I just received what I believe is a 2 year old Juniper bonsai in the mail as surprise Christmas present. It came in a starter kit from Eve's Garden, so it has a base and a soil mix that needs to be puffed up with water as well as pebbles and some moss. The tree itself is in one of those plastic temporary planters. The base of the tree was covered in what looked like ice (it was only 6 degrees Fahrenheit this morning when I got the mail), so I immediately placed it in a warm spot to acclimate so that I could pot it and water it as the directions state. Upon thawing a bit, the "ice" has turned into jelly-like blobs. I have no idea what that is nor what to do with it from here. Is it alright to take it out of the temporary carton it came in and plant it in it's pot? Or does this gelatin stuff need to reintegrate into the roots first? I am at a loss as I have never raised a plant before, let alone a tree!

Rambles wrote: I just received what I believe is a 2 year old Juniper bonsai

Without picture: no idea, but could be glue (used to glue the pebbles on top of the soil). This technique is not used in bonsai, nor can a 2 year old plant be a bonsai. Note that it's a juniper, so it belongs outdoors.

Why can't a 2 year old tree be a bonsai? The tree is only 3 maybe 4 inches tall.

I have found that the gelatin is just water crystals used to make sure the plant remains hydrated during transport in the mail.

I have since potted the tree with pebbles on the bottom for drainage and placed outside on a shelf that gets a lot of light but not direct sunlight.

Rambles wrote: Why can't a 2 year old tree be a bonsai?

That's called a seedling. It takes years of growing and shaping a tree before you can speak of a bonsai.
And yes, pictures would come in handy.