Category / 2023

by Kelly Mattei

Sorority Rush Conversations

Sorority rush conversations.

***I am not a sorority recruitment consultant.

Participating in sorority recruitment soon? You’ve probably wondered what people talk about when they go to rush parties. You aren’t being officially “interviewed.” It’s more of a conversation. There are lots of topics, but the main thing is you want to come across as likable, enthusiastic, and interested. How to do that? Here are some ideas:

  • Listen to your rush counselor. Above all else, listen to your rush counselor. They are well-trained.
  • Have some questions in mind. Here’s the deal: in most cases, the sorority member will get the conversation rolling. She isn’t going to be “interviewing” you. She is going to talk to you like one college girl talking to another. However, it is important that you are an active participant. Be prepared to answer questions about yourself. What’s your major? How did you pick this school? What do you like to do on weekends? To see more likely questions, click here. Those are all standard questions a sorority member could ask just to get the ball rolling. Usually, you can find a common topic through those questions. If it doesn’t happen, you need to have some questions of your own to ask…open-ended questions to get a conversation rolling. See a list of some here. Just have a few questions in mind, in case they ask you if you have questions, and in case there is a lull in conversation.
  • Answer enthusiastically. When a member asks you questions, do not answer with a simple “yes” or “no.” For example, if she asks if you’re enjoying recruitment, you might respond, “Yes! I’m having the best time! I love the girls in my rush group, and I feel like I’m meeting awesome new friends everywhere I turn!” If she asks what your major is, talk about it. “Right now, I’m majoring in biology. I’ve always loved science. I hear the biology classes are really hard here, but I’m excited to get started! What’s YOUR major?” Never, ever look bored at a party…always excited to be there. Sometimes, the girls in a chapter will gauge your interest based on the look on your face and body language, so even when you’re tired, muster up some enthusiasm!
  • Check their social media. Between parties, it’s OK to check the social media account of the next chapter you’re visiting. You might get some conversation topics. Maybe you see photos of the members’ summer activities. You can say, “Wow! I saw so many fun places y’all visited on your Instagram!” That could lead a member to talk about what she did over the summer. Or you could say, “I love the chapter Instagram account! The photos from your philanthropy event in the spring were awesome!” But make sure you know what you’re talking about and don’t mix up chapters.
  • Ask the member about herself. People love it when someone asks about them. Therefore, ask about the girl’s major, her interests, her hometown, her rush experience, her hobbies, etc.
  • Be engaged. Listen closely to what she says/asks. Don’t look around the room when you’re talking with a sorority member. Pay attention to what she is saying. Make eye contact. Smile.
  • Don’t talk about sensitive subjects. Do not discuss boys (boyfriends, swaps, etc), religion, politics, alcohol, or money (how much you have or don’t have, how much are dues, etc). Some people call it the Bs: boys, Bible, Biden, booze, bucks.
  • Be friendly and polite. Whether you are truly interested in the chapter or not, be friendly and polite. Remember, most sorority girls have friends in other chapters, and if you’re rude, they will tell their friends in other chapters. Word gets around. Also, always thank the girls. If you are talking with a girl and she hands you off to another one (you’ll usually talk to more than one girl during a party), thank each girl at the end of each conversation. It’s OK to say, “I enjoyed talking with you! Thank you!” Also, make sure to thank the girl who walks you out. Thanking someone is always a good idea.
  • Do NOT discuss other chapters with sorority members or with other PNMs. No one needs to know who dropped you. No one needs to know your favorites. No one needs to know which chapters you do or don’t want to join. Do not speak ill of any chapters or sorority members. Keep your preferences to yourself.

If Panhellenic at the school you’re attending publishes a recruitment guide, read it thoroughly. You are more likely to have a fun experience during recruitment if you are well-informed.

Most of all, enjoy the experience!

by Kelly Mattei

Sorority Rush: Last Minute Items

Sorority Rush: Last Minute Items.

If you’re planning to participate in sorority recruitment in the fall at a southern school, you likely registered already. Mark that off your checklist. You likely have your recommendations done. You probably have picked out your wardrobe and are just finishing up assembling your rush bag. What else is there to do?

