HomeEc for Adults.. LOL

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Does anyone know of any good sites (besides the FLYlady) that teach you all those things that they used to teach in HomeEc, before it became un-PC? You know, the stuff you still need to know, but that they stopped teaching because to imply that girls need to know how to do these things doesn't fit somebody's ideal of what should be, as though having jobs and educations somehow stops women from needing to cook, wear clothes, and be able to find things in the house?

Like how to tell if you're getting a good deal on sheets that will last? Or, for that matter, clothes? I'm sooo confused about how to tell if something is more expensive because it's higher quality and will last longer, of if it's more expensive because of the brand. I've always gone for cheaper stuff, but I'm finding that a lot of stuff falls apart after not very long! Or am I washing stuff wrong? Am I getting clothes "too clean" so that it erodes the fibers or something? How long should a pair of socks last? As a kid, I always got cheap socks, but that was because the dog always ate socks, quality didn't matter. My dog now doesn't eat socks, so I'd rather get some socks that I won't have to replace soon.
What about altering clothing? I know how to sew, but what I'm not sure of is how to take in seams to make something fit better.. or figure out which seams need adjusting.
What's the best way to organize tupperware so that it doesn't take up much space, but you can find the right lids? I find that if I nest them, then I can't find the right lids when I need them.
There's a lot of sites that give some information, but I'm never quite sure which ones are telling real tricks to doing things, and which ones are repeating old wives' tales. Is there a good reference?

I'm trying to get into the habit of using less less stuff that's disposable or expensive and filled with weird chemicals.

I looked on Amazon.com, I couldn't find a "Home Economics for Dummies" book.
Like with so many things, it feels like to "get it" you need to know A, B, and C, but while most people who don't "get it" might know A and B but be missing C, I know B and C but am missing A. (This is why dummies books rock-- they usually don't make assumptions about what you know, but tell you everything instead.)
Input from guys is welcome, I just thought it was kinda more of a women's forum topic.

My guess is that if it's geared for NTs it may not help much anyway. My home Ec. teacher literally tried to have me removed from her class stating " You will never be able to take care of yourself, or a family." I do pretty good taking care of stuff, I think, but it has to be done in my own way. Not the way everyone else does it. Flylady made my head spin.

There was a thread awhile ago called 'Independent Aspie' or something like that. There were lots of tips in there.

Here we go http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt43091.html

Aw, really? I find her sooo helpful! I didn't do the stuff when I first signed up, I just read it, and it planted ideas about how to do stuff in my head. Before I'd get too overwhelmed, and I NEVER knew where to start.

Thanks for that thread!
There's some stuff that doesn't work for me, though.. Like the stuff about buying in bulk, 'cuz when you have bigger packages, you usually use more, so I won't buy bigger packages unless the deal is MUCH better.

Most of that thread is about food and cleaning, which I get from the FLYlady, though.. one of the biggest things I'm confused about is buying cloth products, though.. Like I said.. how to figure out what's good quality, how to know if it's expensive because it'll last or expensive because of the brand, how to edit clothing.. Stuff like that. I need to buy a set of sheets. I have no clue how to go about it. Kris got some cheap ones before, and they're awful! How much should I pay for sheets? What about socks and jeans??

For cloth you look at the stiching make sure it's neatly done and not fraying. The higher the thread count on sheets the better they are made. For socks go name brand I like the hanes ones best they have a reinfoced toe that holds up nicely. Just because something is on sale or in a discount store doesn't make it bad or if something is a in pricer store. Never go with manmade fabrics unles yoou have to. A small amount spadex in your jeans is nice but it does make them wear out a little faster < 4yr for nonspadex 3yrs for ones with 5% spandex you don't want more then that>.

I think you must have a different set of skills than me. Hopefully, someone will reply with some good info. I read flylady a few yrs ago, and got a few ideas, but aside from that I found it impossible to manage, and me, and sewing machines do not get along.

The clothing quality thing I just had to figure out on my own through experience. Most name brand jeans will last longer, then say what you buy at Wal-Mart. Socks, the hanes (and other name brands) will last longer, and not get all scratchy like the store brands. If your clothes are pilling you could be washing in too hot of water, have hard water, or be using a cheap detergent. I'll only use Tide. It's expensive, but cheaper than replacing clothes.

The only thing that I know about sheets is that the higher the thread count the longer they'll last, and the softer they'll be. I really can't afford to buy nice sheets, so I just stick with relatively cheap ones.

I get my sheets from LLBean and they've held up well and are really nice. So I'd suggest using their thread count as a standard to guide me by with other brands. It's high enough to be comfortable, but low enough not to be outrageously priced.

