Easy Paper Book

Love and Happiness to Everyone

on this Special Day

This is an easier book, made with various card and paper products. Punch two holes, from the lower edge of the pages and cover. Cut the pages slightly smaller all around than the piece you are using for the cover. Thread the wired ribbon on the inside and tie on the outside of the book.

These smaller books give you a chance to experiment with cover designs, and decide what works or does not work, enabling the next one to be more to your liking. Children love the little books and care not if there is a mistake in them, so they will not go to waste.

I called this one the "Gift Book" because I put all the stickers I had saved, of wrapped gifts. The next ones will be using stickers like tea cups and tea themes, or cakes, and roses. I used paper that was already glittered for the pages of this book.

Use a Box to Make a Book Cover

This book is made a little differently than the previous one. It is a small book made from the snack raisin boxes for packed lunches.

First, you have to cut off all the flaps and folds until you get to a three sided section: one narrow between two wide sections, like this.

Cut paper a little larger than the piece of cardboard, so that you can pull the excess over to the other side, like this.

Here is the other side, completely covered. You can't use a card stock in this step, because it does not fold over as easily. This is a printed paper, normal weight, like typing paper.Then cut a piece to cover the back, leaving some of the trim showing. Here, I have used mylar paper from a gift bag purchased at Dollar Tree.

Punch one hole at each end, instead of two as in the previous post. Trace around one side of the book to determine the size of pages. Fold a piece of paper several times and cut pages on the fold. Make the pages a little smaller than the book.

Punch two holes in the pages, just like in the book jacket, and thread a ribbon through them, like this.

Tie the ribbon through the outside of the book jacket.

Add stickers or clippings to the front of the cover, like this.

This book is for a little girl who is two years old on December 25. She likes to be read to, but there are no "girl-books" around the place.

Some of the inside pages are just stickers from the dollar store,

and catalog clippings.

This one was made by a 9 year old boy, using construction papers as coverings and pages. He calls the book "The Luxury Rabbit" because Candy, from Alberta, sent me a glittered rabbit sticker that he used. He has had his eye on that sticker for quite some time and was so happy that he got to have it.

He uses stickers to fill the pages.

Now that you know how to make a book jacket out of a box, you won't even need a box any more. These book covers can be cut from card stock or heavy scrapbook papers. In case you think you have to have some skill or talent for things like this, let it be known that I never use a ruler. I "eye" everything.

When making pages or shapes or card designs, I often begin by folding paper on a straight edge, re-folding, until I get all the edges I want, then unfolding and cutting it out for a pattern. Projects like these are pretty even when you aren't accurate, and they are very hard to mess up. You can always paste over them again, if you do. Even if the box and pages are not cut straight, it makes a pretty little book. The attitude toward quiet endeavors like this, is not to "get it done" but to enjoy the color and the texture and the creativity of it all. I don't worry about how it will turn out.

Book From a Box

Try using an empty soda-bicarb box, raisin box; any small box. If you get a box that is too big, the binding will be so wide, it will take too many pages to fill it up.

Any box will do if the side of it is not very wide. Open up the box and cut off one narrow side, leaving three sections: two wide sides and the middle for the binding of the book. It will similar to the three ring binders.

Pages can be made from construction paper. If you have them ready, they can be traced on to the cardboard. Put the edge of the page up to the edge of the little section, called the back binding. Cut to fit, and repeat on the other side.

The book binding should now look like this. Gather up your spare papers to cover the outside and inside of this binding. You might have to piece some of it to get them to fit, if your book bigger than the paper. Smaller boxes fit just fine on regular sized papers.

Cover the outside. It is beginning to look like a book now.

Have your pages ready and punch holes in them. These holes will have to match the holes in the binder, so you may want to punch your book jacket first so you can line up the holes with the pages.

Using glue, cover the inside of the book. If you have no white glue, it is easy to make a paste with flour and water. Paint it on the cardboard with a pastry brush.

Punch two holes on each end with your hole puncher, like this.

Pull wired ribbon, string, cording, rope, or anything you like, through the holes in the pages, but do not tie them. Shown is narrow wired ribbon.

Lay the pages inside of the book. Then pull the ribbon on each side of the pages, through the two holes of the inside of the binder and tie them into little bows on the outside. Shown here is wide wired ribbon in silver. It is easy to get wide ribbon through the holes when you twist it first and insert it.

