Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 30

The Best Dorm Room Essentials List: 11 Things Every Freshman Needs (2024)

The good news is your teen is GOING to college. The bad news is your teen is LEAVING for college. There may be a long list of things they WANT to buy, but here is the short list of what every college student needs to bring with them — the absolute dorm essentials.

To help you only buy what you need, we have cut straight to the basics and listed only the 11 must-haves they’ll need on day one.

In a few instances, we added extras for you to consider while shopping but have deliberatel...

The Best Dorm Room Essentials List: 11 Things Every Freshman Needs

The good news is your teen is GOING to college. The bad news is your teen is LEAVING for college. There may be a long list of things they WANT to buy, but here is the short list of what every college student needs to bring with them — the absolute dorm essentials.

To help you only buy what you need, we have cut straight to the basics and listed only the 11 must-haves they’ll need on day one.

In a few instances, we added extras for you to consider while shopping but have deliberatel...

Best Tips for Graduation Party Decorations, Food, and More 2024

We asked our community of 280,000 parents for some of their best ideas for graduation party decorations and they gave us this treasure trove of tips. From deciding on a color scheme to what refreshments to serve, these super-creative ideas can be scaled for small gatherings or enormous, multi-family open house parties with large guest lists.

We are a reader-supported site and receive compensation from purchases made through some of these links. 

 Graduation party decorationsWhat colors...

28 Best Graduation Party Ideas 2024: How to Celebrate [step-by-step]

High school graduation is much more than a ceremonial walk across a stage. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that deserves a celebration of your son or daughter’s accomplishments. 

Outdoor parties are favorite ways to celebrate your grad.High school graduation party ideas

Before making a single decision about a party, there’s one thing you must do first. Ask your seniors how they want to celebrate this milestone event. Do they want a small gathering with family and close friends? Or wo...

The 16 Best Desk Accessories for College Students

Credit: Amazon

College may be fun and exciting, but your budding student is there to learn. Once you’ve furnished all of your student’s dorm necessities, like bedding and a shower caddy, it’s time to turn your sights to where they’ll be spending the majority of their time: their desk. The best desk accessories will serve a daily function, whether that be keeping your student organized or helping them see in the dark, and hopefully brighten their day a little bit too.

I combed through cust...

Must-Have Decorations For an Easy and Inexpensive Graduation Party 2024

We are gearing up to celebrate my son and his high school graduation. His father will be hosting a small outdoor party after his commencement ceremony in his backyard, and we wanted to make it as memorable as possible. After all, graduation represents years of hard work, and we want our graduation celebration with friends and family members to honor our son in a fun and intimate way.

We chose to have a graduation party for my son that was not very expensive. (Twenty20)

Of course, I headed r...

Please Stop Asking Me Why My Kid Isn’t Going To College

As a high school graduate in the ‘90s, I was constantly asked about where I was going to college. It wasn’t a question of ‘if’ I was going, just where. No one even considered that some kids might be taking a different path. So, if you weren’t going to college, you had to explain why. There was a huge stigma around not going to a four-year college, and as seniors in high school, we felt it. 

I’ll never forget the poster that was plastered in the halls that listed everyone’s name and where they...

16 ‘Open When’ Letters to My Adult Children

Recently a friend of mine dropped her daughter at college for the first time. She shared that she left her daughter with 17 envelopes. She went on to explain that they were “open when” envelopes. For example, “Open when you don’t want cafeteria food” and inside would be a gift card to Door Dash, or…

The post 16 ‘Open When’ Letters to My Adult Children appeared first on Grown and Flown.

I Love the Other Parents on the Team But at Every Game I Sit Alone

It doesn’t matter when I arrive. It doesn’t matter if we are great friends and spent Saturday night laughing for hours together, or if I have only said hello to you a few times. It doesn’t bother me if the sideline is full, packed at the best viewing spot mid-field, or the stands are filling…

The post I Love the Other Parents on the Team But at Every Game I Sit Alone appeared first on Grown and Flown.

My Son is Going to College, This Will NOT be a Summer of Buying and Packing

This summer will be the second time I have gotten a teen off to college. I am determined to make it different. Two years ago, my daughter spent the summer (and endless Amazon orders) prepping for her first dorm room experience. She needed everything. She made a list. She watched YouTube videos that walked students…

The post My Son is Going to College, This Will NOT be a Summer of Buying and Packing appeared first on Grown and Flown.