Making your dorm room feel like home.

Hamptons MouthPiece..we do the talking for you….Greetings Friends..this has been a roller coaster year with college stuff…senior year of high school is an expensive year. College applications, visits, portfolios, senior dues and then of course the tuition… We are done with all of that and the decision has been made she is going to study Art at Purchase College….We were very pleased because the tuition at a state school are nearly $35,000 less than a private school. College students have no guarantee of getting employment once they graduate based on the state of the economy so it is important that students make good decisions from the very beginning.

So you’re in the school of your choice, deposit has been made, payments have been sent in, your room has been chosen, you have connected with your roommates, you’ve got the cheap Student Recipes that will see you through college and you have your schedule all you need to do is move into your room on move in day….But wait ….you are only provided with a bed, a desk, a chair, a dresser and a closet….So its time to go shopping for accessories for the room to make it feel like a place that you can call home for the next 9 months – the Office Monster website might be worth checking out if you’re looking to kit out your desk and workspace with office essentials that will put you in good stead when it comes to your studies….There is one tiny little detail your room is the size of your current bedroom at home and you are now sharing it with 2 other roommates….so its time to be creative in a small space. Whether you want to find some cool secondhand furniture on Shoppok or you want to spend a little more on something new, there are many options to make decorate room.

Dani and I went shopping yesterday for what she calls a boring shopping trip because this shopping day included no clothes only dorm room shopping….I loved it and it also made me sad, it felt so final and I was already starting to miss the presence of my daughter at home everyday. We set-off to get it the shopping done starting with TJ Maxx, we were unable to complete everything there and went to Kmart, unfortunately, they did not have everything we needed,. I was ready and prepared to go another day to Riverhead but Dani she just wanted to buy everything in 1 day and be done with it, so we drove to Riverhead and finished our shopping. When we visited the campus during orientation in July I was able to see the room so I had an understanding of the space that she had…Parents I implore you to seek this information on your own because your children think they know everything and yet they know NOTHING! Friends I will share with you my tips on how we took care of her entire list in one day and where you will be able to find your items if you live here in the Hamptons…

So here are my choices for where to shop to find everything you will need for a dorm room…

TJ Maxx: most reasonable and beautiful stuff…we bought all bedding, pillows, towels, hair dryer, hair products, hangers and other nick-knack items

Walmart (Riverhead): an entire College Dorm section…you can find everything you are looking for at a reasonable price…we picked up toiletries, laundry care, desk lamp, bowls, iron, iron board, mirror and storage containers…

Bed Bath and Beyond Parents and Students flying beware of airline fee’s for baggage outrageous fee’s…so you definitely may want to take advantage of Bed, bath and beyond college program…in addition they give College discounts (Riverhead): Perfect if you are traveling far and not by car….you can register there and schedule for a pick up at a location near the school. You can also consider other options for storing items until they arrive at their dorms (such as the https://www.boomboxstorage.com/pickup-delivery storage available that can drive the goods to your child’s dorm on that big day).

Staples: All school items…printers, computers, ink, school supplies. Memory sticks…make sure your students understand the importance of backing up information just in case something happens to the computer, they still have their documents…

Target: We picked up the comforter and shower caddy….they too have a huge dorm section…I love their bright bold colors…perfect colors for a dorm room..

I would normally promote smaller stores for shopping in the Hamptons, unfortunately, many smaller stores are more expensive for the items needed..However if money is no concern to you, the Down store in East Hamptons has beautiful bedding and some beautiful very warm comforters for the students going to extremely cold environments…

Never fear small businesses next article where to find necessary clothing items to take with you to school….want to take a bike with you….or a skateboard…how about weather boots, perfect book bag, cold weather items, jeans, shoes and much, much more….stay tuned for that article.

So at the end of the day I turned to Dani and asked her did it feel real and she said yes…Yesterday was our day where it felt final, she was really leaving in 2 weeks to start her journey as a woman. Making her own decisions, being responsible for her own actions. My daughter is an adult and I feel lonely but so incredibly proud of her. I posted this on her FB wall today and I would like to share with you how I feel about my daughter. “When I look at you! I see a remarkable woman with a kind and caring heart who is beautiful in every sense of the word. You are everything wonderful, and if I had just one wish it would be that you could see what I see when I look at you. “Elle Mastro”