Using your decorative edge scissors, make edgings for the inside and outside of your little book and paste them down.

To make pages, just cut out things you like from catalogs and magazines that you might discard. Then cut pieces from glitter paper or any kind of colored paper you have. For the dark green border on the inside cover, I used the paper from a green envelope.

Some of the scraps on the inside pages.

This is the inside back of the book.

Click on for a larger view. Decorative scissors were used to cut borders of glitter paper for the edges on this book.

These little books can be what you want them to be: Primitive, country, romantic, seasonal, thematic, and personal. They are great for children's projects when they are learning about a particular subject, and they are relaxing to do if you just want to cut and glue. When we were young in the 1950's, cutting and gluing and creating was something we did when we were recovering from illness, snowed in, or for an activity to fill a lazy dazy day of summer.

Living the Slow Life

Holiday Impressions by Susan Rios (click for a closer view)

Christmas Cottage by Susan Rios (click for a closer view)

These homey scenes are the newest creation from http://www.susanrioseditions.com/ Just click on "Christmas Cottage" on the left side and view 4 or 5 pages of her altered paintings, where she has added colors and ornaments for the season, to many of her original paintings. Since I enjoy the altered looked (making more than one use of things) I think these paintings would be a bright spot for the home.

Snowed In Today

Snowed in can be a good thing, as it encourages the slow life as we once knew it. The fifties were only 10 years, and contrary to the rumors spread by those who were not even there, those years were not "fantasy" but reality. Much of the slow life was due to the fact that most women were home-based, and even if they earned money from the home, they were not as pressured to do everything. Men worked and brought home the bacon, as it was said, and women guarded that money and watched the out-go of it as carefully as they watched the in-come. That is one reason that we made so many things. We saved the money for things we could not possibly produce ourselves, but we also did not feel we needed a lot in order to be happy and fulfilled.

My own family spent many days snowed-in on the homestead, which I wrote about in the chapter called "Songbird in the Snow" in "Just Breathing the Air."

This is the beginning of the snowfall here where I live. It got much deeper after the photo was taken. In winters in the 1950's my parents enjoyed a large puzzle that would take all winter to put together. One of my brothers did not like puzzles, so my mother and father would always save out the last two pieces for him to put in place. It became such a tradition, that now that he is in his 40's, they still leave out two pieces for him, for when he drops by for a visit.

I recently put together the pink house by the sea by Nicky Boheme (available at the Dollar Tree for only a dollar) but it was very complicated. I got stuck around the seacoast of the painting and decided to give it up and go take a bath and get ready for bed. When I came back, there was the entire puzzle put together, with two token pieces left out for me, by my daughter, who loves puzzles. I don't care for them particularly, but the pink cottage by the sea was so tempting, that I made an exception. Personally, I could never figure out how some manufacturer could take a perfectly beautiful photograph or painting, chop it into a thousand pieces, and torture someone to put it back together.

For relaxation, I like to play around with different looks in table settings. When the photo-shoot is all finished, the family sits down to a meal using the new arrangement. Here I have used fabric and a few old cups for a green scene. Everyone enjoys the next "scene" for a meal time.

When I have homemaking classes for girls, I get out a variety of mismatched dishes and let them create their own place settings and centerpieces. Aqual lame fabric used as table cloth for this setting




This is another altered box, and can be made from a tissue box or half a saltine cracker box. It is first covered in white paper, any kind. Paint white glue on with a brush and just wrap and cut paper to size. Then paint glue over the top of that white surface and place tissue wrapping paper or any kind of napkin with a pretty print on it. While still wet, sprinkle with white glitter or iridescent glitter. Let dry in front of a heater or just let it set for an hour or so until dry. With a hole-punch, make holes on the sides and thread a wired piece of tinsel or ribbon through it. This box will hold a supply of hand made soaps. or maybe some small loaves of pumpkin bread for someone. In the 50's we used boxes for many different things and were always thrilled to get a nice box, so much so, that when a new box of Kleenex or any kind of dried food like oats, came into the house, we would say "I get the box!" and the first one who said it got the box.






There is a way to make a book binding out of the cardboard of some boxes, much like a three ring binder, which I might show sometime in the future. We used to have hours of engrossed contentment making our own little books.








