Hey Hey College Kid Mama!!!
Can you even believe our baby is going to college?!? ME EITHER!!!
We raise them to go and when it's time for them to go, we sit in angst AND anticipation, sadness AND joy....it is a weird place to be! As a Mom of 4, I have now sent 3 of my 4 kids to college but this 3rd kiddo was the first one to live on campus, so it was a whole learning for all of us.
We wanted to share some of our favorite things she chose and we loved for Dorm Life Things! As we learn more tips n tricks, we will pop back here and add some more wisdom and items as the semesters roll through.
We live in a small town so most of our shopping had to be done online and mostly through Amazon, so we are sharing her affiliate link for the things we loved and NOT all the things we returned! There were sooooo many things.
Hope this helps you too!
Easy Mix In for those anxious days! So easy to sprinkle into water, tea or juice!TIP:
It's invisible and so great for anxious days, especially the first month, test weeks, etc. I have some at home for me too!
Juice Mix In! Electrolytes & Energy! Since she doesn't drink coffee and doesn't care for other mixes
TIP:
Easily mix into water or OJ. Easy to toss into her backpack for the mid-day pick up too! This will help lesson the quick Soda grab!
A Great Starter Kit She will keep this in her car when she travels home.
TIP:
This is great for a Basic Kit for in their dorm and to take with them in the car for road trips home or to remote sites for Field Days. No need to have to run into the Nurse or RA Station for quick fixes.
Cooling Mattress Topper for the very uncomfortable dorm mattresses
TIP:
Definitely invest in a good mattress topper! Other people told us that too and they were right! This one is so comfy and good quality!
You will want to open it before you get to the dorm so it can open up and air out. We wrapped it back up like a sleeping bag - go ahead and place the fitted sheet and top sheet on it, flip it upside-down and roll it up! It's easier with 2 people to help smoosh it! Then, we "tied it" with some packing tape, or if you have 2 belts, one on each end...then tucked it inside a trash bag to easily toss in the car! Don't forget to add the pillow case cover to the bag too!
Clean Air in the Room with these quiet filters AND it has a little aroma oil pad to add your favorite oils!
Rolling Laundry Basket!!! If their wash is not on the same floor, wheels make it so much easier to get it done!
TIP:
Buy a little Tupperware dispenser like for salad dressing, or a type of canteen so they can have. small container of the liquid detergent and not carry a big heavy one!
Here's a few others...
Remember LESS REALLY IS MOR! Some people go all out on Dorm Decor, and that's great if your Teen feels it creates more of a peaceful and personals peace for them to relax. It's a great reminder that with most colleges, your kiddos moves out each year and moving in the heat of Summer when they just want to get home can be exhausting having to pack up all the little things that collected over the year. Now, if your teen has an apartment where they are not moving out each Summer, it would be make more sense to invest in more furniture and decor. it really is a personal decision! For us, while I loooooove design, I also live practically, so do my kiddos it seems,
No matter, enjoy the journey of letting them create the space in a way that makes sense to them. This is their new Home away from Home! HUGS MAMA!!! I know it's exciting AND hard. You've done your part to train them up for this. Continue to pray for them and be their biggest fan.
If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!
Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
Where are my Mamas sending their new high school graduate to college for the first time?!? It's so hard to believe the time is finally here to pack up her room and sort through all the things to leave, throw way or send with them for life their own.
We are close to move in, so today we are ordering all the things and of course, Mama has been stashing things away in preparation for Dorm Life. Things like first aid items, toiletries, and personal health items. Her Summers as a Camp Counselor back in Texas the past 3 years were a great training ground for both of us, knowing what is needed and what wasn't.
One of the BIGGEST TIPS we have heard from seasoned Moms and their Teens, plus our experience with the Summer Camp Dorm Life is this : Keep It Simple!! These are only temporary living quarters so what you move in will have to move out at the end of each school year.
Knowing this, we found things that were collapsible, lightweight (except the weighted blanket) and easy to maintain and easy on/off. We also looked for practical, fun, easy to assemble and use, plus healthy options for cleaning, foods / nutrition, supplements physical and emotional and first aid. Nothing is worse than grabbing hard to assemble items and things that were cheap! We have returned so many things! So, I am hoping the things I share in here will be helpful to you as you get ready too!
Shopping is just so much fun!!!! It IS some dollars though! Hopefully these are things they will take with them through college life all 4 years and beyond for many of these things!
FOR HEALTH:
Here is her list of supplements, oils, lotions and what we consider meds, including immune boosting juice, gummies...and cough drops!! Those first few months will be taxing on their immune system. Remember Kindergarten?!?! All those sniffles!! We are ready!!! Do what you can, as you can! Remember, it's more costly to heal illness than head it off!
Okay Mama, you've got this! There are still so many other things like the Fridge, cookware, toiletries, curtains, storage nd shelving systems, trash cans, even toilet paper and printer paper we are gathering!
I am right there with you. Think how many Mamas are sending off their college kiddos in the next few weeks! That's a lot of tissues about to be consumed!!
For me, I am praying, watching my thoughts, guarding my energy and being present in each moment. If you want to know what that looks like in practical way, I talked about that over here.
HUGS!!!!!!! Happy Move in Day!!!!! Can't wait to share more with you along the way!!!! In the meantime, see you on the HighWay of Prayers!
With Love, Mama Michele& College Kid Kaitlyn
PS.
Some of our links are our affiliate links since we have to disclose that here....this is how we pay for college friends, lol.
For the few YL things, if you have your own account, grab this list and go place your own order from your account!
If you don't have an account, no worries, you can set up a Customer account under Kaitlyn for FREE under her and get your own discounts and rewards!
(PSST: Use the CODE: SHAREYL for a discount!!) Friends don't let friends pay retail if at all possible!!
If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!
Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
