Walmart’s Back to School Must-Haves
Walmart's Back to School Must-HavesAs the joys of summer turn into moving out for post-secondary school, Walmart has all of the essentials to kick off your teen’s year right. From stationery and gadgets, to dorm room must-haves and apparel. Bring on the new school year with style and confidence! BIC Extra Smooth Pastel Mechanical Pencils with Erasers, 24-Count Pack ($7.98 CAD) BIC Extra Smooth Pastel Mechanical Pencils are the perfect addition to every student’s pencil case. Its smooth, dark writing with medium point (0.7 mm) is ideal for writing study and lecture notes. The high-quality lead provides smudge free writing for neat homework. Reebok Paige Backpack with Coin Pocket ($34.97 CAD)Lightweight, durable, and built to last, the Reebok Paige Backpack is ready for every school year. It features a spacious interior, exterior zip, mesh pockets, and a handy coin pocket. It is also water-resistant for a safe and secure place to hold your teen’s lunch, notebooks, technology and many other important school essentials. Jetstream Insulated Lunch Bag (7.88 CAD) This cute and stylish lunch bag features a roomy compartment to hold all the yummy snacks, insulated lining to keep food fresh, and a wipeable interior for easy clean up. Comes in 6 fun colours and designs — because every student deserves a little lunchtime cheer! Mainstays 2PK 24 oz S/S Chug Bottle Pink ($19.88 CAD) Hydration is one of the most important things students must maintain in order to function effectively throughout school. Mainstays' 2-pack stainless steel water bottles will keep your teen refreshed all year long. A durable, BPA-free bottle, leak-proof lid, and sweat-proof design. From the lecture room to the library, to work or the gym, this bottle will keep drinks cold for hours. Mainstays PL Strawberry Cushion (21.97 CAD) This adorable strawberry cushion offers a super soft and extra cozy touch to your teen’s new dorm! Made from durable fabric and 100% recycled polyester filling.BLACK + DECKER 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker in Stainless Steel (59.98 CAD)Coffee is a college student’s best friend, especially during those 8 am classes. The BLACK+DECKER 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker allows your teen to make fresh coffee during early mornings or for late night study sessions. The convenient features are a gamechanger: Sneak-A-Cup Technology (fill your cup before brewing ends), the 12-Cup Duralife glass carafe, and a washable brew basket. Mainstays 2-Slice Toaster with 6 Shade Settings and Removable Crumb Tray ($9.98 CAD)Students can make delicious sandwiches for lunch with the Mainstays 2-slice
How I Helped my Daughter Transition from Dorm Life to Living on Her Own
How I Helped my Daughter Transition from Dorm Life to Living on Her OwnBy Sara Dimerman After my younger daughter’s first year away in residence at university, I thought that we were pretty much done with questions such as, “How long after the best before date can I keep yogurt?” and “When should I choose ‘permanent press’ on the washing machine?” However, after she moved into a house with four other girls for her second year away from home, I learned that there were many more questions to come – such as how to make hot chocolate on the stove like the way I make it for her at home. And I continued to encourage them because being able to ask for direction when you’re not sure what to do is an indication that you’re not ashamed to show that you don’t know everything there is to know, especially when living alone. I think it’s great that students living in residence during their first year away at university buy meal plans. This way, at least parents know that their teens won’t be starving or having to worry about what to buy and make for meals. Especially in addition to adjusting to living independently and managing time and responsibilities like never before – laundry and getting themselves up in the morning, for example. By the time second year rolls around, most students are tired of cafeteria food and showing a great deal more appreciation for home-cooked meals when they come back to their nest for visits. However, many are not quite prepared for the effort it takes to think about what they need to put into their fridge and cupboard (often only on one or two of the assigned shelves), making time to shop for those ingredients and then cutting and cooking them up, after a long day of classes. Even though my daughter has an interest in cooking (and often sends pictures so that she and her dad – the cook in our family – can compare their creations), she often lacks the energy or space required to cook a meal for herself. So, we agreed to pay for weekly meals in a box ( three at a time which allows for six dinners over the course of a week) which still means that she has to prepare the food, but this saves her the time of shopping for as many ingredients, teaches her to