Ducks in a Row: Part II

Let’s play a game of Categories. The Category is……SLEEP! The most important heading in my opinion, right next to Food and Study.

Now in a previous post (Bedding and Beyond) I talked about finding the right comforter to suit your style. But now I am going to get into the items needed to make sure those bed bugs really don’t bite.

Tip #1: Invest in a mattress protector!

Unless you those bed bugs to pay an unwarranted visit in the night, this is one of the first things to buy to protect yourself.

I bought this one. (Allergy Luxe Bed Bug Protection)

It is specifically designed for dorm beds (Twin XL) and was more reasonable than many other protectors out there.

And to make sure those little critters don’t infest your pillows, invest in a pillow protector as well.

Tip #2: Make your bed as comfy as you like it.

With what? Well whatever floats your boat. Like so….

I purchased one of the Therapedic Memory Foam. Now I know this kind of on the expensive side but it is the only mattress pad I bought. Sometimes the waffle pattern foam covers or just the regular down feather pad proves too little support.

So you may feel the need to purchase multiple pads to get that nice cushy feeling. That’s why I went with the one. Plus less for you to take in the car on the way down or ship.

Tip #3: Purchase fun sheets.

Many colleges will offer comforter and sheet sets for a very reasonable price. But the verdict on these (I talked to people who purchased said sets for their first year) is that they are quite uncomfortable. Even after washing them several times.

Now this may not be true for all, but this is the general consensus that I have collected. If otherwise, please let me know!

Tip #4: Don’t forget that alarm clock. You don’t want to be late to class.

I am using mine from home so don’t feel the need to run out and buy a new-fangled clock with tons of gadgets and buttons on it. The simpler the better.

Because if you can’t figure out how to turn off your alarm, it’s not just going to annoy you.

Tip #5: A bedside caddy might be a good investment.

This may sound weird and heck it might look weird. At least that’s what I thought when my mom suggested one.

In actuality though, it might save you some climbing trips especially if you decide to loft your bed.

That’s it for the Sleep category! If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave one below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

In my next post I will be showing you how to create your one-of-a-kind sign for your dorm room. And then I will pick back up with more categories later.

Thanks for stopping by!

Words of the World

Hi everyone! Today I will walk you through the steps to make your very own word globe. If you are ever in need of something to finish off your dorm room decor, this is a fast and easy project to do. I received the idea off of Pinterest but made a couple modifications.

So let’s get started!

Materials Needed:

1. Globe (can be any size or color)

2. Mod Podge

3. Cut-out paper words

4. Foam paint brush to apply Mod Podge

Step 1: Find a globe that works for you.

This is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. There are many estate sales and garage sales that have globes for cheap. I bought my globe for a few dollars down at Good JuJu (they repurpose and sell original pieces of “junk”).

It doesn’t matter what colors your globe has because you will be covering it with words. It’s also okay if your globe has raised areas indicating mountain ranges. The project will still work but might take a little more time.

Step 2: Cut out your choice of words.

In this part, I used two different shades of pink cardstock as well as the Cricut to cut out my words. If you don’t have a Cricut, that’s okay! You could use words from magazines or stencil your words and cut them out individually (sorry, it’s a little bit more time consuming).

Originally, Pinterest said to paint the words on the globe, but what I found was the words didn’t look as clean or sharp that way. 

Step 3: Mod podge your different-sized words onto the globe.

For the particularly mountainous regions on my globe all I had to do was apply more Mod Podge to the letters and press down.

Your words can go diagonally, vertically, horizontally, and just whatever floats your creative juice boat.

Step 4: Apply Mod Podge over the top of all of the words once the first coat dries.

This second coat will ensure your letters will stay.

And that’s all there is to it! There is no right or wrong way to go about this project. Go to town exploring some of your favorite words or wacky color patterns.

It’s a great project to brighten up any dorm room. I will post this project on Craft-O-Maniac and Sew Chatty if you want to view other great projects there. 

Thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment or question in the box below and I will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Ducks in a Row: Part I

As promised this is the first of a few installments of the necessities of college. The first one had to do with where to begin in “Bedding and Beyond.” But if you are struggling with that, like I was, maybe you just need a different approach.

Tip #1: Start with making a list.

There are many good lists for college out there that claim to be the best. But I found that not just one list is the end-all-be-all. Often times different lists will have different ideas on what to bring or how to bring it.

For example, the list above breaks up your needs into different categories. But honestly, any list is fine. You may have to adjust your list depending on what your college provides or doesn’t provide.

Tip #2: Don’t feel like you have to buy everything because you may not need it.

Just be careful when looking at these lists that you don’t become so overzealous and buy EVERYTHING. 

Guess what? You don’t need everything. Your school will most likely send you a list of the things you should think about bringing as well as things that aren’t a necessity. 

For example, at my school we don’t need Ethernet cables. So that’s one less thing to have to bring, however small that might be.

Tip #3: Bed Bath and Beyond is still your best friend.

Why am I saying this all the time? Well let me just tell you how nifty Bed Bath and Beyond can be.

First of all, if for some reason you did not receive a list from your school on what to bring (or you just can’t find the darn thing) Bed Bath and Beyond can provide one for most schools. 

I can’t guarantee that they will have every school, but they have the majority.

In my next few posts on school supplies I will go through each category and discuss some key points and possible additional items. (And there will be more Bang for Your Buck posts in between.)

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a question or a comment feel free to leave one below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.