There's really no need to buy 520 thread count sheets.

As for tailoring clothes... check with a local fabric/notions store, they may have a class or someone who could teach you the tricks.

The so-called ladies magazines (Redbook, Ladies Home Journal) often have great tips on how to choose well-made clothing, make wise purchases on household supplies, organizing closets and shelves, cleaning and spot removal, the whole gamut. It's been years since I've looked at them, but I got a lot of tips from them.

I've also seen Quality Paperback Books offer books on this sort of stuff for guys... maybe that's a direction to look. And here's the Queen of Clean...
http://queenofclean.com/

Rather than "Home Ec", try looking for dummies books on more narrow topics, such as "Sewing for Dummies"...
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=s ... &x=14&y=22

Housekeeping for dummies...
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=s ... &x=12&y=17

cooking for dummies...
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=s ... &x=17&y=21

fashion for dummies...
http://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Dummies-J ... 369&sr=1-1

or...
http://www.amazon.com/Style-Strategy-Le ... im_dbs_b_2

I've linked to the search pages because there are several related books on each subject.

Also, your local public library may have a great selection of books on all these subjects; mine sure does. Cookbooks, sewing, crafts, general home ec even.

Hmm.. I just looked on LLBean, and their sheets are more expensive than 500-thread-count sheets.. They're as expensive as 1000-thread-count sheets on overstock.com! I guess that means I should get sheets from overstock, lol.


Oo, that's a good idea. I don't know if there's a sewing store around here, there's a Michael's, but I don't think they'd have anyone with the expertise somebody at a little sewing store would have. Maybe I'll actually bug my next-door neighbor for tips.. Usually when I talk to her she does all the talking.. usually about knitting or gardening. Her knitting is way to advanced for me, though. All I can do is a scarf, not socks or patterned stuff like Maria does. I meant to get to some gardening this year, but then it kept seeming overwhelming. I didn't join the FLYlady list and start actually getting things done till too late to do much gardening.
I kinda freeze up in RL conversations, though

I actually have sewing for dummies... but I know how to sew. I got it forever ago, though, I was kinda looking to do different things back then. I'll have to look through it again. It's specifically clothing that I don't know about. I even made a quilt once, but that's all just straight seams, not all that fitting stuff. (All my gaps in knowledge are just.. strange. It's not quite normal to be able to sew a quilt but not adjust the fit of something, is it? I've got those weird gaps in almost everything. Knowledge-wise, I mean, not in clothing.. although maybe I mean that too. LOL I guess I tend to skip to the end of things, and not learn the beginning. I could do algebra before I memorized the times tables, too.)
I got sushi for dummies, that one is awesome!
That "household hints" for dummies looks good, actually. And so does the Queen of Clean!

Oo, amazon has a 2-year subscription of Redbook for $10... that's not a bad idea.

TY.. wow, that's a lot of info to go through!

Oh definitely. I didn't mean to suggest you buy LLBeans sheets, just that their thread counts are high enough to be soft and comfortable and thick enough to be durable. So you can get the same thread count at overstock.com, probably in more patterns and colors, but not bother with the 1000 thread count (why? I think that's purely a status thing).

Of course, cotton sheets... I've had very mixed results with cotton/poly blends. Some are really harsh, some pill...

Lots and lots of folks do quilts that really don't know diddly about sewing clothes... for the simple fact of all those nice straight seams... And once made, you don't have to make another for a very long time!

I've got a basic Singer sewing book from the 50's that has fitting instructions... so see what your library has. Fitting is usually only a small section or chapter of the book, no sense in buying a whole book... hey, have you tried searching for 'tailoring for dummies'?

Consumer Reports is another good resource for what to consider and how to pick quality on all sorts of things... carpeting, paints, appliances, cars...

1) I like "gold toe" socks.
2) I've had no luck figuring out good sheets. The first sheet I bought when I first got married were the cheapest I could find, and lasted for many many years. These days I try to buy sheets that seem "good" and have high count (above 350) and they either never get soft, pill up, or rip easily.
3) (Warning, this is a rant). WHY DON'T THEY MAKE "TUPPERWARE" SETS WHERE CONTAINERS ARE ALL DIFFERENT SIZES BUT THE LIDS ARE ALL THE SAME?!?!? I love wonton soup containers because of that. The quart, pint and half pint size all have the same lids!! !! I can nest the bottoms, put all the lids in one place, and the problem is solved. The problem is they are not intended to last that long, and I never have enough of them. (I do not get take out Chinese that often.) Let me know of any sets that work like that!! !

