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Things That Should Exist for Single People
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The back zipper thing actually exists. Or you can make your own by attaching a ribbon to a large safety pin then hooking the safety pin on the zipper and zipping right up!
Thanks for a nod to us singleton followers!
These are all great ideas! My family (parents, sibs & their spouses, & a nephew) is spread over a couple states and we utilize ongoing Amazon wish lists to keep each other updated on gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays. We even add things from other sites.
This article remind me my college days very well explained and personally like the five way that you are describe in this article.
Yes! Love all of these. We should have a day for all people to celebrate themselves, solo or not. :)
One portion lasagna pan! So you get all the crispy edges. :)
I don’t know exactly how it happened but when I bought my own appartment at the age of 27 I started receiving lots of gifts from family and friends. Not small gifts, I mean… it was like a wedding registry without the engagement part!
They all know that being married is not in my list and I have been single for a long time, so it was a celebration of a new chapter in my life.
I just loved it, and I’m really grateful to them all.
YAAAAAASSSSSSSS!!!
The back zipper applies to all people who wear things with back zippers! I hate to depend on someone else to get properly dressed (and not dislocate my shoulder while doing it) – I’m not a child, after all.
I LOVE these! Although, I must say I have assembled a ton of IKEA furniture! Birthday registry and magical back zipper pull are on my wish list for sure.
Yes! Reminds me of my favourite Sex and City episode, “A Woman’s Right to Shoes”.
As of this morning, I’m living alone for the first time ever! I’m excited, but a little sad and also have apprehensions about those things which I know will come up, like needing someone’s bigger hands to open a tricky jar…
Katie- rubber gloves! They add extra friction and make opening tough jars WAY easier :)
You can do it in your own! You just need a wider band rubber band, like the ones that come wrapped around produce/veggies from the store. Just place the rubber band around the lid you want to open and open accordinglingly. The extra friction from the rubber band makes it so much easier to open! I always keep some lying around for this sole purpose. Haha. Good luck. :)
Take the jar, tip it sideways and tap the side of the lid smartly on to a hard surface like the countertop. It loosens the seal, and jar will open easily.
The other night, my boyfriend was applying cream to a rash on my upper back (romantic, I know) and I remarked, “How do single people get these things done?” Then I realized it, sisters! I never would have been able to get my bikini top tied up every summer without the help of my sister :)
Kate, I have neither a partner nor a sister- you become exceptionally bendy when you’re forced to do these things alone (and also, become an expert at tying bows behind your back!) :)
Tie it in the front and then spin it around!
Exactly what Marissa M says. Also, spray sunscreen was a genius invention for singles who are SO not asking a stranger to get that spot on your back.
Beautiful illustration and a very good point here. :)
x finja
Hahaha I LOVE Mari Andrew and it’s always awesome to find her content here. I think the zipper pull canNOT be more accurate. Also, the day of celebrating the relationship we have with ourselves. Like, that should be a thing! Self-love Day! No?
Joanne
AH yes, THIS. Definitely. This post was definitely cute but also sadly accurate.
These are great ideas. They got me laughing and rolling on the floor tho. Thanks for making my day Mari.
I can totally related to the cooking ware thing. I’m not an ogre. Don’t force me to bake a gratin that will last me 5 days because I could not find a smaller dish.
Positive thing about living on your own: you become very good at building those shelves yourself. Screw Ikea helpers.
when I was single, I used small corning ware dishes- P41 or saucepans- to bake gratins and casseroles for myself. they work great in the oven or on the stovetop, are super cute, and made me feel like I made myself a real meal in a real dish without having to eat it for weeks. I also use them now for when I want to make just a *little* pan of brownies/cake/pie. I found almost all of them at thrift shops for 99c!
I use my birthday (and half birthday) to celebrate myself! This usually includes a little treat like a massage, facial or ridiculous Sephora purchase. :)
Ugh YES! Marriage is not an accomplishment, so why are the finer things reserved for them? I would very much like to be invested in by my family and friends as a single person, ie being given quality items that will last me my lifetime, now. Singleness shouldn’t be viewed as temporary -Like I’ll suddenly throw out everything I own if I decide to cohabitate with someone. I guess until this attitude changes, I’ll continue stealing things from my mom or choosing between savings and a new Le Creuset. I would also like to say I’ve successfully put together all of my own furniture, despite Ikea’s rather single-shaming warnings!
