And Off They Flew

Another Year of Rush

2011-09-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sorority life has been a really fun aspect of college for my daughter. It's one of the many ways that facilitates intimate meaningful relationships within a large university. This year during rush she had a role as rho gamma, a recruitment guide which is kind of like being camp counselor in charge of a group of girls that were rushing. She said it was super fun week and she loved having this role. At the end of rush she was excited about the new pledge class and loves all the new girls. One in particular has an interesting story.

A few months ago I got a random email from a California mom who started reading my blog after her daughter Jessie got admitted to CU. She wrote me to tell me enjoyed the blog and mentioned that she would soon be attending a CU welcome party at a home in her area. I remember the same orientation in our area and wished her a good time and a good year for her daughter.

Well the night of that orientation my daughter got a phone call from her roommate and best friend Savannah exuberant on the other line explaining that this orientation was at HER house, and this new family randomly asked Savannah "you wouldn't happen to know a girl named Chelsea whose mom writes a college/CU blog" Of the 30,000 students at CU, it was a random, shot in the dark question. Savannah replied "YES!!! She is my best friend!!!" SMALL WORLD!!!

Chelsea spotted Jessie during rush and they excitedly introduced each other. Both Chelsea and Savannah just loved Jessie, who ended up pledging Chi O, so now they are sisters and I am happy if my little blog contributed to their introduction in any tiny way.

Chelsea and sisters post-rush

Moving Off Campus and Renting a House

2011-09-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

After the ease, comfort, and safety of living in the dorms and sorority house the first 2 years of college, Chelsea has graduated up to renting an off campus house with 9 girls for her junior year. This process was quite an ordeal that gave me a few grey hairs. It started mid-year during her sophomore year that the housing for the following year starts to be negotiated. If we could afford it, I would invest purchasing a house to rent out because these landlords have all the power with housing in demand and I am shocked at the prices they can charge for what they are offering.

Chelsea was thrilled when her group found a house big enough for 10 girls in a good location and they needed to act on it fast. I saw the lease before I saw the house and the lease literally kept me up at night. 10 girls names are on the lease, basically holding everyone responsible for each other should someone drop out, or cannot pay for some reason. No utilities included, landlord has all the power and the lease is for a full year, so there will time (May-Aug) that most girls will not be in school but paying rent. I hoped when I saw the house I would feel better. Not the case. I made a visit in February and the landlord took us on a tour of the house where 10 boys were currently living. The outside looked good, but once I walked through the threshhold I tucked my camera back in my purse not wanting a photographic memory of what I saw. It was the filthiest house I had ever seen. Of the 10 boys it seemed not 1 took charge of clean-up (or they gave up). The trash everywhere was amazing. You couldn't see the coffee table because it was covered in trash. The built in cabinets by the fireplace were adorned with every imaginable empty alochol bottle and 2 kegs nearby. The kitchen was piled high with dishes, the bathrooms- well I could hardly look.

We went upstairs to where Chelsea's attic type room was and it was hard to imagine someone lived in that room. It appeared the bed had fallen apart against a wall and the mattress dragged across the room where it was slept on. Clothes, trash, and everything else was strewn about. I really could not imagine living in that room. The other bedrooms were similar, some not as bad, but I wondered if parents ever visited this house as I would be mortified if my son lived like that. It taught me that when my son is in college that off campus housing will not have so many roommates. More roommates seems like it could get more out of control and even a boy with clean habits might give up on doing the dishes if he is the only one.

The landlord tried to assure me that with girls in the house it will be a whole different story and he would be doing some repair and major cleanup when the boys moved out. Chelsea remained optimistic and felt confident they would make the house nice.

This summer I took a week off work and Chelsea and I drove from California to Colorado for the big move-in. We had a lot of fun spending special one on one time together and the drive was beautiful. She had sorority duties while I shopped around trying to figure out the most economical way to furnish her empty room along with how they would supply common room furniture. On move-in day we worked along with 9 other families like busy bees getting our daughters settled in. The house had been improved alot and cleaned thoroughly.

Her room before

After with a fresh coat of paint, and many target and ikea runs. Chandelier from Urban Outfitters. The house is not recognizable from when the boys lived there. I am so proud at how cute the girls have made it. The houses all around them are college students and it is sure to be a fun year.

The girls sent this photo to us after a few weeks as someone learned about not using dish soap in the dishwasher. All I could see in the photo was a clean kitchen!

It is hard to believe her junior year is in full swing and I am entrenched in the application process with my high school senior son. Time is flying too fast!

College Tours

2011-06-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

My daughter is now finished with her 2nd year of college at CU Boulder which has been going great for her. My focus lately has been encouraging our 11th grade son to keep his grades up, and we have been taking some college tours this spring to get ready for college applications this summer.

The college tour process has been really fun for us. Josh has a tight group of buddies with similar interests when looking at schools. So we have coordinated looking at schools together and gone as a group to a few schools with the boys and their moms. Rather than blow in and out of a school with a quick tour and onto the next, we have tried to make the trip long enough for the boys to really get a feel for the campus and town. At all of our tours so far, we have been in touch with a current student at the campus that either the boys or the parents know, hoping to get an insider's view on what their experience has been. At a few of the campus' the boys went out with the insider at night to get a feel for the nightlife and meet other students to really picture if they could fit in there. I have a friend who had so many schools to visit with her son last year that they would take cross country red-eye flights, arriving in the early morning to rush to a school tour and head to another school in the afternoon. I don't feel an exhausting trip like that would create a favorable impression of a school.

We have made our trips as economical as possible by sharing the cost on car rentals and scouting for inexpensive hotels and air fare. I have previously posted that before our daughter went away to college, we started putting all of our household purchases on our Marriott Visa to build up those points and use for college related trips to visit her, or now visit schools. Our next visit to TCU in Texas next month will be free accomodations using our Marriott points.

I am hoping that our college tours are helping our son not only narrow down his list but also get him excited and stay motivated that this hard work his junior year will pay off with good options for him. It has also been a fun time to spend with him one on one and at each campus I find myself getting a little teary at moments thinking that before long he will be flying off too.

At University of Oregon waiting for the campus tour

At CU Boulder getting a fraternity tour by a family friend

Holiday Gift Ideas for the College Student

2010-12-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Besides the gift of being able to go away to college, I am currently rounding up my gift ideas for my daughter in college. Gift certificates to her favorite places at school make fun stocking stuffers like restaurants and nail salons that she normally has to be very careful spending her monthly allowance on. Since she gets cold weather and snow where she is, practical warm weather gear like boots and scarves usually make her list.

For the college student who will be going away for the first time, these dorm survival kits make a fun stocking stuffer and are on sale for $15.99 until Christmas at Charmingingcards.com.

These blinged out push pins are fun too.

Receiving gifts from our daughter with her college logo like t-shirts and sweatshirts are fun to receive from her, so I always put those on my own list of wishes. She can get her shopping done while at school which is practical if her break starts close to Christmas. She will be home this week and I can't wait to have her here for 3 weeks!

The Other Side of Rush

2010-09-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

I have barely heard from my daughter the last week. This was expected since she was going through rush for 5 extremely busy days. This time she was on the other side of the process as a member of the sorority Chi Omega and recruiting new pledges. I was amazed at how time consuming the process is. She moved back to school a week early for an intensive week of all day practices. After school started they continued working hard during evenings and weekends working on their skits, songs, and the activities surrounding the pending rush week. Being a part of the greek system is definitely a time commitment, but can also be a very fulfilling piece of college life. Here she is in the final days before rush making decorations.

How cute is this!

Finally on bid day they celebrated their hard work and success and are thrilled with their new pledge class!

She is now spending the weekend with her nose to the grind studying for a big test on Monday. We are also making plans to fly her home in a few weeks- can't wait!

