Last year's shopping, checklists, and bedding threads. - Page 6

wish_it_was_april · 06-02-2005, 02:37 AM

Jamimom,

I always agree with you, but I am not sure I agree on this one. For kids without allergies, how different is a college mattress from a hotel mattress? Hotels have hundreds of people in their beds each year, many of whom spill all kinds of things! Are all those beds wrapped in plastic?

Maybe I am naive or have my head in the sand, but I hate sleeping on plastic. When we took D to college, we brought a mattress pad (I think?) and 2 sheets; a comforter and two pillows. She did just fine with that for 4 years in the dorms. Back in the dark ages when I went to school, the dorms provided clean sheets once a week and I just put those directly on the mattress. Lived to tell the tale.

Now what I may have to send in quantity is towels. S seems to use them by the dozen!

bjpjmom · 06-07-2005, 03:12 PM

Has anyone been shopping lately? Ran across any new ideas for the college dorms? Any good bargains? Thought I would see if I could start this thread again.

bjpjmom · 06-07-2005, 03:38 PM

I know this was posted on another thread, but I too am curious - I don't think anyone responded. How do you hang
the bulletin/message boards up? I am assume you can't nail things. They are heavy aren't they? Also, I would like to put
a tapestry on the wall, anyone with any experience hanging?

sybbie719 · 06-07-2005, 04:17 PM

I think the hanging of stuff on the wall is going to be different from school to school. Some schools do not want tacks and nails in the walls and others do not want that double sided tape thing on the wall.

jym626 · 06-07-2005, 09:40 PM

There is now removable double-sided sticky tape.What will they think of next! I think it is made by 3M, but don't hold me to that. They have tape and hooks and all sorts of stuff with this removable backing. Just be SURE to read the instructions for how to remove it before you throw the package away!!

bjpjmom · 06-09-2005, 11:31 AM

For those who have experience with fans, what do you suggest? Someone mentioned Vornado, but that sits on floor low, stand fan, etc.? Also, what have you found works best with comforter? A regular comforter you can throw in the wash (although are washers in dorms big enough to wash it?) or a down type comforter where you can just remove and wash the cover? Those of you who have kids already in college I know have great opinions.

memz005 · 06-11-2005, 12:23 PM

how many towels would you recommend bringing?

emeraldkity4 · 06-11-2005, 12:30 PM

I didn't get my daughter a comforter- I bought two down throws on sale at costco. Cheaper plus together they are plenty warm and fit more easily in washer ( if she ever washes them)
#towels? how often do you plan to do laundry and shower?

Maize&Blue · 06-11-2005, 01:07 PM

D showered twice/day about 75% of the time. Two sets of towels from BB&B served her well, and remained in decent enough condition to continue to use next year.

cangel · 06-13-2005, 10:53 AM

DD will be far from home, and will need to store many of her things at school over the summer.

I was thinking about getting the mid-quality towels ($4/towel) from Walmart, and just telling her to pitch them in the spring - ?wasteful - I was using my college towels for 8 years.

sybbie719 · 06-13-2005, 11:28 AM

Quote:

I was thinking about getting the mid-quality towels ($4/towel) from Walmart, and just telling her to pitch them in the spring

Even at $4 don't purchase too many as they will get comfortable and won't do laundry until the last one is used. when I went to pick up daughter's stuff she was doing 5 machines of clothes. I asked her why did she wait until the last minute to do laundry, she said she had not run out of clean stuff yet .She could go until the end of the term but she knew that I would not take dirty clothes home.

wish_it_was_april · 06-13-2005, 11:45 AM

Ditto for my D. Even now she seems to wait until everything is dirty before doing laundry. Most of us on this board can toss in a wash easily - the machine is right at home, and we can do other stuff while it washes - but the college kids need to shlep it all to the laundry room (downstairs? across the quad? - anyway, not on the corridor, usually) and they do put it off til the very last minute.

Cangel, you might suggest she use the towels to wrap/cushion breakable stuff, like a lamp or dishes, that she puts in storage. She can then either keep or replace them after she unpacks at the start of soph year.

I must say I find it cute to see some of the posts here - two comforters or one? how many towels? etc. - from what I know from my older child, the kids don't necessarily keep to our standards of what is clean.... and that isn't just the boys!

Also, they aren't going to Antarctica - you can always send a package of towels in October, or tell them to go to the nearest Target or whatever and buy what they need.

I plan to send towels from the nearest location - my linen closet! Since S is going about as far as possible while still remaining in the continental US, we will be shipping stuff anyway, and can use it to wrap fragile or potentially leaky stuff. We'll pack a towel in his luggage and ship the rest.

emeraldkity4 · 06-13-2005, 12:01 PM

well they werent full size comforters that is why I got 2- they are more the size of something you would have on the back of the couch- but they were about $20 a piece compared to $100+ for a down comforter and I figured they would fit better in the wash ( if she washed them!)
This is the girl that when she was in Costa Rica- bought more underwear instead of rinsing them out.

cangel · 06-13-2005, 12:02 PM

Oh Sybbie! I'm wise to the don't do laundry trick - 3 towels, max - I don't think 2 are enough because at least one will get stuffed in a corner, wet, and get mildewed beyond all salvation.

Wish-it - you are reading my mind, that is my alternative, send the camp towels from the linen closet. Your son will need a few extras - I know his will get mildewed! You also may want to start him out with some Damp-Rid in his closet (if he has a closet), he may never pour off the water, but if he is into chemistry, he might change it once, and it will make a difference in the lfe of his clothes and shoes, especially.

wish_it_was_april · 06-13-2005, 12:06 PM

EK - wasn't thinking of you - someone way back was debating sending two full size comforters - one to use and one to wash!

Cangel - Yup, you got it right - will send the camp towels, unmatched. (Now D had to have matched stuff, but S couldn't care less.) But, uh, what is Damp-Rid????

S keeps saying he is excited to be going someplace that will be different.... Any other wise words for a mom who has only lived in the NE, MW and PNW? S and I are already arguing about sunscreen.