Going overseas to study is one of the most unique experiences of an undergraduate education, but it is also something that you as a parent will have to prepare for. In addition to hiring international movers, you'll have to find a safe place for all of your son or daughter's belongings while he or she is away in a foreign country. Here are a few tips to make the process a bit easier on all of you.

Pack Up The Essentials

Because your child won't be able to bring along the vast majority of his or her belongings, you'll have to choose what's going along to the new place and pare down the list to the bare essentials. Seasonal clothing, school supplies, bedding and other items should be at the top of your packing list.

Prepare Care Packages

Along with the bare essentials, there are a variety of items that may be needed, just not right away. Everything from toiletries to food to other products that your child uses on a regular basis can be shipped to the foreign country after the big move.

Rent A Self-Storage Bin

If you have an abundance of your child's belongings that you may not have space in your home for, consider renting a self-storage container. This will allow you to keep everything in a safe place until your child comes home for the summer or it can be an easy way to consolidate items that will be heading back to campus. 

International moving is a life-changing venture - you may want to document your experience as you start this new chapter in your life. A blog is the ideal way to record everything that's happened during your move while keeping your friends and family back home informed. Here are a few tips for setting up and maintaining a moving blog.

Do It for Free

There are a variety of blog resources out there that will allow you create your own personalized site for free, such as WordPress, BlogSpot and Tumblr. If you start to accrue a large number of followers and want to make your site more official, you can purchase the domain name so the web address won't have the provider's name at the end of it.

Update Frequently

If you want people to stay engaged, it's important to update your blog frequently. While it may seem like a challenging task with all of the work you have to do, not every post has to be extensive. Sometimes just a few words are enough to inform people that you haven't abandoned the site.

Use Different Media

While writing may comprise most of your posts, it doesn't mean you can't incorporate other forms of media into your blog. Using your Smartphone, take pictures and videos. This will help add additional context and give people a clearer idea of what you're talking about.

Post Multiple Links

You can allow people to become more aware of your blog by posting links on various cyberspace venues, like Facebook, Twitter and personal emails. This will give you great exposure and allow you to accrue more followers.

Part of the fun of moving into a new home is having a blank canvas to decorate and infuse your personality into. While you may have to wait for your international movers to leave before you can begin applying that first coat of paint and picking out appropriate decor, it never hurts to start thinking about great decorative schemes before your venture. Here are some tips for getting a jump on the planning process. 

Catalogs

As you go about your daily routine, always keep a few magazines around that you can browse through once you get a spare moment. Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Martha Stewart's Whole Living and Real Simple are all good options. Have a permanent marker in hand and circle any good ideas you see as you flip through the pages, whether it's a clever shelving solution or a color scheme that pops.

Internet

You can also start scanning the web for great decor on the websites of companies like Crate & Barrel and Bed Bath & Beyond. You don't have to purchase items right away - just add the pages to the bookmark folder in your browser. You can also order items and delay their delivery until you've arrived by speaking to a customer service representative.

Paint Samples

The paint colors you choose can be considered months before your move. Go to your local paint vendor and look at swatches. The paint retailer near your new home will be able to match the color of the samples with ease.

While proper lawn care is the key to having a nice outdoor area, there are other items that you can add to your grass and garden to enhance their appearances. Here are a few that you may want to pick up once your international movers have left.

Bird Paraphernalia

The chirping of birds as they fly about your yard is bound to add an air of pleasantness to your home, and the great accessories that they love can also make good decor. Think about putting a bird bath in your garden that's made from granite, but make sure to change the water every couple of days so you don't attract bacteria and mosquitoes. A bird house hung from a tree or propped up with a large stick will also add some appeal and your aviary friends will have full tummies with bird feeders.

Seasonal Decor

You can show your festive side by placing seasonal decor on your lawn. During the Halloween season, use cardboard cutouts to make a fake graveyard and add some Christmas lights to your bushes and trees during the winter season. Most holiday stores have decorations made for the outdoors, so you'll be able to adorn your yard year after year.

Sundial

Sundials were originally used to tell the time by the position of the sun, but now they serve as yard accessories. Purchase a chic metallic sundial at your local gardening supply or off of a website like Amazon.com store and either put it down in a bed of mulch near your flowers or keep it raised with a granite pedestal.

Keeping your lawn fresh and orderly will give off a good impression to your neighbors, and people will enjoy the view as they pass by your house. To help keep your grass looking pristine, you may want to invest in these three pieces of equipment once your international movers have vacated your home.

1. Weed Wacker

You don't want any pesky plants upstaging your flowerbeds and green grass. If you don't have the time to get down on your hands and knees, you can chop those weeds down to size with a gas- or electric-powered weed wacker. Besides keeping your flowerbeds in order, wackers can also trim the edges of your lawn next to your house and driveway that your mower can't get.

2. Lawn Mower with Bag

While the fall foliage is always a pleasant sight, once those leaves fall from the trees, it can make your yard an eyesore. Raking is a great way to clean your yard and stay in shape, but sometimes you don't have time for a full-scale manual operation. Using a lawn mower with a bag attachment is an easy way to rid your outdoor space of leaves. Remember to empty your bag frequently to improve the mower's efficiency.

3. Rototiller

Sometimes the best way to get a fresh lawn is with a fresh start. If you plan to lay down seeds and start your grass from scratch, you may want to break up the soil so there's an even distribution of nutrients. This can easily be accomplished with a rototiller.

