How many episodes of 50's TV do you watch before you realize the kids are always snacking on fruit? Or cut up vegetables? I'm not going to pretend that potato chips weren't around in the 50's. Or ice cream. But they were treats. Special treats. They were not kept in the home. Kids certainly didn't bring them to school for their lunch either (Beaver Cleaver's snack for lunch was often a tomato). If you were lucky, Mom had pies, ice cream or cakes for dessert, which was eaten together as a family after dinner... but those were not grab and go after school snacks. You didn't walk inside from playing on a Saturday and have a slice of pie. If you were hungry, you got a banana or an apple. Maybe you grabbed a carrot or some celery. Sometimes Mom had cookies made for snacking, but they were definitely homemade and you only had one or two in passing. At least that's how I see it on TV!
So, if we want to be more 50's, lay out healthier snacks for your kids. Spend the money on fruit rather than Doritos (which weren't even invented until the late 60's). Give your kids milk or water rather than soda (another treat back in the 50's that wasn't kept at home). You'll be doing your wallet, their health and your conscience a lot of good!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Rely On Less
There is so much out there to make our lives "convenient" and so many companies that make you think you need this or that product to save you time. They're usually wrong. Life was simpler in the 50's! I'm going to help you go through your home and retro-fit it to make it not only more 50's, but less cumbersome and more healthy!
You DO NOT NEED a separate cleaner for every item in your home. If you look where you keep your cleaning supplies and you've got separate ones for tile, stainless steel, wood, toilets, sinks, counters, glass, concrete, grout, marble, bathtubs, rust, soap scum and appliances, you've been duped by the marketing that major companies hope to get you with.
Let me fill you in on something. Those chemicals you're spraying everywhere in your home that you think are cleaning, disinfecting and killing germs? They're toxic. Many of them are carcinogens and you don't need them. If you have white vinegar, olive oil, baking soda and lemon, you can make a cleaner for just about everything in your home.
Throw out your glass cleaner (probably made with ammonia) and replace it with white vinegar & water in a spray bottle. Your windows will be spotless. That same bottle of white vinegar & water can clean just about every non-porous surface in your home.
You can make your own wood polish with lemons, vinegar and/or olive oil.
To wash your floors, you really only need water, but if you wanted to disinfect in the process, you can put some lemon juice or vinegar in that too.
I've read that baking soda mixed with 3% Peroxide (just enough to form a paste) is an excellent grout cleaner. It's said to leave it on for 30 minutes and then come and wipe it off.
I'm a big fan of Brillo (or any steel wool cleaner). It's probably just as easy to get steel wool pads and put a more holistic soap on them, but the point is: they clean everything! As long as you're not working on something delicate (like china), steel wool does the job. I personally use it on my bathtub and the tiles around the tub. Nothing has ever gotten the soap scum and dirt off with less effort. The tub and tiles are left so smooth, it's unreal. I've used it on the sink, toilet, windows (not the glass). Be careful on painted wood, though -- test a spot first.
Oh, and that computer screen you think is clean? Do this. Go get a paper towel (right now - I'll wait) and wet it (fully wet). Then wring it out. Come back to the monitor and just wipe the screen. Keep wiping until the paper towel is clean. Then, sit back and be amazed at your computer screen's brightness. You're welcome. Now, go throw out whatever screen cleaner you bought. Or at least, don't buy it again.
So, try all that out for a change and see what works. When we see shows from the 50's, we see a very bare cleaning cabinet. When Mom is cleaning, she always has a reusable rag (no need to waste paper) and a glass bottle of something with no label. Mom always knew best :)
You DO NOT NEED a separate cleaner for every item in your home. If you look where you keep your cleaning supplies and you've got separate ones for tile, stainless steel, wood, toilets, sinks, counters, glass, concrete, grout, marble, bathtubs, rust, soap scum and appliances, you've been duped by the marketing that major companies hope to get you with.
Let me fill you in on something. Those chemicals you're spraying everywhere in your home that you think are cleaning, disinfecting and killing germs? They're toxic. Many of them are carcinogens and you don't need them. If you have white vinegar, olive oil, baking soda and lemon, you can make a cleaner for just about everything in your home.
Throw out your glass cleaner (probably made with ammonia) and replace it with white vinegar & water in a spray bottle. Your windows will be spotless. That same bottle of white vinegar & water can clean just about every non-porous surface in your home.
You can make your own wood polish with lemons, vinegar and/or olive oil.
To wash your floors, you really only need water, but if you wanted to disinfect in the process, you can put some lemon juice or vinegar in that too.
I've read that baking soda mixed with 3% Peroxide (just enough to form a paste) is an excellent grout cleaner. It's said to leave it on for 30 minutes and then come and wipe it off.