Keeping Shirts and Uniforms for a Memory Quilt

2010-09-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter has been back to school 3 weeks now and my 2 youngers sons start jr high and high school tomorrow. With my second child starting 11th grade, it has been hitting me lately how much our nest here is changing and I am anticipating how hard it will be when he too is off to college. While getting ready for school, I have cleaned out the boys closets and drawers to start school fresh and clean and make room for some new clothes. As I was about to put some old t-shirts in the goodwill bag, I remembered a friend saved her daughters t-shirts from sports and clubs over the years and had them made into a memory quilt similar to the one in this picture. I have decided to do the same for my boys as graduation gifts someday, so have now set aside their shirts from Indian Guides, little league uniforms, high school sports and clubs, our neighborhood swim team, etc. I think it will be a neat gift to take with them to college and use their childhood memories to keep them warm.

Moving Back To CU

2010-08-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Well the summer flew by and before we knew it, it was time to move Chelsea back for her sophomore year at CU Boulder. I think she had mixed emotions as she was packing....she enjoyed her summer here a lot but was excited to see her college friends again and get back to the school routine. We decided to take along her 8 year old cousin Ava who adores Chelsea and is a mini-mom and big helper. We thought she would enjoy seeing what a sorority house looks like in person. Her Grandma was supposed to meet us for the weekend, but sadly a death in our family changed those plans and cut my trip short a day.

So here is home sweet home until May- not too shabby! Her Chi Omega house is beautiful which she will share with 80 other girls. We were happy to find that the boxes we had stored all summer by CSS Storage all arrived on time and were waiting for us in the lobby. The hard part was lugging them all up to the 3rd floor, along with all of her luggage. It was a hot day and we were sweating, but the adrenaline kept us going and by the evening we had completely unpacked and had her things set up in her room.

She has a quad- meaning she shares her room with 3 other girls. One of the girls changed her plans over the summer and decided not to return to CU, so they have an empty bed they said would come in handy when friends come to visit. Chelsea's bed is under the empty one.

Organizing her closet was key. We moved dressers out of the closets and made them fit along the walls so they had the full closet space for their belongings. We did a lot of shifting furniture to get the room to the best configuration. The girls each have their own closet and will use the extra closet from the missing 4th roommate for their bulky coats and winter things. Again, the expandable hangers were important to maximize the closet space.

Next was getting her desk organized and decorated to feel like her personal space. When Paris, her yorkie was pinned to the wall we all announced "Paris has entered the building.".... I have a feeling that poster will travel with her every year through college. That and her pink Christmas tree which is so random, but whatever works! We made a trip to Target to get a few items and toiletries. Nothing like last year when we had to purchase so many things.

We enjoyed a few nice dinners out at her favorite restaurants in town where we continually ran into friends.

Before we too long it was time to say goodbye. There were a few tears, actually Ava cried most of the way to the airport and apparently had a hard time getting to sleep that night. Chelsea and I have been texting all week and while she might have felt a little homesick at first, I think she is settling in and is very busy practicing for rush all week. Last year I left her a scrapbook under her pillow and this time I left a gift certificate to a mani/pedi at a fun nail spa in town.

I feel a twinge of sadness every time I walk by her empty room but I am very excited for the fun year she has ahead of her and how fortunate she is to have this experience. I am now making plans for family weekend in October which may be the next time we see her.

Planning For Return to College

2010-08-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

The summer seems to be flying by and in less than 2 weeks we are moving Chelsea back to school. She is moving into the sorority house (Chi Omega) and move-in date is early so the girls can prepare for rush. Contrary to last summer, there are no purchases to be made to get her room ready. All of her dorm items are packed and stored in Boulder and the plan is they will be delivered the day after we arrive. In our case, living in the sorority house with all meals is about $600 less per semester than in the dorms with 15 meals. The only purchases we have made are some outfit requirements for rush which were practical and things she can wear anytime.

Chelsea has an 8 year old niece who adores her and likes to hear all about her college and tries to imagine what a sorority house could possibly be like. So we surprised her and got her a ticket to come with us to help move Chelsea in. My Mom (Chelsea's Grandma) will be driving home from North Dakota about that time, so she is meeting us in Boulder and we are all staying at one of my favorite hotels ever- The St. Julien. So our return trip is also a little vacation and I am looking forward to it. It has been great having Chelsea home all summer and it will be hard saying good bye again, but we know what to expect this time. I think her Yorkie who she spoils rotten might have the hardest time.

Bed Bath & Beyond College Registry

2010-07-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

A handy way to purchase housing necessities for college is to go to your local Bed Bath and Beyond and sign up for their registry. As long as the college your student is going to has a store near it, you can pick everything out at the store near your home, and it will be boxed and ready for you at the college store location without shipping fees. If you wait until you arrive at the college to do your shopping, you will be shopping with the masses and chances are things will be picked over and unavailable. Once you are registered at Bed Bath and Beyond, they regularly email you coupons for discounts which are usually pretty good. With a 20% discount coupon last year, we purchased a 5 piece set of luggage for $79 that has been handy for all the college trips the last year.

The Container Store College Night

2010-07-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

When we moved my daughter to college last summer, we made many trips to the Container Store for useful items for her dorm room. Their website also has useful links and tips, including a dorm room checklist. I just found out they have a special "College Night" where everything is 20% off and as their website states "This is the night to purchase everything you'll need to get organized for college. Plus, it's a great chance for college bound students to mix and mingle, munch on snacks – and maybe even meet someone heading off to the same school!" The listing of these dates can be found on this link- Container Store College Night Dates.

Cool Wall Art For College Walls

2010-07-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

I found a cool website that sells vinyl wall art decals that easily sticks to walls called Uncommonwares.com. This would be an easy way to spruce up dorm walls that sometimes have surfaces you can't nail into. They come in many different designs, colors, and sizes and are reasonably priced. There are some with dry erase surfaces too.

Freshmen Orientation

2010-05-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

I remember this time last year we were counting down the days until high school graduation and starting to think about what needed to be done to prepare for moving to college. An important part of the freshman year is orientation before school starts. Most colleges have a variety of dates for orientation that lead right into an optional orientation right before school starts. When the college is far away and finances are a concern, this is the option that will cost the least as the orientation and move-in are combined into 1 trip. We opted to do an orientation right after graduation as a baby step toward to preparing to move away and a fun post graduation trip to look forward to. Our daughter feared she would be homesick so we thought visiting the school early in the summer with a parent would be a way to start mentally preparing to the next trip when she would be moving in and saying goodbye to us. Orientation was fun, informative, and very tiring! I went to all the workshops and presentations offered, which involved lots of walking all over campus while looking at maps trying to figure out where to go. During orientation is also when students normally sign up for their classes. A college counselor friend told me that while schools might say they keep spots in classes available so that late summer orientation students get the same chance at getting classes and times they want, she feels there is an advantage to doing it early and feels that some do fill up before the late comers get a shot at them. Students normally stay in the dorms during orientation and we heard stories of prior years when these kids fresh out of high school decided to use this opportunity as party-time and when caught jeopardized their admission.

I was also on the lookout this time last year for sales on dorm room items like bedding and linens.

Goodbyes

2010-05-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

Last August having a tough time saying goodbye to family

8+ months later having a tough time saying goodbye to new friends.

In the blink of an eye the first year of college is over and I am looking forward to having our daughter home.

Getting Ready to Move

2010-04-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that in just 10 days the school year will be over at CU Boulder and our daughter will be flying home. We had wondered what students do with the items they have accumulated in their dorms that they will need again in the fall. At CU Boulder we found a service-CSS Storage that delivers boxes to your student housing, picks them up when they are packed, stores them for the summer and then redelivers them to your fall housing. The package we signed up for includes 2 large boxes, 2 medium boxes, 2 book boxes, roll of tape, poster tube, packaging instructions, and a CSS marker for $185.00. This includes the drop off, pick up, and storage. Chelsea got the supplies last weekend and like a lot of students has started packing. She will use suitcases to bring her clothes home for the summer but has packed up to store the winter clothing she won't need in the summertime. This service was started by CU Boulder students and is only available to a few Colorado colleges, but there are many similar services across the nation including Lazybones.