It seemed that people were not in any particular hurry in those days, and if they could not get something they needed or go where they wanted, people became very resourceful with what was available. My mother spent a lot of time writing letters, reading books, knitting, making jewelry from resin (she bought a kit and put sea shells and local dried flowers in the pieces) and telling her own stories. Many women of the time worked very hard at home, and so their relaxation and luxury was in these things, which meant that others would benefit from their efforts.






To afford more time for things like quilting or painting (it seemed like everyone, including the men, were artist in those days and they loved to paint the scenery), women would put a huge pot of soup or stew on the wood burning cook stoves and a big pan of corn bread in the oven. When anyone got hungry, they would take a break and get the plates filled. Sometimes women brought their ironing (everything had to be ironed because you could not even get your shirt buttoned if it was not pressed. Fabric was that wrinkly), and ironing boards and visit with each other while they did their work.






I will try to write more about some of the ways of women in the 50's before life began to be so fast, including how they dressed, and what sort of feminine things they liked. Yes, they did like dresses and they did fix their hair and enjoyed pretty things like a new purse, shoes and gloves, and yes, they did make themselves presentable in the home. I've heard that people think it was all a fantasy, but even the every-day photographs of the time show the women looking as though they looked after themselves. Some did not, but it was not the trend to look dressed down or casual.

Dreaming of a Cheap Christmas

Tea Time by Judy Gibson

There are probably a number of young mothers who feel a lot of pressure this time of year and wonder how in the world they can do it all. There really isn't any law, Biblical or civil, that says you have to celebrate this season, but there are a number of ways to enjoy it if it is kept in perspective. Basically, people can do exactly as they please, and if they don't like something about the Christmas rush, they are absolutely free to skip the whole thing, if it gives them more peace. After all, its motto is "peace on earth."


When we were first married, we had no money to spend outside of our normal expenses of food and rent and gas. A friend noticed that we didn't have any signs of the season around our house, and she surprised us by coming over and creating a festive centerpiece for our table. She provided a few gifts and brought us a casserole. I was all for skipping the occasion, but after she had worked in her special way, I loved the effect of the tinsel and lights and the warmth of the table setting.

Our own children had a marvellous time one year just wrapping up their old toys and books, in small baby blankets, and giving them to each other. They had loads of fun discovering what was in the gift, because they had not seen some of the toys in such a long time.

One way to ease the busy-ness of the season is to say "yes" to any invitation of the parents or grandparents on either side, to spend the holidays with them. Everything there is usually all prepared.


There are many ways to create a sparkly Christmas without spending money, or spending very little. Below, you see the card stock weight cut-outs, outlined in glitter glue, with extra glitter sprinkled on. A small hole-punch can be used to provide a place to insert a thread or string to hang the ornaments.

The pattern below can be printed on card stock in any color. I have provided little stands for the candle and the teapot, in case it is to be used for a place card or a greeting card. Put some floral stickers on the teapot to make it look like fine china. Cardboard stands can be made for the other ornaments if desired, but they can also be hole-punched and used for ornaments.
Print this out on cardstock

The house ornament could be cut on a strip of folded paper so that it makes a garland. Some of you who are experienced in drawing houses, can put doors and windows, window boxes, and even candles in the windows, and add white glitter on the roof. Punch a hole in the top for an ornament, or cut on multi-folded paper and make a garland.

Most people already have some kind of paper in the house. We used to save business mail, because one side was always blank. These were used for our paper crafts. If you do not have card stock, you can glue your cut outs to the cardboard from cereal boxes or other boxes you normally would throw away. Glazing the ornaments with a brush dipped in glitter glue makes them look more expensive.

When you read the Little House on the Prairie series, you get the sense that the children were happy with just a pair of hand knit gloves as a gift. In Victorian times, people spent time secretly scurrying about trying to get materials to make little things like handkerchiefs and bags or holders for things.

Sentimental hand made gifts from Ladies Home Journal, 1890

Some of the materials used in that era were not available today. I used heavy brown paper for several of these projects.

One lady in her 80's told me she wondered why people didn't just send her a hand made patchwork potholder trimmed in bias tape, the way they used to. People used to look forward to getting an interesting dish towel or some soap and bubble bath. Christmas used to be the time we received our socks and slippers for the year. In some stores, here in the north, they run a sock sale just after Christmas. People go into the stores and pick out their socks and hide them behind other merchandise so they can go straight to them when the sale is on. I don't know if the proprietors have caught on yet, but this has been a tradition for many years at the local Fred Meyers, a department store.