Well, you have to wait, of course, but while you wait, there are some things you can do:

  • Shore up your wardrobe. Yes, you have a few dresses for rush, but depending on the school you are attending, you might need/want more than one dress per round. At The University of Alabama, for example, Philanthropy Round takes place over three days. You won’t know your schedule until everything gets started, so right now, you don’t know if you’ll have parties on one day, two days, or all three days. It’s best to be prepared for all three days. Sure, you can wear the same shorts/skirt to all three days of Philanthropy Round, but what if you sweat a lot in it? Will you want to wear it again? What if you spill something on it? Same for Sisterhood Round: if it takes place over two days, can you wear the same dress both days? Yes. Do you really want to? There’s still time to purchase another dress or two if you think you need it. Just remember, it’s hot in the south in August! Amazon has some cute dresses at these links:
    • Smocked Mini Dress. Y’all this inexpensive dress comes in several colors. I love all of them! They’re great for those really hot game days too! Priced under $30, these are adorable! See them here.
    • Love Shack Fancy. I know lots of girls love their Love Shack Fancy dresses. Get their cute Russ dress here. It’s pricy, but it’s cute!
    • One shoulder dress. Pretty Garden has an adorable one-shoulder tiered dress in several colors for under $50. Check it out here.
    • Another one-shoulder dress that resembles Love Shack Fancy, in my opinion. It also comes in lots of colors and is less than $50. See it here.
    • Amanda Uprichard dresses. Amanda Uprichard makes lots of great dresses for rush. See a selection here.
    • Belle Maison Collective. This boutique is out of Huntsville, Alabama, and they have some great options for rush…dresses, shoes, skirts, and shorts. Take a peek here.
    • Revolve. Check revolve.com for some great dress deals, since they have put a lot of seasonal items on sale! Click here.
    • Shopbop. Another great resource is shopbop.com. Click here.
    • Zara. At our house, we love Zara. Click here to see what they have.
  • Pick shoes. When picking which shoes you want to wear with which outfit during rush, remember you don’t need to be uncomfortable. If your feet are hurting throughout the process, you won’t feel your best, and likely won’t project your best self. This is not the time to try a new pair of stilettos. Also, don’t forget to have some comfy slippers/Crocs/flip flops in your Rush Bag, so you can wear them between parties.
  • Accessorize. It’s important to accessorize but not over-accessorize. Understated elegance is best…pearl earrings, small gold hoops, etc.
  • Rush Bag. Don’t forget to put together a Rush bag to help you freshen up between parties in weather so hot it feels like the surface of the sun! To see what you need for the bag, click here.

It’s almost time! So exciting! When my daughter went through the recruitment process last year, she made some great memories!

by Kelly Mattei

Making Memories

Making memories.

Yesterday, my daughter and I returned home from a trip to the Bahamas. We went with my college friend and her daughter. Our daughters were born about 17 months apart; her daughter is 21, and mine is almost 20. Our girls go to the same college and have been friends since they were born, but it had been a while since we had vacationed together. It was time to make new memories.

And we did.

Our friends flew out of Atlanta, and we flew out of Charlotte, so we all met at the hotel. My daughter and I arrived several hours late, but it was fine, because we got there safely, and we got there in time for dinner.

We had all sorts of plans for making special memories. We just knew we would celebrate our birthdays each night at the different restaurants where we had reservations. We thought we would likely spend some time on the beach drinking cocktails out of coconuts or pineapples. Oh, we had plans…but we were flexible.

And nothing happened the way we thought it would. In fact, the things we are most likely to remember were completely unplanned…just like always. Sure, we enjoyed our planned dinner on the first night. We even celebrated my friend’s daughter’s birthday. We also overate, so when the staff came out singing Happy Birthday, we didn’t even want dessert. We enjoyed the fountain light show. We spent time in the casino. We made new friends. Lots of the time, the girls did their own thing while we (the moms) just lounged by/in the pool all day. At 56, I’m just not good about baking in the sun for hours in tropical weather. Give me a cocktail and a pool instead…so that’s where we spent our days. The girls found a more “happening” pool (no old people!) to spend their days, and we were so glad they were having fun and making memories together.

