Stocking Stuffers Every College Student Will Appreciate!

This article is provided by Melissa Frank.

If you are like most parents, you probably thought the empty nest was going to be the best thing to ever happen to you. You likely even had a time in your life that you were counting the days until your nest would be empty. Then the time came for you to send your child off to college and, well, it was not quite as wonderful as you thought it might be. It is only natural to miss your co-ed, and you probably hope that they miss you, too (at least a little, right?). Care packages are a super thoughtful way to stay in touch and, if your college student is coming home for the holidays, you are probably also wondering just what the perfect gift is for him or her. The bigger gifts will likely come off their Christmas lists, but for stellar stocking stuffer suggestions that every college student will appreciate, read on. There is more to life than beer!

Cozies and Fuzzies

Sure, when people picture college, they envision giant fraternity parties and nights at the bars. The truth is, though, there is plenty of time that is spent studying and going to class, all of which can be very stressful. Ease their worries with comfort items, like an ultra-soothing throw blanket (think “blankies” for adults!) for their bed, a mermaid blanket for study breaks in front of the TV, or some super comfy pajamas. As for the latter, go for the “onesie” PJs from Target for a laugh, or holiday pajamas are another fun idea. You can also never go wrong with comfortable socks, as we all know that the dryer eats these with wild abandon. To boot, they are the perfect size gifts for stocking stuffers. Find some cozy footwear and go with something stylish and fun, like the ones sold by Stance. With personalized socks, music socks, sports socks, and more, these are a great way to let your co-ed reflect his personality. They even have hilarious men’s underwear- hey, he might be off at school but that does not mean he is learned to “adult” quite yet. 

Cut to the Chase

College kids are poor, it is just the nature of the beast. So many times the best thing you can do is cut right to the chase and go with some cold, hard cash. Gift cards to their favorite stores would also surely be welcomed, as would gift cards to their favorite restaurant in their college town. Worried this is too boring? Leave a clue in the stocking and send your college guy or gal on a treasure hunt! You are never too old for something like that.

Go for Gadgets

Stocking stuffers are typically for smaller, less expensive items but these days, a lot of the best gifts come in small packages. You might want to surprise your college student by putting a big ticket item in her stocking, like cool new iPhone cover, an actual iPhone, a portable cell phone charger (for the co-ed who always forgets to charge her phone), or an iPod. The look on her face when she opens this will make it all worthwhile. If you are really going for Parents of the Year for all of eternity, you could even stuff the stocking with car keys. Just be ready for screaming- a lot of screaming. College kids love their tunes, so make sure yours can listen to his or her favorites with ease; JBL speakers offer high quality audio.

Super Sappy Stuff

College students tend to be stoic but trust us when we tell you that they surely experience a lot of emotions during the school year. There can be angst over friends or significant others, anxiety, or good old-fashioned homesickness. Consider popping something in the stocking that he or she can take back to college that will always be a reminder of home. Whether it is a framed photo of the family (or family dog!), a calendar made up of family photos for each month, or even a locket for your daughter as a keepsake, this type of sentimental gift will go a long way on those days when your college student is missing home.

Christmas is just around the corner, which means your college student will be coming home shortly (with loads of laundry). Follow these tips for stocking stuffers they will appreciate and you will send them back to school in style. 

Top 5 Ideas For Teen Crib!

This article is provided by Robert Everette.

I would like to begin this article with Saint-Exupéry words: “We are from our childhood as we are from one country.”

That is why it is too important to provide all possible conditions for our kids' happy childhood.

Ask your child about his favorite movie or game, try to figure out how his or her bedroom must look like, in what colors it should be painted and what kind of furniture should be placed there. 

Teen crib must be a place in your house where your child could feel absolute freedom. By word freedom we understand a possibility for a kid to choose any color palettes, furniture or decor elements. Only, in this case, everybody will stay satisfied. 

You should not be a designer or furniture decorator to upgrade your child's room. Just take into account our bedroom ideas for teens plus add some creativity and wish. 

Bedrooms Design For Future Sportsman

Teenage is a time of rapid growth and formation of the body. A lot of boys at this age start to show their interest in sport. That is why a smart decision will be to create a sports area in your son's room. 

Nowadays you can select from a great variety of built-in sports corners for your kid. Making an interior of the teen crib, give preference to colors ranging from bright blue to grey and green. 

The main accent should be done on the sporting subject matter. Design a central shelf for cups and prizes, place photos of some sporting events or football stars' T-shirts with signatures on the walls to create an atmosphere. 

Choose a small compact bed, predominantly wooden. Near the bed you may locate a hassock in the form of a ball. 

In addition, a green carpet would create an image of a field.

Bedrooms Design For Young Astronaut

From a great variety of different designs, the cosmic style is the top choice of teenagers. 

The best variant for creating such room decor for teen's crib in this style will be the formation of the stretch ceiling in the form of a starry sky. Choose such colors as white, blue, dark blue, grey, black and gold. 

Make an accent on back-lighting, using different kinds of night lights, table lamps and lumina diodes. It will be better to use wallpapers with the images of space system or illustrations from “Star Wars” (one of the most famous movies about intergalactic wars).

Keep to high-tech style in furniture. 

Bedrooms Design For Twins

If you are lucky to have twins, a big question is how to create a space for both of them. There should be a pair of each element of furniture: beds, wardrobes, chests of drawers, bedside tables. 

Buy bunk beds for the same gender twins. Remember that you children may have completely different tastes.

Create a lot of suspended shelves for the convenient placement of the things. Apparently, separate rest zone and work area. Choose bright colors, such as green, yellow, white, orange and blue.

