As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

VJsmum

When my brother in law married my best friend, I was "Best Woman" at the wedding and had to give a speech :eek:

Fortunately i was aware of the following from Good Housekeeping 1955 (tho it may be fake)

I think my future (very pro women's rights) sister in law appreciated the advice

The Good Wife's Guide

From Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May, 1955.

View the original article as a graphic
Note: This may actually be fake. See Snopes.

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
• Be happy to see him.
• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
• Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
• A good wife always knows her place.

Uniscots97

ginnyknit wrote: »

unixgirluk, fab idea, Im sick of dripping hems! Just bought a very nice jersey skirt in the sale from Evans, black of course, and some fabric to make a jacket as I looked in the mirror and noticed the back hem of my jacket is really worn (somehow?) May as well cut up the old jacket and make a pattern from it as its perfect other than being a bit shabby.

Is it just the hem Ginny? Do you wear the jacket whilst driving or sitting? If so then this will wear the hem down. I speak from experience on this as i have to wear suits to work and my jackets always end up like this. If they're not too bad I will wipe them over with vinegar and water (about an egg cup of white vinegar and a pint of lukewarm water) then cool wash them and they come up well. This also works for a shiny seat in trousers or skirts. If they are really bad I get bias binding or ribbon (depending on my mood and the fabric) and fold it in half and stitch it around the jacket to edge it all if that makes sense. You can even use a contrasting colour for the thread. It means my favourite clothes last longer.

I'm looking slightly goth today (well more than I usually do at work), black pin stripe suit, black puff sleeve top and flat black sandals with black bangles. Getting a few looks as I don't usually do black head to toe in work (have an excuse as put huge wash on before I left for work).

ceridwen

Aw...GreyQueen....not like "Long Tall Sally"...must admit to looking a bit enviously at some of the clothes in there myself....as I'm WAY too short to be able to get any of their stuff. On a good day (bad day?) I can occasionally buy something from Petite ranges in shops...:rotfl:. Its so much easier for tall people to look elegant - but mind you I'm looking a bit "scruff bag" at the moment as I dont see the point on spending money on new clothing I need until I've lost a few lbs excess weight I currently have.

See - from your signature - that the "keep off chocolate diet" seems to be working slowly but surely. Is the only difference you've made to your diet keeping off your "particular sin" then? (ie that chocolate) or have you made other alterations as well?

I need a bit of encouragement that just keeping off my "particular sin" (ie often having a couple of glasses of wine with dinner) would be sufficient on its own - without having to go on a diet per se. I havent got much at all to lose - and most people would disagree that I need to lose anything. Even my parents dont think I need to lose weight - so I cant be that overweight (or I would have been "told" in no uncertain terms:rotfl:) - but I know I do..

jackel

Thankyou VJsmum for your Good Wife Guide (1950's) At last I realize why my first (long ago) marriage failed !

grandma247

Good morning. MMM you could be right about the thing and I know a lot of people would like to see it cheaper as it is not really economical to use the dearer ones. You might as well go out and buy ready mades as it would be cheaper. I worked the dear ones to be around 48p each depending on where you get them. The others work out considerably cheaper.

I am a bit low this morning. You all make me smile when I come here though.

redlady_1

Well, I have just purchased one of these http://www.gyroscope.com/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN (I dont know how to make the linky bit into "these") It will be interesting to see whether it makes any difference in the winter.

GQ - I have to have long leg in trousers and whilst they are pricey Fenn Wright Manson's standard leg length is 33/34 I think off the top of my head. I have several pairs of their trousers. Also my casual stuff is Rohan in long leg and also Monsoon do long leg too.

jediteacher

annie123 wrote: »

I used to buy a lot from ebay (when I had a job!) and most items were posted within 48 hours.
I have bought things from people saying " I only post on Thursday" I may have won it on a Friday so I know it won't be sent for nearly a week and 10 days before I get it) or "I will dispatch within 7 days of auction closing, please don't bid if this is not acceptable" etc
Buy yourself some dispatch time with new listings. Always better to be honest about when you can send, then if anyone complains you can point out it you stated clearly in your terms and conditions and if you're quicker then email the buyer and let them know first, they may want a longer time as they could be away for a few days etc.

HTH

Thanks. However, I have been doing the things you've suggested.
On my listings I have always written which days I can send items and when someone buys something from me I email them to let them know when I'm sending the item. I email again to let the buyer know when I've sent the item. Cannot list anything to sell now as I'm banned forever.

On a more OS note I have 2 green tomatoes. :j

juliettet

Redlady, TM Lewin have sale suits at the moment and the quality is great. (I have their blouses at 3 for £75 comparable to Next) The leg length is very long & they hem them for free!

Skint_but_Optimistic

Morning all

Im sitting at work thinking of emptying my freezer!!! I think tonight I will make a list of the remaining raw ingredients search out recipies where required and spend a wild friday night cooking things for the other freezer. (DH and myself will feast on duck breast on friday!) Im edging closer to the defrost. I made a weird sauce last night, had some soft tomatoes, some chili and wine and orange juice in it, and its going to contain "random fish". Tonights offering. hope we survive it!

ON the upside, we have only bought a bag of spinach and some green beans this week. I might make this a bi monthly occurance, and call it freezer week!

I enjoy it too much.



jediteacher, I really feel for you. I hope you manage a new alias via the library.

GreyQueen

redlady_1 wrote: »

Well, I have just purchased one of these http://www.gyroscope.com/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN (I dont know how to make the linky bit into "these") It will be interesting to see whether it makes any difference in the winter.

GQ - I have to have long leg in trousers and whilst they are pricey Fenn Wright Manson's standard leg length is 33/34 I think off the top of my head. I have several pairs of their trousers. Also my casual stuff is Rohan in long leg and also Monsoon do long leg too.

Thanks for that, redlady. I wear a 33/34 inside leg, too. Have gone back to the shop where I got my current work trews off the peg and in less than 5 mins and guess what? Took a pair bootcut 18s into the changing room; falling off me. Took a pair 16s in same style - considerable gap in the waistband, daren't zip them. out again, another style of waistband but also black bootcuts, took 18 and 16 into the changing room this time.

:mad: 18 was like a second skin and I looked like an overstuffed sausage. At that point I mentally stamped my feet and said burger it.

So I went into a couple of c.s to look at books and spotted the perfect coat for £5, tried it on and looks ace. The buttons are letting the side down a bit but I shall take one as a sample over to Mum's and see if her dozen button tins have something a bit nicer to offer.

I have very limited patience for shopping; will have another go tomorrow. Or may wait until I drop a few more pounds.