Delight in the Moment: Focus on the Positive

Wow - it's been over a month since I've published here. I've been beating myself up about neglecting this blog again, but some sad, happy, and time-consuming events sidelined my writing.

Here's some of what's been going on:

• Our 18-year-old kitty became very ill and required quite a bit of care and attention in his last days. Grief over the loss of him has been real and catches me at unexpected moments. 

• My son graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Fortunately, we were all fully vaccinated and COVID restrictions had eased up, so my husband, daughter, and I (with our dog!) drove to Oregon. We spent the weekend of my son's virtual commencement ceremony celebrating graduation with him and a few of his friends and their parents.

• Our "6-week" home renovation project (now in its 8th month) finally finished up enough that, upon returning from Oregon, we were able to move our belongings back upstairs. I'm enjoying having a kitchen to cook in once again!

• The third week of May, Mother Nature gifted us with somewhere between a foot and 18 inches of snow. After a few days, it all melted and temperatures warmed up. Suddenly all the outdoor spring/summer tasks were screaming for attention! 

A blow to my self-esteem

For Mother's Day, my husband gave me the book The Woman With the Blue Star, by Pam Jenoff. She also wrote The Lost Girls of Paris, which he knew I enjoyed. I learned from her author bio on the book cover that, despite being a mother of three children and a law professor, she still has managed to publish eleven novels, including several best sellers. 

This was a bit of a blow to my ego – if she could manage all that, why do I let life events prevent me from writing and spending time at my computer?

A poetry prompt made me feel better

I'm always vowing to set up and adhere to better writing routines, but I came across a poetry prompt that gave me a bit of a different perspective. It reminded me of the value of delighting in the current moment. Instead of just berating ourselves for what we haven't done, it is important to celebrate our accomplishments. 

I wrote a few lines that describe my experience at the time when I read the prompt:

Delight in the Moment  

For the first time in a few days, the breeze is chill.
I’m warmed by a cup of coffee and sunbeams from the east.
I watch my dog as she stares up the hill,
ears at attention, her eyes riveted on a bunny.
A word from me holds her in place
but she does not break her focus.

Her thoughts are only of the rabbit.
Her ball and her bone both are momentarily abandoned and forgotten.
I wonder if I should adopt this habit,
of simply concentrating on only one thing until it is complete.
Once the bunny moves on, it will be forgotten and
the dog will entertain herself a different way.

Prior to this moment, I was in a fret.
I’m overwhelmed by all I need to accomplish and my long to-do list.
I’m frustrated by self-expectations recently not met,
but I try to remind myself of all I have been doing.
Can I exchange my disappointment and my angst
for my dog’s single-minded attentiveness?

I contemplate the promise of the rising sun.
I resolve to adjust my mindset and give myself the grace I would give others.
Rather than worry about all that’s left undone,
I will enjoy and celebrate every achievement of the day.
My dog as my mentor, I will try to remember to 
embrace the present and delight in the moment.

Focus on the positive

I hope that if you (like me) have been irritated with yourself for anything you have not accomplished, my attempt at free-form poetry will remind you to celebrate your achievements and delight in the present.

Happy summer everyone!

~~*~~

Type or Write "Coleslaw" a Few Times, and You'll Wonder If It's Even the Right Word! It is - and here's why...

Do you ever write or type a word a couple of times, and then it begins to look really strange to you? This happens to me a lot. I start to wonder if I've spelled a word correctly, or if I'm even using the right word at all. 

I had thoughts like this a few weeks ago, as I was publishing a recipe for coleslaw. COLESLAW. The more I typed the word, I wondered, "Is this really right? Am I spelling it wrong?"

Then, I got to thinking, "Why is this grated cabbage and carrot salad called 'coleslaw' anyway?" I'd never before questioned this, but it is an unusual word.

So, of course, I googled it.

According to the website, Culinary Lore, this dish, originally called Koolsla, found its way to America from Holland in the late seventeenth or early eighteeth century. Kool in Dutch means cabbage and Americans eventually changed it to cole. Sla comes from the Dutch abbreviation of the word salad. (Salad in Dutch is salade.)

