Newlywed Survival Kit

My daughter Rachel's friend Leah's brother is getting married and Leah is in the wedding party. When Rachel and Leah were in their friend Emily's wedding I made Emily a Newlywed Survival Kit for her bridal shower. Leah asked me to do the same for her brother so take a look at this mess...............

What you have here are the ingredients for the kit in no particular order, and what they stand for:

Lollipops - To help you lick your problems, no matter how many there may be
A Rubberband - To help you to remember to be flexible in all things
A Snickers Bar - To remind you that laughter IS the best medicine
A Paper Clip - To help you hold it all together when it seems like it’s falling apart
A Stick of Gum - To remind you to stick together
A Pin - To help you pinpoint your problems. The better to solve them!
A Piece of String - To help you tie-up those loose ends
Lifesavers - To keep you from drowning in everyday problems
Lemon Drops - To remind you that When Life Gives You Lemons Make Lemonade
A Penny - To give you the extra cents (sense) everyone needs to know which battles are worth fighting and which are better ignored
Candy Kisses - To share with each other and to say I LoveYou in a sweet way
A Button - To remind you that sometimes you will need to button your lip
Tootsie Rolls - To help you remember to roll with the punches
Mints - To remind you that you are worth a Mint to each other
Puzzle Pieces - To remind you that you are an important part in making each other’s lives complete
An Eraser - To remind you to be forgiving as everyone makes mistakes
Chapstick - To keep your lips Kissable
Confetti - To remind you to always add sparkle to your lives
Toothpicks - To remind you to always pick out the good in your mate
Tissues - To wipe away the tears you’ll share of joy and sadness
Nuts - To remind you to get a little Nutty now and then
A Smooth Stone - To remind you that there will be rough times ahead but smoother tomorrows
A Gift Certificate - To use for something you didn’t get at your shower that you really can use

I take an empty paint can (available at Home Depot) and decorate the outside. On the inside of the lid, I attach a very long ribbon. The ingredients listed above are each placed in a small zip lock bag (you can get 2 x 3 inch ones at the craft store) and have a tag to go along with it. The bags and tags are tied to the ribbon every 6 inches or so. (I know, I should have taken a picture of it - but remember my initials LM (Last Minute)!!!). Anyhoo, an inexpensive hammer and screwdriver are given with the can. When the bride opens the can and lifts the lid, the contents are all attached to the center ribbon and can be read one-by-one. At the end, I usually put a gift certificate, but you don't have to.

Pay no attention to the surrounding clutter - here you have the finished product.