NOTES FOR WOMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20317, 27 January 1928, Page 15

NOTES FOR WOMEN.

By Phillida. (Continued from page 14) FIXING LOOSE COVERS. When a loose mattress cushion is to bo placed at thu hack oi a straight-backed chair, some kind o£ fastening is necessary to keep it in place, and e " hood ” is perhaps the most satisfactory one. Cut a strip about Tin wide, of the covering material, and 3in longer than the width of the cushion, and hem it on one of the long sides. If liked, however, these strips may be cut about 12in wide and doubled and this is always advisable when a thin material is used. Lot this strip into the top, and so far as its width will allow, the. sides of the cushion, easing 0110 inch of it into each of the corners. Slip this “ hood over the back of the chair. INVENTIONS THAT INTEREST. There seems to bo no end to the laboursaving devices and the beautifying apparatus which come on to the market. Some prove themselves invaluable, of course, while others, for some reason or other, never seem to “ catch on.” But it is always interesting to hear about them and to sec how they operate. The whistling and singing kettle is now an old friend, indeed an established member of many households. 11 is sister, the ringing saucepan, appeared at the recent International Exhibition of Inventions. The secret is in the lid, which rings a boll when boiling point is reached. Other attractions were a cooker that bakes, boils, steams, stews, and fries at the same time, and coffee and teapot lids which strain the tea or coffee, and which will not fall off' even when turned upside down. On the beautifying side there was a new hair-waving machine and a revolving powder puli’. Rainproof powders and permanent lipsticks arc, of course, in popular demand. Personally I ask for a preparation that will prevent the hands from absorbing dirt. In the winter, especially, hands seem to get so dirty, and constant washing spells ruination to the colour and texture of the skin. A WORD ABOUT EXERCISING. At one time it would never have occurred to a girl to carry on witn physical jerks alter , she had left school, but to-day many of them pride themselves on the fact that they do their ” daily dozen ” regularly. Physical jerk s have their drawbacks, however, because they are invariably executed indoors, and because those who do them sometimes do them in lieu of outdoor exercise. They take up les s time and are more conveniently done. Of course, the ideal way is to do exercises in the open air, but if this is impossible they should be done in front of an open window. It is, of course, superfluous to say that they arc most comfortably and suitably done in a bathing suit. Heel-raising i 3 good for the ankles. Done regularly and correctly it should have a slendering, as well a 3 a strengthening, effect. The most useful exercises for those who load sedentary lives are, perhaps, those which involve the abdominal muscles. One is to lie flat on the floor —preferably on a soft mat with something for a head rest—and raise the logs till they are straight up in the air at right angles to the rest of the body. The exorcise consists in lowering them slowly to the ground again without bending the knees or assisting yourself with the hands. This should not be done often until you are used to it. Sitting on the” floor and. bending your forehead to your knees is an excellent exercise,, but this is difficult. Another ’s to stand with feet close together and turn the body, from the hips, slowly round from side to side. Skipping ropes are, of course, deligntg one associates with very little girls and nursery cupboards. Yet the fact remains that skipping is one of the finest exercises which little girls and big girls alike can indulge in. Indeed. I know a very big girl who only managed to keep fit while she. was abroad by doing a certain amount of skipping every day It is very necessary to take exercise in a hot country, but the facilities provided are sometimes practically nil. For the girl who is strong enough, and ha s a garden or some other place to skip in I syy, buy a skipping rope. Start by skipping up to a hundred, then get more ambitious. And if you don’t get out of breath you can even got fast and furious with the old favourite, “ Salt, mustard, vinegar, pepper ! ” FRENCHWOMEN AT HOME. We English like to pride ourselves on being the 1 most home-and-family losing nation (says a writer in the Daily Chronicle). It is often pointed out that many other countries haven't even a particular word for “ home,” and we smile conplacently and think of our snug hearth corner. , , , _ , . And when people speak of French homes . . . everybody laughs! The general idea seems to he that the French spend their time in theatres, at dances, buying clothes, in fact anywhere but at home. This idea clings, but it is totally untrue. The Frenchwoman is one of the best housekeepers in the world; she has a pride In her home, and runs it seriously with consideration of detail. Accounts are kept to the nearest sou, and it is not the maids who keep them, but the mistress of the house! In most professional families the “bonne” is given a certain amount of money for household, purposes, and everything she buys must be noted down, and her change must tally with the accounts rendered, which have to be handed in every day. The French housewife is often cook in her own house. Cooking really is an art, and only tho “ treasures ” in maids, that are everywhere so hard to find, can hope to come up to their mistresses’ idea of the culinary part. A French housewife, moreover, doesn’t disdain to help her maids in the morning about the place. She follows them round, and they are not allowed to touch her precious “ bibelots.” Sometimes, when “ madarac ” gets an idea into her head that her maid is not getting things at the best Paris market rate, she puts on her hat and coat and acually goes out to haggle with the marKot people! Ofon prices are made especially high, so that if something has to be taken off there will still remain a decent profit. ‘‘ At home ” days, those deadly dull affairs, have gone out in England; praise bo, but in Paris they are still rife. The Englishwoman finds it easier to invite a few friends to tea from time to time than to be tied to her homo ail through one afternoon in tho hope that someone mw turn up. Ths Frenchwoman doesn’t mind being tied to her homo. And with ail those duties and i.ctle things to see about, the Frenchwoman is still very fashionable, but sho doesn’t buy all her things in the Rue de la Paix. If lat year’s clothes are still in good condition, she often sits down, and, with a few deft alterations, evolves a new creation. She is really more tied to her house than tho Englishwoman, and this is greatly due to tho way that French girls are brought up. Even now, when tho lyceos prepare girls for tho higher examinations, marriage rs still looked upon as tho inevitable and desired lot for every woman. While the French girl studies hard at school, s ho st . has to prepare herself to >ecomo a n-ood housewife; her music must nor be neglec'eo, she must learn to sow and embroider; nor cooking must bo given attention; she ha* to pay calls; and then she may do what she likes with the rest of tho day ! From an early age mamma begins looking for a suitable life partner for uer daughter. Even if the girl takes up a profession it is considered out a temporary state of affairs, all to end with the arrival of a “ Prince Charming ” searching for a good ’* dot.” . , . r , Significant is it that the girl in France of marriageable age i s alien .Madame ( if one is unsure whetn'T she js nr “Mrs,” hut a. girl of the same ago in England would rather the bus conductor did not say “ Ma rim '