We canceled two of our dinner reservations, because the girls made other plans. We (the moms) didn’t mind one bit. And on the last full day, the girls hung out with us in our pool cabana and in the pool. I think they were tired from the day before. We made some great memories laughing in the pool and chatting over cocktails with our girls, since they are both of legal drinking age in the Bahamas.

But the funniest memory we made on the whole trip was completely unplanned…and it was a doozy! In fact, I’m guessing I don’t know many people who can say they share this memory. Lots of people can say they have visited the Bahamas. Lots of people can say they dined at the restaurants and spent time in the casinos. Lots of people can say they met interesting people on vacation. Lots of people can say they got lots of rest or stayed out all night.

How many people can say their taxi ran out of gas on the way back to the airport in Nassau?

Well, we can! We hopped in a cab at the resort, and about five minutes later, the car swerved a little. Then it swerved again. I looked at my daughter, who was sitting next to me in the back seat. She looked confused too. And then our taxi driver said, “I think we are having a fuel problem.” A fuel problem? Like running out of gas?!?! Yep…she got us off the road just in time to run out of gas. The driver hopped out and started trying to flag down other cars, and my friend’s daughter looked at the dash. She said, “All the lights on the dash are on! Should we get out of the car? Or does that just mean we ran out of gas? Is that what happens when you run out of gas?” I replied, “I don’t know! I’ve never run out of gas!” We all laughed. My brain was working, and I knew, if all else failed, I could call my friend who works at the Nassau airport, and she could send a taxi for us, but our driver flagged one down pretty quickly. Crisis averted.

We got out of the taxi and loaded our bags in the other taxi, and we were on our way. The original taxi driver was with us, and she was apologizing profusely. I told her not to worry…we had just made a new memory!

And you know what? It’s true. We will likely remember running out of gas on the way to the airport for the rest of our lives.

Sometimes, a minor crisis becomes a funny memory, and that’s what happened here.

by Kelly Mattei

Buy Personal Items on Prime Day

Buy personal items on Prime Day!

Lots of people don’t think about purchasing personal items on Amazon, but I do, and there are some great deals to be had. Here are some ideas:

  • Deodorant/anti-perspirant. Just go look. I’m not kidding…lots of deals to be had! You know you’re going to be using deodorant every day of your life! Get it while the prices are hot! Lots of different brands are offered! Check them out here. My personal favorite is 30% off here.
  • Sunscreen. If you’re like me, you’ll be using sunscreen every day, but you hate paying for it, so stock up while the prices are better! Amazon has some great Prime Day deals on sunscreens…even Sun Bum and Neutrogena. See them here.
  • Toothpaste. There are some great deals on toothpaste, something you are always going to use. See them here.
  • Blood pressure monitors. Stay on top of your heart health by having a blood pressure monitor at home. I have one and use it every day. Lots are on sale here.
  • Flonase Nasal Spray. Y’all know how expensive this is. When I was stocking my daughter’s medicine box for college last year, I rang up quite a bill! Get this while it’s priced about 20% off! Today only! Get it here. Or if you’re OK with the Amazon brand, it’s a little less here.
  • Ibuprofen. 500-count Ibuprofen tablets for under $9?!?! Yes, please! Get them here.
  • Acetaminophen. 500-count Acetaminophen tablets for under $12? You don’t have to tell me twice! Get them here.
  • L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara. My daughter made me try this. I don’t usually like drugstore brand mascaras, but I love this one! It doesn’t smear, and it dries…doesn’t feel sticky. I just ordered four of them. Regularly about $13, they’re under $8 today only! Get it here.
  • It Cosmetics. I love their Your Skin But Better foundation, and I love their makeup brushes too! In fact, I love lots of their products. They are all discounted on Prime Day today only! Get them here.
  • Ugg Fluffette Slippers. My daughter wears hers all the time. She’s getting a new pair to take to college but doesn’t know it…shhh! I just paid under $80 for them, and they’re normally about $110. See them here.

