And...
My youngest boy (my "baby") graduated high school! Congratulations, Michael! He will be following in his brother's and sister's footsteps and heading to Pittsburg State University. GO RILLAS! Everywhere I look online, there are tons of information on dorm decorating for girls, but sadly, there is precious little for freshMEN.
I know what you're thinking...Mom's 3rd time around, she has this down to an art. You could not be more wrong! I'm
more of a mess this time than with any other child. You see, this one is completely different. Unlike his sister, who moved in early for sorority rush, or his brother, who didn't live on campus at all, Michael will live in one of the dorms! And move in with all of the other freshmen, on the same day, in the same parking lot! That means I once again need to focus on getting the biggest bang in a small space. Oh, and since he's a guy? No help from him whatsoever, except to agree or disagree with something I show him online. I mean, this is the kid has lived in this house for over 13 years, and he has never painted his room! I just can't comprehend.
Oh, and speaking of living in our house...we are selling it and moving to the Lake of the Ozarks! It is ON THE MARKET right now, so it must be magazine ready during every. single. moment., in case somebody wants a showing. Yeah...not a lot of room to store and organize things. The summer before Emily went to college, we joked that it looked like a dorm room exploded in our house. NOT THIS TIME!
At this point, we have barely purchased anything, although we've talked about a lot. We went to Bed Bath and Beyond during a sale, and with a 20% off coupon, we got a really cool bedding set called The Rowan for just $40. It comes with the bedspread, fitted and flat sheet set, pillowcase, pillow sham and a throw blanket. Honestly, this helps a lot because I can (not WE...*I* can) start designing the room. He chose the navy and black color, and since he already has a black reading pillow, his bed is off to a good start. We still have to get a mattress protector (ewww on the old mattresses "everybody else" has slept on) and a comfy mattress topper. To finish the bed, we plan on getting this over the bed storage shelf. His sister had one and used it a LOT (still uses it, in fact). She lined the shelves with colorful foam board so nothing would fall through.
We've also gotten some design elements for his wall. The first one was this Gorilla wall art. I mean, who at Pittsburg State WOULDN'T want something so cool? I've seen that wall tapestries are a huge thing right now, so I ordered him one for his birthday. His is a reference to one of his obscure video games, but I found tons of awesome tapestries on Amazon. They are so seriously gorgeous! And FUN! And an easy way to switch decor. It's a great way to personalize a dorm room without spending a ton of money. Michael is a HUGE Kansas City Royals fan, so his sister got him a poster of Kauffman Stadium to hang on his wall. Whatever you do, remember Command Hooks! With the concrete block walls, tape won't stick and will leave a mess on the walls, which you will be responsible to fix. Don't forget cork boards and a calendar! Better yet,combine the two of them! The organization factor is huge.
Michael eats. A LOT. I mean, he IS a teen aged boy! We plan on getting him the 14 meal a week dining plan. Obviously that doesn't equal the 35 meals a week he usually eats (I'm only partially exaggerating). I'm sure, with his roommate, there will be college sized fridges and a microwave. He is also a huge coffee drinker, so we plan on getting a Keurig. His brother got this one for graduation but I'm probably getting Michael this one. With Emily living in their college town for a few months, and Matthew living in an apartment, I'm sure they will be able to find SOMETHING to eat!
Michael wants to loft his bed and have a seating area underneath. We discussed whether to hang a hammock from the bed frame or invest in an inexpensive but sturdy futon. He decided to purchase inflatable furniture on the cheap. We got him an inflatable chair and ottoman. We'll see how long they last!
He doesn't see the need for organization. I still have about a month and a half to work on that.
We "met" his roommate and Mom on Facebook today! They are wonderful people. I look forward to meeting them in person. His Mom and I are chatting about what the boys really need. Any suggestions?
Do any of you have pictures of your sons' dorm rooms that you'd be willing to share with me? Any hints I can use? Post all help below!
My youngest boy (my "baby") graduated high school! Congratulations, Michael! He will be following in his brother's and sister's footsteps and heading to Pittsburg State University. GO RILLAS! Everywhere I look online, there are tons of information on dorm decorating for girls, but sadly, there is precious little for freshMEN.
