Homemaker's Support - Listen While You Work: Good Grooming, Health, Careful With Information, and More

Hello Ladies,

I am attempting to keep these videos coming a little more often, and hopefully I can sit down and do one tomorrow also. In the meantime I hope you get a lot done at home while you listen to this!

Someone asked me to give my input about what to do if you are a homemaker and homeschooling and have suffered a loss of income or have to adjust to less money, and so I do my best to warn not to panic or be drastic when adjusting to this.

I included something more concerning health, with a discussion of the waistline: in a way the waistline is the "center" of your bodily health and has a lot to do with how things are going with the rest of your body. I heard a nutritionist say "If you can get your waistline back, you can retrieve your health." You can look up more about this yourself, online and see what you come up with.

Also, the subject of having your own car is laid forth in this discussion, as I talk about how I have to be efficient with my time, get what I need to run the house and get back home to do things I need done, rather than sharing a ride with anyone and waiting many more hours for them.

Today while describing my plaid "Time and True" shirt that I bought at Walmart, I mentioned this coat that was worn by one of the European royals last winter. This is the plaid I was looking for in fabric. It doesn't appear to have so much dark blue in it and I really like how the red stripes show up. I always peruse the plaid aisle of the fabric stores hoping there might be something like it there. I like the aqua color.

I also read a little from one of the original publications of Christian Charm Course by Emily Hunter, which I had used when I was a teenager. It has been revised several times since "the olden days" and I noticed there is a new version, as you see here, however, you can still get good copies of the older versions on Ebay, Etsy, Thrift Books and other places. Although it says it is for young girls, I would suggest every woman of every age get a copy for themselves and take the course!

Click here to Order this book

Give your girls a guide to growing up into charming Christian women! This workbook features traditional advice on posture, pleasant countenances, exercising & nutrition, hygiene, makeup, the best clothing for you, and other aspects of growing up. Information is given in short, fun-to-read paragraphs, and the end of each chapter relates to a scriptural truth. Questions are given at the end for the girls to answer and reflect upon. 80 pages, softcover. This student guide is designed to be used alongside the The New Christian Charm Course Teacher's Manual.

Samples of kitchen cannisters that I spoke of in the video:

Thank you so much for your kind visit, and especially your comments! If you have difficulty leaving a comment here, you are welcome to click that email link on the side and send me a letter.



I live in the country so I take advantage of the shopping in nearby small-town-America where there is a Dollar Tree. I have purchased my cosmetics there and today I am wearing Wet and Wild. I wish they would change the name to "Happy and Free" or something like like "Sensible and Serene." I like that these products are not promoted by film and television celebrities and that they are only 99cents in some of the other stores in town.

Today I am wearing Wet and Wild Lip Silk Finish lip color  called Cherry Frost.

Listen While You Work: Nutrition, Cooking, The Jane Austen Diet, Alcohol

Hello Ladies!!

It felt good to talk to you again, and you can talk back to me by leaving some comments!

The purpose of this video is to keep you company while you catch up on a few things at home. It is always nice to listen to something while you work.  

The book I read aloud from:

Today I am wearing on my face:

Above: Castor Oil--which has to be mixed with another oil because it is too sticky to spread. I have been using this on my face, neck and back of hands for the last two weeks. It is too early for a report.  The foundation is from W & W in Rose Ivory, and the blush is a wonderful emollient stick from the same company.  These are all available from Dollar Tree and Walmart, all under $5.00.  I like that these products do not promote any celebrities or big names.

The Jane Austen Diet book pointed out that as fat was reduced from foods, carbohydrates (which convert to sugar in the body) were consumed more , causing many of the health problems we have today.

In this video I bring out some simple points:

Eat food as close the original form it was created in, as much as you can.

Shop the perimeters of the grocery store where the real food is located.

Your liver can only handle a teaspoon or so a day of sugar, but sugar may also be in your bread and pasta, cereals ,  peanut butter, coated on nuts, spaghetti and tomato sauces, condiments and many other foods.

Eating protein foods will help you lose your craving for sweets.

One-pan cooking gives you the flavor you need and does a great job of cooking things adequately, leaving less clean-up in the kitchen.

Salads in summer and home made soups in winter help keep viruses at bay and will make you feel good all around.

Alcoholic drinks have a very high sugar content but few nutritionists are talking about it. They go on and on about juices being "pure sugar" but fail to mention alcohol. Modern alcohol is not the same as ancient alcohol because rather than being naturally fermented, it is fortified (strengthened) by mixing it with an ingredient called ethanol, contained in strong drink. 