***I’ll publish more deals later!***

by Kelly Mattei

Sorority Rush Deals on Amazon Prime Days

Sorority rush deals on Amazon Prime Days.

Amazon Prime Days are here, so it’s a great time to scoop up some of the deals on things you can use for sorority recruitment!

  • Rush Bag. You know that rush bag you need to hold the essentials for hot days in recruitment in the south? There are some great deals on bags that would be great. One great nylon deal is here. Or maybe you prefer neoprene? Click here.
  • Dresses. If you still need to add some dresses to your recruitment lineup, there are some great Amanda Uprichard dresses offered on Prime Days here. See some BB Dakota Prime deals here. Or for great variety, check out Shopbop’s Amazon Prime offerings. We love Shopbop, and I especially love that I can shop them through Amazon. They also have great shoes for rush! click here. Also, don’t forget you’ll likely need a swimsuit right after recruitment for your pledge retreat!
  • Comfy shoes. Last year, when my daughter participated in recruitment at Alabama, she had some comfy shoes to slip on her feet between parties. For a great deal through Prime Days on some, click here. My daughter wore her Ugg slippers. Fluffettes are on sale for Prime Day for $80 (reg $110) here. Or maybe some Crocs? They have tons of Crocs with Prime Day deals here.
  • Rush bag essentials. Band-Aids for those blistered heels? Click here. There are some great Prime deals on Neosporin to treat those blisters here. Prime Day deals on Motrin and Tylenol for that Rush Bag here. Prime Day deals on travel size hand sanitizer here. Get your handheld fan at a deep discount here. And a great deal on a travel/folding umbrella to fit in your rush bag here. If you think you won’t need that umbrella in the south, you’re wrong. Just do it.
  • Small charger for your bag. Get a Prime deal on one here.
  • Velvet hangers. Hang your lovely rush dresses on velvet hangers to keep them from slipping off the hanger, and also to conserve room in your tiny dorm closet. There’s a Prime deal here.

I’ll keep posting more deals as I find them! Get busy shopping!

by Kelly Mattei

Get Dorm Stuff on Prime Days

Get dorm stuff on Prime Days, July 11 and 12…deals available to Amazon Prime members! ****Keep checking back, as I will be adding items to this list today and tomorrow!****

You can see dorm essential deals on Amazon Prime Days here. Simply scroll through the pages at the link and pick up what you need at Prime Day discount prices…today and tomorrow only! See below for some of the deals, but click the above link for all the dorm essentials. Here are some great deals:

  • Garbage can. Your dorm room might not provide it. We had to provide it for our daughter’s room in Tutwiler Hall at a Alabama this past year. For a deal, click here.
  • Vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. You student might need a vacuum cleaner and/or air purifier in a dorm or an apartment. Our daughter had a Dyson vacuum cleaner; see the Dyson vacuum and air purifier deals…up to 51% off…deals here. See the Bissell…up to 36% off… deals here. There are also deals from Shark here.
  • Yeti Coolers and Drinkware. Get some great Prime deals on Yeti products here!
  • Bose headphones and speakers. Amazon Prime has some great Prime Day deals on Fantastic Bose products…up to 40% off! This is a big deal! See them here.
  • Vitamix Blenders. I never see these on sale, but for Prime Days, you can get up to 40% off the legendary Vitamix Blenders here.
  • Amazon Fire TV. It’s a great time to purchase an Amazon Fire TV! Some are 38% off! See them here. And their smart TVs at up to 41% off here.
  • Keurig coffeemakers. You have to love seeing these on sale! One cup or multi-cup…get them on Prime Day here.
  • Ergonomic Chair by Sihoo. I have one of these, and I think they’d be great in a dorm room. They promote good posture and take some pressure off your lower back. At prices up to 49% off, they’re a Prime deal. See them here.
  • Sleepyhead Mattress Topper. These rarely go on sale, and Sleepyhead is the gold standard in mattress toppers. See the deals (20% off!) on gel toppers here and copper toppers also 20% off here.
  • Towels. There are lots of Prime Day deals on various towels, which your student will definitely need in the dorm. See them here.
  • First Aid Kit. Your students needs a handy first aid kit in the dorm room. See options in Prime Deals here.
  • Rugs. There are some great deals on rugs here.
  • Desk lamps. Check Prime Day deals on desk lamps here. There are lots of deals to be had!
  • Folding chair/convertible chaise lounge/cot. It’s great to have one of these in dorm rooms. My daughter had lots of friends visit from other schools. Get one here.
  • Shower curtain. Don’t forget they might need a shower curtain, if they have a private shower! Amazon Prime deals here.
  • Swiffer duster. Just get it. College dorms are full of dust bunnies. Encourage your child to dust his/her room at least once a week. It’s easy with Swiffer. Get it here.
  • Upright Steamer. If your daughter is going to college in the south, she will definitely use a steamer. Participating in recruitment? She will use it throughout the process. She’ll also use it regularly on dresses/pants/tops for game days and parties. I recommend a great upright steamer for several reasons: ease of use, usually higher wattage, freestanding, and it’s too easy for someone to take a handheld steamer out of your room. The Rowenta I recommend is a great steamer, and it’s a great deal on Prime Days! See it here. Or see other Prime Day deals on steamers here.
  • Martha Stewart Cookware. Is your child moving into an apartment? They’ll need basic pots and pans. This Martha Stewart brand set is a bargain on Prime Days! Click here!
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder Lamps. If your student suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder, get prepared with Happy Lights from Verilux. Lots of deals on Prime Days here.

