Yes, I realize everyone is just now hitting their summer stride, but it's not too early to think about those recent high school graduates who are headed off to college next month. Many of you may have already gifted them with cash - which is always a useful gift - but let's explore some other potential "going off to college" gift ideas that may be a bit outside the mainstream.
I admit - I love cool office supplies. One of my favorite online shops to buy fun, colorful supplies is poppin.com. The best part about Poppin is that they have a vast array of colors to choose from...which makes it easy to gift grown-up desk supplies in the recipient's college colors! We know a recent high school graduate who's headed to Kennesaw State next month so we gifted her with yellow and black supplies and post-it notes - perfect for getting her started freshman year. Another advantage to a gift like this is that it's gender neutral - suitable for guys and gals!
Image poppin.com
Does anyone else remember walking into your drab dorm room and immediately wanting to cover it with posters to mask the white cinder block walls? Ok, maybe that was just my experience, but another option for those heading away to college is a little piece of home...via a hometown poster. Here in Nashville, Anderson Design Group and Hatch Show Print both offer unique options for adding a little touch of home to a dorm room.
Image Anderson Design Group
Another way to send a little piece of home with a college freshman (or even a friend who's moving away) is with a piece of simple, state-inspired jewelry. On a recent trip to Knoxville, I found a Tennessee bracelet made by Gleeful Peacock at one of my favorite stores, Bliss. Gleeful Peacock has an array of state jewelry on her website, so maybe a bracelet or necklace from your home state would make a great send-off gift.
Image Gleeful Peacock
I'm a big fan of practical gifts, too, and one of the things I remember about being a college freshman living away from home was that suddenly I had to go buy household stuff like laundry detergent myself. Gift a practical gift like a small laundry basket filled with a couple of fluffy towels, laundry detergent, dryer sheets and maybe a roll of quarters to feed the laundromat machine. Or, a freshman first aid kit with basics like Band-Aids, headache medicine, first aid ointment, and the like could come in very handy.
While all the gifts I've mentioned are potentially great gifts, don't forget that most of those moving off to college simply don't want to be a victim of "out of sight, out of mind". In this day of text messaging and instant everything, sometimes a simple piece of mail or a postcard can really brighten their day. So, make a note to send them a postcard from that beach vacation or even from home. You never know how great the simple gift of "hello" can be.
Nashville postcards from Anderson Design Group. Image southern giftologist.