Old Fashioned Patchwork Potholders With Bias Binding. Two on the right are vintage and the one on the left is an updated immitation. They take only a little time to make, and can be prepared all year long.

This year I noticed more and more hand made cards which are just beautiful. The card companies have to work hard to compete with the dimensional specialness of hand crafted cards. Cards, whatever the season, seem like a very bright and interesting enterprise for young ladies at home.The hand made cards are so special, they are worth saving in a box for someone to find years later. The hand made ones are so intricate, it seems that it would be gift enough. Some of them should be wrapped in paper and ribbon and given as gifts.

The only thing I do is string up some lights, and I put them on the inside of the house, along the top of windows. If someone drops by, they get a cup of hot cranberry-apple spiced punch. I mainly like the sparkle, the lights, and the brightness of the season.

Here you see the glittery chenille wired stems that come in a package of 20 for a dollar, used as initials on small gifts. Inside the packages: a small calendar, and a blank notebook with a beautiful cover, each only costing a dollar. On the left is an icicle ornament made by wrapping chenille wire around a pencil. An entire tree of these is just beautiful.

Wrapping paper can be made by rubber stamping the inside of brown paper bags or any white paper. It is much more challenging to the intellect to think of ways to manage a celebration without spending money.

More Shaped Tags/Ornaments

These are similar to the homestead crafts we learned in the wilderness in the 1950's when my parents first settled in the north. If we lacked ornaments or cards, we invented our own. It was common to take something from wrapping paper, whether it be a picture or an ornament, and glue it to cardboard from the groceries (anything that was empty was opened up and used for art paper or construction material), glazed over with decoupage or white glue, and glitterized.

I like to to use construction paper for these ornaments, because the color is on both sides. When using scrapbook papers, cut two, with the white sides together, and paste together, to give color on both sides. I used the Polymer or Scribbles paints to outline them, and the candle shape has glitter on the flame. To use them as tags or ornaments, punch or sew a tiny hole in the tops and thread a single piece of metallic embroidery thread to make a loop for each one. I will have the patterns available soon, and a few more ideas. I like year-round ornaments that I can use for all occasions.

I have a few more "word-signs" and some other paper projects that are taking me awhile to invent. It took a long time to draw and cut and re-do these to get the look I wanted. These shapes can be enlarged, and made with felt and other fabrics, like muslin, on which you can embroider or use the polymer liquid puff-paint. They would make interesting rubber stamps, but I have not yet figured out how to make those ;-) To make these more sturdy, use a marbelized card stock in pastels, and do the same amount of outlining and glitter on the backs, as well. It keeps them from buckling.

This is the sort of thing that women can do when their husbands have to be away for long periods of time. One thing I used to do is make a little patchwork pillow or some kind of decorative shaped pillow, each time he was gone, and now I have an interesting collection. Also, I think women at home alone need to develop a reputation for being hospitable and host regular get-togethers to make the days not so lonely and long. It is a great motivation to do nice things to your house.


My daughter and I had enormous pleasure perusing the holiday craft sales all around. This year, they were held in the most obscure and unusual places, and the less promising the premises looked, the better the products were. One place was held in the upper room of a glass factory, where a woman had placed the most wonderful array of Victorian crafts and art.

Another wonderful place was an old single wide trailor, but you would never have known it once you got inside. The proprietors had transformed it into a regal palace, full of wonderful dishes and tea sets and table cloths, fireplaces, and every good thing. Another craft sale was held inside a woman's garage. Again, there was no reminder that is was a garage. She had rugs to walk on, beautiful music playing, and samples of French Market Soup, to eat, which was sold in dried form in bags with measuring scoops. She had her store divided up into themes, and my favorite was the shabby chic section, where women had innovately transformed old furniture and lamps, wall pockets, and every good thing, into something fresh and sweet.

We also visited an old red barn, where a group of women had set up their hand made wares and it was absolutely lovely. These girls have such a feeling for the appearance and appeal of things.

I remember years ago (years and years) when window shopping was so popular, that proprietors sent some employees to window-dressing classes to learn how to create an appealing disply in the windows of shops, to draw people inside. We used to get dressed up and walk in the evenings just to see the window displays. Now, the down town areas have no window displays, and if someone does have something in those windows, it is not facing the street. The shops are not used in the same way as they were in times past, so we are more likely to look at the label on the back of a paint tin, than on a pretty living room display, in the window. This visit to the craft shows this year really made me wish we had window dressing again. The artisans and crafters just seem to get better and better.