Get busy shopping for those Prime Day deals…available to Amazon Prime members!

by Kelly Mattei

How to Dry Clothes in a Pinch

How to dry clothes in a pinch.

I’m no Heloise, but I know how to get things done when I need them done.

You don’t know who Heloise is? Heloise is the woman behind a syndicated “household hints” column published in newspapers nationwide. It’s called Hints from Heloise, and if you can find a newspaper to read, you will likely find her column. She is also the author of several books of household hints. You can see those at Amazon here.

However, I did not have to consult with Heloise to find my handy dandy tips for drying clothes in a hurry. These are all things my mother taught me or that I learned elsewhere.

Yesterday, my daughter was going to the major league soccer game here in town, Charlotte FC vs FC Cincinnati. A friend was here with her as she was getting dressed, and when they came downstairs to leave, my daughter did not look happy. I asked, “What’s that frown?” She replied, “I don’t really like this outfit.” I thought she looked pretty and perfect for the game, but she went on to explain, “I wanted to wear my jean shorts, but they’re in the washing machine. How long would it take them to dry in the dryer?” I replied, “About 30 minutes, probably.” She groaned, “I’m already late. I can’t wait 30 minutes on top of my 25 minute drive.” Bad timing, I guess.

She and her friend got into the car to leave, and I could tell she was likely not going to have as much fun as she had hoped, because she simply didn’t feel great in what she was wearing. I stopped them just outside the garage and said, “Hold on. I know what to do.” I’ll get to that in a minute…

There are lots of ways to get clothes to dry more quickly:

  • If you have one article of clothing to dry, you can use a handheld hair dryer focused directly on it. Jeans are a heavy fabric, though, so it won’t be as quick as other fabrics.
  • Another way to dry one article of clothing quickly is to put it in the dryer with a couple of dry towels that will, hopefully, absorb some of the moisture as the items are tossed.
  • My mother used to iron clothes dry on occasion. She would put a light towel over the article of clothing, and with the iron on a high setting (no steam!), she would iron it until it was dry. It worked pretty well. I don’t do that, because I don’t even know where my iron is! No, we don’t walk around in wrinkled clothes; we use an upright steamer, but that won’t help get clothes dry, for sure.
  • Dryer balls are a great tool for drying clothes more quickly, because they keep the items in the dryer from clumping together, so the hot air can get to each item better. You can purchase them from Amazon here.
  • The most obvious thing to make clothes dry faster (but not in a pinch) is to make sure the lint filter and the hose out of the dryer are clean and clear of obstruction. That will make clothes dry more quickly on a regular basis.