According to the little buying guide on Overstock.com, the ones with thread counts over 1000 can actually be less durable 'cause the threads are smaller.
After great deliberation, I eventually settled on these: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Is ... oduct.html
It's the 10th birthday of Overstock, so I got free shipping, too! They got great reviews. So we'll see. Apparently Egyptian cotton is stronger or something..

ROFL... getting housekeeping advice from my mother via an online forum...
Hmm.. I'll have to look into that wonton thing... I don't get Chinese either, but maybe it's possible to buy 'em elsewhere..

Edit: These are cheap and they say that the same lids fit the 8, 12, and 24 oz containers, but it dosn't look like they actually have 24 oz containers! http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/produc ... t_id=25161
most of the tupperwares I have are all mismatched... just like a bunch of random pieces. I put all the stuff that didn't have a match at all into the recycling, but most of the stuff that does have lids is still mismatched, so my tupperware cabinet still looks messy. A bit easier to find things in.. but still looks disheveled.

Last edited by Maggiedoll on 10 Oct 2009, 9:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

With tupperware lids I seperate them by shape then put them into ziplock storage bags. It keeps them from slipping, and sliding everywhere, and the bags can be stacked. I don't know if that will work for your particular set, or purpose, but it works really well for mine.

For container lids, you can 'file' them in a box beside the containers by size, small in front, large in back.

I just looked at the current issues of the various ladies mags at WallyWorld and this month Good Housekeeping (duh!) takes the award for most good tips, Ladies Home Journal second, Redbook third. At least IMO.

Egyptian cotton is supposed to be so good because it has a long 'staple', which is to say a very long fiber. This is supposed to confer both longevity and smoothness. I know I had an egyptian cotton shirt that I LOVED for its smooth softness.

Yes, I've gotten 350 count sheets that were horrible, harsh. I think that's why I just always go with Bean... I know what I'm getting every time, so I don't mind paying for it. They've never let me down. Even though I'm not always wild about their selection... I figure most of the time it's dark when I'm with my sheets, so the feel of them is what's most important.

Hmm.. that's a pretty good idea. Similar to DB's about "filing" them in a box.. all the tupperwares I have are so very mixed up that it's hard to do even that, though. I cleaned out that cabinet, and matched everything up, but some of the stuff is similar in size and shape and stuff, so I'm afraid that if I let anything away from the lid I found for it, I won't find it again! LOL
I'm gonna keep poking around looking for wonton soup containers.. that would be nice!


Well there was a 2-year subscription to RedBook on Amazon.com for $10 with a $5 promotional certificate for getting it, which really is a savings since I use Amazon all the time. $5 for a two-year subscription is always nice. So if there are two helpful issues in the next two years, the subscription will have been worth it. (I'm trying to get out of my magazine buying habit anyways by getting a few cheap subscriptions.)


The ones I ordered from Overstock were 310 thread-count, and Egyptian cotton.. plus they had 46 reviews and the "overall" rating was 4.7. Since the shipping is free for the Overstock birthday thing, they were less than $40 for the set of queen sheets.. So let's hope that they're better than the stupid microfiber ones that we have on the bed now! (Note to self: microfiber is for tights and FLYlady cleaning items, NOT for sheets! Do NOT trust microfiber unless it comes from the FLYlady!)

I think I've been washing stuff too harshly, though. I should start using a gentler cycle, less detergent, and hang-drying some stuff.. will save energy and detergent too! I finally got most of the downstairs coat closet cleaned out, too, so that might be a decent place for some stuff to hang dry.

Might look tacky, but marking sets with Sharpie markers might help.



And then you can come back here and share the new tips, and contribute to both our knowledge base and our budget restraint! LOL



I love customer ratings... I rely on them heavily. They've been a big help with many purchases.

Yup! Learned a lot from the FLYlady, and from just googling stuff.. hmm, maybe I should start my own list.. Or from making mistakes.. like the microfiber sheets thing. Or buying the stupid fluffy toilet paper that has like 12 sheets on each roll. Don't buy fluffy toilet paper! Buy the regular stuff! The whole rationale for the fluffy toilet paper is that you use so much less of it because it's more absorbent, but that's baloney! A roll of 1000 sheets of normal toilet paper lasts way longer than a roll with 12 sheets of fluffy toilet paper!
(Hmm.. I should add that to that thread..)


Yea, but only if there are a bunch of them. And sometimes there are ratings that don't make sense. Like someone will rate a product low because they think it took too long to get there, because their postal carrier mishandled it or something else that has nothing to do with this item... and others will rate a product high before ever even using it.