Picked this book up from the library a few weeks back and promptly renewed it so I could hold onto it longer. With a wistful sigh I will return it this afternoon… Household Wisdom: Traditional Homemaking Tips for Modern Living. For me it is partly a beautiful coffee table book that walks us through homes of days past… the the crisp linens, the hardwood floors, the fine white China, etc. I loved flipping through the pages and looking inside traditional homes that have a distinct old world feel to them. But beyond the pretty pictures it has has lots of advice for tailoring traditional homemaking methods to more modern living.
It has great advice on how to clean areas of the home including rugs, wood floors, curtains and blinds, antique textiles, and fireplaces. It goes into ways we can make our home feel “homier” with homemade potpourris, pomanders, and vintage linens. There are recipes for classic beauty creams and cosmetics such as Rose Water & Almond Cleanser, cold creams, and skin toner. There are also homemade remedies for illness and ailments. It gives insight into how women of days past cared for their homes and their families and teaches us some of that lost art. It is really fascinating how they lived and how much of the innovations they made back then are still practical today, perhaps preferred in many cases.
If you want a nice read for a lazy, cold Sunday this fall or winter I recommend this one. Just be warned, it may make you want to clean house!
Homemaking has been around for a long time and we shouldn’t forget all of that time-proven knowledge. It’s good to see there are resources available that won’t let that happen.
Thanks for the tip! I am going to pick this up next time we’re at the library.
Another good one is The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It
. I love browsing through it whenever I have a few quiet minutes to myself.
http://www.homemademothering.com/2009/06/good-read.html
I love that one as well!
Sounds like a lovely book. I’ll have to check it out. :)
The more things change, the more they stay the same…..
Most of us probably find some comfort in thinking about days gone by, and we might be pleasantly surprised to find out about all the clever ways people used everyday resources for a variety of purposes. Today’s marketing pressures tend to make us feel that we need to constantly “buy” products, but often we can use commonly available materials for multiple uses.
In this age of trying to be greener, we’d be wise to take heed and listen to the wisdom of yesterday’s homemakers! Thanks for sharing the book title with us.
I’ll add this to my amazon wish list. Keep up the great posts!
He he… If it makes me want to clean house, I should buy it today!