<p>D and 7 friends will be moving into a house next fall, and I’d like to do something as a little housewarming for them. This is a single-family house, college-owned, on-campus, both guys and girls. The kids will be eating most meals at the house (they are required to buy a minimal meal plan; I think 40 meals for the semester). Breakfast and lunch will be every man for himself, but they plan to eat dinners as a family, rotating the cooking duties. The house has basic furniture. </p>
<p>My thoughts turned immediately to the kitchen, but D said that a couple of the girls have cooked in the past and probably have some equipment/stoneware/glassware. No point in thinking about the bathrooms; everyone will have their own towels and what else is there to do for a bathroom inhabited by college kids? Not art; I want to contribute something practical. </p>
<p>I’m thinking in the $50 range. I hate to give gift cards, but if that’s the best thing, I will. But I’d prefer to fill a niche in their home life that they either wouldn’t think of or wouldn’t spend the money on. </p>
<p>I have another idea, but it depends if your daughter and her housemates have a sense of humor. Buy a case of toilet paper. Wrap it up and put a big bow on it.</p>
<p>Toilet paper can be a valuable commodity in shared houses. Everyone needs it, but nobody wants to go out and buy it. In my son’s townhouse, he got so tired of being the only one buying the toilet paper that he ended up keeping a private stash of TP in his room.</p>
<p>I know you are staying clear of the kitchen, however I found my DD’s friends like fresh vegetables, but did NOT have a wok. A good cast iron wok with cover, and wok ring was something they appreciated.
~APOL, a mum</p>
<p>When my D moved into a communal apartment with 3 other friends she asked for… wool throws! The kids were cheap with heating and the place was just a tad… freezing, lol. They liked to sit in their living room, with their laptops and/or watching TV, and needed the blankets to keep warm. I know OP is in Sacramento where one wouldn’t think it gets that cold… but the coldest winters I remember were those I spent in a drafty Victorian in Berkeley, so you never know.</p>
<p>^^ Earthy college, for sure. I’d call this group “cool geek.”</p>
<p>My idea at first was to try to determine if there’s a crockpot in play and if not, supply that. But you made me realize that at year’s end, it would belong to D, and I really want to do something for the group as a whole. I have to say, I’m liking the toilet paper option.</p>
<p>My latest idea is to stock the pantry with a few essentials that anyone could use on their night to cook, stuff that might be a little pricey for any one student’s budget – spices, some decent olive oil and balsamic.</p>
<p>My D loves her magic bullet that her grandmother gave her. Something about practical infomercial item. Her roommates Soda Stream is also a hit. </p>
<p>She would love the toilet paper or paper towel idea. Complains all the time about her toilet paper, paper towel wasting roommate. It’s hysterical to the rest of the family.</p>
<p>Love the idea of stocking the pantry. Maybe with the basics instead of the pricey extras? Flour, sugar, basic spices, oil, vinegar, peanut butter, coffee/tea, condiments, canned tomatoes, chicken stock,etc. can add up, and unexperienced people may not anticipate needing to have them on hand. You could send occasional care packages with “treats” like pricey vinegars, marinated artichokes or whatever she liked at home.</p>
<p>But either way, it will be a really nice thing to do!</p>
<p>just saw the house S is currently living in with 5 other roommates when I went out for his graduation a week ago, one of the things they had that I really liked was a large dry erase board on a wall in the kitchen where they listed household chores, posted notes to each other, etc.</p>
<p>^I agree in a group house that can be very useful. We had a blackboard that we used to keep track of who would be at eating group meals when my dh was in grad school and cooks could also post proposed menus and other stuff.</p>
<p>I love the idea of stocking the pantry - perhaps with a mix of basics and fun stuff. (Especially fun stuff that can get used regularly like extra virgin olive oil.)</p>
<p>If she’s complaining about people wasting paper towels, maybe you should donate a set of good cloth dish towels.</p>
<p>I also love the idea of pantry stocking, very useful and also quite expensive if they have to do it themselves. I was also thinking of a huge refill jug of hand soap for the bathroom, laundry supplies and drying rack. If his roommate doesn’t have one, I was thinking of gifting them a Foreman grill. Easy cooking for 2 guys.</p>
<p>Do they have a microwave oven? Do they have an indoor grill or sandwich maker? I know that is kitchen stuff, but useful. Do they need a fan? space heater?</p>
<p>A George Foreman grill. Seriously, these things are perfect for group house situations. They’re easy to clean (saves on pans to wash), they cook everything (fish, chicken, grilled cheese sandwiches, paninis, grilled veggies, hamburgers), and they’re quick. When I was in college and my friends and I would stay in the dorms over breaks when the dining was closed, we would use George Foreman grills to cook all our meals and we ate like kings. They’re also not something that other people are likely to have in terms of kitchen supplies. </p>
<p>Otherwise, for non-kitchen stuff, iPod speakers or a speaker dock would be a nice gift they would all share and enjoy.</p>
<p>I’ve settled on “basic pantry.” I’ll be shipping this, so I’m avoiding oil/vinegar (glass bottles), ketchup/mustard (potential messy leaks), and flour/sugar (heavy). It’ll be mostly dried spices and herbs, but I’m also throwing in a set of “pinch bowls” which have 100 uses, a big bag of brightly colored straws, and peanut butter, both creamy and chunky. :)</p>