Water

2010-04-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

My friend and I were discussing the topic of water availability to our freshman students living in dorms. My friend's son was very sick for several days and she was concerned about him being dehydrated and getting enough water while he was recovering. Because they live in dorms and use public transportation for most of their off campus travels, being able to purchase a case of water to keep on hand is not practical. The easy options are filling a cup from the bathroom sink or purchasing water from the dorm's mini-mart at $1.50+ per bottle. My friend figured out that Costco delivers for free so we ordered 2 cases of bottled water (48 bottles) with free delivery for $14.00. My daughter stores it under her bed and I am happy she is supplied with water in her dorm at a reasonable cost. (I have found Costco changes the water they offer often, but all are reasonable, and with a little research I am sure you could find other stores near your student with free delivery)

I know- we grew up on tap water and seem to have survived just fine. An even cheaper and greener alternative that we use at home is something like a Brita filter pitcher with a reusable water bottle. Either way, in sickness and in health I like to think my away from home student can easily stay hydrated. When she lives off campus in the future and has room for a water dispenser, I may consider a water delivery service.

Homeward Bound

2010-04-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that 1 month from today my daughter will be finished with her freshman year at college. It has gone by amazingly fast and been everything she hoped it would be. CU Boulder sends home some regular newsletters to parents that have interesting articles. I received one today from their Housing news for CU Boulder Families summer 2010 edition. It had an article titled Homeward Bound that I thought was interesting. I could not find the article online to link to it, so copied it here.

Homeward Bound
When your student comes home from college this summer, you will no doubt notice some significant chances. For the past year they have managed their own schedule, acquired new routines, and developed a new sense of self. The transition can be difficult; however, solid communication and compromise are great tools to effectively reintegrate your student back into home life.

Students come home feeling more independent and strong willed. They may want to set their own curfew or sleep until noon. They may have become messy or developed different eating habits. They will want to continue their college ways at home. This type of behavior does not always fly with parents.

So what do you do? It's simple- talk it out. Have a conversation within the first week after they get home. Listen to their side. They are much more likely to respond if you work with them and provide compromises. Make sure all new rules and guidelines are a joint effort. This will make your new found adult feel more in control of their life, as well as allow you to remain the guardian in your own home.

Negotiation will be the key to finding a happy medium with your student. For example, if they are accustomed to staying up until the early hours of the morning, try to set a curfew with them that is flexible with provisions such as: If you stay out past 1:00 A.M., please call or text and let me know where you will be or if you change your location. Perhaps your student has changed their eating habits. Instead of forcing mandatory food times, you should transition slowly from college eating to home eating. During the first week, ask that one meal be eaten with the family and slowly go from there.

The summer between freshman and sophomore year can be tricky and sometimes painful. However, with good communication, balance, and compromise, you and your student can make it through the transition with ease. You will help your student pave the way toward adulthood while enjoying what may be the last time they reside at home. Together, you can get through the summer and be ready to start a new chapter in both of your lives.

Article taken from Housing News for CU-Boulder Families, Volume 13, Number 4, Page 4

Mom's Weekend!

2010-03-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I spent the weekend with Chelsea for "Mom's Weekend" for her sorority. It was so fun to meet all of her new friends and see after a full semester under her belt how acclimated she has become to her new life as a college student in a town far from home. The sorority planned part of the weekend was a dinner one night and a brunch on Sunday morning. We also had a dinner with just a tight group of girls and moms that Chelsea is friends with from her dorm. The rest of the weekend was staying together in the hotel, shopping runs including Target of course, manicures, a CU Basketball game which was unexpected and fun (her bff's boyfriend is on the team), good food, hanging in the dorm with her roommate, and before I knew it the weekend was over and I was on a plane home. She comes home soon for spring break and May is around the corner when she will be home for summer. The year has flown by and it is hard to believe she is hearing about high school students at home that will be freshmen at her school next year.

Safety Travel Tips for Spring Break

2010-02-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

As spring break approaches many students are busy making plans for travel with their friends. This can be a time for great fun for college students, but as young adults safety might not be in the front of their minds as they look forward to possibly the first time they are vacationing without their parents. This postcard was produced by an organization called notMYkid.org that has some wise tips for students traveling together.

Flat Rate Boxes- If it fits, it ships

2010-02-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine shared a story of how she spent $50 shipping her son in college a box of cookies to cheer him up. They were his favorite thick cookies and pretty heavy. Since they were fresh she wanted to be sure they would get there the next day so she went to Fed Ex and gulped when the fee was $50! Later she learned that the US Postal service have handy flat rate boxes that can save a lot of money if you have heavy package. Whatever you can fit in the medium sized boxes (2 choices) will ship anywhere in the country for $10.70, the larger box $14.50. It ships priority mail which is usually about 3 days depending on how far it is going. For my friend who was shipping within the same state, he would have got the box the next day. I recently used this to ship my daughter her snowboard bindings, 2 bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and some Valentine decorations I threw in to decorate her room. The box was dense and heavy, but as long as I could tape it shut, it was $10.70. You can pick up the boxes for free your local post office, or order them online and they ship right to your house for free.

College Students Head Back To School After Winter Break

2010-01-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

I had 2 friends forward this funny article from the Chicago Tribune regarding the migration of the college student back to school after enjoying the winter break at home- Kids home on college break: Homo studentus universitatus season is winding to a close. It is a funny read!

Our daughter went back to school almost 2 weeks ago after getting very comfortable at home with no major major duties except for a few babysitting jobs. At CU Boulder, parents get regular school emails letting us know what's coming up and a heads up on what to expect with our students at different times throughout the year. Right after the new semester started the update told us not to be surprised if our returning student might have a bout of homesickness or seasonal depression after being home for a nice long winter break and are back to school with new classes. I was glad to have read this when I got an email from our daughter indicating she had a feeling of homesickness after being back a few days. Fortunately it was short lived for her and by the weekend she was back to herself, but I was happy to be forewarned as I did not expect this after having such an easy fall transition. It is hard to believe the school year is already half over.

FAFSA-"Don't assume you're too rich"

2010-01-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Today's LA Times ran a great article by Kathy M. Kristof- Shortcuts and other smart advice for filling out federal student aid form. As I mentioned in an earlier post this should be done as soon after Jan 1st as possible and Kathy says "You may think you're too wealthy to get financial aid and filling out the so-called Free Application for Federal Student Aid is too much of a hassle under those circumstances. Do it anyway." I spent New Year's day getting mine submitted. I will update it next month when our final tax return is complete. It is free and can only help.

photo courtesy of LA Times

Save Money On Used Textbooks

2010-01-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

Smartmoney.com ran an article at the end of last year titled "10 Things Not to Buy in 2010". An item on the list was new college textbooks. "Shop for used textbooks, which can help you save 70% to 90% off the retail price, says Mike Gatti, the executive director at the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, a trade group." Recommended websites to find used textbooks are CheapestTextbooks.com, Booksprice.com or Amazon.com. Many college bookstores also sell used texts.

Making The Grade

2010-01-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

I know I am not alone when I say that I was anxious to get my daughter's first college report card. I had heard the first semester out of high school can be a struggle for some students to juggle moving away from home, homesickness, meeting new friends, possible joining a fraternity or sorority, on top of tough college courses without mom and dad around to help balance time and stay on top of everything. For these reasons, my daughter intentionally took a lighter load this first semester to balance out all of these adjustments. We were happy to recently see she pulled good grades which definitely makes it easier to write that second semester tuition check.

I have a friend whose daughter did well and as a gift to her parents, printed her report card, wrapped it up and put it under the tree. I thought that was such a cute idea. Alternately, I know of freshman students over the years that floundered their first semester and ended up back at home regrouping and getting it together at a community college until they were more ready for the challenges of a university. Our daughter heads back to school in a few days for a second semester with more courses than she had her first semester, but hopefully she is ready for it. The tuition is the same regardless of the number of courses taken, so it is best to load up on as much as they handle and get your money's worth.

