From two daughters at home to just one. From a crazy-hectic schedule for two girls, to a timetable for just one. From dinners for four, to dinners for three. There are big changes coming to my little corner of the suburbs, and I’m not ready! My oldest daughter is taking a bold and exciting step in her life and is heading off to university. *Gulp*.
I was warned this would happen, that these babies of mine would grow up in a blink of an eye, but I didn’t think they would go ahead and do it, and so fast at that!
So here we are, on the cusp of a big life change. She’s excited and I’m thrilled for her! I’m not crying at all… Well, at least not yet. I may not quite be ready for this huge life change, but I can make sure she will be.
As my daughter prepares to take off on the biggest, most exciting adventure of her life, I think to myself: “What’s a mama to do?” Give her a few words of wisdom, hug her a little more often and do everything she can to make sure her daughter’s transition from home to dorm is seamless. One way to do this is by making sure her little home away from home is fabulous.
Step 1: Have a plan and a budget. What I quickly learned when shopping with a teenage girl on the brink of a big change, you need a plan. We chose Walmart Canada to do our Dorm Room shopping. Walmart has just about everything you could need to set your future university or college student up for success. Make a plan of all the things you need and desire.
Step 2: Take stock of the key pieces you already have. Do they already have a favourite pillow or blanket, own a printer, does the school provide the desk, chair or waste baskets? Then scratch those things off the list and focus on style and comfort to make that dorm room feel like home.
Step 3: Start with the comforter. If you don’t have a comforter or duvet set, Walmart has some fabulous sets at incredible price points both on-line and in store. Choose your comforter first, grab your colour scheme and build from there. My daughter already owned a dark grey comforter with some moss green throw pillows so we were working from that.
Step 4: Get your shop on! With her sister in tow for a second opinion, we headed to our local Walmart, grabbed a big cart and took to the aisles. Here are just some of the wonderful items we found:
Cozy sheets and fuzzy blankets galore. Required for comfort and a little sass.
MS Chintz Body ($12.97) pillow that will be adorned with a bright pink sham to add some pop.
Walmart has all manner of body pillows ($16.88) to choose from, I bet you can’t pick just one!
All sorts of pretty to dazzle the desk. Sharpies, pencils, and pens will now have a home in their pretty desk lamp.
The desk and bed will be overlooked by some brand new artwork hung up on Command Hooks ($10.98) of course.
Complete the desk look with the fanciest of coffee mugs and a single brew cup coffee maker for those early mornings. This Black & Decker Single Serve Coffee Maker ($18.97) was a fantastic find online.
Add a little mood with some string lights strung around the bed or the desk, it really ups the cozy factor. We decided on the hometrends Wire Flower String Lights ($26.98).
Step 5: Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Walmart can be your one stop shop. While you are there, stock up on all their organizational needs, such as thin hangers for the closet versus thick, so they take up less space. Drawer organizers, under storage totes and even closet organizers. We found this 8-Shelf Organizer and 2 Drawers ($35.98).
It will be perfect in my daughter’s closet for storing everything from T-shirts to purses, to shoes.
Another favourite find, the 1 gallon glass jar ($11.77). Just so versatile! Sure it’s perfect for Sharpies and pens, but I think this school year it will start out stuffed with gummie bears, because why not!
For the finishing touches, we snagged a sweet alarm clock, some lovely new note books, and a light bulb for the new desk lamp. Put all of this together and what do you end up with? Little golf claps all around. In one very successful trip to Walmart, the three of us had managed to create a fabulous, stylish dorm room look packed with some unique quality pieces all at a very affordable price! All that magic spread out in her space at home will take her to this:
So am I ready to send my daughter off to university? Not quite. But I am one step closer knowing when she’s tucked away safely in her dorm room, her space will be well-organized, pretty, cozy, and a whole lot like home. It’s everything she wanted for her dorm room makeover.
Find all these affordable and fashionable finds shown here, and so much more at your local Walmart or do some shopping online, they have everything you need to be sure your student is ready to head back to campus.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walmart Canada as part of the Walmart Canada Back To Campus program. In exchange for this post, I have received perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.
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Walmart and Ikea are the best places to go when you are on a budget. There is so many possibliites with what you can do on a dime
I have been using your tips to help get my niece all settled in her first apartment !
Walmart has so many useful items for a Dorm room and reasonably priced!