Airing the Home

In this dead of winter I’ve been noticing the indoor air of our home becoming stale. To deal with this I open the windows each morning upon rising to air out the home. Especially in the bedrooms. It makes it a bit chilly for a few hours but oddly refreshing and clean.

It had already been my year round habit, much to the chagrin of my mother who thought I was not making the beds, been airing the beds each day. It is my daily habit to not make the beds until well after breakfast which makes some early visitors to my home think I do no housekeeping.

This is a Vintage tip I learned in my readings long ago which I apply to today’s lifestyle. Read on…


“the room ought to be thoroughly ventilated, for
at least an hour, even in the winter season. If the weather
is such, that rain or snow is likely to come in at the windows,
on quitting the room leave the door open, or at least a-jar, that
as much air may be admitted as possible. The atmosphere of
no apartment can be wholesome, unless it is well ventilated, at
least once a day.”
~Miss Leslie’s Lady’s House Book

“let each member of the
family open her window and close her bedroom
door for a short time, then close her window and
open her door, and the fresh air will seem to warm
up even more quickly than the stale air.”
~Housekeeping for Little Girls
Caring for Your Bedroom

A girl’s own room should be her joy and pride.
If two girls share the same room, both should
be equally interested in the appearance and care of it. One of
the ways in which you may help your mother is to care for your
room every day. If there is some household help, you may be
relieved of some of the cleaning.
Daily Care
1. Air the bedroom every day. As soon as you get
up in the morning, throw all of the covers back over the foot of the
bed and spread them over some chairs. Open the windows wide and
let the bedding air while you get ready for school and eat breakfast.

2. Open the closets and allow them to air.

3. Make the bed before you go to school. Place a mattress
pad on the mattress for protection and comfort. This may be
a quilted pad, a blanket, or a quilt. Place a sheet, right side
up, over the mattress pad. Stretch it smoothly and tuck the
ends in firmly, then fold the sides in straight, making a neat corner.
Place the top sheet, wrong side up, over the first sheet. Pull it
smoothly and tuck it in firmly at the bottom. Place the blankets or
warm covers over the sheet. Put them on straight and smooth, and
tuck in firmly at the bottom. Fold the top sheet, at the head of
the bed, back over the end of the covers. Shake the pillows and
place neatly on the bed. Place the bedspread over the covers and
arrange neatly.

4. Pick up all clothing, papers, and books and put them in their
proper places.

5. Arrange your dresser in a neat and orderly manner.

Dust your room if necessary. “

~The Mode in Dress and Home

February 22, 2011 | | Comments Closed

Springtime Gardening

I once told my family that had we lived during the pioneer days we would have starved due to my excessive squeemishness over the bugs in the garden.
Just imagine you were living sometime during the 19th century and your family relied on you to grow the bulk of their food.
This includes what goes on the table summer, winter, spring and fall.
Such was the case for the pioneer woman of long ago.The grocery stores of today were unheard of in pioneer times.
The bulk of the pioneer’s diet had to come from what they were able to grow or pick.
Pioneers had to also be good at food preservation as the refrigerator was not yet invented or available. Canning, drying and the root cellar where methods of food preservation.
Making foods from scratch was a given. No cake mixes or hamburger helper here.

As the weather turns slightly warmer and the new buds (and bugs) begin to show themselves we know that Spring planting is in the air.
Get an early start on your vegetable gardening endeavors with these timeless tips from...

~Gardening for Little Girls 1916

Cabbage

For early crop, start seed indoors in February or
March and transplant, when four leaves appear, to
another seed box until you can plant in open
ground in May. For later crop sow seeds in rows
in open ground during April and May, and trans-
plant during July and August, to 20 in. apart, in
rows 3 ft. apart. Cultivate often, to keep moisture
in the soil. Prepare to fight pests, early and late.
After the seventy or more remedies suggested by
one authority, for maggots alone, the amateur
might feel like abandoning cabbage, but at the price
this moment of $160.00 a ton, wholesale, in New
York City, a person with even a handkerchief bed
feels like attempting this luxury.

Carrots

Hardy and easily grown, they can be sown in
rows that are 12 in. apart, and thinned out to 3 in.
apart in the row. They can be started as early as
April, and sown for succession up to the middle of
July. Cultivate often. 

Lettuce 

Can be started in boxes indoors, in March.
Make sowing in the open ground from April to
November, if you protect the first and last. Put in
nice, rich soil, in warm spot, and transplant when
big enough to handle, into rows, setting 5 in, apart.
Don't forget to weed!



Onions

Plant seed in fine, rich, well-prepared soil, as
early as possible, in shallow driUs, 12 in. apart.
Firm down with the back of your spade, and when
well started, thin out to 3 in. apart in the rows.
Hoe often without covering the bulbs, and water
freely.

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February 21, 2011 | | Tags: , , , | Comments Closed

Children’s Victorian Parties

The Season of Children’s Parties is upon us! Children of the Victorian and Edwardian eras were cherished and doted upon (those of privileged families). As much energy as we put into our children’s birthday parties today was put into parties year round to entertain the youngest family members. Here are a few tidbits in case you would like to have your child’s next birthday party have a taste of the past…Happy Birthday!

Children’s Parties


For wee people early parties are considered best by mothers for then regular suppers and habits are interfered with so from 3 to 6 o clock is the favorite The invitations are generally written by the mother hostess but the children’s party paper may be used if preferred.

~Mrs. Norton’s Cookbook, 1917

Invitations to children’s parties are issued in the of the little people and it is a pleasant task for a man or woman to write them and address them to The invitations may be engraved but they are frequently written upon small note sheets which are obtainable at first class stationers shops and enclosed in small envelopes.

~Good Manners, 1888

Give the little ones plenty of fun entertainment surround flowers and bright decorations the table be pretty and dainty the food simple and plain in order.

~The American Kitchen Magazine, 1896-97

Music is almost indispensable at a children’s party as many of the favorite kindergarten games are accompanied by music and if the children do not dance they are usually fond of listening to a bright catchy melody.

~Everyday Housekeeping, 1895

Games

For a Dutch party the table centerpiece is a big windmill Jack Horner pie filled with little gifts in toys and other reminders of Holland. The refreshments include a number of cakes and cookies made from Holland recipes with real honey loaf sandwiches. The costumes are those familiar to us in Dutch paintings.

An appropriate fall party is a Puritan party to which the girls come in gray gowns and white kerchiefs and the boys garbed like diminutive William Penns. The games for this party include a corn shelling contest winding yarn on spindles and a number of old fashioned games which are new to this generation. The refreshments are marble cake and doughnuts served with floating island.

For older children there are travel parties which have a little educational note running through them.

Animal parties are especially pleasing to boys and they glory in having on a dangerous animal headpiece which strikes terror to the hearts of little girls. For the centerpiece in this case an elephant is the Pie and the favors are stowed away in the elaborate carrying saddle on his ample back.

~Mrs. Norton’s Cookbook, 1917


February 3, 2011 | | Comments Closed