Get Organized for FAFSA

2009-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

Starting January 1st, students can start submitting their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as the FAFSA). FAFSA is a form that can be filled out annually by current and anticipating college students (both undergraduate and graduate) in the United States to determine their eligibility for federal student financial aid (including Pell grants, Stafford loans PLUS loans, and work-study programs). I have heard that nearly every student is eligible for some sort of financial aid whether it be need based or an unsubsidized Stafford loan, regardless of income. While the deadline to submit FAFSA applications is not until June 30th, different states and schools have their own deadlines which are much earlier, and I have heard and read the closer you can get it done to the first of the year the better chances you will have in receiving aid. It takes several days to apply for and receive a PIN, so do that now. The rest is mainly getting organized with what you think your tax information will be. Last year I bought Turbo Tax and put in estimated numbers based on paystubs, mortgage statements, etc, and basically estimated off of what our tax returns looked like the year before. FAFSA expects the first round of numbers to be estimates, that you will later update when you actually file your tax returns. You direct which schools will receive your FAFSA information. At one private university (SMU), the FAFSA process assisted us in getting offered a need based grant of $13,000. My daughter ended up choosing a public university- CU Boulder which did not offer much to out of state students like us, but we did qualify for a subsidized Stafford loan of $1,750 each semester. This is basically borrowed money that does not accrue or owe any interest until she graduates. Every little bit helps when we are talking about $40,000 per year.

Stocking Stuffer Idea for College Girl

2009-12-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

I ran across another gift idea I thought was clever to use in a college room. These flameless candles at Charming Cards are really cool in person and look authentic, plus they are safe in settings like a college room wear you don't want a real flame. 100% real wax Flameless Candles with automatic timer feature 3 LED bulbs that flicker and disperse light just like a real candle!

Fun Stocking Stuffer for College Girls

2009-12-06T15:14:00.000-08:00

While selling at a boutique this week I came across a product I thought was so cute that I immediately added them to my stationery website- Charming Cards. I thought they would be a fun gift for a college girl to sparkle up her room. These push pins are adorned with Swarovski crystals and come in pink, clear, and multi-colored. I emailed a photo to my college daughter who immediately wrote back "send me some!"

Small World

2009-11-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

Chelsea has been home the last week for Thanksgiving which has been wonderful for all of us. One of the things she did while she was home was shopped for supplies to decorate a sorority paddle to give to her big sister. I called a local sorority merchandise supplier I recently met- Jennifer Martin, the owner of Ring Ching Ching to see if she sells the actual paddles. She did not but told me she was having a boutique today, so on a whim Chelsea and I stopped by. Chelsea loved all the merchandise she had and bought a few items as Christmas gifts to give to her big sister. Chelsea also got a lot of information on providing custom products for her sorority for events coming up and is bringing the information back to Colorado to see about getting some cool things made. Ring Ching Ching works with graphic designers to design unique sorority t-shirts and sweatshirts that can be sold for special events like Initiation, Mom's weekend, etc. I am excited to see what might come of this! Chelsea met Jennifer's daughter Mallory who not only went to Boulder last year, but lived in the same dorms as Chelsea does now. As it turns out, not only the same dorm building, but the same exact room! What a small world..... she also met another Boulder student who had such a unique (not in a good way) roommate experience last year, she plans to write a book about it someday. It made us feel all the more lucky that Chelsea has such a great roommate (xoxo Kaylee).

Call Your Auto Insurance Agent When Your Child Moves to College

2009-11-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

Whether or not your student is taking their car with them to college, a call to your auto insurance carrier could save you money. If your student moves at least 100 miles away and does not take their car with them they are now classified as a "student away" and their rate is likely to be lowered (depending on your carrier). Even if your student takes their car with them, the change in their primary address could result in a better rate as the rates change with different zip codes. You should also check if your carrier gives a good student discount, usually for a 3.0 gpa or better. This has saved us $400 per year every year since our daughter got her license, but in our case the rate automatically goes back up at renewal until a new report card is sent to them. We now have 2 teenage drivers and have always told them if they ever fall below a 3.0 and don't qualify for the good student discount they will have to pay the difference.

Highlight Family Weekend On Your Holiday Cards

2009-11-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

I just got my holiday cards in the mail which is a relief to get this done before Thanksgiving. This year I did a simple card highlighting our trip to CU for family weekend, which was definitely a highlight of our year. This card is a custom card by Jasmine and Woo that is carried by Charming Cards. The colors and text can be modified to suit any school colors.

College Jolt Looking for College Student Bloggers

2009-11-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

I recently came across a few interesting blogs geared for college students with articles written by college students. College Jolt is one of them and is currently looking for new bloggers. This could be a neat opportunity for a college student looking to expand their writing portfolio, get internship credit, learn how to blog, and reach thousands of students nationwide. They are also looking for photography interns. If your student has a knack for writing or photography, every bit of experience to add to their resume can't hurt. Plus it might be a fun diversion from their daily homework grind (kind of like me doing this blog!). Click here for more info.

America's Coolest College Towns

2009-11-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

Travel and Leisure magazine recently had an article titled "America's Coolest College Towns". The article highlighted "From California to Virginia, great university towns with top-notch food, entertainment, and outdoor adventures." In our experience so far, being part of a college town atmosphere has been a big plus to the whole experience. There are plenty more wonderful college "towns" (sometimes actually cities) outside of this article and as my neighbor who is a college counselor has always said, "there is a right college match out there for every student."

College Party Weekend

2009-10-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend conditions create for the perfect storm for college parties galore at any school. First - Halloween , this speaks for itself. Second, Halloween on a Saturday night. This only happens every 7-8 years. Third, add the end of daylight savings time, adding an extra hour to the night. And at some colleges, such as CU Boulder, add in a home football game (homecoming on top of that). Boulder hasn't had a football game on Halloween since 1970. You can also add the 23 inches of snow they received this week, closing classes on Wednesday. As one storm moves out, a different kind of storm moves in as the parties ramp up.

photo courtesy of Daily Camera

My daughter has her first out of town visit from a friend from another school this weekend (UofA). As I recall my own pilgrimage from Cal Poly SLO to UC Santa Barbara on a few Halloweens back in the 80's I am hoping for them a fun and safe weekend.

Beer Pong And Swine Flu-Yuck

2009-10-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

I remember beer pong from my college days which was played in a way where you played ping pong with one beer cup on either side of the table and tried to land your ball in the cup for your opponent to then drink. Over the years it has morphed into a similar game with a ping pong ball being hand tossed across the table into a triangular formation of cups. These little details of the game may have changed, but it is still similar in the way that a dirty ping pong ball is routinely picked up off the ground, handled by many, ends up floating in a shared beer cup which is then drank out of by many people. Eeek! The unsanitary nature of this game never crossed my mind as a college student, but now as a parent thinking about this I am not surprised to find many articles linking beer pong to the spreading of swine flu (or any illness for that matter). Your student can wash their hands all they want but if they participate in a game like this the hand washing is kind of futile. I say if they are inclined to play drinking games like this - BYOB.

Family Weekend!

2009-10-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to Family Weekend but have to say it was way more than I expected! I had heard family weekend is fun, but so crowded that visiting another weekend might be the way to go for future years. I changed my mind while I was there and will not want to miss this fun weekend. It was crowded at times, but mostly in a fun and festive way. Our weekend consisted of eating good food in restaurants (a highlight to most students living on dorm food), shopping while parent's credit card is handy, a friday night parade down the middle of town- super fun, a pregame party at a student's house where some other families we knew would be at, a fabulous football game, a hike in the local mountains, a campus, dorm and sorority tour, and we stayed until late on Sunday so we had the town to ourselves Sunday night for eating, shopping, and watching the street entertainers down Pearl Street in Boulder. It was a blast and we all can't wait to go back! One goal I had was to get a good family photo for our Christmas cards which might be this one...

College Homesickness Survey Results

2009-10-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

The results of my survey on homesickness for college freshman showed:

No anxiety or homesickness- 29%
A little anxiety and homesickness- 47%
A moderate amount of anxiety and homesickness- 18%
A lot of anxiety and homesickness- 6%

More homesickness than expected- 27%
Less homesickness than expected-47%
As much homesickness as expected- 26%

The good news is that all but one reply had recovered from their homesickness by the end of the first year, most within the first semester. A few shared their difficulty by saying "I went from a large family, Christian environment, small community, with scheduled sports and study time to a large college campus and too much unscheduled time(free time)" and another said "....included a lot of bounced checks, as my parents opened a checking account for me but never showed me how to balance it!"