Some people used to think the name was not coleslaw but "coldslaw," as it is usually served cold, however that is incorrect. In fact, as the article on Culinary Lore points out, a slaw (versus a coleslaw) is now considered to be "any type of dressed salad with shredded vegetables. Slaws may be sweet or savory, chilled or warm."

There does seem to be a discrepancy as to whether slaw must include cabbage as an ingredient. Culinary Lore says most slaws "tend to contain some type of cabbage." An article on Chowhound claims, "Slaw without the cole can feature any crunchy veggie in place of cabbage, including chopped or shredded broccoli, carrots, snow peas, jicama, and more."

I have a favorite coleslaw recipe. I'll share the recipe below, but if you want to know more about why I like it so much, you can read all about it here.

Coleslaw with Mustard and Caraway Seeds

(2 to 4 servings)

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

¼ cup Miracle Whip

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon stone ground dijon mustard

½ tablespoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

¾ teaspoon granulated sugar

freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.

For slaw:

½ of a small head of cabbage (~2½ cups, shredded)

3 large carrots

Method:

1. In a small skillet (with no butter or oil), toast mustard seeds and caraway seeds for a few minutes over medium heat. Shake or stir occasionally, and remove the pan from the heat as soon as the seeds are fragrant and lightly toasted so they do not burn. Pour them into a dish to prevent them from cooking any further.
2. Peel and grate carrots and shred cabbage into a large bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Combine miracle whip, yogurt, mustard, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add cooled seeds, mix well, and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add part of the prepared dressing to the ingredients in the large bowl. Stir well to incorporate the dressing completely into the slaw; keep adding more dressing until the cabbage/ carrot mixture is well coated. You will probably need all the dressing, but it is safest to add it slowly to avoid making the slaw too saucy.
5. While you could serve this coleslaw immediately, it is best refrigerated for at least 15 minutes (or even overnight) as the flavors will intensify.
6. Refrigerate leftover coleslaw (if there is any!)

Please keep social distancing, wear a mask, wash your hands, get vaccinated, and stay healthy! 😷 

This post contains affiliate links. The opinions expressed, however, are entirely my own.

One Year Ago Today, I Was Convinced I'd Made a Terrible Mistake

The airplane engines roared to life. As my head pressed against the seatback during takeoff, I thought, “What have I done?” 

Just as the flight attendant was instructing passengers to put small electronics in airplane mode, a news headline on my screen deflated my giddy vacation anticipation. The wording was sobering: WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic.

"WAIT - What?" Normally a rule follower, I ignored the flight attendant and quickly scanned the article.

For months, I had been looking forward to spending a few days in New Orleans with friends. We’d pre-paid for a vacation rental apartment, scheduled a cooking class where we would learn to make a spicy gumbo, and reserved a table for lunch at the famous Commander’s Palace. This was my first visit to the Big Easy, but exploring Bourbon Street, relaxing to some good live jazz music, and eating my fill of delicious food suddenly no longer seemed so exciting.

 

I’d like to claim I had been oblivious to COVID-19 before boarding the plane, but that's not true. I knew of outbreaks across Europe, in Seattle and New York, and most recently on a cruise ship; but no one had yet raised a nation-wide alarm. I'd seen no warnings against traveling state-to-state. There were no reported cases of the virus in New Orleans or my home state. It seemed safe enough to travel, and I'd brought with me copious amounts of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, just as a precaution. 

 

As I read the WHO announcement, I realized that a huge number of tourists (from who-knows-where) had recently visited New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. This awareness that we were traveling to a city that could soon become a hot spot for the virus made me as queasy as if I was experiencing severe in-flight turbulence.

 

I wanted to ask the pilot to turn the flight around and let me stay in Montana. Of course, that was not a reasonable request.

 

Instead, my travel partners and I agreed to exercise the utmost of precautions and limit social interactions during our trip. No Bourbon Street, congested bars, or crowded restaurants for us; we spent evenings soaking up the Louisiana warmth in the comfort of the outdoor patio of our vacation rental. Liberally slathering on hand sanitizer every chance we got, we refrained from touching any part of the cable car when we used it for our transportation. We only visited tourist attractions that we believed to be safe. 