There is one more method I can think of, and it’s the one my daughter used yesterday. You might think I’m crazy, but she wanted to wear those shorts so badly yesterday that she would have done just about anything. I knew the washing cycle was finished on the washing machine, and honestly, our machine has a really good spin cycle that gets most of the water out of the clothes. I knew they wouldn’t be dripping wet. I said, “Come inside and get your shorts out of the dryer while I get something else.” She met me back at the car with the shorts, and I had a belt from an old bathrobe. I said, “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I have seen this done before (when I was a teenager), and it works.” I said, “You have some options since you drive a Jeep. You can open the top and hang the shorts from one of the crossbars, or you can open a window and hang it from one of the handles inside the Jeep, letting it hang in the window.” It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, and with the temperature hovering around 90 degrees, I felt sure she had a good chance with this method. I warned her it would be a bad look to have jean shorts hanging like a flag, but since she had a 25 minute drive ahead of her, the shorts would likely be dry when she got to her destination. Her friend thought it was hilarious and was happy to hang them in her passenger-side window.

When they arrived at their destination, my daughter texted me, “It worked! The shorts are dry!”

She and her friends went to the soccer game and had a great time.

Obviously, this is not something to do in winter, but we used to do this in the 1980s when we went to the beach and needed our swimsuits or coverups to dry quickly. Don’t expect more “household hints” from me. That’s about all I have.

by Kelly Mattei

Preparing for 2nd Year of College

Preparing for 2nd year of college.

Last year, at this time, I was at a completely different place in life. My only child, a daughter, was preparing to leave for her freshman year of college 450 miles away from home…and me…450 miles away from me. Actually, for the most part, I was the one preparing. I’m not even sure she was giving it much thought, as she tried to relish every moment with her friends at home. I, however, was gathering everything I could think of that she might need for a dorm room. I was trying to have everything done, but there were definitely things I missed. You can read my piece titled College Nesting here. *See the bottom of this page for information about things you might need for a freshman dorm room that you haven’t considered.

But here we are, one year later, and it’s amazing how things have changed!

My daughter leaves in less than a month to start her sophomore year. Ask me how many times we have discussed bedding or dorm essentials. Zero. OK, maybe once…when I asked if I need to be worrying about her room in the sorority house, and she told me no. That’s it. I’m not even exactly sure what day we are taking her back! August 3rd? 4th? 5th? I have asked several times, but I get a different answer every time, and I’m not worried about it. We will take her when we take her.

Last year at this time, I was worried she might get homesick. She was fine. I was worried she wouldn’t know how to handle medical emergencies. She had a few and handled them like a pro! I was worried I would miss her so badly that my heart would break. It didn’t. I probably wasn’t as worried as most moms, because I’m just not a worrier, but I had a little bit of worry. I was mostly excited. I was excited about all the new friends she would make. I was excited for her to start classes. And yes, I was excited about becoming an empty-nester.

OK, so maybe “empty-nester” is a little extreme. No, she isn’t living in our nest full-time anymore, but we are paying all her bills. She is self-sufficient as far as taking care of herself, but financially…not one bit. So we are empty-nesters in that we have the house to ourselves most of the time, but the credit card bills would say otherwise.

Moms of college freshmen, if you’re wondering what you’ll be like in one year from now, I can’t tell you exactly, but I can tell you how things have played out for me. Life is a little quieter in some ways but more fun in some ways too. On a day-to-day basis, when our daughter is away at college, life is quieter. I have my hobbies. I have my friends. I have some work to do. I have plenty to keep myself busy, but it’s quieter around our house while she’s at school, for sure. This summer hasn’t been so quiet, because her friends have been in and out of the house all day and night when we have been home. How is it more fun since she left? Well, my husband and I have enjoyed some trips together that we wouldn’t have been able to make if our daughter were still in high school. Back then, we had to plan everything around the school calendar. Not anymore! Now, we just pick dates and go! Does that mean life is more fun without her around? No way! She is way more fun than either of us, so we always love having her with us.

We get really excited every time we get to see her!

