Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 11

Top Twelve Dorm Shopping Mistakes (2025)

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With high school winding down, we are starting to focus on the day we will drop off our youngest at their college dorms. Though we prefer to ignore the inevitable, it’s time to prepare them for the tiny new living spaces that will be their home away from home.

Here are the top 12 dorm shopping mistakes. (Twenty20 @julesgane)

We were rookie colleg...

Now That My Children Are Grown, What Is My Purpose?

Even though being a mom was never my only identity, now that my sons are grown, I wonder what my purpose is — what is important now? I’m finding it hard to answer this nagging question for reasons I can’t explain.

I wonder what my purpose is now that my children have grown. (Ground Picture Shutterstock)

 

Throughout our lives, our priorities shift, but as every parent knows, having children is a complete game-changer no matter how independent or driven you are — seeing another city, adding to yo...

The 6 Best Luggage Brands for College Students and Study Abroad (2025)

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Whether your teen is off to their first year of college or traveling overseas for a semester abroad, they’ll need a suitcase that can haul their essentials — preferably in style. The best luggage for college students is lightweight and roomy, but also has a streamlined design that doesn’t take up too much space in a dorm room or an off-campus ap...

20 Incredible Easter Basket Ideas for Teens 2025

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With Easter fast approaching, the time to prep Easter baskets will soon be here. While it’s pretty easy to fill a basket full of goodies for younger kids, coming up with Easter basket ideas for teens can be a little more difficult. But if you still want to keep the magic alive even if the Easter Bunny isn’t as quite believable, we...

The 10 Best Dorm Storage Items of 2025

Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

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Successful dorm living is all about creatively using the space they’re given. While we love the idea of decorating a dorm to reflect your college student’s personality and make the room feel like a true home away from home (the homesickness can be real!), even more practical is investing in smart dorm sto...

The 5 Best Apartment and Dorm Microwaves of 2025

Credit: Home Depot

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If you have a teen who’s about to fly the coop to college, it’s time to start shopping! There’s a long list of things you don’t want to forget, possibly including a mini fridge and/or microwave. Check on the college website to see what is allowed if they are living in a dorm. Some schools have specific appliances they al...

Changing Diapers at 55: Unexpected Joy of Being a Stay-at-Home Grandmother

At the age of 55, I spend my days changing diapers, reading stories, and rocking the sweetest chubby baby to sleep. I am a stay-at-home grandmother, and I am one of a quiet number of middle-aged women chipping in to help care for our grandchildren and driving the U.S. economy.

According to findings from childcareaware.org more than half of grandparents who live within an hour of their grandchildren provide childcare every week, and nearly a third of grandparents report changing their work sch...

58 Trendy Gifts for Teen Girls They’ll Absolutely Adore 2025

Credit: Amazon

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Teenage girls can be, like, the worst–to shop for. Love them as we do; they can be a tough crowd to please — and nearly impossible to impress. With new products going viral weekly, finding the best gifts for teen girls is no easy task. Gen Z digital natives are hyperaware, always in touch with social media trends, and h...

To My Daughter As She Leaves for College: Remember These 12 Things

One by one, my children unintentionally and innocently keep knocking the wind out of me. First my son flew the coop, now my daughter is about to do the same.

Here are the things I want to remember to tell my off to college daughter. (Unsplash Joanna Nix)

 

Our poor youngest child, who is a sophomore in high school, is afraid all her dad and I are going to do when her sister leaves in August is stare at her. To which I answer, “Yep. Pretty much.”

The youngest child always wants the attention unti...

23 Gifts for 18 Year Olds That They Actually Want 2025

Credit: Amazon

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When you’re looking for the best gifts for 18 year olds, you might have no idea what to purchase. There’s a lot of transition at this age: graduating high school, heading off to college, and maybe living away from home for the first time. So what can you get your 18 year old that they’ll actually love? There are plenty of gre...