 

This was back before anyone suggested the importance of wearing a mask or social distancing, but we knew enough to keep away from crowds. Despite our attempts at safety, questions raced through my thoughts throughout our whole vacation, in a vicious loop of worry:

How to Never Pull Up to the Wrong Side of the Gas Pump Again

Unfortunately, I don't know any good tips for saving money when you buy gas, but I do have an easy tip about how to save time (and avoid feeling frustrated) at the pump. I learned it from my son.

Our cars all needed servicing a while back, so I drove all three of them within a week. Later, I commented to my son that I wished that it was standard for all cars to have the gas tank on the same side. I complained that it is frustrating to realize, after getting out of the car to pump the gas, that I've pulled up on the wrong side of the pump. I am usually in a hurry, so even the few minutes wasted while having to reposition the car can cause me to be late for something.

My son laughed at me. In a kindly "Oh, Mom" sort of way.

Then he said,

Vanished Flight MH370: New Answers or Just More Speculation?

During March, 2014 a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane mysteriously disappeared. It seems so inconceivable that 12 crew members and  227 passengers could just simply vanish. I watched the news closely, expecting to hear any day that the plane had been found. Unlikely as it was, I hoped that somehow the passengers would be found, safe and sound. I even wrote about it one of my first posts on this blog, Flight MA 370: Hidden in Plain Sight?

By December 2014, there were still no answers to the mystery of what had happened to the plane. I was saddened by how emotionally difficult holidays and special occasions would be for all the grieving families of the lost. It would be so hard to move forward without any type of closure.

It's now more than four years after the plane vanished and investigations of the event continue. Some pieces of debris were found, confirming that the plane did crash into the ocean. Strangely though, much of the wreckage is still missing. No bodies have been recovered. The disappearance of MA 370 has being called "one of the greatest aviation mysteries in modern history."

On May 13, 2018 an Australian news program, 60 Minutes Australia, aired a program interviewing experts who believe they now know why and how the plane crashed. Some of them concluded it was an intentional act by one of the pilots; a premeditated, methodically-planned and deliberate murder-suicide.

The hope was voiced that the conclusions presented will bring comfort to the public. I'm not sure they will at all, or if we are really any closer to knowing what happened. I watched the program and read the news reports; for me they just raised more questions.

Montana Spring Tease

I didn't intend to write this blog post, as I have been working on some other projects. But the weather and a visit to one of my favorite blogs enticed me to share a few lines and pictures here today.

Lana, a friend of mine and the author of the blog My New Happy, is also a contributor to the Lifestyle Collective The Blended Blog. On both of these sites today, Lana's post topic was "Spring Where You're From" and she issued a challenge to other bloggers to link up and share what the spring season is like where we live.

Looking out my front door this morning, how could I resist!

The first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere is officially in March. In Montana, it comes much later than that, in a matter of fits and starts. Whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow is of no concern to us. We know we have at least six more weeks of winter left! 

In mid-March, the roads near our house were still too icy and snow-covered to safely walk our puppy. We made sure she got enough exercise by strapping on our snowshoes and taking her for hikes around our property. I tried hiking our acreage once without snowshoes and sunk down in places to mid-thigh. Fortunately, the dog's four paws kept her mostly above the crust.

Here's a view from our kitchen, taken through the window screen on March 18th. The ground had been covered in snow since October.

By April 4th we'd had some warm weather so most of the snow, except at higher elevations and in the shadows, had melted.

On April 5th though, this happened:

This isn't the first time I've written about spring snow in Montana. On February 3rd, 2015, I wrote a post called A Ground Hog's Shadow and Cars in the Ditch. Click on the link to read the story of when we got 23 inches of wet snow on April 29th, 2009 and I had to call a tow truck!

Yesterday was warm and sunny. My husband and I and our six-month-old puppy hiked part-way up a mountain trail above the city of Helena. The upper trails were still so treacherous with snow and ice that we turned back before we reached the summit, yet it was warm enough to shed our light jackets.