Do I miss having my daughter around all the time? I definitely miss my time with her, but we talk everyday. She didn’t come home a lot during the school year, so we were excited when it was time for her to come home for summer! She had only been home for about a week when we remembered how much noisier our household is with her here. We enjoy her friends. We enjoy the silliness. But we don’t sleep as much when she’s here, because she is in and out of the house at all hours. It doesn’t bother me as much as it bothers my “disciplined” husband who believes he should go to sleep and wake up at the exact same time every single day of life. I’m less rigid, so it doesn’t bother me, but I have to listen to him. Ugh. I always say, “He just stays in my ear!” And that’s the truth, but I have to admit he’s getting better.

So what am I doing to prepare for her to go back to school? I’m not doing all the things I was doing last year. I’m not running around trying to find things for the dorm or dresses for sorority recruitment. I’m just relaxing. She’ll take care of it. She has a year of college experience behind her, and she knows what she needs.

***Dorm items you might not realize you need:

  • Clothes steamer. If your daughter is going to school in the south, she needs a steamer. I don’t care if it’s upright or handheld, she needs one. I sent my daughter and her roommate with an upright one, and they used it all the time. Purchase it here. (It’s a quality steamer!) For a quality handheld one, click here. Here’s my theory: an upright, to me, is easier to use, and no one will remove it from the room. A handheld one is much more likely to go missing when someone “borrows” it. Keep that in mind.
  • Bluetooth Speaker. They need it. Just trust me on this. JBL has a whole Amazon store. You can certainly find what you need here. My daughter needed her speaker, but I didn’t think of it in advance, so I took it when I went down for a football game. How did I not know she would need it? Back when I was in school, we played “getting ready” music; surely, they still do that? By the way, my own personal “get ready” music back in the day was Aretha Franklin’s Greatest Hits.
  • Swiffer. Dust bunnies collect fast in dorm rooms. Encourage your student to keep the floor in his/her room with a Swiffer. Purchase here.
  • Disinfecting Wipes. They might not even use them, but if they get the urge to wipe down the surfaces in their rooms, these work great, and they’re disposable! Purchase here.
  • Can and bottle opener. Last year, when my daughter wasn’t feeling well, a friend brought her a can of chicken noodle soup, but she couldn’t open it, because she didn’t have a can opener. Make sure your student has a can and bottle opener! Purchase here. And make sure they know how to use it beforehand! See some other cool gadgets for opening plastic soda bottles and jars here.
  • Laundry backpack. You can get baskets or bags, but laundry backpacks are a lot easier to carry! See them here.
  • Medicines. In the state where my daughter goes to college, people under 19 cannot purchase cold medicines…not even Benadryl! Therefore, I tried to think of every possible medical item she could need, and I packed them in boxes….bandages, Band-Aids, Neosporin, Motrin, Tylenol, Benadryl, Cortisone cream, allergy creams, cold meds, cough meds…and on the labels, I wrote when to use them…for cough, for fever, for headaches, for muscle aches, etc. I used plastic storage bins from Amazon. There are lots to choose from here.
  • Hulken Bag. I tell everyone about these all the time, because we have them, and we use them all the time! They’re especially helpful when taking things to and from the car. For example, if my daughter goes to the UPS Store to pick up packages, she might have several. It can be difficult to carry them all in, but she just puts them in her Hulken bag and pulls them in! See it here. I highly recommend them. And when you’re not using it, just fold it and put it away!

by Kelly Mattei

40 Years of Risky Business

40 years of Risky Business.

I find it difficult to believe that Risky Business was released 40 years ago…August 5, 1983. Wow.

I was 16 years old when the movie was released and thought I was all grown up! It’s funny to think about now, but at 16, I truly thought I knew a lot about the world. Oh, what life experience will teach us! I’m 56 now and know, without a doubt, that I know very little about the world, and at 16, I knew far less.

