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Back-to-school season is upon us! Having just finished graduate school (this month – yay!), it feels a little weird not to be gearing up for yet another semester. Luckily, my little sister, Abbey, is about to head off to college for her sophomore year, so I can channel all of my back-to-school excitement into helping her get ready to move back into the dorms! For me, having a sister means sharing everything, and especially sharing all of the tips and tricks I learned along the way. What better way to pass off what I learned throughout the years than through college care package of the must-have necessities?!
This summer, Abbey and I are all about spending as much time together as we can, which means…SLEEPOVERS! When Abbey was little, she used to slip messages under my bedroom door constantly asking if we could have a sleepover…you know the kind that asked you to check “yes” or “no?’ We recently cleaned out some old boxes at my parent’s house and came across countless of these cute little messages. It was honestly hysterical – she was a relentless little girl. Since I’m eight years older, I was often off for sleepovers with my friends or out and about doing typical teenager stuff (who even knows what that was).
But, it’s funny how the tables have turned. Now that I’m at a turning point in my life FINALLY finishing grad school, I want to spend more time with my sister! Now, I’m the one asking her for sleepovers, and she’s the one telling me she’s too busy. This summer, though, since she has a break from school, we are making our best effort to have as many cozy summer sleepovers as we can – gotta get in that girl time! Everything from facemasks to manicures to roasting marshmallows – you bet we’re all over it this summer.
When I was in college, friends and family would send me care packages, and it would make me feel SO loved. There’s nothing like opening a surprise package with all kinds of goodies inside! I’m planning a care package for my sister that I’ll send to her in September just after she moves back. There will be a whole bunch of goodies to remind her of all the cozy sleepovers we had this summer – plus with all few of my tried-and-true college necessities. So, what’s on my list of must-have essentials for surviving dorm life? Here goes…
- Throw pillow: Making your dorm bed feel homey is all about personal touches. This cute decorative pillow (it says “hi” on one side and “bye” on the other) will surely make her smile. When it comes to throw pillows, my motto is “more is more.”
- Cozy blanket: Another essential of which you can never have enough. Dorm rooms can feel stark, so any extra cozy blankets always help the space to feel homey. Plus, if she has any friends stay over with her, an extra blanket will come in handy.
- Shower shoes: These are HANDS-DOWN the most critical dorm room essential. Showering in a shared facility that dozens, possibly hundreds, of other people are using that probably only gets cleans once per day AT MOST is straight-up GROSS. It is literally a breeding ground for any potential foot fungus you could dream up. I’m sending Abbey an extra pair of shower shoes because you just never know.
- Body wash and loofah: Again, this isn’t news to anyone, but with communal showers, you’ve got to bring your own supplies back and forth to the bathroom with you. No one wants to be lugging slippery wet bar soap, so body wash is a must! I’m always partial to Dial® brand body washes because I always love how soft, smooth and clean my skin feels after. Plus, I love how light and fresh the fragrances – never overpowering.
Did you know that Target Cartwheel is having a 10% off deal on Dial®
brand products while supplies last? If you or a loved one is going back to college this fall, you’re going to want to take advantage! I’m stocking Abbey up with all the body wash she’ll need. I got her BOTH the Coconut Water body wash, which is thirst-quenching for dry skin and has a light, refreshing summer scent, AND the Himalayan Salt body wash, which has delicate exfoliating scrubbers for super smooth skin.
Sidenote – I got all of these goodies at Target. So if you’re looking to put together a similar college care package, Target or Target.com is your one-stop-shop.
- Facecloths: Abbey likes to wash her face and use a fresh washcloth every night. I know how difficult it can be to keep a supply of fresh facecloths when you’re only making the trek to the dorm basement to do laundry once in a while. You can never have enough of these!
- Sheet masks: The stress of studying, social and extracurricular activities can really take a toll on the skin. I’m throwing in a few sheet masks that Abbey can use to rejuvenate her skin. Skincare is so important!
- Waterbottle: Even though Abbey already has a cute water bottle, I like to have a few in rotation in case my faves aren’t clean. I’m throwing in this marble reusable bottle, so she has every opportunity to stay hydrated.
- Sleep mask & earplugs: The worst part about dorm life is when you and your roommate aren’t on the same sleep schedule. If your roommate is up late working, a sleep mask can block out the light. Earplugs also SAVED me in college, especially when there were parties in the hallway and I couldn’t do anything about it. It’s easy to zen out in your own world if you can’t hear any of the commotion.
- Lint roller: For some reason, it seems harder to take proper care of clothing in a dorm room. I always liked to roll a lint roller over my outfit each morning before leaving – just to be sure.
- Scrunchies: In college, I seemed to lose these EVERYWHERE. I don’t even know where they went. There must have been a scrunchie gnome hiding under my bed. I figured Abbey could use a few extras.
- Fairy lights: If anything says hygge haven, it’s ambient lighting from fairy lights. Even though I’m not in college, I love putting up these pretty lights around the house to feel extra cozy and homey.
- Succulent: A little greenery always makes a home feel more alive. Plants just make you happy – it’s true! Although I got Abbey a faux succulent so she won’t have to worry about watering it or making sure it gets sunlight, I think it will still have the same effect!
- Hidden love notes: Last but not least, this is a good one. When I first went off to college, my sister was only nine years old! It was a sad time to leave her behind, and she had a really hard time with it. I don’t think she fully understood that I wasn’t moving away forever until I came home for my first break. Poor Abbey! She always did the cutest things for me though! In particular, she used to write me little love notes and messages and sneak them into various pages of my textbooks or into my backpack. When I eventually came across them, I always smiled. Now, I’m doing the same for her! I’m writing her little letters, notes of encouragement, and bits of advice and sneaking a few of them in her care package. I know when she unpacks the box and reads them all, she’ll be reminded of all our cozy summer sleepovers! Study hard, Abbey!
I had so much fun putting together this care package for Abbey going back-to-college! Honestly, I’m wondering if I did this more for her or for me!! I even recreated our summer sleepovers and had a few roasted marshmallows and s’mores myself.
What are your college necessities?! What helped you survive dorm life? I’d love to hear!
Xo -Leigha