The Electric Edwardians

Young women 1890 (New York Public Library)

Possibly early 20th century couple (New York Public Library)

I have just finished viewing "The Electric Victorians," a film from Netflix, which contains original footage of people in 1900, in Great Britain.

Men are shown wearing top hats and vests. The only really casual wear in the film was the football players on a field. The women's clothing was mainly dark skirts and white blouses. Not all women wore hats. It seemed to be more of a decoration or style, than a symbol of any belief. The beginning of the film was rather slow and repetitive, but as it progressed, was more interesting. There was a parade, and it it was a woman's group marching "for the family," against the demon alcohol. Men and children were also in the group supporting the ban of strong drink. Banners read "A Better Future For Your Children." The women were wearing white skirts and blouses and beautiful hats decorated with huge white roses, probably made of some kind of crinoline.

This film was made for the purpose of showing, later, at a theatre. The film makers would go to a street where people were milling around, or a park or a factory at closing time, and make a film of people. Then they would hand them a card and tell them where they could go to watch themselves in the movies. It was quite a popular thing to do , at the time, but it fell out of favor as film began to be used for other things like dramas and stories and news reports. These canisters of films of ordinary people were put in barrels and stored underneath a store, for preservation (it kept it cool) and discovered in this decade. The damaged parts were repaired and the films were restored enough to show again. I found the entire thing so interesting, for many reasons.

One thing I noticed was the friendly smiles and gestures between young men and young women. In our era, we tend to think of the Victorians and Edwardians as stiff and formal, with a lot of rules about courtship and such, and yet the young men and women coming out of factories seemed to be so friendly, it was as though they were just brothers and sisters. Maybe they were, but I thought it was interesting to see the interaction between them. It was a silent film, with music added to it.

Horses and carriages were shown as transportation in this film, and people seemed to enjoy walking around on the streets and parks. Men and women seemed happy and innocent and even enjoyed playing around with the camera, making faces and silly gestures. I would have liked to see their food preparation and the inside of the houses, but I suppose at the time, film makers needed the outdoor light and therefore did not do very much indoor filming.

In spite of the formality we sometimes associate with that era, the people seemed a lot more comfortable with each other than we do in any given crowd scene today.

This is from a school in Knoxville, Tennessee
(New York Public Library)

I enjoy looking at the clothing, especially the contrast between men and women's garments. There seems to be a greater difference between men's and women's clothing and hairstyles. In the film, the men and women appeared to be very comfortable with each other. The impression I had, was one of having a common interest or of working together for something that was deeply important. Others may watch this film and find different interests, but I really enjoyed seeing them all walking around together in a normal way. While we sometimes stereotype people of that era, saying that women were not allowed out without escorts, etc., it didn't seem like that in this film. They were enjoying walking around in a free society. Men occasionally tipped their hats. Children held the hands of their fathers, and people smiled a lot! This is surprising, since the actual photographs from the same era do not have so many smiles.

I liked the clothing, and I have heard it was actually very colorful in that era.

I plan to order this again and get a better look. The extra materials on the discovery of the films, and the making of the movie are also really worth listening to.

Managing the Home

Photo from BHG

The local Dollar Tree store yielded several impressive books this week. I was surprised that books I had been wanting,which normally would have cost me ten to fifteen dollars elsewhere (even on the web), were brand new for only a dollar. One such book is called "Finding Betty Crocker" by Susan Marks, and the other was "The Business of Bliss" which was a publication of Victoria magazine. Both books made me feel right at home.

The era of Betty Crocker spanned from 1920 until the present time. One question that was posed to the Betty Crocker company, during wartime, was: "Please tell me how I am supposed to manage looking after four small children, keep the house clean, cook for my husband when he arrives home, and still be cheerful."

The Betty Crocker company bought a radio station and hired various spokeswomen to read questions and give answers. Homemakers were the greatest recipients of these broadcasts, because the radio helped them make connection with the outside world, a feature that was eagerly embraced by farm women all across the nation.

The answer that Betty Crocker (not a real person, but an industry), gave regarding the oft asked questions about managing the home, was as appropriate then as it will be today.