If you look closely at the top-right corner of this photo, you can see part of the city of Helena:

I then spent the rest of the afternoon outside, doing a little yard work and enjoying the wonderful outdoors on Earth Day.

Spring yard work where we live in Montana is not limited to cleaning up garden beds. It includes:

• Raking massive amounts of deer and elk scat off the grass around our house.
• Sweeping huge amounts of gravel from the cement pad in front of our house. With nearby roads and our driveway all just gravel and chip-sealed, a lot of gravel is deposited there by our tires, the wind, shoveling, and plowing.
• Taking our holiday lights down from our trees, which had previously been too snow-covered. Yesterday, I broke my trusty light hanging pole, which we've used since December 2014 to put up and take down our outside holiday lights. I was able to temporarily duct-tape it together well enough to snag and remove all the light strings from this past season. I will definitely be ordering another pole soon. 

I saw a few daffodils poking up through the ground yesterday, and my furry pussy willow catkins were practically flowering before my eyes while being enjoyed by some very fuzzy gray bees. These signs of spring were enough to tempt my husband and me to get out all the patio furniture.

We knew better.

This is what spring looks like here this morning:

At least someone is enjoying the snow today! 

Although we had more snow in Montana this winter than in recent years, waiting this long for spring is not unusual at all. Today's snowfall will melt quickly and warmer temperatures are expected this week, but I'm not removing my snow tires just yet!

What's the weather like right now where you live?

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of them, the price you pay will not be affected but I may receive some small compensation. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely honest and my own.
This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out! 

The Learn Something New Every Day project: January 2018

My Learn Something New Every Day of 2018 project went well during its first month. As I explained in my last post, my goal is to recognize and record one thing I've learned at the end of each day. I'm sharing my lessons here, with the hope that you'll find some of them interesting or helpful too. 

Some days the information gleaned was useful and on others quite trivial, but for each day of January, I recorded a tidbit of knowledge I didn't have during the previous 24 hours. 

Note: This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and then make a purchase, I may receive a form of compensation. I only recommend products I believe in.

Perhaps the lesson that amazed me most and was reinforced to me repeatedly this month, is how very quickly puppies grow up! 

Ours has already tripled in weight and grown exponentially since we adopted her.

My List of January Lessons: 

For more in-depth information about some of these topics, more details can be found in my previous post about Week 1 of this project and in future posts (soon to be published on this blog). 

January

Week 1.

•  1. Puppy toys can come unstuffed.
•  2. How to unclog a vacuum. 
•  3. It’s a small world. Well, sort of. 
•  4. Use vinegar to poach an egg.
•  5. The best place to do a puzzle. 
•  6. The aloe vera plant is useful for more than just first aid for burns.
•  7. An interesting political idea.

Week 2.

•  8. It's easy to make excellent artisan bread with a lovely crunchy crust.

I will be posting full details on how to bake bread like this soon, in an upcoming post.

This is the bread recipe I have always wanted!

•  9. Puppies grow quickly. 

The photos above already prove this point, but I can't resist sharing two more. We think she's cute.

I've lost track of how many times we've been told, "Wow, she's going to be a big dog!"





• 10. There's an easy way to get a dog to take a pill without spitting it out.

• 11. I found a few new ways to use the "Notes" feature on my iPhone and MacBook efficiently.

The Ugly American

The first time I left North America I was 14 years old. During my initial year of living abroad, I became aware that Americans sometimes have a certain “ugly” reputation. It didn't take me long to understand the cause.

“Ugly American” individuals were easy to spot, and made far too frequent of an appearance in my years overseas.  I quickly learned to recognize them and steer clear. Having left American soil as a tourist or sometimes an expat, these poor representatives of America often could be heard even before they were seen. On a crowded bus or at a tourist attraction, his or her English words would rise above the din of the crowd, loud and complaining. Nothing was ever “as good as it is at home.” Shouting, (perhaps because they assumed it would help them to be better understood) they would make disparaging remarks about how “no one around here speaks English.” Their criticisms included but were not limited to the food, the people, the customs, the climate, and all things un-American or different to which they were accustomed. When they rudely claimed (while a guest in another country) that “America is the best nation in the world,” it left their audience with plenty of room for doubt.

