Thursday, May 19, 2011

Dorm Room Shopping 3!

You will need several bath towels and flip flops for the shower, plus soap, shampoo
and toiletries. It's nice to have a large plastic basket to tote it all, but check the
bathroom storage situation first. Some dorm bathrooms have individual cubbies or
lockers, and the size can range from exceptionally narrow to spacious. Check out
the storage situation when you go to orientation and ask if all the dorms have the
same style restroom. Or wait till move-in day and add an appropriate-sized tote
to your inevitable Target/Longs/Big Box Store run. In any case, buy duplicate
toiletries so your teen has extra toothpaste, etc. You may also want to buy
an over-the-door hook for hanging damp towels to dry.





Dorms have extra-long twin beds, so you'll need extra-long twin sheets, pillows,
a cozy duvet or blankets, and a foam pad to add softness to the industrial-strength
mattress. It's mainly the fitted sheet that needs to be extra-long. The top sheet
can be regular length, and you may not even need one if your child uses a duvet
with machine-washable cover. Save a few dollars by using a regular length foam
or egg crate pad - it will be a few inches short, but once the sheets are on,
your kid won't even notice. In our wildest parental fantasies, children do laundry.
In the real world, they'll change the sheets at least once if you include a second set.
And if your child is headed to icy climes, one of those sets could be cozy flannel.





You will need detergent, fabric softener, a laundry bag or hamper, and a jar of
quarters, unless his college uses debit cards in the laundromat plus, a rudimentary
understanding of how a washing machine works and what happens when red T-shirts
are washed with white underwear. (Although Shout Color Catchers actually work.
Mostly. Compare prices on Color Catchers here.) Sending your child off with the
same brand of laundry detergent you use at home will make his sheets, towels and
clothes smell comfortingly familiar.




You will need a desk lamp and bulbs, school supplies (notebooks,
pencils, pens), a graphing calculator, extension cords and a power strip with a surge
protector, a laptop and flash drive. What he probably won't need is a printer. Some
schools want papers turned in electronically, typically through web sites such
as Turnitin.com, which check for plagiarism. Every school offers printing privileges
through the library.




A mini-fridge, microwave (if allowed), electric fan (for dorms without air
conditioning), television and DVD player are considered dorm room essentials. Not
essential: landline and answering machine. But make sure your child checks the dorm
rules first. Some older dorms don't allow microwaves, for example. Urge him to
discuss who’s bringing what with his roommate, and seriously consider renting, rather
than buying the mini-fridge. Summer storage is a major problem, and chances are your
student will have traded up to a real apartment with a real refrigerator
by junior year.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Dorm Room Shopping Part 2!

These are some great dorm room shopping websites with reasonable prices

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/btsHome.asp?order_num=-1

http://www.lnt.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2726142&clickid=topnav_Dorm...

http://www.containerstore.com/college/

http://www.pbteen.com/?flash=on

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/

http://www.target.com

http://www.walmart.com

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/btsHome.asp?order_num=-1

http://www.lnt.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2726142&clickid=topnav_Dorm...

http://www.containerstore.com/college/

http://www.pbteen.com/?flash=on

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/

http://www.target.com

http://www.walmart.com

http://www.rhl.com

Dorm Room Shopping !

Now that we have made it what do we do next? Dorm room shopping! BUT what do we bring.

Backpack/messenger bag
Balls: Basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, baseballs, tennis balls
Bandages and band-aids: for sprains and cuts
Batteries, especially AA
Bicycle, helmet, LOCK
Binders
Bins or boxes for storing papers/folders
Blanket: fleece or thermal
Bleach
Blender
Board games (Monopoly, a chess or checkers set etc)
Body lotion
Bookcase: find a slim, tall bookcase if you’re pressed for space. It’s good for organizing text and literary books; of course you can store anything on it-- from food to board games to boxes of cleaning supplies. Great storage. If it’s a shorter bookcase, you can put decorations atop it-- pictures, a vase etc.
Bottle opener
Broom or short-handled brush with dustpan (if you don’t care for vacuums or Swiffers)
Brush: get a good scrubbing one for cleaning grout/tough stains
Bucket: get a sturdy one for use in cleaning/mopping
Bug spray (to keep your skin from those awful mosquitoes etc)
Bulletin board with pins