I know what you're thinking...Mom's 3rd time around, she has this down to an art. You could not be more wrong! I'm
more of a mess this time than with any other child. You see, this one is completely different. Unlike his sister, who moved in early for sorority rush, or his brother, who didn't live on campus at all, Michael will live in one of the dorms! And move in with all of the other freshmen, on the same day, in the same parking lot! That means I once again need to focus on getting the biggest bang in a small space. Oh, and since he's a guy? No help from him whatsoever, except to agree or disagree with something I show him online. I mean, this is the kid has lived in this house for over 13 years, and he has never painted his room! I just can't comprehend.
Oh, and speaking of living in our house...we are selling it and moving to the Lake of the Ozarks! It is ON THE MARKET right now, so it must be magazine ready during every. single. moment., in case somebody wants a showing. Yeah...not a lot of room to store and organize things. The summer before Emily went to college, we joked that it looked like a dorm room exploded in our house. NOT THIS TIME!
At this point, we have barely purchased anything, although we've talked about a lot. We went to Bed Bath and Beyond during a sale, and with a 20% off coupon, we got a really cool bedding set called The Rowan for just $40. It comes with the bedspread, fitted and flat sheet set, pillowcase, pillow sham and a throw blanket. Honestly, this helps a lot because I can (not WE...*I* can) start designing the room. He chose the navy and black color, and since he already has a black reading pillow, his bed is off to a good start. We still have to get a mattress protector (ewww on the old mattresses "everybody else" has slept on) and a comfy mattress topper. To finish the bed, we plan on getting this over the bed storage shelf. His sister had one and used it a LOT (still uses it, in fact). She lined the shelves with colorful foam board so nothing would fall through.
We've also gotten some design elements for his wall. The first one was this Gorilla wall art. I mean, who at Pittsburg State WOULDN'T want something so cool? I've seen that wall tapestries are a huge thing right now, so I ordered him one for his birthday. His is a reference to one of his obscure video games, but I found tons of awesome tapestries on Amazon. They are so seriously gorgeous! And FUN! And an easy way to switch decor. It's a great way to personalize a dorm room without spending a ton of money. Michael is a HUGE Kansas City Royals fan, so his sister got him a poster of Kauffman Stadium to hang on his wall. Whatever you do, remember Command Hooks! With the concrete block walls, tape won't stick and will leave a mess on the walls, which you will be responsible to fix. Don't forget cork boards and a calendar! Better yet,combine the two of them! The organization factor is huge.
Michael eats. A LOT. I mean, he IS a teen aged boy! We plan on getting him the 14 meal a week dining plan. Obviously that doesn't equal the 35 meals a week he usually eats (I'm only partially exaggerating). I'm sure, with his roommate, there will be college sized fridges and a microwave. He is also a huge coffee drinker, so we plan on getting a Keurig. His brother got this one for graduation but I'm probably getting Michael this one. With Emily living in their college town for a few months, and Matthew living in an apartment, I'm sure they will be able to find SOMETHING to eat!
Michael wants to loft his bed and have a seating area underneath. We discussed whether to hang a hammock from the bed frame or invest in an inexpensive but sturdy futon. He decided to purchase inflatable furniture on the cheap. We got him an inflatable chair and ottoman. We'll see how long they last!
He doesn't see the need for organization. I still have about a month and a half to work on that.
We "met" his roommate and Mom on Facebook today! They are wonderful people. I look forward to meeting them in person. His Mom and I are chatting about what the boys really need. Any suggestions?
Do any of you have pictures of your sons' dorm rooms that you'd be willing to share with me? Any hints I can use? Post all help below!
Things I love in this post
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We got this at Hobby Lobby. They have some really nice home decor, and if you can snag one of their 40% off coupons, life is even sweeter!
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Bed Bath and Beyond is the BOMB! TIP: They have college student specific shopping events. AND they have a list specifically for most colleges! Michael chose this bed set in Twin XL, but there are lots of options.
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