I'm a big fan of Brillo (or any steel wool cleaner). It's probably just as easy to get steel wool pads and put a more holistic soap on them, but the point is: they clean everything! As long as you're not working on something delicate (like china), steel wool does the job. I personally use it on my bathtub and the tiles around the tub. Nothing has ever gotten the soap scum and dirt off with less effort. The tub and tiles are left so smooth, it's unreal. I've used it on the sink, toilet, windows (not the glass). Be careful on painted wood, though -- test a spot first.
Oh, and that computer screen you think is clean? Do this. Go get a paper towel (right now - I'll wait) and wet it (fully wet). Then wring it out. Come back to the monitor and just wipe the screen. Keep wiping until the paper towel is clean. Then, sit back and be amazed at your computer screen's brightness. You're welcome. Now, go throw out whatever screen cleaner you bought. Or at least, don't buy it again.
So, try all that out for a change and see what works. When we see shows from the 50's, we see a very bare cleaning cabinet. When Mom is cleaning, she always has a reusable rag (no need to waste paper) and a glass bottle of something with no label. Mom always knew best :)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Defer To Dad
Yeah, this one will take a lot of flack from a lot of you. But hear me out. I'm certainly not suggesting that women become support figures that nod their heads and go along with anything their husbands want. Let's get that straight. No, sir. However, this is a blog about 50's living and in the 1950's, men were the patriarchs of their families. They were the breadwinners, the authority figures and the guys who got things done and took care of their families. Most moms were at home and while they definitely ruled while Dad was out, once Dad was home, Mom seemed to defer a lot to him. (How many old shows do we watch where we hear "wait until your father gets home"? All of them!)
There are three reasons this worked and still can work today. Number one, most of the American families in this time period were Christians and were simply following the Bible's words. [Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."] Likewise, men were directed by the Bible to treat their women right. [Ephesians 5:23 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" and Ephesians 5:28-29 "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church."]. So, these Christian families were a bit more devout at the time and lived Biblical principles a little more fully. Women were of course free to speak their minds and couples of course argued about anything that couples still argue about today. However, in the end, women allowed the men in their lives to have the final say. It isn't something that their husbands demand (or if they did, probably didn't get). It's something a woman has to be able to do and agrees to do and it's not easy, I can promise you.
The second reason is that by allowing one partner to ultimately have the final say in matters, a lot of arguing and fighting is alleviated. I'm sure this has happened to you. You and your spouse disagree about something and you're both adamant that your way is the right way and needs to be followed. So you both plead your case and discuss it. Over. And over. And over. And nothing gets done. Nothing gets resolved and you're both angrier and more annoyed than when you started. You're so mad at the other one that the fight continues, grows and evolves and becomes unhealthy and hurtful. By the end of it, someone usually caves, but it's because they're exhausted or so upset that they just can't fight anymore... and they resent you now. This doesn't happen when you allow one partner (and I say men simply because we're talking about the 50's. This could be the wife in today's culture.) have the final say. As long as the relationship is respectful and each person is considerate to the other's feelings and desires, this relationship can work beautifully.
The third reason is just superficial. Men with authority and confidence are sexy. End of story.
Of course, you don't have to do this, may not want to do this or have tried and don't like doing this. It's 2012 (as of this post) and it's certainly not the norm or the standard in many homes. It's may not be for you and that's totally okay.
I write about it only because it was a part of life in the 50's. :)
There are three reasons this worked and still can work today. Number one, most of the American families in this time period were Christians and were simply following the Bible's words. [Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."] Likewise, men were directed by the Bible to treat their women right. [Ephesians 5:23 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" and Ephesians 5:28-29 "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church."]. So, these Christian families were a bit more devout at the time and lived Biblical principles a little more fully. Women were of course free to speak their minds and couples of course argued about anything that couples still argue about today. However, in the end, women allowed the men in their lives to have the final say. It isn't something that their husbands demand (or if they did, probably didn't get). It's something a woman has to be able to do and agrees to do and it's not easy, I can promise you.
The second reason is that by allowing one partner to ultimately have the final say in matters, a lot of arguing and fighting is alleviated. I'm sure this has happened to you. You and your spouse disagree about something and you're both adamant that your way is the right way and needs to be followed. So you both plead your case and discuss it. Over. And over. And over. And nothing gets done. Nothing gets resolved and you're both angrier and more annoyed than when you started. You're so mad at the other one that the fight continues, grows and evolves and becomes unhealthy and hurtful. By the end of it, someone usually caves, but it's because they're exhausted or so upset that they just can't fight anymore... and they resent you now. This doesn't happen when you allow one partner (and I say men simply because we're talking about the 50's. This could be the wife in today's culture.) have the final say. As long as the relationship is respectful and each person is considerate to the other's feelings and desires, this relationship can work beautifully.