Yes, haha. I realized this when I was 30 or so and my friends’ lives were being outfitted by wedding gifts, most of which was attainable stuff on a two person income. Singles must struggle along on one income but with the same needs! Sigh…I think the 25th birthday should be a registry event if someone is legitimately single…or maybe 30… But it needs to become a THING!
YES to this! JP your comment about singleness being treated as a “temporary” state is spot-on. The assumption is both that everyone will eventually get married and that marriage is the official marker of adulthood. As the average age for marriage continues to creep up in the US, I wonder if there would ever be a change? So many people live alone for a number of years before marriage. Nice towels and dutch ovens for all!
Mari – I am so often struck by the Seinfeld-ian way in which you note the small truisms in life and are able to bring humor to them. This is one of those posts. Do all partners fight when they assemble furniture? I thought it was just me and mine! And I was just dealing with dress zipper issues yesterday when I rode my bike to work and got dressed at the office (or almost didn’t get dressed!) after attempting moves heretofore only perfected by the cirque de soleil. Thank you for the moments of levity and for making me feel like a member of a large community of women all dealing with some of life’s very minor, but nonetheless irritating, struggles!
I have seen/heard of fixes for all these. First one is treat yo self day (sometime in October). Second, there is some registry place online (i forget the name; but similar to babylist) where you can register for anything among several stores online and brick and mortar. Third is the task rabbit where you pay someone a to come to your home & do random stuff like chores. The one person caserole pans are found at local tj maxx type stores (i had 3!) and the zipper pull is a hanger or magnet! :)
Le Creuset do single casserole dishes, with lids. And an unbent paper clip does the trick with zips. Two down…
Yes to a birthday registry! It sucks having to buy your own birthday gifts because you’re the family member with Prime and your parents are too frugal to go to an actual bookstore.
Other things that should exist in the world: celebrating career and individual life goals with the same enthusiasm as marriage and children! Especially for women, our non-family related milestones aren’t appreciated like they should be.
These made me lol – thanks Mari!
To paraphrase Bill Murray, “Every lasagna pan is a personal lasagna pan if you try hard enough and believe in yourself.”
Hahaha! Thank you. Yes, in life we have to push ourselves sometimes!
I live alone and I would KILL for a blue apron-type service for one person! I’ve tried using it and saving the leftovers and most don’t keep/it’s WAY too much food–I would love single serving recipes!! OR smaller packaging at the grocery store! No way I get through 4 pounds of blueberries, no matter how much I try, and I always end up throwing stuff out! :(
Yes! The produce from Costco is so much better/cheaper/lasts longer, but try as I might, I cannot eat 4 pounds of strawberries all by my lonesome.
FoodSaver! I love mine – use it all the time. Maybe you could portion out stuff, freeze some for another day and make some right away? I do this, especially when meat is on sale – I buy in bulk, leave some for cooking right away and portion out the rest and FoodSaver it all and freeze it.
You can even freeze fruits and veggies, if you do it right. Some you can do raw and some you have to blanch first.
I have the magical back zipper pull on my bathing suit! It’s amazing. Also: hooray for Amazon wish lists, Pinterest board “registries,” and best friends. I’m getting married in a few weeks but as an unmarried gal I feel like it’s definitely within girl-power to make this stuff happen!
The zipper! Oh my goodness! Once I used a magnet to pull my zipper up back in my single days. Ha! And I love the registry idea!
Boom. Plus these things are super cute.
Everyone should have a day to celebrate her relationship to herself! Putting mine on the calendar now.
Yay!! I was so happy when I realized you guys were back today! And yay for this illustration. It reminds me of the SATC episode where Carrie makes a great point on how little single people get celebrated.
Also, zipper tip: if the zipper has a hole you can use a hanger hook to pull it up :)
What a great tip! Thanks for sharing.
Omg is that the one where her shoes get stolen at the baby shower???? I love that episode!!
Yes!! That one! I’m not a huge fan of Carrie in general but I second every observation she does in that episode :)
I need the magical back zipper pull in my life very soon. Yesterday I was about to pull my zipper. Take note that I have never had issues with this particular cloth. So I turned and turned and bent and turned and stretched until I gave up. Left my room in search of someone to help. It was that serious. Hihihihihihihihihihi
As a single 30 year old I have finally found a solution to this. Tie the end of a long ribbon to a safety pin. With the dress OFF, hook the safety pin through the zipper tab and close it. Put the dress on, grab the ribbon and hold it straight above your head. PULL UP and zip your dress. Reach behind your neck and undo the safety pin! Keep it in your closet for the next time you need one!
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