I like this College Guide To Overcoming Homesickness that looks like it was a presentation to students at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College and is applicable to students at any college. It has good facts and tips on how to overcome college homesickness and lets students know it is very normal.

Health Center Benefits

2009-10-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

I remember in college using the on-campus health center a few times and thinking how convenient and inexpensive it was. Chelsea is finding the same benefit. She called this morning complaining of what seemed to be a bladder infection, something she is prone to. My reply was simply "call the health center." After calling them, she walked over (through the SNOW!), was quickly seen, and given a prescription that cost her $9. The visit was covered under the plan which cost us $165 per semester. Money well spent. She has had other prescriptions filled here, all much cheaper than they cost at home and it is reassuring to me that she has a resource like this at her fingertips. Since school started, the health center has seen 565 students with flu like symptoms and 6 confirmed swine flu cases. One big fact I remember from orientation is that the #1 reason that students might do poorly their first semester at college is due to illness. Along with regular use of her dorm room hand sanitizer, she will be getting flu shots at the health center as well.

Sisters- Finally!

2009-10-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

As a parent, I am relieved that rush is over! Since last Friday, Chelsea has been consumed with rushing the 9 sororities at CU Boulder. It sounds fun, exhausting, stressful, and very emotional all at the same time as 9 sororoties are narrowed down to 1, all in 5 days. A total of 977 girls started out rushing the 9 houses. I heard that each house gets approximately 80 girls at the end of this matchmaking week. She met so many wonderful girls and every day as houses were eliminated, she couldn't help but look back at the girls who would not be her sorority sisters and hoped she was making the right decision as to which house was the best fit for her. Last night on Bid Day, she was thrilled to get a bid from Chi Omega! I can't wait to visit her house and meet some of her new sisters!

Ring Ching Ching Offers Fun Sorority Products

2009-09-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Janis referred me to a fun website -Ring Ching Ching that offers "sorority merchandise with a modern twist". Proprietor Jennifer Jackson Martin said she started her business after she couldn't find any stylish or modern sorority swank while looking to buy a gift for a pledge sister's daughter. She is licensed to sell Greek products for many different sororities and has a variety of products ranging from stationery, t-shirts, pajamas, ornaments, tote bags, pillow cases and gifts. She named her company Ring Ching Ching because she said "I wanted to name my company after something that reflected my Pi Phi memories and “Ring Ching Ching” is a song we would sing at Monday night dinners and the name brings a smile to a fellow Pi Phi's when they hear it!" While her allegiance may be to Pi Phi, she has products representing 21 different sororities.

Chelsea starts rush in just a few days so we hope to be shopping at Ring Ching Ching soon!

Visit Home!

2009-09-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

After 5 weeks, Chelsea used her "hall pass" and made her first visit home. Back in August when she was having anxiety about saying goodbye to us for so long, we told her we would give her 1 "hall pass" per semester to fly home (outside of holidays). We told her she had to stay at least 1 month before she used it so she wouldn't cave into typical homesickness and rush home, instead of staying and meeting people and getting acclimated. Some other friends were coming home this weekend so she felt it was a good time. We have been counting the days after making her reservation last week and it has been very fun having her home. We washed her car and dog and made her favorite food to make this first visit special. She was lucky to catch her brother's big football game of the season as his team beat our town rivals. It is fun having a full house again!

Cool Sticker Frames For College Walls

2009-09-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

A friend recently referred me to these fun stick-on photo frames that are perfect to hang photos on walls you don't want to nail into. Chelsea's dorm room has a blank wall she can't nail or tack into that these will be perfect for. For $20 you can frame 8 photos in different sizes- what a cool product!

Keeping In Touch With Skype

2009-09-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

We have had fun keeping in touch with Chelsea via Skype. Skype is a free program you download from the internet that allows you to make computer to computer calls as long as your computer has a microphone and sound. If you have a webcam on your computer you can make video calls where you sit face to face with each other which is really fun. It is totally free and the quality is amazingly good as long as you have a decent internet connection. Here are brother and sister having a video chat via Skype.

It's Greek To Me

2009-09-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

When I was in college (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) I did not join a sorority. They weren't big at my college and I wasn't familiar with the whole process. I had friends at different schools and my sister at USC who loved being involved in the Greek system. It seems like a great way to meet people and get involved. Chelsea is planning on rushing in a just a few weeks. We learned during the summer that it is a good idea to get the sorority recommendation letters out of the way so she would not be scrambling during rush trying to get a letter if a house requires it. So through her older friends and family friends who are part of the the Greek system, she was able to get these sent already. It reminded me a little of giving her high school counselor the information she needed to write college recommendation letters. The CU Boulder website had a list of all the sorority houses with their addresses. Chelsea gave her contacts a resume of herself (easy as she needed this for college letters), an addressed stamped envelope to the sorority house, the sorority house rec letter form (found at their website), and a photo of herself. She is now working on thank you notes for the people who kindly wrote these for her. These might also serve as a reminder for anyone who hasn't sent their letters yet.

Some of the fraternities on campus who rush at the same time are already giving out invitations to guys they know they want. What a relief for them not to have to go through rush if they are certain which house they prefer. Chelsea is not sure and is going with an open mind and looking forward to it.

Missing My Girl

2009-09-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

My family and friends have been pretty amazed at how well both Chelsea and I adjusted to her moving away to school. We were prepared for a few rough weeks adjusting, and people who know both of us expected the same. I felt like the build up of saying goodbye was harder than actually doing it. She is in such a good place and is so ready for this next step and was doing so great herself, that I have had a much easier time than I expected. That was until this weekend. My 7 year old niece came over and wanted to know if I kept the American Girl Dolls that Chelsea used to play with. These dolls were very special to Chelsea and we had some fun years collecting them, dressing them, reading all about their stories and they are some of the selected childhood toys I have kept of hers to keep for grandchildren. They were all packed away, but with Elle's help, we found them and opened the treasure box full of dolls and doll goodies. When I looked down into the box and saw her favorite doll- Kirsten, laying there in the last outfit Chelsea dressed her in some 8 years ago I started to cry. It seemed like yesterday I would find these dolls laying in different places with different outfits on and now to see her lying dormant like the Velveteen Rabbit and Chelsea away, well it just got to me. Elle and I both decided that Kirsten should be packed away in her favorite outfit, not the dress she had on. So we went to work changing her clothes and then I decided I would keep them out for my nieces to play with when they come over. I was happy to breath some life back into Kirsten and the other dolls, but I had a melancholy feeling all weekend missing Chelsea. Coincidentally or not, just today I made reservations for her first visit home. She is ready for a visit and I can't wait to see her in a few weeks.

(Kirsten far right)

Dog Poster

2009-09-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a little update on the poster of our dog I sent to my daughter as fun little gift (actually pretty big in size!). She was ecstatic to get this! She misses her dog alot so it was an easy way to surprise her with something that will remind her of her pet. It was easy and reasonable ($30 including shipping) at Shutterfly.com. Her and her roommate have strung these little twinkle lights around their room as a fun touch.

Here she is with friends before the 1st big football game of the season. After receiving some of her photos, it is becoming clear to me why I am hearing from her less than I used to- she is having fun!

Organizing College Applications

2009-09-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

With my daughter all settled in at school, I am happy to look back at the whole application process and feel glad it is over! We have many friends now starting the whole process that we went through last year getting those applications done. My neighbor who is a college counselor gave me tips all along the way. She suggested we get a hanging file folder system as you see below to organize the information and applications for each school. We also had a tab for transcripts, test scores, and we made a chart to hang on the inside lid with what each school required so we could check it off. When paperwork came back from each school we would file it here, keeping all the information together.

She started her application in the summer, but once school started it was more difficult to allocate alot of time to these since she had a tough course load her senior year. So we set aside Sundays as application day, and devoted part of each Sunday to working on them. She did all the hard work, and I acted as her secretary, helping to keep things organized and keeping track of due dates, etc. I have many friends who shared with me that the application process was a very stressful time with their child.