Bedrooms Design For Girl In Classic Style

If all of your apartments meet the canons of a classic style, it would be logical to continue it in the interior of your teenagers' bedrooms. Especially if you want to bring up your daughter in an aristocratic manner, like a real lady. 

It is suitable to use furniture made of wood with carved legs in brown color. Hung up the satin curtains with lambrequins at the head of the bed or make a romantic canopy. 

For the accessories, use big photos of the family in gilded frameworks, massive chandeliers and Roman curtains. 

Give an opportunity for your children to be creative. Decorating a room is like composing an essay, everything depends on your ability to think and a chance to rely on the true source. While writing a composition you may rely on a help from Edubirdie. But when you need to find bedroom ideas for teens, you may access to Pinterest. 

Bedrooms Design For Girl In Modern Style

Art Nouveau, as the interior style for the child's room, suitable for both parents and children. There are no sharp angles. All the lines are smooth and the furniture has rounded shapes. 

The great plus of this style is "naturalness" of all the materials. The color solution can be very bright and have a smooth transition from one tone to another.

Designers are advised to use the chandeliers in floristic style, wallpapers with floral prints or painting on walls in naturalistic motifs, stained-glass windows, armoire in modern style and iron beds.

Book review- Signature Spaces: Well Travelled Interiors by Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen!

Today, I am excited to share an exciting new publication from Vendome Press with you. Thanks to Meghan Phillips again for sending me another swoon-worthy design book, Signature Spaces: Well Travelled Interiors by Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen. Let me tell you, this book is absolutely breathtaking!

This gorgeous book absolutely blew me away with its stunning interiors! Here is a sneak peek!

This lavishly illustrated volume explores the interior world of Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen, the talented duo behind the award-winning design studio Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Limited. With their incredible talents, it's not surprising that Architectural Digest named them as one of the top 100 designers in the world!  

Illustrated with hundreds of beautiful photographs from their design projects from all over the world, together with carefully chosen quotes, portraits and works of art, this delightful book will leave you visually satisfied. 

The perfect book for those who love being transported to extraordinary interiors or for those who simply enjoy exploring inspiring home environments. Truly a gem and shouldn't be missed! Highly recommended! 

Don't forget to get your copy here!

*I received  this book to review for free but the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Seasonal Decorations You Should Keep and Toss!

This post is provided by Luke Meyer.

The holidays are around the corner and it is important for you to prepare for them because Christmas time means that more things will come through the threshold of your home and you do not want to end up with a cluttered living room filled with decorations, presents, and items you do not need. 

When it comes to your seasonal decorations, you may start to feel overwhelmed, especially since four holidays occur almost right in a row- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Before you panic and start to feel overwhelmed, there are some seasonal decorations you should keep and others you need to simply toss out. 

But, which ones? We will explore which decorations you should keep and toss and how a storage unit can help free up some space for you in your home. 

1. Keep: Christmas Tree

You should keep your Christmas tree. Trees are not cheap and if you have to purchase them year and year again, you will easily spend some of your Christmas present budget. 

The only time you should toss out your Christmas tree is when it is either worn or stained or when you have a real tree in your home. 

2. Toss: Christmas Cards

If you have a lot of family and friends, then you will find that you receive an overwhelming number of Christmas cards each year. You do not have to keep them. If you do, you will find that you run out of space quickly and have a ton of cards to go through. 

If you receive a sentimental card, then you can keep it or a couple of others to cherish memories, but keeping all of them just would not work and will take up too much space. 

3. Keep: Lights

If you use lights for any of the holidays, you want to keep them. Lights last a long time and you can use the same string lights year after year. In fact, you really only need to simply change out any burnt out lights on the string and the string is as good as new again. 

Whether you have lights for Halloween, Christmas, or Thanksgiving, place them in your storage unit when they are not in use. You will save a lot of money over time by doing this. 

4. Toss: Paper Decorations and Paper Dishes

If you have a bunch of paper decorations and plates, you can throw these out. These types of items do not cost a lot to purchase and it is unlikely that they will last until the next season anyway. For instance, you may accidentally rip a paper garland and suddenly, the garland is now trash anyways. 

If you have a bunch of seasonal decorations, think about the cost of the decorations overall and how likely you are to keep using them year after year. You do not want to throw out costly items that you will need every year because it will become too expensive. 

When you need a place to store your seasonal decorations, check out your local storage unit facility to see what they have to offer. 

Book review- Paris by Ladurée Paris: A Chic City Guide!

Recently, I have received another wonderful book, Paris by Ladurée Paris: A Chic City Guide from Vendome Press, thanks to Meghan Phillips. In Paris by Ladurée, author Serge Gleizes compiles the iconic luxury patisserie’s 200 favorite Parisian addresses and guides readers to the best that the most elegant city in the world has to offer in cuisine, interior design, table décor, beauty, fashion, hotels, and culture- in a book small enough to carry while traveling.

Isn't the book cover pretty? Now, let's take a peek of what you will find inside this fabulous book!

Photo credit: Pierre-Oliver Signe

This gorgeous book is divided into four sections- cuisine, fashion and beauty, interior design, and culture. Inside this chic, comprehensive pocket-sized paperback, you will discover 200 of the best addresses in Paris, advising you where to stay, where to eat and where to see and be seen. Beautifully illustrated with more than 200 color photographs and illustrations, this delightful book shouldn't be missed. A perfect gift for all stylish Parisians and visitors alike!

Get your ultimate guide to Paris here!

*I received  this book to review for free but the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.