I spoke a little about women and alcohol, and I also took the trouble to find a link with more information than I could give. https://www.health.com/alcoholism/rethink-relationship-to-alcohol

Those who wish to search this issue further might benefit from this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoY9aY80lL0&t=250s


If you are concerned at all about your weight, it is good to know that the calories from alcohol, just like sugar, are used up first and more quickly than anything else you eat, turning the rest of it to stored  fat. So if you want to burn up your stored fat, avoid the alcohol. (As I said before, research this for yourself.)

Too much sugar https://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-toxic-truth/#.XY2L0VVKjIU

Dressing in Harmony With Creation

Painting: Honeydew by 

Hello Ladies,

I was intending to make another listen-as-you-work video but I got struck with a feeling of sleepiness early in the day that wouldn't shake off, so I decided to rest. It had been a very busy weekend.  During this time of resting I ate some honeydew melon and also took the time to research the benefits of honeydew and cantaloupe. These fruits are incredibly loaded with nutrients that improve the body and help alleviate many ailments.   

Above you see from the view through our window, how very green it is around here.

The paintings below are by an artist, Hans Dahl, (Norway 1849-1937) and I am posting there here because I want to talk a little about how we dress.  The older women really need to be examples in the what they wear, but if you are younger, please do not waste time looking for examples in older women. Just start right now becoming that older woman, by dressing well and being a good example.

Despite the natural wildness of the surroundings, this girl is dressed in something that harmonizes well with nature--quite a contrast with what you might see today.  In speaking of harmony, I mean that it does not jolt your senses with something that seems to contradict the surroundings. I can talk more about that on a video.

The sleeves take on the hue of the blue water and the longer garment is as graceful as the soft meadow. The colors, too, of the dress likely are the same as the surrounding flowers.

Have you ever noticed how the painters of the 19th century include something with the subject from the background?  I will try to find more of these paintings to show you.

I realize the artists painted an idealistic version of dress, but wouldn't it be lovely if we all paid more attention to what we look like to others, maybe with the thought in mind of dressing to inspire an artist?  Would the way you dress  inspire someone to think, "I must put this on canvas to create an all-time memory?"

I was thinking of the pioneers, of whom I have spoken in some of my posts, who walked the Oregon trail. Yes, the women walked. They did not ride in the wagons, which carried their supplies and belongings.  Despite the rough circumstances,, the photographs and museums exhibit women's clothing as being much like the ones here in the Hans Dahl paintings. 

Why is it that women of the past managed to help the men in so many things, from chopping wood to carrying water, in clothing, though very plain and rough, that covered them so amply and gracefully. If they could have looked ahead to future generations that never had to walk such an arduous path, yet are wearing things that make them look like they are always running a race, I wonder what they would think. That is not to say that we should ever view ourselves in light of the judgement of others in the past but I wonder a lot about how the clothing has become what you are seeing now, so that only a minority of women are able to dress in a lovely way, and even question the very idea of it.

I noticed on Pinterest many dresses and skirts that are being sold today which are quite feminine and flattering to women. 

I'm certainly not saying we must wear 19th century costumes, but we can wear things that make us look different from the men; in fact, why not wear things that make us look strikingly different than the men.

I realize the prevailing culture has made this a controversy. Isn't that sad?  I wonder if the Victorian women or the pioneer women would ever have imagined that choosing long pretty dresses would become a bone of contention in society.

There is good news. It is possible to choose "pretty."

Have a look at Pinterest for long dresses with sleeves  and see what you get. There are a lot of floral dresses too, and if you don't want to wear dresses, there are some very feminine and pretty tops you can get that are longer.  

Actually, these aren't very pretty but they have a soft appearance and I wanted to show some fashions with the nature in the background. Perhaps you could find more that are nicer.

I noticed that April Cornell's catalog which came in the mail (you can get one for free online) are shown in nature backgrounds and many are posed in home-settings, such as the entry, living room, patio, kitchen, and it is so lovely. 

I hope to talk in more detail about this on video and share some ideas I've had.

I found this on Pinterest, from Summer Storm (UK) . If you are young I think you can wear this, and enjoy being pretty. Don't dress drab and dull or look like you are giving up when you are young.  Don't be old before your time!

To older ladies I would say, do not give up on your appearance. You can still dress beautifully and it will give you a feeling of purpose.

Here are some more from Pinterest:

This might not be as modest as we like, but I can get some design and fabric ideas from it for sewing.  I like the calico fabric.

This is a Laura Ashley original, which I read was in a museum --- that seems so amusing, to know that dresses I used to wear are now in a museum. It reminds me of something someone said in a movie, "The time will come when your beliefs will be locked up in a museum."