The third reason is just superficial. Men with authority and confidence are sexy. End of story.
Of course, you don't have to do this, may not want to do this or have tried and don't like doing this. It's 2012 (as of this post) and it's certainly not the norm or the standard in many homes. It's may not be for you and that's totally okay.
I write about it only because it was a part of life in the 50's. :)
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Buy an apron (or three)
So, yes, I want you to buy an apron. Actually, three is good. Why? Well, number one, if you're going to live the way women did in the 50's, you're going to be in the kitchen a lot, both cooking and cleaning up. You don't want to do either without the protection of an apron. Number two, they make you (me, at least) feel more domestic and productive. Plus, they come in some really cute designs and designate you as the boss of your kitchen!
Every TV mom we ever see in the 50's sitcoms is donning an apron every time she's in the kitchen. This could go back to the fact that we were far more frugal in our living and with our clothing. Like I said before, women knew how to sew and mend anything they wore that was damaged and while washing machines were around, why try to ruin your clothes to get out stains that wouldn't be there with an apron? The apron just makes good sense, like so many things of that generation.
I have one. I need to get at least two more, though. Once it gets used during the day, I have to make sure it's in the wash and dried before tomorrow. The extra two would be most helpful. It's so handy, though. Your hands are wet, you don't need to use your paper towels or dish towel. You just dry them on the apron. And do get one with a pocket or two. You'll be amazed how often you use that!
Every TV mom we ever see in the 50's sitcoms is donning an apron every time she's in the kitchen. This could go back to the fact that we were far more frugal in our living and with our clothing. Like I said before, women knew how to sew and mend anything they wore that was damaged and while washing machines were around, why try to ruin your clothes to get out stains that wouldn't be there with an apron? The apron just makes good sense, like so many things of that generation.
I have one. I need to get at least two more, though. Once it gets used during the day, I have to make sure it's in the wash and dried before tomorrow. The extra two would be most helpful. It's so handy, though. Your hands are wet, you don't need to use your paper towels or dish towel. You just dry them on the apron. And do get one with a pocket or two. You'll be amazed how often you use that!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Learn To Sew
Ever watch an old TV show and listen to them talking about mending the clothes? I've seen both The Honeymooners and Leave It To Beaver reference mending socks. Socks! Something we run to the store to re-buy from the slightest hole or tear in them. The way kids ruin their socks, it's a wonder we don't spend a small fortune on them!
Well, maybe we've lost sight of the fact that clothes are fixable, even socks. A hem comes out of a shirt, the elastic of a skirt loses its stretch or a sock gets a hole and we right away think, "get rid of it" rather than, "I'll fix it".
Even as early as the 80's, I grew up with my mom putting patches on my jeans. Why? Well, we didn't have a lot of money and we certainly didn't live on credit like people do now, so we made do with what we had.
As we know, people in the 50's did not live far outside their means. Credit was really only handed out for mortgages, but the average home only cost $22,000 in 1955. We can blame dual incomes and credit cards for a lot of inflation, I'm sure, but one fact remains -- people lived far more comfortably when they didn't throw their money away.
My challenge to you is to get a sewing machine and learn the basics. Most machines now are already programmed with certain stitches in them. So, if you find a skirt is too long, hem it. If you see a small hole in a sock, underwear or shirt, fix it. If a button falls off, don't take it to the cleaners -- put the button on! Got a stuck zipper? Go to JoAnn Fabric (or a similar store) and buy a new zipper to put on. You need a new set of sheets for your child's bed? Hit that same store, get an adorable pattern and make them yourself. Your sheets are guaranteed to be made in the USA that way (assuming you're an American reader, of course). Reclaim the skills that made our grandmothers so handy. Learn to sew! Don't squander money on replacement items when the old one is just a thread away from being almost perfect.
Learn how to sew by hand and with the machine. You'd probably save an awful lot of money just fixing old clothes and creating your own new ones!
Well, maybe we've lost sight of the fact that clothes are fixable, even socks. A hem comes out of a shirt, the elastic of a skirt loses its stretch or a sock gets a hole and we right away think, "get rid of it" rather than, "I'll fix it".
Even as early as the 80's, I grew up with my mom putting patches on my jeans. Why? Well, we didn't have a lot of money and we certainly didn't live on credit like people do now, so we made do with what we had.
As we know, people in the 50's did not live far outside their means. Credit was really only handed out for mortgages, but the average home only cost $22,000 in 1955. We can blame dual incomes and credit cards for a lot of inflation, I'm sure, but one fact remains -- people lived far more comfortably when they didn't throw their money away.