At first, I tried to distance myself by emphasizing the Canadian heritage of my dual American-Canadian citizenship. But gradually, I realized the importance of diluting those impressions by acting as a “good" American. By representing the United States well, I hoped to help reverse any negative impact those “ugly" Americans were making. I wanted to prove that most of us are different from those unsavory individuals. 

I woke up this morning still stunned by the results of the 2016 American Presidential election, and realized that a similar situation now exists within the United States. Those of us not willing to be the “Ugly American” have a significant job to do. 

Somehow, despite having just elected as our next president a man whose well-documented episodes of prejudice, vulgarity, lack of judgment, and hatred characterize him as the “ugliest” of Americans, we must now find a way to show the world (and ourselves) that most citizens of the United States are better than that. It is up to each of us to ensure that what ensues from this election does not perpetuate and make that ugliness any more of a widespread reality. If the majority of American citizens do not uphold the core values of acceptance, respect, inclusivity, decency and basic humanity, then America should not be called the "land of the free."  

I am fearful that many of the votes in this election were cast in support of racism, misogyny, intolerance, and hatred; however, I maintain hope that most Americans do not really want these injustices to take stronger root and flourish. We must all now assume responsibility to be certain that this does not happen, and find ways to encourage our new President-Elect to consistently behave better than he has in the past.

America has long been referred to as a "melting pot" of people, and it has been our differences that has helped to make us strong. Every American who despises bigotry and inequality must now strive even harder to set an example that is consistently tolerant, accepting and just. We cannot afford to let the hatred that was unleashed in this election take hold and reverse the strides we have been making towards human rights and equality for all. 

If we are to shed the image of the ugly American both at home and abroad, we must all  - including our politicians and our newly elected American President - treat every human being with equality and respect each other's differences. We can only hope that even the people who have not behaved so in the past will soon begin to change ... for our future, the future of our country, and the future of the world. 

**~**

Blog Owner's Note: I haven't published here for some time, for a variety of reasons. I apologize to anyone who has visited here and been disappointed to find no new content so far this fall. I'm not yet sure of the future for this blog, but today I just could not let the results of the election take place without comment. 

Feel free to leave your comments, but please try to refrain from any "ugliness."

The First College Test is Knowing What To Pack!

Packing for college can be daunting, but having a cheat-sheet packing checklist can help.

It can get pretty overwhelming trying to anticipate what you might need during a whole semester (or year) while living in a dorm away from home. A packing checklist can really help - and I have come up with a pretty comprehensive one. 

While recently helping my son decide what he might need in his dorm room, I realized that the packing checklist my daughter and I compiled before she set off for college several years ago is actually pretty useful. I am sharing a printable version of this list here today, for anyone faced with this challenging task.

When it was time for my daughter to pack for college, the task at first seemed overwhelming.  

• What would she really need? 
• How much space in her room would she really have? 

We created a packing list by consulting numerous resources, and we added other items as we thought of them.

Applying what I learned the first time.

Now, my son is off to college. Fortunately, I saved our list and although they both considered some of the mentioned items to be unnecessary (and my son wanted some things my daughter hadn't needed), my cheat-sheet was just as helpful the second time around. 

"Be Prepared"

With my kids both attending colleges at least a nine-hour drive away from home, I wanted to be sure they would have everything they might need. "Be prepared" has been my motto (and my excuse to overpack) ever since I first learned the phrase as a young Girl Guide in Canada. However, limited available space in a dorm does need to be taken into consideration; an overstuffed room can be more frustrating than occasionally having to run to the store to buy a needed item! 

Anyone can use my checklist.

If you are faced with packing for college, my suggestion would be to adapt this checklist to your student's individual needs and situation, and the size of your car! I'm sure I haven't listed everything that everyone will require, and no one really needs everything on this list - but this cheat-sheet just might have some helpful items on it which never occurred to you to pack. 

