Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 10

29 Personalized Grad Gifts for High School, College Students (2025)

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Personalized gifts will make your teen feel extra special because they show a deep level of thought, care, and effort. Here are our favorite personalized presents that would be wonderful graduation gifts for high school or college students.

Best personalized graduation gifts
1. Custom Cord Bracelet (BaubleBar)

Creat...

17 Questions You’re Forgetting to Ask Prospective Colleges

When we begin our search for the right college we consider all the obvious things: big, small, private, public, urban, rural, a preponderance of Greek life or very little, great food options or mediocre ones?

Sometimes when it comes to choosing a school, we feel like we’ll know the right place when we see it and we let our emotions take over. 

But given the enormity of the investment, there are things that we should focus on that we sometimes gloss over. We asked the 300,000 members of Gr...

After 17 Years of Parenting: 10 Raw Truths Nobody Warned Me About

Yesterday I found myself sitting in my car in the school parking lot. Not coming, not going—just sitting there with the engine off for a full 15 minutes after drop-off, enjoying the beautiful sound of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. 

Here are truths about parenting that no one warned me about. (Shutterstock Antonio Guillem)

No arguments about homework. No complaints about what’s for dinner. No detailed explanation of why this particular teacher “literally hates me for no reason.” 

Just blissful sile...

My Son’s Bedroom Door is Closed Again, I Decide Against Knocking

My son’s bedroom door is closed again. Music thumps softly behind it as I stand in the hallway, laundry basket in hand, wondering if I should knock. I decide against it. 

These days, I’m learning the delicate dance of holding on and letting go.

We’ve entered what I’ve come to call “the leaving year” – that strange, emotional final semester before my firstborn heads to college. 

The calendar on our kitchen wall, once filled with high school football games and SAT prep sessions, now displ...

Top 20 Bestselling Dorm Essentials (2025)

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There’s a short list of a dozen must-have dorm essentials and then there’s a second tier of things your teen could find very helpful at college. It’s tempting to think there are many more essential purchases that your student absolutely needs but we want to help you think through and source a much shorter list.

Deciding what things to buy ...

How to Decorate a Guy’s Dorm Room: 22 Simple and Easy Ideas (2025)

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Many of these guy dorm room ideas can be modified (with different colors and throw pillows) to create options that suit any space or taste. As your soon-to-be college student thinks about living in a dorm room in the fall, begin to make a packing list with some of the things we’ve listed below.

Guy’s dorm room decor



W...

Our Sons’ Coaches Have Been Beyond Compare

Last week, I had the privilege to attend a family banquet for one of my kids, end of the season team celebration. It was pretty emotional since I’m just a few short months away from my oldest’s graduation.

The bond that this team has built over the past years is one for the ages, and the privilege of standing on the sidelines became even more poignant as I had the chance to sit side by side in the cafeteria, watching the team honor one another, and their coaches.

They celebrated the highs ...

Dorm Decor: 20 Ideas to Create a Super-Cute Dorm Room

Depending on your budget, you might want to help give your teen’s college room a style upgrade from the dorm essentials that all first-year college students need. Some dorm decor extras can make any space feel cozier and more personal and reflect their unique personalities and interests.

We’ve rounded up 20 dorm decor ideas to make your dorm feel like home for the first semester and beyond. Plus, many of these items are things they’ll use all four years and can bring with them to their fi...

Why It Surprised Me That Adulthood Came In Like This

My parents used to have a beautiful poster hanging in their room that said something about
childhood coming in like a lion and out like a lamb. It’s kind of like the month of March in the Midwest, which shares the same motto. Piles of snow when you least expect it, frigid moments when you thought you were through the thick of it. And then all of the sudden, you look outside and see flowers blooming out of seemingly nowhere.

Growing up, I just thought it was a pretty piece of art, but now, I tr...

Apartment Checklist: 43 Things to Make Your First Apartment Feel Like Home

Moving into your first college apartment is such an exciting time, especially after living in a dorm. An apartment gives you so much more space and the convenience of a kitchen.

                               There’s is a long checklist of things young adults need and/or want for their first apt. (Shutterstock SeventyFour)             

If you’re moving into a new apartment, here’s my checklist of things that you will need (or want). There are many things you might alrea...