Dorm & Apartment Finds

I hope you are having a great week. So many of you will be moving children into dorms and apartments this coming fall. Our daughter will be moving into an apartment. More on that soon. I’ve shared many of the things that were helpful in the dorm in this post. Today I wanted to share a few more finds that are making their way into Riley’s space this coming year.

BLACKOUT CURTAINS

We learned the hard way that the kids really need blackout curtains. After we had hung the white panels for the girls, they realized way too much light was coming in at night or during the day if they needed a nap. The problem is that many blackout drapes can be crazy heavy and if you are hanging them using 3M hooks that is a major issue.

My advice is to buy a pair of lightweight drapery panels and then add these liners. You can even add these after your panels are hanging. Super easy to install with hooks that open and close. Plus they are very lightweight. We are reusing Riley’s drapery panels from last year and just adding these blackout liners.

To hang everything we used these curtain rod hooks and this lightweight rod. We will be doing the same in her apartment.

I did not even know they made bedskirts like this. This style does not sit across the boxspring but instead it stretches around the mattress like a skirt. It’s adjustable in the back so you can tighten it. The advantage to this is that you can raise or lower it an inch or two so it’s the right length.

If you are in a dorm room and have a raised bed, this is the bed skirt we used last year. We used black velcro tape to adhere it to the metal frame of the bed. Worked really well.

These rolling carts are ideal if you are in a raised dorm bed. Riley had three underneath hers and it added so much storage. After the fact, I saw that some people used zip ties to attach two of these back to back. Then you can literally roll it out and turn it. That would be good for things you don’t get to as often.

If your son or daughter will be in a traditional bed (not lofted) these are great. We are using these under Riley’s bed next year for out of season pieces.

Best invention ever. We finally bought a stitch gun and I am sending one with Riley next year. I just used this the other day to keep my blazer sleeves from falling down. And I have used it to secure Riley’s top to her bra. It’s amazing. It essentially puts a piece of plastic through the fabric (like a tag when you buy clothing) that secures it without sewing. It’s removable, too. I will be hemming her drapery panels once we move her in with this. I’ll iron the access fabric to make a seam and then use this every couple of inches. DREAMY!

If your child likes thick plush towels, these are the way to go. Two sets is nice for the kids to take. If your child prefers something thinner, the ones below are really soft and cute.

*If you are in a particularly old dorm room, you may opt for thinner, quick dry towels.

Riley likes to wrap her wet hair up in her bath towel so she doesn’t like the super thick ones. We bough this line from Target and it’s so cute.

• scallop bath towels
• floral bath towels
• artwork – so cute and ties everything together
• bath mat
• trash can

My kids love these. I’ll be sending a couple months worth and then ordering more for Riley. No bacteria which is nice because it’s hard for their towels to dry out in dorm rooms.

This is a must in those dorm rooms. We sent the Air Doctor with Riley because she already had it in her room at home. But this is a lower price point with great reviews.

This may seem crazy but a stick vacuum saved the girls dorm room. Her roommate brought one from home and I was so thankful. It never crossed my mind. The girls kept it plugged in under one of their beds and could use it when their rug was looking rough. Maybe you have an old one you can part with for the year. This one is a nice price point, especially if you are splitting purchases with a roommate.

*It’s nice to connect with your roommate and share the tasks. For instance, she brought the vacuum and we brought the Air Doctor. The Vacuum saved us on move out day. After everything was out of the room, including the rug, the floors were next level yucky. Vacuum to the rescue.

While not at all necessary, this bag was wonderful for weekend trips home. Our daughter used it every time. She also used it when visiting friends. It just holds so much and the shoe compartment is wonderful. We all love this bag over here (a nice gift idea for anyone).

THE LAYERS

I get the most questions about the mattress and making it comfortable. This was our triple threat combo that worked great. An encasement, a foam topper and then the mattress pad. Riley said it was very comfy!

FRESHMAN YEAR

This room was so much fun to pull together. The girls’ had such similar taste which made it really easy. The blue and white comforter is still one of my favorites. Currently on sale. The exact rug we used in this room can be found here. It was very soft and held up well.

SNEAK PEEK

We are having so much fun planning out Riley’s room for next year. Lots of changes going on. These William Morris pillows were a HomeGoods finds. We will be planning everything around this pretty print.

You can see all of today’s finds right here. And you can see my complete Amazon dorm list here.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask below. Chances are someone else has the same question so it helps everyone. And if you are on the final countdown to your first going away, my heart is with you. I so get it.

*In case you missed it, our Monday Morning Wrap is here (and two readers shared great peach cobbler recipes).