It is less expensive to just bring things you already have from home, but it may make sense to purchase some items after arriving at the campus, or to have them shipped to your child at their college address. We find our Amazon Prime membership to be very handy; almost anything can be purchased and arrive in two days with FREE shipping! And remember, seasonal items can sometimes be switched out over school breaks if your child comes home.  

It's okay if you forget something!

Don't sweat the nitty-gritty of packing details too much. Despite this lengthy list, I do believe that we can all often make do with much less than we think we need!  

Just don't forget to put a tissue in your pocket. Most of us will need one when we say good-bye!

GOOD LUCK! 

Off-to-College Checklist

To print this list: Click Here.

Linens/Laundry Supplies

BED - - - Note: Many college beds are XL TWIN (extra-long.)

       Sheets and pillowcases (2 sets). Check about what size is needed. 

Mattress pad (check with college for bed size)

Mattress topper/ egg crate mattress - this will make the bed much more comfy! 

Blankets (2 - one for bed and one to use as a throw when studying)

Comforter/bedspread 

Bed bug protection kit (I'm undecided on this one - for piece of mind, perhaps?)

Pillows (1 or 2 standard sized) 

       Body pillow or “Bedrest Pillow with arms"

OTHER

Towels (3 bath and hand towels, 1 beach or pool towel.)

Face cloths

Clothes hangers (you will probably need more than you think!)

Drawer separator boxes

Laundry bag/basket 

Laundry detergent (The individual pods are handy)

       Fabric softener and stain remover

Delicates/ bra-washing mesh  bags

Lint brush

Iron or steamer (travel size)

Roll of quarters, if laundry facilities use these.

Electronics and Office/Desk Supplies

(NOTE: you may wish wait to purchase some school supplies until after you arrive and learn what you need.)

Computer or Laptop (printer is optional; there are usually printers for student use)

Printer, ink, and paper (if you decide to bring a printer) 

Electronic storage items (i.e.) memory cards and USB flash drives

Ipod

Camera

Cell phone

Portable speakers (if you want to play music from laptop)

Headphones

Chargers and cords

Stapler and staples

Pens and pencils

Highlighter pens (multiple colors) 

       Permanent markers (with both black and silver, you can label almost anything!) 

Pencil holder and sharpener

Notebooks 

Folder with pockets and/or Binders

       Textbooks (If you know which you need and it is less expensive to purchase in advance) 

        Labels of various sizes

3 × 5 index cards

Sticky notes

Assortment of paper clips, binder clips, and rubber bands

Tape (scotch, masking and duct tape are all useful)

Scissors

Ruler / measuring tape

3-hole punch

calculator

Stackable desk trays

Stamps and envelopes

HDMI cord, Ethernet cord for computer (check if your room has wireless internet)

Surge protector / power strip

Extension cords

3-2 prong adapters

Shared Items — Plan for these with roommate(s) 

Audio equipment

TV /DVD player

Coffeemaker/ hot pot/ electric hot water kettle, if allowed

mini crock pot or microwave rice cooker/ pasta cooker

       Microwave (if not provided in room

       Small refrigerator (if not provided in room)

Area rug and seating / storage ottoman

       Posters/ art

Room Needs/Storage (See the size/layout of room before buying some of these items.)

Bedside lamp (clip-on may work best)

Desk lamp

Alarm clock/clock radio

Mini trash can

Storage bins, storage cart with drawers, bookshelf 

Under-the-bed storage trays

       Curtain and tension rod (if closet doesn't have a door you can create one!)

Fan (unless room is air conditioned)

Drying racks for laundry

        Over door towel/ drying rack

Bulletin board and pushpins

Dry-erase wall calendar/board

Mini toolkit (including screwdriver, hammer, wrench, measuring tape)

Picture hangers (double-sided tape for concrete walls)

Mirror

       Air freshener 

Poster Sticky tack / 3M hooks /  command strips 

Filing cabinet/ trunk or something that locks.

