Cool school

Hot Home Products focused on back to school goodies this week, but I didn’t have room for some stuff  I think would be great for the University-bound. For students coming to Toronto to the first time, a City Notebook from Moleskin  would be a meaningful back to school present. Not only does it contain general information about Toronto, including maps, TTC routes and a street index, it also has blank sheets of acid-free paper for jotting down impressions, stories, and notes that can be organized under personalized tabs. So a handy notebook could also become a wonderful memento of  a first year away from home. In addition to the centre of the universe Toronto, there are also City Notebooks for Vancouver and Montreal. They’re available at various BookCity locations, starting at about $21. To make on-campus laundry easier, send the kid off with an Umbra crunch can in trendy plaid. This collapsible  cotton canvas bag has a laminated liner and costs just $19. Stanley’s 684 Household kit includes nails, thumbtacks and pushpins, anchors, screws, picture wire, picture hooks and hangers, cup hooks and sawtooth hangers in compartmentalized trays. Just what Junior needs when he’s putting up pictures of Mummy in his dorm room. Now is the time to grab one - or three ­ - of these handy kits; Walmart has them on a “rollback” price of $9.97 until the end of September. (They’re usually $12.97)