I am searching for a pattern for this particular Laura Ashley design, if one ever existed. Some of the clothing sold in the Laura Ashley stores  were never put into commercial patterns. 

For a closing note, I will share some pictures of sayings found in a local home goods shop:

 When Mr. S. is with me, he gets out his daytimer and writes down all the sayings he sees that he gets a kick out of, while he is waiting for me.

Homemaker Support - Listen While You Work: Preparing Yourself, Pioneering Your Work, Speaking With Emphasis

Pierre-Joseph Redoute (1759-1840) 

 Teacup of the day: Redoute Roses

from HomeGoods (TJ Maxx)

Hello Ladies,

 Today I am talking about the usual three things:

*Preparing yourself for the day at home

*Homemaking

*People

Actually it is a lot more interesting than the titles would imply, so be sure and find some repetitive thing that needs to be done and tune in while you go about your day.

Also, please leave a comment!!

Here are the names of the books I mentioned. They are actually short stories that you should be able to find online, or look in my search area:

When Queens Ride By (available on Amazon Kindle)
Keeper of the Springs by Peter Marshall
Women's Lib by Taylor Caldwell
The Wife, by Washington Irving.

The other books I read from were the 3rd McGuffey Reader, the introduction pages, and Spencerian Penmanship book 5.

Homemaker Support: Listen As You Go--Choosing Cheerful Clothing, Cleaning a Child's Bedroom, Speaking Clearly, Being Polite

 These are the Sweet Peas I showed in the video and this is the sweet pea teacup that goes with it:

Dear Ladies,

I am not happy with the glare of the  back light in this video but you do not have to watch it; it is made for listening!  I did not want to speak it all over again so it will have to do. I hope to do better in the next one. 

In this video I discuss preparation for your homemaking day, and stress the importance of dressing to improve your mood, or to go with the type of day it is.  I also talk about cleaning a child's room, and teaching children to avoid monotone.

You will love the part I read from Christians on the Oregon Trail, where a group of travelers told the wagon master not to shove Christianity down their throats!  Also, the "left behind" story will make you cringe, as it has happened to so many of us! But I show how few mishaps these pioneers had, arriving safely and on time, with provisions left over, by being honoring and careful during the journey and not trying to find shortcuts.

These are the new pink boots I just bought---thanks to some of your donations.  They are very well made and I like that they are stitched at the sole rather than glued. Ross, a discount store like T.J. Maxx, or Marshalls, had them for about $15.00 and they are by a brand called Guess. Guess I never thought I'd wear Guess but with a price and quality like that, I'm game for Guess.


Here are some pictures of the 1980's Laura Ashley Patterns. One of them is actually by a company called Lanz. I mentioned in the video that I miss some of the large Battenburg collars of the dresses of that era.

These dresses were casual enough for the home but you could go out on a moment's notice and they were dignified and pretty.

Basically they were a skirt and a blouse sewn together, and were MUCH better than the 1950's "house dress".

This was made of cotton calico, a rather homespun type of fabric, and though the garment looks very dressy, it was a dream to wear at home; so comfortable you felt totally natural wearing it.  I'm always on the lookout for this pattern.

Listen While You Work!

Hello Ladies,

I hope you have a wonderful, glorious day at home getting all those things in order that make home a pleasant and worthwhile place to be!

The sun was sinking fast while I was broadcasting outside and at the very end of this video you can see the traffic lights (its a real traffic jam when there are more than two cars on the road)  on the edge of the land.  I wanted you to see more of my surroundings and the land here in one part of Oregon. Those are the coastal ranges in the background of the photo. 

Please be sure to click the bell on the YouTube channel so you will receive notifications when a new video is published. Also be sure and subscribe to this blog so the posts will come into your email.

Featured Teacup:

This is the fabric I'm wearing in the video:

 100% cotton print fabric 

This is the Ethel Cotton Course in Conversation from 1962 (London, England) that I mentioned in the video:

The boxed set includes these titles:

1. Guiding Conversation

2. Getting Acquainted

3. Overcoming Irritation

4.Too Tired to Talk

5. Humor in Conversation

6. Complexes

7. Discussing Books and Plays

8. Colorful Descriptions

9. Home Conversation

10. Brief Conversations

11. Long Conversation

12. Carrying on the Adventure

Going to get new boots soon but its hard to let go when they become so worn and comfortable ;-) These have protected my feet indoors and outside.

Here is the post on Cynicism that I spoke of in the video.

https://homeliving.blogspot.com/2011/12/abundant-living-for-homemaker.html 

Please leave a comment!!