Start here. This has many of your ideas already incorporated. Forget the springs in the legs -- hazardous. Forget the cup-holder, too. Many/most walker users have other problems going on, too. Avoid as many confusion-generators as possible. Many people and manufacturers have considered what you're considering before. If you're starting from scratch, you're making a mistake. Build on what's already been done. And be aware the marketplace is incredibly diverse as far as what's beneficial and what isn't from user-to-user. Here is a link that might be useful: Best walker design currently available IMHO.

I actually did this. I had about 6k in credit card debt, store charges with 22.9%+ interest rates. I decided to pay those off with my student loan refunds. I calcuated that I would save more than $1,500 a year in interest, plus I have about an extra $300 a month- which now goes to student loans. However, I have close to 85k in student loan debt. I got my BS- International Affairs and Psychology and MA- Teaching and Technology back to back. So I had no time to pay down my student loans. Here is a simple way to cut cost of internet and cable. Call and cancel your service and cite some other company can give you a better deal if you start up with them. They won't want to lose your business. I was paying 150 a month for basic cable and high speed internet (need that for work), but after I got it down to 50 a month for the next six months. Here is a link that might be useful: Article on How to Save

Ohh, same boat as you, only last year. What a tough time being a parent, no? Finally resigned myself (with a little support from DH), that if I/we didn't hear from DD, it was a probably a good thing. DD was busy, had work to do, making new friends, adjusting to living with 2 roommates (DD is an only child), and everything else that comes with going away to college. Also, the college DD attends, requires all incoming freshmen to do a First Year Seminar which pairs the freshman with mentors in groups. The upperclassmen (mentors) do things like meet informally on a weekly basis to answer questions about adjustment to college life, have bi-weekly dinners with the peer group, make a point of checking in on a student who seems may be having trouble, etc. Also, a mandatory first semester class was FYS, which was all about adjusting to college life. That class is held by the professor assigned for each major. DD went in undeclared and stayed with her FYS advisor through her entire freshman year. DD's professor/advisor had his entire group of freshman and peer mentors come to dinner at his home ~ a farm he shares with his wife. Nice BBQ, bonfire, music, get to know you, casual social thing. So nice of him to do so. DD declared a major at the end of her Spring semester. Now has a different advisor. DH & I were very glad the school mandated this FYS, as we feel it was sooo important that there was some support provided to every freshman as they moved to a new chapter in life. A safety net, if you will Had we heard from DD everyday, it would have been an indicator that she wasn't acclimating, or at least not trying to do so, if DD was still so "wired" to me/us. Would say I got a few texts, not many. Calls, less than texts. First time home was only 2 weeks into the Fall semester. DD had a "mini-meltdown/pity party" about the dorm room, how hard her classes were, how much work, yada yada. Well, as I wasn't the most sympathetic audience, I had a sit down with DD and let her vent, but then I asked DD if she would like to trade places with me, or with any of her high school classmates who weren't fortunate enough to have gone away to college. I think the light bulb went off for DD. After our discussion, it seemed as tho she had gotten it, and truly appreciated having the opportunity to be away at school. By the end of the Fall semester, DD couldn't wait to go back from Christmas Break. Thankfully, it all fell into place and worked out well. If you feel your DS is not isolated, and otherwise seems to be doing well, then I would just try to wait for him to communicate. I tried to sit on my hands, so as to let DD get into her groove at school, only texted if necessary, and responded to the texts DD initiated. I knew she was adjusting okay after the first few months, and I am confident in my relationship with DD being very strong at its core. I figured if she needed me, she would call or text. I also did some baking, sent her favorite cookies along with a mid-semester care package. While recently on vacation visiting family (DD is now a sophmore), I asked about a another family member whose DD is the same age as my DD, and who is now attending her sophmore year at college away from home. I was curious how much communication went on between that student and her mom/dad/family? Well, the person to whom I was talking had taken said student to her college orientation, as her parents were both working that day. The speaker at orientation told the parents (mine wasn't the parent), that if you aren't hearing from your child, send them a text or email, or even leave a VM on their cell, that you are sending them $$, or do they need anything? See how fast they respond. LOL. So, we just tried a little experiment after this vacation conversation to see if the advice was good advice. Heard back immediately from DD. We laughed so hard about how true that orientation speaker was. So, there is something to that particular strategy. Fall break isn't too far off. My DD attends a private college, so they have a fall break next weekend, but most big universities don't have the mini break, first time home will be Thanksgiving. Just wait till you see the difference in your DS. It was amazing watching from afar, my DD change into an independent young woman. HTH.

Some of my ideas for activities are: This will be the first year to start back up, I’m told a teacher ran one many years ago here. My goals depend upon contribution levels. I will canvas local stores for donations as well. If you know of any local nurseries that have helped with this sort of thing in the past that would be great. I would like to start with potted plants in the fall. I can buy one house plant, and since they are always crowded, split it many times. I want to get medium terracotta pots that the students could decorate, and eventually take home. I am also considering that if a teacher wanted a plant for their classroom they could sign up and we would deliver them after a month or so. I will get some LED overhead lamps to dedicate a shelf or two for starting plants inside. I would love to get back into vermiculture and keep a worm bin in my classroom, kept under a table. I have done extensive composting when I had a backyard garden and kept worm bins in my garage. I even took a worm bin to some boy scout camps, and gave presentations on sustainability. I would like to compost here on the school grounds as well using a pallet bin method I have used before. I would like to involve the cafeteria into sorting out some of the compostable waste as well, starting small to get them on board. A leaf blower that reverses would aid in shredding OPBL other peoples bagged leaves that I will collect and bring to the school. I plan on preparing raised beds this fall to plant in the spring. My past experience with gardening in VA is that raised beds are much more manageable with the amount of rainfall we get. One thing that would absolutely depend on donations is a hoop houses using plans that require PVC and low raised tunnels. The final stages of the student garden would be a fund raiser with potted flowers for Mother’s Day and a few Saturday mornings at one of the local farmer’s markets selling produce from our garden.