Cable/wiring organizer: for your computer wires
Calendar: to keep track of the date and days; dry-erase calendars are awesome for scrawling in important events and then erasing for the next month
Calculator or graphing calculator
Camera-- at least a disposable one
Can opener
Cds
CD cases, or soft-cover CD folders which are more space efficient and easier to carry
Cereals, cereals, cereals
Chair: a comfortable one, not a desk chair, but more of a reading/relaxing seat. Try the:
a) butterfly chair http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...5&BTSMode=true
b) Egg chair http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...5&BTSMode=true or
c) the classic beanbag
Chair cushion: if you don’t want to bring or buy a desk chair, buy an attractive seat cushion for the chair that the college provides
Chips
Clothes:
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are amazing, easy to use and leave a good scent http://www.clorox.com/solutions_disinfecting_wipe.html
Coffee
Coffee machine
Cold and cough medicine: Robitussin/Dimetap
College-rule line paper
Colored markers and colored pencils
Comb or hairbrush
Comforter
Computer-- Laptop or Desktop or Notebook.
Conditioner (hair)
Condoms/birth control pills/contraceptives etc.
Contacts
Contact lens case
Contact lens solution
Containers: small plastic or mesh containers for small accessories (paperclips/tape/white-out/jewelry/makeup)
Cooking pans and pots
Cordless Phone and/or Cell Phone: very important!
Correspondence: Various cards or letter paper, for birthdays or congratulations etc
Cough drops/lozegnes
Cotton balls: many uses, including for applying/wiping off make-up, applying antiseptics to cuts and wounds
Cotton facial pads: for applying or removing foundation and other make-up, also for applying facial lotions, toners and astringents
Curling iron (hair)
Curtains: if your dorm room doesn’t provide curtains, an attractive set of curtains can help bring color and life to your room
kateapollo is offline Reply
Old 07-23-2005, 12:59 AM #3
kateapollo
Junior Member

Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 119

What to Bring to College: D Through H
Day planner, dayrunrer, agenda etc
DayQuil/NyQuil
Decorator’s Lamps: these are pretty, inexpensive ways to light up your room and add color http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...2&BTSMode=true and http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...2&BTSMode=true and the ubiquitous http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...2&BTSMode=true
Deodorant (can’t forget that!)
Desk chair-- colleges provide a desk chair, but it often isn’t as nice as the one you probably have at home. A good desk chair that swivels and is on wheels is great
Desk lamp: many stores sell extremely inexpensive and colorful desk lamps (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...-1&SKU=106573), but the more expensive ones are worth it too (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...1&SKU=11809880)
Desk organizers: http://www.containerstore.com/browse...1&itemIndex=19
Dish bin to carry any plates/flatware etc to dorm sink
Dish detergent
Diskettes
Dry-erase markers
Drying rack (for wet laundry-- dryers are often all occupied by the time your clothes are clean from the washing machine, so a drying rack might be helpful)
DVD player or VHS
DVDs or Videos

Eating Utensils: inexpensive utensils OR disposable plastic utensils will do: packs of disposable OR two to four inexpensive sets of knives, spoons, forks, cups, mugs, plates, bowls
Eggshell pad or mattress pad or mattress foam
Electric lights: like Christmas lights you put on your tree or around your house-- small strings of white-light bulbs can be lovely strung around the edges of your ceiling
Envelopes (white, letter type)
Erasers (Staedtler erasers are amazing http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do;...rasers&An=text)
Eye drops