First, she said, get yourself dressed up, put on your makeup and arrange your hair nicely. Wear an apron to keep your dress clean, and put a pretty dish towel over your shoulder, so that you can reach up and wipe your hands or use the towel for any little spills, to dry a tea cup or take something out of the oven. Women wrote letters that were read over the radio show, saying that it did them no end of good to get dressed up in the morning, even with small children around, and even when they did not expect that anyone would see them during the day. No matter how late of a start you get, I think this is such an important step in homemaking. It gives the job a good beginning. It sort of makes you stand at attention when you look like you are prepared for company, or dressed to receive guests, even if you are not. If you never see anyone, at least you will have something to write about in your journal.

I am sure every woman develops her own preference and style of home making, and I have heard women talk about things that really work to get them motivated, to put them in charge of their homes, and to bring them the most satisfaction and happiness.

Getting out a favorite tea set and making hot tea, pulling out a pretty notepad and pen, and making a list of things to be done, is so important in getting ahold of the day. If your house feels very out of control, this step is even more important. The elegance and orderliness of this act seems to settle the mind. Once a list is made, it gives you a guideline to follow.

A common list to follow, would be something like this:

- personal appearance

-tea and list

-clean living area

-kitchen

-put in laundry

-clean bathroom

-bedrooms.

If you are particularly discouraged, dress up. This habit will bring some interesting responses, such as: "Mom is all dressed up. She must be going to clean house." When you are working, listen to pleasant music that paces you a little, but also is reassuring and soothing.

The job list does not have to be the same every day. Three are only a few main things that must be done, if you are pressed for time: the dishes washed, the laundry caught up, and meals. Children can always help with something, to save you steps and save you time.

Women with children need to incorporate the needs of the children into their homemaking and house keeping. Children will need to have their hands washed, or drinks of water, diapers and clothing changed. It is important to be available for those needs at the time they are needed, because that is one of the purposes of staying home. You can stop whatever you are doing, tend to a child, and then continue where you left off, whether it be cleaning the floor, washing dishes, or putting a room in order. Keep your list nearby or in your apron pocket and when you have been interrupted, say "Let me see...where was I? and look at that list." This will keep you from being so distracted that you end up wandering around in circles, never accomplishing anything.

In a normal home with children, it might be possible that you will only get one thing on your list completed, but that does not mean that you throw up your hands in despair and give up. Each day, you will get a little better at it, until you finally have the home in control. Children need to be "on your side" and need to know their mother's hopes. Tell them what you want to do, and ask for their help and their encouragement, so that you are all working as a team. If mother is happy, everyone will be happy.

Children need to be taught to do some things on their own, so that mother does not have to stand over them every minute, using up the time she needs to get the house in order. Some children can follow her around from task to task and watch her or help in a small way, and older children can do huge tasks such as vacuuming or cleaning a bedroom.

The other book that was purchased from the dollar store, "The Business of Bliss" was about having a business from the home, but I got a lot of ideas about it for homemaking. I observed that things that make a shop appealing are: soft sounds, pleasant scents, low, indirect lighting (in other words, not over head lights), and household necessities (furniture, dishes, etc) which were necessary but still beautiful. A shopkeeper with a home business chooses her own hours and if she is not feeling well, or has other things that need attention, she does not have to be open. She can choose what she wants to sell and what style she likes. I believe this feeling can be translated to the home.

When a person first enters their home, they should feel excited to be home. If a homemaker will teach her children to get the house ready for their father's arrival, she will never regret it. Instead of having the father come home and have to hunt for everyone, they can all be expecting him, having gotten the house cleaned up, their clothing neatened, hair combed, and greeting him at the door. This will set the tone for his arrival, which is something he will really look forward to.

If the beginning of the day is used to prepare for the end of the day, you will find that you can get a lot more accomplished. Just imagine what you want it to be like when your husband comes home, plan for it, and work toward that end. You will find that you accomplish more useful things during the day when you are acting as though you are expecting someone at a certain hour.

It was interesting that "Finding Betty Crocker" originally spoke to women at home whose husbands were overseas in the military. These women must have suffered extreme loneliness, yet they thought it was important that their houses looked nice, their children had good habits and learned to work, and that they, themselves were well dressed. The Betty Crocker radio shows tried to keep up the morale of these homemakers, stating in many broadcasts, that what they were doing was more important than any other type of work.

This book addressed the problem of the men being away for long periods of time,and that is something I will cover at a later date. There are many things that can be done during the times that husbands are away at work, or away overseas, that will make the wait seem smaller and the time more worthwhile.