Calling all U of I parents! We’ll be in town on Saturday morning for your Parents 101 sessions sponsored by the Mom’s and Dad’s Associations. Free cookies, on site ordering and lots of fun. See you there!

I just wanted to report on our newest feature. We now have separate mailing lists for all of our partner universities! When you place an order, you can select to be on From-mom’s mailing list, or the list pertaining to a specific university fundraising program.

Our From-mom.com newsletter includes reminders and special offers. We don’t share your information with anyone else! You’ll just get information from us including coupons, shipping deals, and new products.

Our fundraising mailing list is really just a reminder service! If you son or daughter goes to one of our partner schools, select their mailing from the menu at checkout, and we’ll send you reminders about when finals are, how long it takes to ship there, and more. Don’t worry,We don’t share these mailing lists with anyone else, either!

One of the great parts of sending a care package is the message enclosed. Reading the messages you guys send is one of my favorite parts of this job. Some funny, some heartfelt, and some sure to cause your child embarrassment. They fall into a few categories…

Short and Sweet: I love you, Love Mom and Dad, Enjoy, etc.

Funny: Enjoy stuffing your face, don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Emotional: I can’t even think of an exact quote here…They tend to be very lengthy…I’m missing you every hour of the day. Please know that we love you more than anything, enjoy this magical time of the turning of the leaves and changing of the winds. I’m not kidding here.

Whatever kind of message writer you are, keep doing what you do. Your kid will love hearing from you.

Starting in October, this blog will feature our favorite message of the month-not to poke fun (well maybe a little) but mostly to display the love you can send through a care package and a little note.

PS-don’t forget to include the message when you order because it is the only thing in the box that says who it is from. There is no order information, packing list, or receipt in the box!

I’ve got a cracker problem! Some of our favorite products, Starr Ridge Crackers and Graham Crackers, are no longer available.  We’re having a heck of a hard time finding a good tasting, healthy cracker that comes in a reasonable sized package. Any ideas cracker lovers? If you have a favorite cracker that you think we should carry, please let us know!

Right now we are carrying Milton’s Crackers and Wisecrackers, and they are both delicious — but everyone needs a little variety! Thanks for your help!