A HOUSEWIFE'S DIARY

Otaki Mail, 19 June 1939, Page 4

A HOUSEWIFE'S DIARY

HINTS ABOUT THE HOME Boil the clothes-line when it is new and it will never twist as new ropo is apt to do. Hot water applied to the back of the neck will relieve nervous fatigue. Always scald rhubarb before cooking, for it requires so much less sugar and loses none of its flavour. Hiccoughs Belief will be obtained by holdi.ig the breath and pulse for a few seconds. Carpet Remove dog or cat hairs from carpet by rubbing in a circular motion with a dampened stiff brush. Lasting Flowers The longest lasting flowers are earnations, chrysanthemums, pots of hyacinths or cyclamen. Useful Polisher Use olive oil for rubbing and polishing bronze, lacquer, oxodised and chromium ornaments and fittings. Gay Vases A few thin slices of white soap add«d to the water in vases and bowls will prolong the freshness of the flowers in them. An aspirin will revive fading flowers. Hair Tonic Make a lotion by mixing the white of an egg with four parts of water. This will set the hair and is also a good tonic. Uses For Iron A flat iron can be covered and used for holding down garment when a long seam is being tacked. The handle of the iron can be padded and used as a pin cushion. A Clear Skin If you desire to bleach your skin so that it will be white and clear for the dancing season you could start with gentle oatmeal packs. Mix some toilet oatmeal in a saucer with euough witch-hazel to form a paste. Smear this 01: the face, and allow it to remain on for 15 minutes, after which rinse it off with warm water, followed iby cold. Colours in the Koom In the general decoration of the home, neutral colours are being chosen as a background to rich and brilliant colours. Sand-coloured walls and carpets for instance, provide an effective background for hangings and furniture covered with fabrics in jewel bright reds and blues. Grey, which is supposed to be a "cold" colour, does very well when the chief colour accent in a room is poppy-red. Pleasing Bedrooms Older children should be allowed to have a say in the manner in which their bedrooms are decorated, and their tastes respected so far as is feasible. Blue and silver makes a charming scheme for a little girl's room. Shirley Temple's bedroom has silver stars on blue walls and ceiling. Jane Withers, the typical tomboy of the screen, prei(Ts a sporting combination of red, white and blue in her own room, and nautical touches in white rope "pulls" instead of the usual handles to chests of drawers. Handbags in Disguise Handbags that you carry when you are going to a theatre or a dance, can look anything but what they really are. Satin bags, made in the shape of a child's paper candy "poke" with realistic candies in vari-coloured satin at the top ,are seen. Green vase-shaped bags of quilted silk or velvet, with stiffened bases, are other examples of the latest bags. Others still resembk the sort of bundle I>ick Whittingtoti carried at the end of his stick. Gay Aluminium Spun aluminium, which can be had dyed in several different colours, makes the most attractive ornamental additions to your home. Fruit bowls and platters in different sizes and shapes. and in such shades as old rose, have a shimmering surface that is most fascinating. Sets of napkin rings, each in a different colour, are also obtainable. Making Buttons Small scraps left over from your felt work can be made iuto the most modern buttons. Cut them into squares or rounds, all the same sizes, and mass a number oi them together to make thick knobbly buttons. The brighter the colour mixtures the better, when they are to adorn dark winter frocks. Modern Nurseries Keep your children's surroundings as simple as possible. Even the new baby, according to the most modern nursery ; ideas, has no frills or beribboned fussi- ! ness about his sleeping quarters. Draperies of gingham or flowered cotton are used on ■ his cot instead of flounced white .muslin and satin ribbons, and the draperies are so made that they ar.? easily slipped off for laundering. I Latest Hair Styles , Too many women found that upswept ! hairdressing styles were hard to keep : tidy for them to remain long in fashion, j Front curls were not too difficult to ' train in the way they should go, but | wisps were apt to spoil the smooth line ' at the back. Xewest hair modes are • more accommodating. Large curls are ' roiled back from brow and temples, but I at the back, the hair is brushed down sleek and slick, to form a little bunch | of curls at the nape of the neck. Dry Skin Problem iLanoline or nourishing creams are the best remedies for this type of skin condition. Last thing at night, after you have thoroughly cleansed the skin, j spread a thin film of the cream all over the face and allow it to remain on until morning. Many women are frightened to use these creams on the skin under the impression that they encourage the growth of hair. This has yet to be proved, and, as there are many bald-headed men who are willing to spend hundreds of pounds on curing their baldness, these creams, if they would grow hair, would be sold at a much higher price for that, specific purpose. '< i i