Plants will add life and color to your new living space, and you'll enjoy tending to them all throughout the year. Of course, keeping your chlorophyll companions alive can be a tricky task, so you may want to keep these three tips in mind after your international movers have left.

1. Learn the location

According to Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) magazine, location is key when it comes to preserving your indoor plants. You should try to find out how much light each plant requires so you can strategically place them all according to the areas of brightness in your home. For example, African violets need large amounts of light, while crotons can thrive in darker environments.

2. Mist and wipe

HGTV recommends misting your plants with a spray bottle three times a day to keep them healthy and hydrated. The reason for this is because plants usually benefit from increased humidity levels. Your plants also don't require as much water in the winter as they do in the summer, so keep the watering to a minimum during the cooler months. Just like the rest of the items in your home, you should frequently dust your plants. Removing any dust using a damp cloth will allow them to breathe better so they can thrive.

3. Add Fertilizer

BHG notes that each plant requires different levels of nutrients in the fertilizer. Look on the back of the plant's label to find out the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium there should be in the fertilizer.

Before you begin your international moving venture, you may want to secure all of the important information on your home computer. Whether it's your favorite photos or files for work, these two methods for backing up your laptop will help ensure that none of your digital information gets lost in the move.

1. Cloud Service

Saving your information in the cloud means that everything is stored online. This is beneficial because you can access it from any computer and you don't have to worry about losing data due to physical damage. Services like DropBox and RackSpace are easy to use and extremely affordable. You usually pay by the gigabyte, and many times you get a small bit of space for free. If you have privileged information, cloud computing is good because of the secure password-protected networks.

2. Physical Device

You might also want to save your information on a physical device, such as an external hard drive or CD. These allow you to view your information without having to access the internet. Although some hard drives have enough space to store all of your computer's contents, you may want to make duplicate copies of the extremely valuable information in case your hard drive gets lost or damaged. To conveniently keep important files on you, you can purchase thumb drives that have a couple of gigabytes worth of space that you can keep on a keychain or stick in your pocket.

Your international moving venture is bound to be a tiresome journey, and once you're all unpacked, you may need some rest. Unfortunately, bed bugs can keep you from getting a good night's sleep, and getting rid of those tiny pests is never easy. Stop the problem before it starts and consider these preventative tips.

1. Don't Bring them In

When you were on the road, you may have experienced bed bugs in your hotel. Before you enter your new home, Real Simple magazine recommends unpacking your suitcase outside and putting all of your clothes in the washer on a hot wash or dry cycle.

2. Keep a Clean Home

A possible bed bug infestation should be inspiration to keep your home nice and tidy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns against clutter because it provides a good place for the bugs to hide. Avoid keeping your clothes in piles on your bedroom floor and dust your house regularly.

3. Use a Protective Cover

The EPA also suggests using a protective cover on your bed. It should be a light color so the bed bugs will be unable to hide. You'll know that you have an infestation if there are holes in the cover.

4. Seal off Easy Entrances

According to NYC Health, you can prevent bed bugs from entering your home by sealing any cracks or crevices with caulk. This will also be useful in warding off other pests like termites and carpenter ants.

Once your international movers have helped you unpack and get settled, you may be eager to entertain your new neighbors. A great design scheme that's sure to make your home the go-to hangout spot is one that's reminiscent of a cozy tavern. Here are few ways to pull it off.

Bar

Instead of going with a traditional kitchen island, install a bar in your kitchen. Go with a dark varnished oak or maple. If it's in front of the wall, install shelves that can hold liquor and mixers. Make sure you have stools so you can socialize with your guests as you play the role of bartender. Washingtonian.com recommends keeping the tools of the trade on hand, such as a margarita shaker, jiggers, muddlers, swizzle sticks and cocktail books.

Glassware

There are a slew of great glassware options if you're going for a bar feel. Get some pint glasses for lager and shorter stout glasses for mixed drinks. Mix it up with martini glasses (perfect for James Bond theme parties) and throw in a few highball glasses.

Lighting

While you want your kitchen to be well-lit, you should install a dimmer to set the mood of a neighborhood pub. Feel free to have a few classy neon lights as well.

Food

No bar is complete without a few snacks. When you have guests over, put out the traditional popcorn and chips, but don't be afraid to shrug tradition in favor of health with a veggie plate or some hummus and pita.

You may be excited to start decorating after you and your international movers have finally finished setting up your new home, but you might be unsure how you want to go about it. Going nautical is a great way to lighten the atmosphere and bring about a feeling of liberation that's reminiscent of the open seas. Here are a few great ways to pull off a nautical theme.

Ocean Decor

Adorn your room with artifacts that would be found on a vessel. A circular life raft or old antique wheel will work well, and there's no limit on the amount of anchors you can have. Find great photographs and paintings of serene ocean landscapes or tumultuous storms. Place photography books of Cape Cod, Kennebunkport and other port towns on your coffee table. A ship in a bottle is an appropriate centerpiece, and a framed sailors knot is also a good idea.

Color Scheme

Blue is an ideal choice for your walls, but you have a slew of other options. You can go dark with a navy hue, reminiscent of the deep ocean waters, or opt for a light blue that would match the clear horizon out on the seas. Wood paneling on the upper edges of the wall will give your space a feeling like you're in a ship - go with an off-white or simply apply a coat of varnish to the wood.