DON’T FORGET THESE KITS WHEN YOU MOVE INTO THE DORM

Recent high school grads who are college bound will soon celebrate their second Independence Day this year. They will move into college dorms and wave good-by to parents with a mixture of tears, anticipation and relief. Those who have planned well will be able to enjoy that first night of freedom and relax in their new digs.

Good planning means you have the things you need to be comfortable in your room and store everything you need to go to class, study, and socialize with your new friends. That is a tall order given some of the small spaces that pass for college living quarters.

Most colleges send good lists that help students gather the essentials for dorm living and advice from friends and family usually fills in the gaps. Experience has taught us that, even with all this guidance, there are a couple of things people forget to bring to the dorms. They are tools for simple repairs and a first aid kit. The girl or boy who has one of each available on move-in day will be the first to meet many new classmates and their panicked parents. Having moved into four colleges between us, we have personal knowledge of this.

Assemble a tool kit that includes:
Retractable 25 foot measuring tape
Large scissors
Combination drill/screwdriver with multiple tips
Pair of pliers
Hammer
Pocket knife
Nails and screws
Picture hanging kit
Cord ties
Duct tape
Poster Putty
Small flashlight and batteries
Adjustable wrench

These items should allow you to put together assembly-required furnishings and make adjustments necessary for a livable space. Place all the tools in the smallest container that will hold them.

Then put together your first aid kit. Include:
Band-Aids in various sizes
Gauze
Antibacterial ointment
Alcohol swabs
Antihistamine tablets
Acetaminophen tablets
Diarrhea medicine
Cortisone cream
Artificial tears
Hot/cold pack

Now you are ready to take care of any bumps, bruises, stings or other sundry mishaps that might take place as you are getting the room in order. These are no substitute for medical attention when required, but will help you keep the blood off the furniture until you can see the doctor or school nurse.

Going to college is a great adventure. Even Indiana Jones needs a few tools to meet the challenge. Don’t forget yours.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Tools and Fix Something

Everybody has to fix something sometime in his life. Repairs are a lot easier of tolls are organized and handy. Some folks have just the basic hammer and nails, screwdriver, pliers and mallet. Others have a collection of tools for every eventuality. No matter how many tolls you own, they should be stored so they are not damaged and so that you can retrieve what you need without hurting yourself. If there are youngsters in the house, tools should be kept in a locked container or in a place in inaccessible to children.

Saws and knives should have teeth and blades protected to keep the sharp and to protect human skin from nicks and scrapes. Nails and screws should be confined to compartments or containers with lids.

There are a number of options to store tools in an organized fashion. Small toolboxes made of heavy duty plastics or metal with removable trays and lockable lid are available for under ten dollars. There are also buckets with liners that hold tools and accessories. Husky makes various sized soft-sided carry-all satchels that are good choices for a limited number of tools. Metal tool chests with a variety of drawers and compartments come in all sizes and range from a portable chest costing thirty dollars to mega-chests on wheels costing over a thousand dollars.

For transporting everything you need for a job, Stanley makes a mobile job chest that has a fifty gallon capacity, a large tool tray and a retractable handle that allows the chest to be pulled on its heavy-duty rubber coated wheels.

These containers and others can be viewed at the following web-sites:
www.homedepot.com
www.lowes.com
www.sears.com

Select the container that suits your needs and organize you tools in it. The next time you need to hang a picture, repair a fixture or assemble a new purchase, you tools will be waiting for you.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.com