Fabric softener for the dryer
Facial lotion (especially if you’re in a colder climate and your skin will tend to dry out more easily)
Favorites books
Febreze: excellent to temporarily rid clothes (and blankets, pillows, etc) from odors http://www.homemadesimple.com/febrez...original.shtml
Files and expandable filing folders
Flashlight
Floss
Folders-- with pockets and three-prongs
Folding chairs/tail-gaiting chairs/folding lawn chairs-- any easy, folding chair that you can quickly prop open for guests or haul down to the game for tail-gaiting is a plus
Footstool (if you’re vertically challenged)
Foreign Language Dictionary: for whatever language you’ll be taking in college
Foreman Grill
Fragrance: perfume or cologne, or body sprays
Frisbees!
Fruit: apples, bananas
Fruit juices-- orange, apple, grape, tomato
Futon: a bed at night, great for seating two or three visitors or for watching TV

Gatorade and other sports/electrolyte drinks
Glasses
Granola bars, Nutri-Grain bars
Graphing paper

Hair dryer
Hairbands/hair pins for ladies
Hairspray/sculpting cream
Hammer
Hand-held electronic games (Gameboy etc)
Hand and feet cream (Neutrogena makes the effective and inexpensive Norwegian formula http://www.neutrogena.com/ProductsDetails_12.asp)
Headphones-- very important-- both to block out annoying sounds from your roommate or keep music your roommate doesn’t like to yourself
Highlighters
Hot Pot: I love this thing. Quick and easy and hot, no need for an electric kettle or coffee machine or microwave with it http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...1&SKU=11904270
Hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol
kateapollo is offline Reply
Old 07-23-2005, 01:00 AM #4
kateapollo
Junior Member

Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 119

What to Bring to College: I to O
I-Pod or other music player (MP3, CD player)
Internet access software/wiring
Iron
Ironing board

Kleenex or other facial tissue

Laptops and desktops: for work/studying, but plays your music and DVDs as well
Laptop case
Laundry basket: a lot of people prefer the sturdy plastic baskets to laundry bags. Can hold folded clothes better as well
Laundry detergent
Laundry Hamper or Bin: hampers are always useful; some of us use canvas bins with handles to toss wet towels and dirty clothes in; others have large mesh or canvas laundry bags (folding hampers are great if you need space)
Lip balm
Lint-roller
Loofah/sponge or wash towel
Lysol, especially the sprays and the all-purpose cleaners (though the scent is sometimes too strong)
http://www.lysol.com/solutionsfinder.shtml

Make-up (a lot of more low-maintenance girls I know often just go with the basics-- foundation or tinted moisturizer for covering up flaws, mascara and lip gloss or a lipstick)
Manila envelopes (for papers or reports that you don’t want folded)
Map-- of your country, your state, the world, your college campus
Masking tape
Microwave
Milk
Minifridge or Microfridge
Mints or minty gum
Mirror-- a good mirror, from full length http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...1&BTSMode=true to vanity mirrors to overhang mirrors
Mop
Mouse
Mouse pad
Mouthwash
Multi-vitamins (especially vitamin C, when you’re trying to keep your immune system up around cold season)
Muscle Relief: Salonpas http://www.salonpas-usa.com/salonpas.html or Icy Hot Patches or Thermal Patches for aches
Musical instrument/music books

Nail clippers
Nail file
Nail polish remover
Neosporin
Nightstand: if you’ve got room, nightstands are nice-- put a small lamp and your reading books atop it. Looks pretty and if it has drawers, it offers more storage space for whatever you’d like.
Notepads

Oxi-Clean gets rid of stains http://www.oxiclean.com/laundrysub.a...SubNav=Laundry
kateapollo is offline Reply
Old 07-23-2005, 01:02 AM #5
kateapollo
Junior Member

Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 119

What to Bring to College: P to S
Pack of playing cards
Pain and fever relief-- Tylenol, Advil, ibuprofen
Paperclips
Paper towels
Pencils
Pencil case/container
Pencil Sharpener
Pens: regular blue, black and red; have at least one, nicer ball-point pen as well
Photos and picture frames
Pillows
Pine-Sol: the original scent is great, it’s good for floors
http://www.pinesol.com/original.shtml
Plants: IF you can take care of them. They’re lovely and it’s nice to have some green in your small dorm room
Plasti-tak http://www.teachersparadise.com/c/pr...ducts_id/25260 or other mounting material that won’t leave stains or holes on the walls
Popcorn
Pop-Tarts
Posters, of course (www.allposters.com)
Post-its
Powder drink mixes: They are cheaper to buy than sodas, and all you need is a large pitcher of water and a spoon. Powdered lemonade and Kool-Aid are cheap and easy to make.
Power strips (because you’ll only have so many electrical outlets)
Printer Paper (white)

Q-Tips: tons of uses-- for cleaning the insides of your ears, for applying or removing make-up, etc

Radio/stereo
Ramen/Cup Noodles (of course)
Razor, shaving cream and aftershave for males
Religious texts: if you’re religious, bring your Bible or Koran or Torah etc.
Reusable water bottles, like Nalgene bottles
Robe
Roller-skates or ice-skates
Rolls of coins or your laundry card
Rubber bands
Rug!: to add attractiveness to the bare tile or wood floor of your room-- and keep your feet warm when you slip out of bed winter mornings

Safe or lockbox for valuables: jewelry, watches, etc-- actually, any box with a lid will do to store your valuables in, just as long as you don’t leave your bracelets, watches, rings etc lying around
Screwdriver
Shampoo (if preferred, you can pour your shampoo or conditioner in small plastic bottles with flip tops-- see Container Store-- to save space in your shower tote)
Sharpies or any other permanent marker (thick and thin)
Shaving lotion, gel or body wash for shaving
Shaving razor
Sheets: at least two and preferably three different sets of sheets for your bed, often college beds are extra-long twin size
Shot glasses
Shower caddy/tote: should have a hole or holes in the bottom, for drainage
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sear...wer+tote&go=1&
Shower shoes (flip-flops)
Small pair of nose hair scissors (gross, I know, but for any overgrown hairs from your nose)
Snapple/other tea brands
Soap or body wash
Soap container: it’d be best to have a container for it, so the other items in your tote won’t get soppy and sticky. Bed Bath and Beyond has some handy plastic soap cases with latches
Sofa or armchair: if you can fit at least a small one into your room, go for it!
Soup: Campbells’ makes microwavable soups http://www.campbellsoup.com/soup_at_hand.asp?cpovisq=
Spiral notebooks
Sponge: get one for cleaning dishes, another for cleaning your dorm/bathroom
Spray bottles, clear: for various uses-- holding cleaning fluid for example http://www.containerstore.com/browse...76&itemIndex=1
Stamps
Stapler and staples
Steamer or Footlocker: these are more expensive, but they’re usually attractive and add character to the room. You can store extra blankets or out of season clothes in them. If you have room, they look good at the base of a bed. You could also sit on it or store books or knickknacks atop it.
http://www.containerstore.com/browse...35&itemIndex=2
Stomach Relief: Ah, Pepto Bismol.
Straightening iron (hair)
Sunglasses
Suntan lotion
Swiffer Dry: extremely easy to use, quick and easy to clean (just dispose of the cloth after use; hard to pick up more than lint and hair, however
Swiffer Duster: excellent and easy to hold and maintain http://www.homemadesimple.com/swiffe...ers_hand.shtml
http://www.homemadesimple.com/swiffe...ucts/dry.shtml
Swiffer Wet: use like a mop, very easy to use and leaves a great fresh scent
http://www.homemadesimple.com/swiffe...ucts/wet.shtml
Swim goggles
kateapollo is offline Reply
Old 07-23-2005, 01:03 AM #6
kateapollo
Junior Member

Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 119

What to Bring To College: T to W
Tape measurer
Tape dispenser and clear tape refills
Tapestries: hang them up on the wall, above your bed, etc http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sear...pestries&go=1&
Teabags
Three-hole punch adapter
Toaster oven
Toothbrush
Toothbrush case: Bed Bath and Beyond has a great little plastic toothbrush container with a latch, so the bristles of your toothbrush don’t get all gross jumbled next to everything else in your shower tote or caddy
Toothpaste
Towels (at least two sets each of bath towel, hand towel, face towel etc)
Trash Can
Tree Floor Lamp: these are good because you can use one lighting source to illuminate different parts of your room-- in a tiny room, one light can be aimed at your desk, the other at your bed while you read, the other at the ceiling. They range from inexpensive and colorful http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...2&BTSMode=true to more polished
http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do;...e+lamp&An=text
TV
Tweezers

Umbrella- a good, sturdy one

Vacuum: any slim, lightweight one will do. It doesn’t need to be an expensive, bulky vacuum to get the job done.
Vacuum: hand-sized, to clean up dust in corners, on desks etc
Example: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...1&SKU=13645957
Vaseline: or petroleum jelly. It’s oily and sticky, but if you don’t have lotion or lip balm handy, a spot of Vaseline will do it.
Video game console
Video games
Multi-vitamin
Vick’s Vapo Rub: I always put this on my chest and throat when I’m sick
Vitamin C: to keep up your immune system during cold season
Vitamin E: this comes in two forms-- one is in a gel-like pill, the other is in a small glass jar. The ingestion of vitamin E is supposed to soften your skin, strengthen your hair. The vitamin E in a jar-- vitamin E oil-- is often put on scars or stretch marks to advance healing and lighten the scar
Vitamin D/Oscal: to keep your bones strong

Washcloths or washrags: use old ones for rinsing or drying dishes, and cleaning floors
Water bottles
Water filter pitcher http://www.brita.com/index.shtml and replaceable filters
Water pitcher: a regular one, if you don’t want filtered
Waterless hand sanitizer http://www.purell.com/original.aspx
Whiteboard with dry-erase markers (lots of people hang these outside their rooms so friends can leave messages)
White-out or correctional fluid (I prefer the rolling, tape-dispenser-like white-out)
Windex or other window cleaner; the wipes are especially handy

Friday, May 6, 2011

Vinyl on Video:Freddie Foxxx, The Rapper History Left Behind

Freddie Foxxx aka Bumpy Knuckles is a rapper from Long Island,New York. Freddie is a prime example of a missed opportunity. Eric B. (of Eric B. & Rakim fame) was originally going to use Freddie Foxxx as the rap artist on his groundbreaking hit "Eric B. for President", but he wasn't home on that fateful day. Eric B. caught word of another Long Island artist by the name of William Griffin otherwise known as Rakim Allah. The 17 year old changed his name to reflect his allegiance to the Nation of Gods and Earth (5 Percenters). The record was cut and the rest was history. Freddie Foxxx maintains an underground following and does not look to work with major labels out of fear that his work will be commercialized.






-Robert "Big Rob" Garrett

We Ms

Monday, May 2, 2011

Vinyl on Video: Exile and Aloe Blacc = Emanon; A soulful quest

little known about the group i talking besides the fact that they are Ill. Emanon a group out Southern Cali. Made of two men Aloe Blacc, and DJ Exile. Aloe Blacc known for his song called "I need a Dollar"


Monday, April 25, 2011

Pensions

Sacramento has been known for giving out pensions like its candy.
There is always a problem with pensions, and you give a pension up to another
person who is lacking. For example, for decades police officers
and firefighters in the city of Sacramento has paid nothing out of
pocket towards their retirement accounts. This shows how much the ones
receiving the pension have not put in on their retirement and
benefits. City employees get a lot of benefits that are not answered
for and should be recognized. State employees who benefit should
pitch in on the benefits rather than ride on the taxpayer's back. Also
another example, retirement benefits for city employees as a group has
gone up 37%. To sum up my idea state employees who get benefits are
going to have to start for their retirement and benefits.

By: Deon Conley
Local