I signed my lease for the second time to the same apartment. I like to think I have this adulting thing down and that I can offer advice to others. Living in an apartment for the first time is really hard. Where is my mail? Why is that guy out on the balcony like that? Does that dog hate me? These are all questions I face while living in domestic bliss. Here are some highlights of apartment essentials so you can be equipped for your housing journey:
1. Big Fuzzy Blanket
The first rule of adulting is that we are all just larger children who now can get our childish desires. There will be a day you come home and are like "ugh, work/school" and you just want to lie on the floor and surround yourself in a blanket. Be equipped for this day.
2. Beach Towel
Sounds weird, but it is one of those items you will need the most when you don't have it. Someone is going to decide to go swimming and it's good to have a dry option when you get out.
3. Lamp
Again, not kidding. Adults have lamps. Younger adults only rely on house lights. Lamps add a lot of sophistication to rooms.
4. Salt and Pepper (and cute shakers)
This is the one food pair you will forget at the store. It is a sad day when you make a meal and you have no salt and pepper to add more flavor.
5. Emergency Brownie/Cookie Mix
I have an impulse thing with baking. It is pretty harmless, but it usually good to be able to satisfy those whims by having some on hand.
6. Advil/Pepto/Other Common Medicine
This is key. The worst day ever is the one when you have a headache and there is no medicine around to help you.
7. Pan Rack
A pan rack is one of my newest finds that has helped me so much. Let's be real, we all throw our pans together and just topple them over when we need to find a specific one. Be organized.
8. Essential Oil Diffuser
Make your apartment smell like a spa. No really, it is super calming. I love the one I have because it also is a humidifier and it is the perfect end to every day.
9. Fan
Don't be that adult that doesn't have a fan when the A/C goes out. It is always good to have one of these on hand anyways.
10. Bookshelves
It is always better to have space for more books than to make piles on the floor. It freaks me out to see literature on the floor. Get them their own space.
11. Nightlight
This is not a joke. Having a nightlight means you can see when you stumble to the kitchen in the middle of the night to grab that cookie. Some even become little flashlights.
12. Flashlight
The power could go out. You need to see a small space below your bed. These are a few of the many reasons to keep a flashlight on hand.
13. Vacuum
You may hate vacuuming, but you shed a lot of dead skin and that needs to be gathered. Having a vacuum is also good for when you spill cereal on the floor because you are still half-asleep.
These essentials will help you get through your first time adulting. Having an apartment is fun; you get your own space, and there is no cafeteria. Making sure you are equipped for it will help it run much smoother.
