Real Dorm Room Finds That Moved With My Daughter to Her First Apartment

It's been a while since I've posted. We've been busy getting three kids through High School and College. I thought this would be the perfect time to share some of the things that have worked for us over the years as we move our daughter into her first post-grad apartment.

When my daughter started college, I did what most moms do: I scrolled through Pinterest, searched dorm room boards, and filled carts with everything from command hooks to mini ottomans.

Some of it worked. Some of it just cluttered the room and never got used.

Now that she’s living in her first apartment, there are a handful of things she's still using, and I honestly wish we’d just bought those from the start.

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Rolling Storage Cart

Used daily as a food stand in the dorm. Now it lives in the bathroom with hair tools, skincare, and makeup.

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Cozy Blanket

A girl can't have enough blankets, however, this one has stood the test of time and something that she uses.

Makeup Mirror

Provides great lighting and doesn't take up much space. It also allows for individual space to get ready at their desks. She still uses this in her apartment!

Shower Caddy

This is an essential for dorm living. And now it has turned into a cleaning storage container!

Laundry Basket

There has been a lot of debates over which laundry basket works best for the dorm. Honestly, a good sturdy plastic upright one works best. The canvas ones are too flimsy to walk down to the laundry. These are sturdy and last long and don't take up too much space.

Artwork

Dorm rooms can feel plain and almost like a jail cell. Artwork really livens up the space. And these are neutral enough to take and use in an apartment bathroom, bedroom or office.

Storage Cubes

Storage cubes are used for nearly everything in a dorm room, food, shoes, books, papers and more. They are great for moving in and out. They transfer well to apartment living too and make the perfect storage in a closet.

Bookcase Organizer

This organizer is useful in their very confined closet space or she used it as a TV stand and put food in some of the storage containers. She now uses it for shoes and clothes in her apartment closet!

Shoe Organizer

While this is labeled as a shoe organizer it can be used for many things in the college dorm, shoes, sweatshirts, cleaning supplies, towels. It helps to create more organization to small spaces dorm rooms and apartments!

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These are the real items that worked in the tiny dorm and now fit right into adult apartment life. You can shop the full list HERE.

About me: I'm a full-time working mom of three with a full throttle schedule. We live in Iowa and I love sharing things that work for our family. We keep it simple, efficient and budget-friendly-ish. Sometimes you've gotta splurge a little.