Martha Stewart has a lovely slideshow on her site called 30 Things Everyone Should Know. It is definitely something to check out. Basically it goes over tasks that Martha believes that each and every person should know how to do, make, or clean. Her list was broken down into the following categories – For the Home, For the Cook, and For Every Day.
Martha’s 30 Things Everyone Should Know
1. Create a Home Safety Kit
2. Paint a Room
3. Arrange Flowers
4. Design a Fruit Centerpiece
5. Make a Bed
6. Set the Table
7. Prepare a Green Salad
8. Mix a Margarita
9. Make a Bolognese Sauce
10. Eat a Lobster
11. Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
12. Carve a Turkey
13. Prepare a Roast Turkey
14. Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich
15. Make French Toast
16. Make the Perfect Omelet
17. Cook Fluffy Rice
18. Bake a Chocolate Cake
19. Assemble a BLT
20. Prepare Pancakes
21. Make Crudites
22. Tie a bow and necktie
23. Load a dishwasher
24. Do the laundry
25. Remove stains on linens and clothes
26. Iron a shirt
27. Open a Champagne Bottle
28. Brew a cup of tea
29. Take a good photograph
30. Pack a Suitcase
I love Martha as much as the next homemaker but on some level, I would have to disagree. I feel that Martha’s list is WAY too advanced for the average person and that in order to prepare for her HOW-TO’s you should first be able to perform all the basics with great ease. That is why I created my own list – It is the basics. I personally have not graduated to Martha’s list yet.
30 Things Everyone Should ABSOLUTELY Know
1-10 FOR THE HOME 11-20 FOR THE COOK 21-30 FOR EVERY DAY
- How to put cigarette butts and litter in a trash can
- How to pick up dirty clothes off the floor
- How to get all the pee in the toilet
- How to clean the hair from the shower wall
- How to use a broom effectively
- How to hold a baby
- How to change a tire
- How to detect and resolve body odor issues
- How to throw away junk
- How to read Nutritional Information labels
- How to not get hair in food you are preparing for others
- How to cover your mouth while coughing and sneezing
- How to chew with your mouth closed
- How to compliment the cook
- How to not contaminate food with salmonella
- How to wash your hands
- How to perform the Heimlech Maneuver
- How to order from the drive-thru
- How to use the microwave
- How to say Thank you
- How to wipe after going #2
- How to wake someone from a nap
- How to read signs in the checkout lane
- How to hang up your cell phone while driving
- How to have a good attitude at little league games
- How to be quiet in the movie theatre
- How to swim
- How to perform CPR
- How to google
- How to say please
Marc and Angel Hack’s blog also lists some really good info that everyone should know how to do. They are big into lists so go explore – it’s really informative!