministry.
Get more information about KidsLink Downrange:
KidsLink Downrange: Card kits connect military kids with their deployed parents from Cadence International on Vimeo.
Communicating with your Military deployed son or daughter will help you stay sane during your child’s deployment and help you to support your soldier!
There are many ways to stay in touch with your deployed son or daughter. Much depends on their deployment location and what is available to them.
If possible, attempt to get information from your child before they deploy so you can be prepared to communicate!
United States Postal Service (USPS):
The easiest way to stay in touch with your deployed loved one is via the United States mail. Be sure you get your child’s Military address – this is an APO AE address. Military APO (Army Post Office) and FPO (Fleet Post Office) service offers mail delivery at hundreds of Military Post Offices overseas.
You can order priority mail boxes and supplies from the United States Postal Service – it’s free! Be sure to get the Priority Mail APO/FPO flat rate box, which features a predetermined rates regardless of weight (domestically) or destination. The cost is $11.95. You can fit a lot in the box!
Be sure to use the proper Customs Form. This is a must! All mail going to Afghanistan and Iraq is x-ray scanned. Keep these rules in mind:
- Letters and cards less than 16 ounces – no form needed
- Packages less than 16 ounces and less than $400 value – Form 2976
- All mail greater than 16 ounces – Form 2976-A with 2976-E mailer envelope
Under-report the value on the Customs Form. To discourage theft. Always check “Gift” on the Customs Form. Potential duty import taxes can be avoided.
Get more information about USPS shipping. (addressing tips, packaging tips, ordering USPS supplies, mailing restrictions).
Email
Your son or daughter may or may not have Internet access while deployed. Again, try to get this information during pre-deployment so you can be prepared. You will need to know your soldier’s email AKO address (Army Knowledge Online – @us.army.mil) or, if they have a personal address you should already have that.
Many soldiers brings their own laptops while deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Keep in mind that Internet access, if available, is NOT secure. The cost can be high. My son is deploying to Afghanistan and they will have a whopping Internet bill of $1000 per month! I know, it’s outrageous that our loved ones put their lives on the line and still have to foot the bill to stay in touch!
Instant Messaging
You will need to use the instant messaging feature in AKO, which means you need to have a soldier sponsor you and get a guest account. This is usually reserved for family. Soldiers used to be able to use Yahoo, AOL and MSN IM programs to communicate with families back home but that is being restricted in more locations now due to security concerns.
Phone
There may be DSN (Defense Switched Network) phone centers and AT&T phone tents located at U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Your soldier may be allowed free 15-minute “morale calls” to call family back home. You can also help your Soldiers by providing low-cost prepaid phone calling cards to call back home.
Your soldiers may also be allowed to use a personal GSM cell phone or satellite phone to call you! The cell phone charges can be very expensive. If this is the case, have your soldier call you and then you can use a cheap international prepaid phone card to call your child back on the cell. Often there is no charge for incoming calls if using a local cell carrier such as IraqNA.
Webcam & Video Instant Messaging
Soldiers used to be able to use Yahoo, AOL and MSN IM programs to setup video chat sessions with webcams on either end to communicate with families back home but that is being restricted in more locations now due to security concerns. Check with your child to see if they are able to use such services. Many Army Moms I spoke with chat frequently with their sons and daughters via instant messenger.
How do you communicate with your deployed son or daughter? We welcome all advice on the topic 
