MOTHER AND HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19863, 4 February 1920, Page 9

MOTHER AND HOME.

Colds are among the most frequent of the so-called “ minor ailments.” One cause, and possibly the chief cause, of tuei r prevalence is that the houses and offices and public buildings of every description are generally overheated, and especially that the air in them is over dry, rendering those who spend a, great part of the day under such conditions peculiarly susceptible to the influence of variations of temperature. It is curious to note that the majority of persons look upon tho complaint known as cold ” as trifling. “ Only a cold ” is a stock figure of speech. And few realise that from so annarentlv trivial a source spring diseases which kill and incapacitate thousands. The simplest way to get'warm after exposure to cold is to take a long breath with the mouth iirmly shut. Repeat this several times until you begin to feel the heat returnmg. It requires a. very short time to do this. The long breath quickens the pulse, and thus causes the blood to circulate faster. The blood flows into all parts of the veins and arteries, and a great deal of beat, It is stated that this method of deep breathing prevents colds and a great many other ailments if begun in time. Keep Out of Debt.—lt was a rich woman who said she owed her comfortable income to the fact that all her life sue had never contracted a debt. Pay as yon go was her maxim in life. Try it, and see bow sure a rule it is to follow. In the first place, it teaches vou now much yon can do without. For though many women think nothing of buying little odds and ends which run away with so much money when they are put down to an account, thev invariably hesitate and think twice about paying outright for them. Mirror for Dressing.-If after dressmg a hand mirror is placed on the floor. fr« t r.+ t "p P er fP n t slowly round in front of it, the discomfort of suddenly discovering one’s petticoat is showing below the skirt is entirely avoided. chop the Waste.— A thrifty housewife asserted that the waste in a badlvsept household .represents, in a few years, as much money as would buy the ouse. K' the food department she mentioned the remnants of meat, vegetables, bread ■ and fruit that could all be utilised, but which are too often brown away. The gas stove carelessly used means a tremendous waste of gas’; kitchen utensils neglected require constantly to be replaced, while in the laundry department there, is often a uanton extravagance, in soap, starch; and other requisites. Experiments in her own household prove 10 her that, but tor her careful supervision, as much as £oo a year would have been lost in these and similar directions'. To Stop Xose-Bleeding.— It is not generally known that in ordinary cases of bleeding from the. nose the flow of blood can be stopped by tho simple action of opening and closing the jaws as in the process of chewing. A wad of paper or anything tough will usually serve the purpose. Of course, where common remedies do not prevail and the loss of blood threatens to he severe, a doctor should he called in promptly. Uses of the Lemon.—Lemon jnico is useful in many ways. Hot lemon and water taken on rising is an old-fash-loned and effective remedy for biliousness, and the juice is also a preventive of sea sickness. Its application keeps the skin in good condition and frees tho skin front dandruff. The juice of half a lemon in hot water drunk every morning without the addition of any sugar is often recommended as a euro for corpulence, and unsweetened limqpiice is also a wholesome and refreshing drink in hot weather besides possessing anti-rheumatic qualities. Barley —A very refreshing drink and a first-rate thirst-quencher in hot weather can easily be made by putting an ounce of patent barley in half a pint of water, and bringing it to the boil. Tho water is then poured off and replaced with a quart of fresh cold water. The boiling process is repeated, and the contents of tho saucepan are then allowed to simmer quietly for five hours, The resulting liquor when cooled or iced and flavoured with a slice of fresh lemon not only quenches thirst, hut possesses considerable sustaining qualities.

Do Your Own Marketing.—Those housekeepers who do their own marketing are likely to get better value for their money than those who leave the business of selection to other people. Human nature being what it is, occasional lapses from strict commercial honesty must be expected unless steps are taken to sep that the proper qualities and quantities are supplied in accordance with the orders given, and the housewife who knows her business will not easily bo defrauded by tradesmen, or innocently induced to accept short weight or inferior articles. Experience, of course, has to be bought, and the young wife who starts married life without it will probably make some mistakes at first. Prices vary in different localities to an astonishing extent, and those who know what to buy can often savo much on housekeeping by attending one of the cheaper markets. But cheapness becomes extravagance if it means waste owing to inferior quality, and in food as in other matters it usually “ pays ” to purchase at reliable shops even if prices are not so low as one could wish. Nowadays foreign and colonial produce materially assists the housekeeper in our large towns, and the supplies of fruit in particular are usually of reliable quality owing to careful grading at tho packing centres, The Sulky Mother—Don’t sulk with your children. If they have deserved chiding, say. what yon have to say to them and forget it. Sulking is as’bad as nagging.

Amusing Children—To amuse n. child, n man or a. women must he a child again. One must, as Pope puts it, be pleased with a. rattle, tickled with a straw; and even if it comes to jam on one’s immaculate collar, <or sticky fingers drawing out one’s few remaining hairs like quills from a porcupine, it is all in the hobby. To succeed in it, then, it is necessary to bo a hero and martyr in one. If you start telling fairy tales, let them be human; if you turn yourself into a horse, and are required to go down on all fours’ with a burden of two or three children on your back, kick a little and roll them all over gently. When it is demanded that_ you ijiall play shon, or school, play it with a will, for all you are worth, and always remember that you are expected to he the fool of the company. Forgot you arc a “ growed up. ’ If you arc a director of the revels, direct them with deference. To Keep Feet Warm—Buy a pair of hoot socks, a. size smaller than those usually worn, and wind round any old nieces of wool until the sock is completely covered. Buttonhole the_ edgp with double wool to make it quite firm. These socks are beautifully warm. «