One thing I wished we had done was supplied each teacher who wrote a recommendation letter a self-made, self-addressed, stamped postcard for them to include with their letter to the school where the school could check off a box indicating they received the teacher recommendation letter. When she was done with the all of her applications, we just had to hope the teachers had sent in their letters and based on the online status of a few applications, we weren't sure. Having a postcard confirmation sent to us would have helped. The teachers are so busy with their jobs as well as writing all these letters that we hated to bug them and ask if they had completed this. For this reason too, she gave the teachers and high school counselor the request for recommendation letters right after school started so maybe they would jump on it, rather than later when they are inundated with requests. She gave them little gifts at Christmas time with thank you notes for doing this (as well as her counselor).

We were also sure to print out a final version of each application before we submitted them. We have a friend whose common application was sent to the wrong school by mistake and her printed copy was very helpful in dealing with the problem which was detected after the deadline. Some applications you can retrieve and look at again after they have been submitted and some you can't.

The Push.

2009-09-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

My friend Julie sent me the link to this amazing video that highlights both the struggle and accomplishment a parent feels while encouraging our children to head out on their own and leave the comfort of our nest. It is called "The Push" based on David McNally's book Even Eagles Need A Push. For us as parents, the pushing started when they were babies with our ever changing boundaries and constant guiding to help them become well rounded mature young adults ready to spread their wings and fly. Appropriate pushing only means loving.

I hope all of our children find their wings and soar!

Become Your Student's Friend On Facebook?

2009-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Facebook was originally created for college students. In fact to become a member, you had to provide a college email address in order to sign up. But in September of 2007 Facebook changed the rules and anyone can become a member. I admit to having an account on Facebook and have enjoyed reconnecting with high school and college friends as well as relatives I haven't corresponded with in many years. The Facebook connection between parents and their college aged students can be a sticky one. I know of parents who have had to fight the urge to contact their student when they saw information they didn't approve of. I found this video on a friend's profile on Facebook (ironically) and was laughing outloud while watching it. It's a spoof that captures the dilemma about knowing too much about your student and their new found freedom as a college student.

College Student Missing Her Pet

2009-09-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

We have been relieved that our daughter has adjusted well to being away from home so far. Because of her cousin's experience (see blog post on homesickness), she expected to have a rough few weeks adjusting to moving away. One thing she brings up repeatedly is how much she misses her yorkie Paris. Last night after midnight I received this text message from her "can you or danny take some pictures of paris being cute for me? i miss her, or a video would be nice, even if she is just barking." The timing is perfect because I have a surprise on it's way to her that is due to arrive today.

I took a photo of Paris and had it blown up into a 20" x 30" poster at Shutterfly.com with a border that would match her bedding. There is a perfect spot on the wall above her pillow to hang this, which is fitting since Paris slept with Chelsea every night. I can't wait until she gets it!

First Day Of School

2009-09-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks for sharing Julie!

College Allowance

2009-08-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Before our daughter left for college we opened a checking account in her name at our bank that would link online to our account and gave her a debit/atm card to use. Our plan is to transfer into her account a monthly allowance to use for meals outside her meal plan and discretionary purchases. We also gave her a credit card that links to our mileage account that is to be used for larger mandatory purchases like books and only in an emergency for anything else.

I put out a survey to see how much other families give their students on a monthly basis. The results are pretty varied and the allowances were scattered over a variety of meal plans but most answers had a 15 meal plan and there was an equal response from male and female students.

$300- 29%
$500 and above- 23%
$100- 18%
$400- 12%
$200- 12%
$0- 6%

Comments left indicated there are lots of factors considered with an allowance including your families financial situation, outside activities available to your student based on where the campus is located (like concerts and dining in a big city, skiiing if near mountains, etc), a student having a job to help out, bills the student might need to pay if living off campus, money a student has saved to help, etc. It is a personal decision but most felt a monthly allowance was important in helping students budget rather than just filling the pot when needed.

We just made our first semester tuition/meal/housing payment this week- ouch!
Please take our anonymous survey regarding college homesickness for a future post.
Click Here to take survey

Great Articles On Sending Sons and Daughters Off To College

2009-08-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

I have a good college friend who sent her son off to school just a few days before we sent our daughter. We have been comparing notes and happy to say both are adjusting well so far. He is playing football at a small liberal arts school in Southern California. He had to move into the dorms 2 weeks earlier than other students to start football practice. While all day long practices keep him very busy, it has been a little lonely to come home to quiet, mostly empty dorms at night. The other students are moving in this weekend so his quiet nights are soon to end! She sent me a fabulous article from a blog called The Motherlode written by Lisa Belkin who writes for the New York Times about all topics related to Parenting. This one was called How To Send Your Son Off To College, and I loved it.

Then just yesterday in our own LA Times, I came across an article by Lisa Banks about sending a daughter off to college called College Send-Off Scary--For Mom.

I posted both of these permanently in a sidebar listing of articles I like.

A Tale Of College Homesickness

2009-08-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

We have a family story of homesickness in college that has scared and prepared my daughter for 4 years. It is the story of my niece Bailey who left for CU Boulder 4 years ago ready to conquer the world. She is the oldest of 14 cousins in the family and the first to go to off to college. When she was leaving it was a big deal in our family. Bailey, the oldest in her family, held leadership roles in high school, was very involved in ASB and had lots of friends. With her confidence, we all expected the transition to college to be a smooth one. As her senior year progressed, she gained a cockiness a lot of seniors get and she became more and more a know-it-all in many subjects in life. We wondered if college actually had much to teach her. By the time she was ready to leave she also felt she was the glue that held her family together. I remember the day she left I said "Bailey, I am not sure what they are going to do without you." She replied "I don't know either! See ya!" (imagine in valley girl kind of twang). Off she left with her mom for the airport carrying a betafish in a bowl and lampshade onto the plane. She had already mastered Newport Beach and was ready to take on Colorado!

The story of the change in her attitude is a story she will take to her grave. We still talk about it often and laugh with her about it.... Once they got to Colorado she had 2 days of orientation, along with moving in, and the first day of school right around the corner. She said it was at some point during orientation that she looked around and it hit her that she would be staying there and not going home for a long time. She got very quiet. The meltdown was coming on. She stuck by her mom at night and opted to stay in the hotel with her mom instead of in the dorms when she had the choice. When it was time for her mom to leave she finally just lost it. She fell to the floor exclaiming "Are you actually going to leave me here in the Rockies!" She begged to go home and was crying hysterically. All of this came as a big surprise to her mom who expected an easy transition from her confident know-it-all 18 year old. My sister had to stoicly say goodbye and walk out the courtyard you see below with her daughter crying out to her from one of the windows looking down.

The next few month there were many phone calls wanting to go home and she actually had made a plan to transfer to a JC in Los Angeles and then transfer to another college. This was mixed in with making friends and having fun, but she had a cloud of homesickness that hung over her head until Christmas break. Her parents stood firm and did not give in to her repeated requests to come home, make new plans, etc. When she was home for a month at the holidays I think she maybe got bored and compared to the fun she was having at school, she looked forward to going back. After that she never looked back. She just graduated in May and had a fabulous 4 years she wouldn't trade for anything. In fact, instead of moving back to California, she got a job in Boulder and is staying in Colorado! Over the last 4 years she has been invited back to her high school several times to speak to seniors about homesickness and what she went through. I think the homesickness took her by such surprise that it threw her for a loop. My daughter has hung on to that story for 4 years and has had a huge expectation that she would suffer from some form of homesickness like her cousin. I think because she expected this and knew other kids do suffer from it, she has been ok so far (it is still early).

We made it clear before she even picked a school, that wherever she went, it was going to be a year's commitment. After her freshman year, if she really felt she picked a school that didn't suit her, we would talk about transferring. I think the benefit of time to adjust is important. We also decided to do an earlier orientation in the summer as a baby step to going away.

