It's back to college time, and back to the annual parent/teen shopping adventure that sees credit cards over-stretched and smiles more than a little bit strained.
Make it easy on yourself by following our Top Five product picks, and our tips for sending your offspring back to school.
1Rather than splurging on a bedding set that your teen will get bored of a month in, try this comforter from J.C. Penney Home Store. It's reversible and its neutral color combos mean they can pep it up with pillows and throws as their mood and décor style dictates. Colors include lime/aqua, brown/beige, navy/red and olive/linen. From $29.99 (sale price at publication time).
2This foldable club chair is a low-cost way to pep up a dorm room and have extra seating for guests. It has a deep cushion and the frame is lightweight steel. Available only in fuschia, $39.99 from Bed Bath & Beyond.
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3With space at a premium in a dorm or shared home, multi-use furniture is the way to go. This faux leather ottoman can store items and turns into a table or laptop station if you flip the lid. Velcro closures keep it in place when it's closed. $29.99 from Bed Bath & Beyond.
4New from IKEA is the MICKE desk. It's neat (41 3/8 inches wide) and has a cable outlet and a compartment to tame all your cords and cables, and you can mount the storage unit to the left or right. Also available in black-brown/white. $79.99
5The futon: a college essential, but not always something that lasts the length of your degree course. Doug Raber, owner of Tucson Futons, has been building his own sturdy futon frames for more than two decades, and also strengthening and repairing the frames of imports.
This full-sized pine frame sells for $349 and the mattress for $199. A peg insert in the back means you can adjust its height to go from sofa to lounger to bed. If you're on more of a budget, Raber also stocks metal frames from $99.
Maximizing in a tight spot
When Madison Carroll moved from her own bedroom in Tucson into a shared University of Arizona dorm room last year, she learned a few tricks to maximize space and make the place feel homey.
She took no fewer than 25 pairs of shoes, and after stacking some at the bottom of a closet, chose to store the rest in a flat plastic box under her bed.
She had the foresight to wait till she met her roommate before shopping for bedding at Target. That way she was able to buy colors that complemented her roommate's choices.
"Somebody told me to buy a rug and that was just the best advice," says Carroll, who says the black rug on her floor instantly made the place feel lived-in.
This year Carroll, 19, is set to move into a sorority house where she will share a room, and sleep in a sleeping porch with about 18 to 20 others.
The last few weeks of summer have been spent estate-sale shopping for room accessories, and getting crafty; she's added jewels and ribbons to vases, and customized some shoeboxes with jewels and sequins for storage.
It helps that mom, Lori Carroll, is an interior designer - although former UA student Lori sees big differences from when she went to college. "When I went there were four girls in a (dorm) room. It really didn't allow you a lot of ability to personalize your space. Plus, I think these days young people's surroundings are a lot more important to them."
Vitals for survival
Your college checklist: the must-haves for living away from home.
• Personal planner - Whether it's electronic or an old-fashioned Filofax, it's essential for helping to sort study schedules, and of course, social life.
• Alarm clock - Again, essential, since you can't rely on a nudge from the parents any more.
• Mattress protector - Because of the bed bugs, because the mattress is not likely to be new…. Need we give any more reasons?
• Shower caddy or tote, and flip-flops - These are vital for the daily trip from room to shared bathroom.
• Microwave - Get a small countertop one for $60 or less.
• Whiteboard - Stick it on your door to relay messages to and from your roommates.
Madison Carroll adds:
• Make sure you also pack the following: an extra blanket, a foam mattress pad for extra comfort, a rug to make the room more lived-in, and photographs of your family and friends.
Resources
• Tucson Futons is at 447 E. Fort Lowell Road. 888- 8180 or visit www.TucsonFutons.com
• J.C.Penney Home Store is at 4861 N. Stone Ave., 293-1251 or visit www.JCPenney.com
• Bed Bath & Beyond has four stores in Tucson. Visit www.bedbathandbeyond.com for locations.
• IKEA is at 2110 W. IKEA Way, Tempe. 1-480-496 5658. Or visit www.ikea.com/us/en/store/ tempe
Good to know No. 1
Sharing a room? Follow these tips from IKEA on harmonious roommate living:
• Use a screen or set of shelves as a room divider, creating study areas or just more privacy
• Neutrals and limited numbers of colors are the way to go if you and your roommate have different décor tastes. They will also visually calm a small, crowded space.
• IKEA surveys have shown that students who surround themselves with items and photos with personal meaning tend to feel less homesick those first weeks away from home.
Source: IKEA
Good to know No. 2
• Many dorms have extra-long mattresses. Check with your college first before buying bedding.
• Shop here, pick up there. Bed Bath & Beyond offers a service that lets you can shop for your items at a store here, and pick them up at a BBB store near your college.
• In addition to the "must" items list, Carolyn Arrington, southern Arizona's Bed Bath & Beyond district merchandise manager, adds a second to Madison Carroll's suggestion of using under-bed storage. The big customer rush is the week class begins.
Source: Bed Bath & Beyond