Crafty Mama

There are so many rules and regulations that come along with dorm living, and rightly so. We all want our kids to be safe at school, but we also want them to have all the comforts of home as well!

Here are a couple of hacks we discovered to make dorm living a little more like home!

Candles are a BIG NO-NO in dorms. We love the scent, how cozy it makes a room to have a candle glowing, but the fire risk just isn’t worth it. Consider a scented electric tart warmer! Make sure you are not getting a warmer that requires a tealight candle but rather uses a bulb like this one. There are so many designs to match your dorm decor! Warmers with trees on them can add that woodsy feel, while one with a bit of bling can add the sparkle to any girly girl’s room!

Stock up on your favorite scents with wax melts. I prefer all-natural melts with essential oils. Definitely make sure to limit the fuss and mess of changing your scent with these liners as well! The liners will allow you to change your scent, but let you keep it to melt another time.

Another NO-NO is cooking in your dorm room. But…how is a college kid to live without ramen and snacks? If your college offers the rental of a ‘microfridge’ I highly recommend it…otherwise, be sure to bring a fridge and a microwave to school. There were many times that either weather was horrible, time management went out the window or just plain laziness hit my kiddos that having the ability to cook in their room was huge. I really like a fridge with a separate freezer. Ben and Jerrys just doesn’t stay frozen in the little compartment built into some small refrigerators! Make sure the microwave you bring to school is relatively small, but powerful. Heating up leftovers from going out with friends or family or even heating up the stuff you sneak out of the dining commons will come in handy on those late late nights! Storage, of course, is at a minimum in a dorm room so consider using vertical space!! A shelving unit that holds the microwave and some kitchen tools can be a lifesaver. My daughter needed more food storage (aka monsters and goldfish), so we had a multi-level cart in her room. You could utilize a shelving unit like this one to keep the ‘kitchen clutter’ at bay.

Have the tools you will need! Bring one or two food storage containers (and don’t be afraid to bring them in your backpack to the dining common!) You also want some kind of bottle to keep milk or juice in (again…’borrow’ this from your dining hall) Remember: Mac and cheese without milk is REALLY GROSS! Essentials to grab from the dining hall: milk, butter pats, salt, sugar packets, cereal, juice or any other favorite beverage.

This microwave ramen cooker is a great tool to have if your college kiddo is as addicted to ramen as mine is! My daughter noticed that the dining hall never offered “long pasta” and only shapes like penne or rotini. Understandable, as those work best for chaffing dishes and large crowds…but sometimes you just want to twirl some spaghetti! This pasta cooker not only serves as a way to cook in the microwave but has a built-in strainer!

Popcorn is always a favorite snack and easily made in the microwave. The ready-to-microwave bags of popcorn are handy, but can be expensive and have a lot of chemicals and calories you might not want. Consider this microwave popcorn popper that is collapsible! All you need to add is kernels and your imagination! Movie night!!!!

Some dorms have a kitchen area, and that can be really handy for kids who just don’t like dining hall food or who prefer to cook on their own. This cookbook is a great start for easy dorm cooking!

I think the one thing that college students miss most when they move away is their beloved pets. Of course you can’t have fluffy and rufus join you at university, but wouldn’t it be FUN? Surprise your college kid with a pillow that looks just like their pet! I think this is a great surprise move-in day gift that can help them keep a little bit of home with them in an otherwise pretty scary time.

Obeying your college dorm rules is super important for everyone’s safety. Get creative, think about what makes your college kid feel ‘at home’ and find a way to make that happen! Stay tuned for my next blog about move-in day and all the emotions that come along with that! Until then, happy college shopping!