It’s your daughter’s birthday. Lives in New York City. You live in Washington DC. Of course, it would be nice to be together so you can celebrate with a homemade cake, but sometimes that is not an option. So you decide to put together a care pack of your favorite goodies: sassy coffee beans from your favorite local coffee shop, cookies from your favorite bakery, and maybe some gourmet chocolates from that little sweet shop in town.

Creating a home care package can be time consuming. First, you need to figure out what elements to include. Then you have to dedicate yourself to the task of visiting the different stores that sell the things you want. If you throw in some attractive wrapping paper, a thoughtful card, and a trip to the post office, it could be days before the task is completed.

Alternatively, if you make a batch of devil’s food cupcakes to ship, would they make it through the mail? How would you wrap them? Would they arrive crushed or stale? Even if you knew the secret behind how to ship them successfully, it could still take almost a full day’s work.

Thanks to the Internet, there are a variety of online options for sending cakes, muffins, flowers, gift baskets, or relief packages to loved ones anywhere in the United States. Some national delivery services know what it takes to ship a cake and how to make sure it arrives fresh and ready to eat. There are even ways to find a local bakery in the city of your choice that can deliver a freshly baked cake right to your daughter’s doorstep. Additionally, the internet gives you access to the websites of many local and national bakeries, allowing you to take a closer look at the product you are going to spend your hard-earned money to ship on. Even if you are a gourmet snob, there are high-end options available that will meet your standards. When I sent my sister a cake for her birthday, not only did it arrive in great shape, but she was very appreciative of the gesture.

In addition, the whole process is very simple. It’s no secret that pointing and clicking the mouse is much easier than taking a personal trip to the store. Thanks to computers and the Internet, we all know that jobs that previously took days or hours to complete can be completed in a matter of minutes. So why not apply that principle to buying birthday cakes? Sending a cake is a wonderful way to recognize a birthday. It’s even more exciting if you can find a bakery that ships or delivers a favorite flavor or other custom setting. More and more companies are focusing on the art of celebrating long-distance birthdays and other special occasions by offering personalized cake, muffin and care packages or gift baskets deliveries.

The next time you need to send something special to a loved one who lives far away, don’t waste hours and days on homework. Look no further than your laptop and the perfect gift could be found.