When the movie was released, I wasn’t old enough to get in. In most states back then, to see an R-rated movie, you had to be 17. In Alabama, though, you had to be 18…not that it mattered; I was 16 and looked 13. I had to wait until it was being shown at the cheap, second-run movie theatre…or what we called “the 99 cent movie,” because that was the price of admission. At “the 99 cent movie,” they didn’t check IDs for people wanting to see an R movie. I had to wait to see Purple Rain there too, but that’s a story for another day.

There is something about Risky Business that makes me feel nostalgic more than a lot of other movies of the time. Maybe it’s seeing a very young Tom Cruise dancing in his scivvies? Maybe it’s the “risky” plot? Maybe it’s the sheer fun of watching this soon-to-be Ivy Leaguer going through what he’s going through? Maybe it’s just remembering how much we talked about it with our friends in the 1980s?

I don’t even care much one way or the other about Tom Cruise these days, but I did in 1983! I had seen him in Taps and The Outsiders and thought he was easy on the eyes. He was also in a cheesy movie I watched over and over on HBO called Losin’ It. I’m sure it is a terrible movie, simply because the plot is terrible, but it also stars Shelly Long. I might rewatch it, if I can stomach it. If you remember the Porky’s movies of the 80s, Losin’ It has a similar flavor. Cruise also had a major role in the Pennsylvania high school football movie, All the Right Moves, and a very minor role in Endless Love with Brooke Shields. I think his character is named Billy, and he’s in one scene in the park…wearing cut-off jean shorts, or what we refer to now as “jorts.”

When Risky Business was released, Cruise became loved by many. He was on the covers of magazines. He was on talk shows…like when he was interviewed by Rona Barrett. You can see a very unaffected Cruise in the clip here. His love life was interesting to all of us. After some of his later movies and divorce from Nicole Kidman, I thought he was a little odd. After the divorce from Katie Holmes, well, let’s just say I’m #TeamKatie, but Cruise doesn’t care. He’s laughing all the way to the bank after the release of the Top Gun sequel last year.

I plan to watch Risky Business with my daughter this weekend. I feel like it’s a great glimpse into the 80s. She’ll laugh at the clothes and hairstyles, I’m sure (I will too!), but she will get a feel for the 80s. She’ll just have to sacrifice two hours to watch it with me. I haven’t seen it in years…years! However, I remember the effect it had on pop culture. The Ray-bans! The dance scene! The train scene! And the egg! Omg…the egg. I also remember how it launched Tom Cruise into stardom!

If you haven’t seen Risky Business in years but would like to, you can rent it or purchase it on Amazon here. And while you’re there, you should just go ahead and purchase the Ray-ban Wayfarers! See them here.

by Kelly Mattei

We Love Our Patio

We love our patio.

Most of our backyard is patio and pool. There is some grass, and I have a garden area, but most of the yard is patio and pool. Because most of the year has pretty mild temperatures in Charlotte, North Carolina, we get to enjoy it a lot.

During the spring of the pandemic (ugh, I hate even typing that word!), we were fortunate to have good weather. Starting the middle of March, our little family spent time on the patio almost every day. We had some great times with our friends and neighbors, but of course, at some point, we would always remember the “pandemic” that had interrupted all our lives. I wanted to jazz up the patio, just to give it a more fun feel, so I purchased some Solar Floating Pool Lights from Amazon (you can see them here), in hopes that I could throw them into the pool. They could absorb sunshine during the day and give us a color-changing light show(ish) at night!

They arrived, and I inflated them. I put them into the pool to absorb sunshine, so they would shine at night. We must not have had any breeze that day, because the floating pool lights didn’t seem to go rogue. But that night, when the wind picked up, all the floating lights skimmed across the water and “gathered” in one area of the pool. It just looked weird…not fun. So I got an idea…instead of using them in the pool, string them up and create a party light effect from the front of the poolhouse! Tacky? Yes! Fun? Yes, too! It just gave the patio a bit of color.

Those floating lights have been restrung on the front of the pool house a few times, but they’re still there! One of them split, and we had to replace it, but generally speaking, we keep six of them strung across the front of the pool house at all times. We used plain old fishing line and some hanging hooks…works like a charm! They add some colorful light without the hassle of electricity, reminding me every day that we found ways to have good times during the pandemic.