The Making Of A Cute Dorm Room

2009-08-26T19:04:00.001-07:00

Chelsea's dorm room is still a work in progress, but I will show you the progress we made while I was there with her. The first thing we did was try to picture where the furniture would fit best. It seems the furniture is randomly placed in each room after they are cleaned up for the new students. In Chelsea's dorm, there were many different room configurations, so what might work for one room may not work for another. After her roommate got there, with the help of her parents we moved the furniture into a a few different options for the girls to decide how they liked it. A few restrictions were a window with a great view we didn't want to block, a phone and cable jack on the wall in a location you would not want to risk hitting your head on while in bed, and of course- size. As it turns out the roommate was not going to loft her bed after all. The beds can be raised pretty high as you see for good storage underneath, without having to sleep a foot from the ceiling. Another girl came in Chelsea's room who had lofted and said she was taking it down. Both of the girls were comfortable with not lofting. Our end result was putting the beds in a L-shape in one corner, with their desks and bookshelfs on the opposite wall.

Chelsea got to work on her Marilyn poster and some photos we brought. She has since purchased a few more posters, ordered more personal photos from Shutterfly she is having sent straight to her dorm, and has a few more fun plans I will update when she is finished and sends more photos. She was very into decorating her room to feel cute and homey in a way I know my son will not be interested when it is his turn.

We bought handy hanger organizers you see here. They allow you to hang around 5 hangers on it and then it drops down to maximize the room. Her closet door had a hook on the inside for jackets and her closet walls had a few more hooks she is using for her towels. We got a hanging door mirror for the other side of her closet door.

Both girls say they do all their work on their beds with the help of a lap desk, so their desks are really used for more storage and a place to put their personal touches to. Chelsea is keeping her makeup in the top drawer and with a little mirror it can be used as a vanity table. Her roommate was bringing a tv, but it was an older model and way too big to fit in the shallow bookshelve, so we made an unexpected purchase of a tv with a built in dvd player for about $275 on sale at Best Buy. They are sharing the printer for convenience and space. We bought some cute baskets at the container store to hold things like jewelry and also a picture frame I used to frame the photo I took of her and her roommate. That along with purchases of toiletries, extension cords, office supplies, hamper, laundry supplies, tacks.... it seemed we made 20 trips for different items. The linens, pillows and towels we pre-bought and had shipped to my friend who lives nearby. Her roommate brought a great room fan that is the 4 foot high black and silver thing on the floor in front of the tv (called a Tower Fan). It works really well to cool the room off and I am glad we hadn't bought one of those big fat fans that take up more space.

By the time I left I felt she had a really comfy place to call home for awhile. I left her with a big bottle of hand sanitizer that I heard was a must for dorm rooms. At orientation we learned that the number 1 reason students might do poorly their first semester is due to illness. Needless to say, she texted us last night to tell us she was throwing up. It has only been 4 days since I left! But I talked to her today and she was much better and had gone to her classes. I never got an answer to my question asking if she is eating well (very picky eater).

Home From The Move

2009-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well I am back from Colorado and holding up pretty well. I have talked to some other parents who agree with me that the build up and anticipation of them going away is actually harder than leaving them there. After 3 full days of shopping, assembling, rearranging, more shopping, etc- by the time it was time to leave it felt right. We had a few quick tears, a big hug, and off I flew. I guess the hardest part for Chelsea was when she got back to her dorm and found the book I left her-it got her all choked up. She has been sending cute little email updates to the family and said after reading through the book "I was crying so much, I lost a lot of water from that cry, but do not worry, I am drinking a lot of water to rehydrate myself!"

I have talked to many other parents as well as a good friend of mine who is a college counselor about different experiences you might encounter when leaving your child. My college counselor friend warned me that leading up to moving away "don't worry if your child morphs into something you don't recognize". She said the excitement and anxiety for them may come out by being grouchy, short tempered, and just a little off. One of my friends referred to her son's pre-move behavior last year as "prickly". I felt fortunate to bypass this, but was prepared in case I got some testy behavior. Another friend had her husband move their son into his dorm and said that basically after they moved the basics into the room, the son kind of looked at his dad like "well, we got the stuff in, don't let the door hit you on the way out." The dad asked if he could help get school supplies, books, a bike they planned on purchasing, but the son said he could handle it on his own, so the Dad enjoyed some free time and went hiking alone! I bet every family has their own unique story of how hard or easy it was for their child to leave home. My daughter anticipated it being hard due a family story of homesickness from my niece 4 years ago- I will save that for another blog.

Here is her view of the Flatiron Mountains from her dorm room window. I want to go back to college!

Love Notes From Family

2009-08-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in Boulder before I head home on a plane. Alone.

Because of my daughter's sentimental heart, I anticipate an adjustment period being away from home. So I left a little book of notes from her family under her pillow that I hope she will enjoy and feel close to us as she goes through this book from time to time.

I included some fun CU items and a page with her graduation announcement.

Then I took photos of each family member (including grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins) and they left her a note sending her off to college. They were a mixture of heartfelt good wishes and cute advice from her younger cousins.

An Early Move Into The Dorms

2009-08-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

We had a great stay at my friend's house then were ready to head out for a day of more shopping and driving into Boulder to check into our hotel and get ready for move-in day. When were packing up the car we were startled by 4 deer prancing across the front yard, so we followed them around back to get this photo. If you live in Southern California, this is a big deal! I said to Chelsea "I have a feeling we are not in Kansas anymore!"On our way to the hotel we decided to drive by her dorm and were surprised to see people moving in. So we inquired and found out they had a very quiet early move-in and gave her the key to her room! Before we knew it we were moving all her things into her dorm room. This is the outside of her dorm- it is beautiful!

Little things like the note from her RA on her dorm door tended to get me quietly choked up. This was really happening!

The room was about what we expected, maybe actually a little bigger which was good. The furniture was situated awkward, and with the roommate wanting to loft her bed, we weren't sure how to best layout the room so moved her things into her closet, made her bed and decided to wait on everything else until she met her roommate and they could decide together.

It was funny though because Chelsea ran into a friend who was moving in early and the student (a boy) said he completely rearranged the furniture to his liking and set it all up and the roommate will just have to deal with the arrangement. So in some situations you may want to agree ahead of time to set the room up together!
Behind this window shade is a beautiful view of the Flatiron mountains. More photos coming tomorrow.So Chelsea called her roommate who was staying with relatives an hour away to let her know she could move in if she wanted to do it early. So her roommate packed up and headed to the dorm. Meeting her roommate Kaylee was the best part of the day! They had been facebooking and texting for months and finally meeting for the first time. She is a doll!
Today will be filled with more shopping, a few returns, and more moving in, this time with the masses. It feels good to have a head start on it.

And Off We Flew

2009-08-19T08:15:00.001-07:00

Well, we made it off! There were a few tears in the morning as she said goodbye to her family. Due to work, sports for the boys, and finances, I am taking Chelsea myself to move in to college. Dad and brothers will have to wait until family weekend in October to see what it is all about. A highlight of the morning was a text message her brother Josh sent her part way through football practice(below saying goodbye early before he left for football).

We are used to Dad managing the luggage on trips, but with a little trolley cart and a few laughs and grunts, we managed 6 big bags, plus laptops and purses. Here we are in Denver.

My college roommate Kim lives an hour away from Boulder, so we are staying one night with her. They made this great gift basket for Chelsea with lots of fun and useful goodies in it. We had a wonderful night stay there and are getting ready for day 2 which is shopping and driving into Boulder.

Over the last few months we have purchased a lot of basics online, using online promo codes, free shipping whenever possible, and had them all sent to Kim's house where she has kindly stored our things. We had fun opening up the boxes. Chelsea said, "even though I am opening up things like towels and paper, this is fun!" We pre bought things like linens and towels, duvet cover, poster for wall, school supplies, blanket, pillows, mirror, etc.

And back at home---Chelsea's dog Paris, who is only allowed upstairs at night to sleep with Chelsea, knows something is up. Dad took this photo right after we left showing Paris who ran upstairs to sit and wonder on Chelsea's bed.