Food/ Housekeeping Items 

Tissues

Paper towels

Trash bags (Some large and some to line wastepaper can)

Plastic storage bags

Food-storage containers

Lightbulbs

All-purpose cleaner and dust rag

hand soap dispenser (If there is a sink in your room!)

Dish soap

Sponge and cloth for drying dishes

Disinfectant wipes

1 or 2 bowls, plates and cups

1 or 2 coffee mugs

Water bottle

Silverware (just one or a few sets of fork, knife and spoon) 

Can/bottle opener, sharp knife, small cutting board

coffee filters

       chip clips or clothes pins

Some ideas for dorm room snacks and microwaveable food items:

lemonade mix, tea, coffee, hot chocolate

steel cut oats, pasta, rice, easy mac, potatoes (can be microwaved)

popcorn

baked goods from home :)

Peanut butter

Honey

salt, pepper, oil

crackers, granola bars, beef jerky

Toiletries and Shower Items

Shower caddy / tote

Shower shoes (flip-flops)

Shampoo and conditioner

Body gel or bath and face soap, travel soap container

Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss

       Toothbrush holder (Especially if room has a sink)

Comb/brush

Hairstyling products

Hair dryer/straightener/curling iron

Razor and shaving cream

Lotion and/or facial moisturizer

Cotton swabs

Deodorant

Makeup 

Tweezers

Nail clippers

       Glasses and Sunglasses 

       Contacts, contact lens solution and case

                 Dental retainer

Medicine/ First Aid

Thermometer

Antacid

Pain/ fever relievers (i.e. tylenol, motrin, aspirin)

Vitamins

Antidiarrheal medicine

Cough drops

Adhesive bandages, elastic "ACE" wrap

hydrocortisone cream

antibiotic ointment such as Bacitracin or Neosporin

Prescription medications

bug spray

sunscreen

Clothing

Under garmets  – 2 week supply (Who wants to do laundry every week?!)

Socks – 2 week supply 

Pajamas or sleepwear

Robe (It can be a long walk down the hall to the shower!)

Slippers and/or flip-flops

Pants / jeans / shorts

Shirts / blouses / t-shirts / long sleeved t-shirts / sweaters

Sweat pants and sweatshirts, yoga pants, active wear

Light/heavy jackets (raincoats, fleece …)

Gloves /scarf /hat (and other foul-weather gear as needed)

1 pair of boots (snow or rain boots, depending on local climate)

2 pairs of sneakers or comfortable/walking shoes

1 or 2 sets of business-casual/ formal clothes 

1 pair of dress shoes

1 swimsuit (& goggles, etc)

Miscellaneous

Umbrella

Luggage: backpack, carry-on, duffle bag or suitcase, trunk

Sports equipment (skis, bike, helmets, …)

       Sleeping bag

Musical instruments 

First aid kit

Mini sewing kit and safety pins

Flash light

Batteries

Prescriptions for medications, glasses, contacts (filled and written down)

Daily planner / calendar

Journal

       Playing cards and / or board games

       Favorite books ( Small amount as time and space will be limited!)

Money 

Check book and bank info and debit card

Driver’s license, auto insurance card

Passport and Social security # card

Health insurance card

Health history information

Family/ friend contact information

Doctor/ dentist/ eye doctor / physical therapist etc. contact information

A favorite stuffed animal

Knickknacks and posters (Remember that space is limited!)

Photo CD, photos on computer and/or prints/ posters of family/friends

Have these things easily available for arrival:

       University Information and Admission information paperwork, 

       Map/directions to campus and a map of campus.

I haven't published much on this blog this summer, as I've been taking a break to spend time with my family. 

If I published this list after you have already sent your freshman off to college, I do apologize to have not supplied it before you packed. You may still find this list helpful, though. 

If you see an item on it that your child might have forgotten, I'm sure they'd love to receive a package in the mail! Or, sign them up for a membership to Amazon Prime. It won't take up any packing room. With it, your kid can order practically anything they forgot, and two-day shipping is free! (For details, click ad:)

What have I forgotten? 

Is there anything which you would add to this list?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out! 

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of them, the price you pay will not be affected but I may receive some small compensation. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely honest and my own.