Teresa Santoski

Whether it’s on-campus housing or an off-campus rental, there’s something about college apartments that discourages you from truly settling in. Maybe it’s the knowledge that this is temporary housing, and you’ll be moving again in a few months, or maybe it’s those odd stains on the carpet that were left by previous inhabitants.

Your first post-college apartment, on the other hand, is an entirely different animal. Since you can be relatively confident that you’re going to be there for more than a semester, you’re able to truly make the space your own. This is when you begin to take an interest in all the little touches that make a living space more livable.

At least, this has been the case for Younger Sister, who recently moved away from the family homestead and into her own place. After a year of having her college apartment housewares and décor in boxes in the garage, awaiting the day when the pandemic would subside enough for her to be able to find – and afford – an apartment, she is finally able to unpack and decorate according to her taste.

As one might expect, she’s finding that some of the items that were sufficient for college living no longer fit the bill now that she’s a young professional. For example, thanks to the wonders of Facebook Marketplace, Younger Sister has upgraded from a futon to an actual couch.

An upgraded couch, of course, must be accompanied by an upgraded TV. Said TV is 75 inches on the diagonal and bigger than any screen at the family homestead. Mom and Dad have already been over specifically to watch a Patriots game, and they agree that Younger Sister has made a worthwhile investment.

The best review of the larger TV, however, comes from Oldest Niece. At 15 months old, she isn’t allowed a lot of screen time, but she was absolutely amazed by this huge panel on the wall that magically displayed moving pictures whenever she pointed her finger at it.

Technically, this was made possible by Younger Sister pressing the buttons on the remote outside of Oldest Niece’s field of vision, but who are we to spoil the innocence of childhood?

Though the purchasing of better-quality furniture and electronics is indeed a milestone, I am most excited about Younger Sister’s newfound willingness to embrace seasonal hand soaps. I have previously written about my affection for these items, and I firmly believe that they are the easiest way to give your home that seasonal flair.

Don’t have the time, energy or budget to acquire fabric pumpkins or dried flowers to adorn your end tables and countertops? All you need is a bottle of seasonally-scented hand soap next to your sink. Every time you wash your hands, you’ll have that sensory experience of autumn without the hassle of bargain-hunting and decorating.

Of course, I do still bargain-hunt and decorate, but I feel like I can take a more relaxed approach in these areas because once the appropriate hand soaps are displayed by the sink, everything else is optional.

When she was in college, Younger Sister actively pooh-poohed my seasonal hand soap philosophy. She didn’t see the point of spending money on something that you essentially pour down the drain and claimed she wasn’t interested in any of the products at my go-to hand soap store.

Since graduating, however, she has slowly warmed up to the idea. It started last year with Mom buying Younger Sister her very own Christmas hand soap as a stocking stuffer, and she ended up really liking it.

So, when we started getting closer to autumn, which is Younger Sister’s favorite season, I let her know that I had some coupons and asked if she’d be interested in any fall-scented hand soaps. To my great delight, her response was an enthusiastic yes.

Younger Sister is now the proud owner of hand soaps that smell like pumpkins, apples, autumn leaves, toasted butterscotch and roasted marshmallows. She is thrilled with all of them and told me that she’s even washing her hands more just because of how good all the soaps smell.

I’ve already begun planning a similar gift for Christmas, which I intend to give her in November so she’s able to use her Christmas hand soaps in the weeks leading up to the holiday. I mean, why wouldn’t you want soap that makes your hands smell like a Christmas tree? You get all the enjoyment of the fragrance without having to deal with pine needles all over the carpet.

Moving into her first post-college apartment has opened Younger Sister’s eyes to a world of furniture beyond futons, magical TVs larger than many museum masterpieces and, most importantly, hand soaps that create an atmosphere in addition to cleaning and sanitizing.

I’m proud of her for settling further into adulthood, and I couldn’t be happier to have someone to buy seasonal hand soaps for – especially since my own sink is starting to get a little crowded. And perhaps in a year or so, when she’s matured a bit more, I can introduce her to the wonders of seasonal room sprays.

Tete-a-tete is published monthly. Teresa Santoski can be reached at tsantoski@gmail.com or via www.teresasantoski.com.

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