Farewell Dinner

2009-08-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went out to dinner as a family for the last time in awhile. We leave 11am tomorrow morning for the big journey to Colorado. We have spent so long preparing for this that it is hard to believe it is almost here. As I have prepared my daughter for this move, there are so many occasions I have thought about my 15 year old (sophomore) son and how different this situation will be when it is his time to go to college. He is the most low maintenance boy in the world and we laugh at some of his cave-man qualities. This was part of our conversation tonight…

Me to Chelsea…”So I think we should be ready for the airport at 9am”
Josh to me.."You are going too! Why are you going!”
Me…"Do you really think Chelsea can move herself to Colorado on her own?!!”
Josh to the table…"I could!”
All of us…"How! How would you even get a ride from the airport, shop, where would you stay?!!”
Josh…"Taxi, Motel, and what do I need to shop for?” ( I swear, a sleeping bag, small duffel bag and a little change and he wouldn’t think twice)

All of us had a good laugh.

Later…
Chelsea orders Tiramisu for dessert.
Josh…”why are you ordering soup for dessert?”

Ahhh! I can tell you all now that sending a boy off to college in most situations will cost you a lot less.

Wish us luck tomorrow…exciting and nervous at the same time!

Great Handbook for College Students

2009-08-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Naked Roommate by Harlan Cohen. Chelsea received this book as a graduation gift that is really cool. It looks so thorough and cleverly written that after reading the first few chapters I contacted the publisher to ask about carrying it on my Charming Cards website.

Back cover- "In college, there's a surprise around every corner…
But that doesn't mean you can't be prepared! From sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers to sharing lecture notes, The Naked Roommate is your behind-the-scenes look at EVERYTHING you need to know about college (but never knew you needed to know).
Completely revised and updated, this essential guide used by hundreds of thousands of students is packed with expert advice on everything from managing money to managing stress—plus hilarious, outrageous, and telling stories from students on over 100 college campuses"

Youtube of Author Harlan Cohen-and more about the book.

To loft or not to loft????

2009-08-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

We have a lofting dilemma. To loft or not to loft? For $90 Chelsea can pre-reserve a lofted bed like this photo shows. It seems like a nifty idea but my 15 year old son who has a lofted bed from Ikea tells her "Don't Do It!" He doesn't like sleeping high, and the bed from Ikea is all squeeky, poor guy. He has already dibbed her bed when she leaves (but it won't leave her room). In high school Chelsea did a lot of her homework on her bed with a lap desk, kind of like using her bed as a couch. It would be inconvenient to use it this way if you were up high. He also made the comment, "Do you really want to be working on your laptop up high and then not have a bedside table to set it on when you want to go to sleep?" Good points, but her rooommate is lofting so she can't decide. For now we have decided to wait until she gets there and hope they are still available if she wants one. We will post before and after pictures of her room once we get there....only 4 days away- yikes!

Articles On Children Moving Away

2009-08-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

A college friend of mine with a son leaving this week sent me a few articles she found interesting about an oldest childing moving away, and also about the adjustments siblings might face when one moves out. I do plan on being sensitive to how my sons might be feeling when their big sister moves away. She is very close with her brothers and I have heard her say lately to them things like "You do realize this is our last Wednesday together don't you?" She has practiced ichatting and skyping with her 12 year old brother who has been instructed to have her beloved yorkie with him during chats. Here are links to a few articles:

Leaving Can Ruffle The Nest
When The First Child Leaves Home

The Ultimate Hammer Tool

2009-08-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

A friend gave me a tip that a small tool kit would come in handy for a college student. My sister came across this "Ultimate Hammer Tool" at the Container Store which I think is a great solution for a mini tool kit that a student can easily store. It includes a hammer, pliers, wedge, scissors, knife, saw, file and Philips head screwdriver. At just 5.5 inches long it sells for $14.99. I might get an extra one for my car.

TIP- I learned after having trouble with ours- we could not get our philips head screwdriver folded back up after using it. We learned that to solve this problem, you need to pull down a second tool, and fold 2 up at the same time. Kinda weird, but it works!

Bag Tags for College Send Off

2009-08-07T14:43:00.001-07:00

We are going to a send-off party tonight for a friend's son who is also going to CU Boulder. My very clever friend worded her invitations to say "Time to say..... CU LATER!" As a small gift, I am giving him these personalized luggage tags with his Colorado address on it. Even though the address is temporary, I thought they would be handy for him to not only label his luggage going to and from school but after he gets there he can keep one in his backpack and also use it for weekend ski trips. It is always fun to get a personalized gift and they are 2 for 1 until Sept 15th which is all the better! (2 for $10.00 at this price!)

My daughter picked these out for herself, and there were plenty of others to choose from at Charming Cards.

Book Your Frequent Flier Travel Early

2009-08-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Because my husband used to travel so much, we have a good supply of frequent flier miles that we plan to use for college travel. I was disappointed to find out I am already too late to book our flights for family weekend in October using miles. It is not too late to use them for our daughter's return over Thanksgiving, and since she knows her schedule, we can be sure to book the flight with enough time after her last class before the break. As soon as she gets her class syllabus' and knows her finals schedule, we will book her Christmas break travel. The other tip I have after learning the hard way, is to be careful not to let your frequent flier miles sit for too long without activity. Many airlines let them quietly expire if there is no activity for 12-18 months. You can avoid this by linking a hotel stay, rental car, credit card purchases, or dining to your account. Check your frequent flier mile details to be sure. When we do have to purchase a ticket, we signed her up to receive her own miles on the most convenient and economical carrier we found from our home town to her college town and will use the same one whenever possible.

Jewelry Storage or Hanging Pharmacy

2009-08-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

I had 2 readers- Sharon and Vicki, both send me separate ideas for this product so I had to share it. Sharon suggested this hanging jewelry organizer as a way for my daughter to store her jewelry in college. We thought of getting something cute for her dresser for her jewelry, but are unsure if she can spare the space or want her necklaces and bracelets sitting out all the time. Sharon said, "this way, when she comes home, she can just take this out of the closet, roll it up and pack it, instead of picking and choosing what to bring."

Vicki had a whole different idea for this when she bought it for her son last year. "I bought a travel hanging jewelry holder and filled it with travel size medications like sore throat medication, small Tylenol, chapsticks, allergy med, something for constipation and other little things because when they are sick, the last thing they want to do is go out to get meds and it just hangs in their closet doesn’t take up much space….might not be necessary but it worked for us." What a clever idea!

It is just $9.99 at the Container Store and comes in a bigger size if needed.

Funky Fees

2009-08-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

Just this week we had access to see our actual bill online at the college website. While part of the bill was expected (despite the OUCH factor)...there were fees I thought were interesting:

Athletic Fee $28.50
Capital Construction Fee $200
Student Info System Fee $7.00
Fall Student Fees $349.32
Student Computing Fee $67.24
Career Services Fee $9
New Student Fee $182
Tech Fee $21.12

I did check and their estimate for "tuition and fees" was accurate. It was still surprising to see what these "fees" are for.

The Best Nest

2009-08-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

"I love my house, I love my nest, in all the world, this nest is best." The Best Nest- I loved that childhood book by P.D Eastman. I am a married working mom of 3 children, living in California. My oldest- an 18 year old daughter will be leaving for college 2 weeks from today. I vividly remember being pregnant with her and "nesting"...getting all ready for that brand new baby and buying, organizing and doing everything possible to prepare for her arrival. Now, 18 years later, I find myself nesting all over again....but I am getting her "nest" ready in a place where I WILL NOT LIVE. I don't like that part. I am so excited for this next chapter in her life but trying to get used to the idea that she won't be here, in our nest, every day. So I guess she will have 2 nests and I want her new nest to be comfy and ready for her, just like it was 18 years ago.

The last 12 months for me have been partly consumed with the foreboding reality that she was getting closer to leaving home. Last summer as she was going into her senior year of high school, we made summer visits to colleges as she was trying to narrow down where to apply. The fall was filled with the application process, the winter with the decision process, the spring was fun with graduation festivities, and now summer is a whirlwind of getting ready to move her out of state and buying things for her dorm, her new nest. She will be a freshman at CU Boulder.

Over this last year, there are times I have been overwhelmed with planning for this, along with melancholy feelings that my first baby is about to fly the coup. I have learned alot from friends, college counselors, and reading whatever I could find about preparing and moving. I thought it might be fun to blog about the experience and maybe even provide a forum where Mother Birds like us can share ideas.