My challenge to you is to get a sewing machine and learn the basics. Most machines now are already programmed with certain stitches in them. So, if you find a skirt is too long, hem it. If you see a small hole in a sock, underwear or shirt, fix it. If a button falls off, don't take it to the cleaners -- put the button on! Got a stuck zipper? Go to JoAnn Fabric (or a similar store) and buy a new zipper to put on. You need a new set of sheets for your child's bed? Hit that same store, get an adorable pattern and make them yourself. Your sheets are guaranteed to be made in the USA that way (assuming you're an American reader, of course). Reclaim the skills that made our grandmothers so handy. Learn to sew! Don't squander money on replacement items when the old one is just a thread away from being almost perfect.
Learn how to sew by hand and with the machine. You'd probably save an awful lot of money just fixing old clothes and creating your own new ones!
Lack of Plastic (Greener Alternatives)
By accident, life was a lot more eco-friendly in a lot of ways in the 1950's. There was a lot less plastic around! Garbage cans were made of metal and when they got rusty, people got their steel wool out, rubbed that rust off and re-painted their cans. Imagine that!
Little plastic baggies you've grown to love weren't around. Sandwiches were often wrapped in wax paper or wax paper bags, which you can still buy today. People opted for glass containers when storing their food. Much safer for your food and for our modern life, microwave friendly (plastic containers are not).
Bottled water was obviously unheard of and hopefully, many of you have made the switch to refillable bottles and have relied on faucet or refrigerator filters. Filtered water's a convenience I'd be hard pressed to give up, but you're still better off filtering your tap water, which is regulated, than buying "spring" water, which is not regulated. Plus, beverages taste better out of glass than they do out of plastic. Remember back in the 70's and 80's, when all Coke and Pepsi was bottled in glass? It does taste better! And luckily, you can still buy it that way! And of course milk was in glass bottles. Your best bet on that one is to buy half-gallon boxes of milk because I've yet to find gallons of milk in glass or cardboard anymore. Still, if plastic milk jugs is the worst thing you do, you're doing okay!
Think you can handle not using a gas-powered lawnmower? People in the 50's had power mowers, but push mowers were still the common standard. Not only is the push mower better for the Earth and your wallet (gas prices anyone?), it's better for your exercise! Plus, they're low to no maintenance.
And yep, you can still buy them. And of course, they raked their leaves because, while the leaf blower was technically invented in the late 50's, it was invented as a crop spraying tool for farms. Besides, the strain on your back from lugging a leaf blower around is no fun. The exercise from raking is far better on your health.
Lunch boxes that your kids took to school weren't plastic either. They, too, were metal. There are still a lot of metal lunchboxes out there!
And, if you've got a baby in your home, consider wooden teething toys and rattles for him instead of plastic ones. And bibs and burp cloths needn't be plastic either! And, of course, baby was wearing cloth diapers in the 50's (and thankfully, they've improved since then)! Want a cool wooden high chair? Try this award-winner on for size (it does have a plastic tray cover though).
Kitchen utensils weren't plastic either. Strainers, spatulas, whisks, dish drying racks and the like were metal. Bowls, cups and containers were glass. We were actually healthier and more eco-friendly 60 years ago than we are today!
So, try and replace even a handful of these items, but don't be wasteful and throw out your old, plastic items, unless they're dangerous or recalled. Donate them to a Goodwill Store or Salvation Army for resale. The product is already in circulation; might as well let someone get use of it!
Little plastic baggies you've grown to love weren't around. Sandwiches were often wrapped in wax paper or wax paper bags, which you can still buy today. People opted for glass containers when storing their food. Much safer for your food and for our modern life, microwave friendly (plastic containers are not).
Bottled water was obviously unheard of and hopefully, many of you have made the switch to refillable bottles and have relied on faucet or refrigerator filters. Filtered water's a convenience I'd be hard pressed to give up, but you're still better off filtering your tap water, which is regulated, than buying "spring" water, which is not regulated. Plus, beverages taste better out of glass than they do out of plastic. Remember back in the 70's and 80's, when all Coke and Pepsi was bottled in glass? It does taste better! And luckily, you can still buy it that way! And of course milk was in glass bottles. Your best bet on that one is to buy half-gallon boxes of milk because I've yet to find gallons of milk in glass or cardboard anymore. Still, if plastic milk jugs is the worst thing you do, you're doing okay!
Think you can handle not using a gas-powered lawnmower? People in the 50's had power mowers, but push mowers were still the common standard. Not only is the push mower better for the Earth and your wallet (gas prices anyone?), it's better for your exercise! Plus, they're low to no maintenance.
And yep, you can still buy them. And of course, they raked their leaves because, while the leaf blower was technically invented in the late 50's, it was invented as a crop spraying tool for farms. Besides, the strain on your back from lugging a leaf blower around is no fun. The exercise from raking is far better on your health.
Lunch boxes that your kids took to school weren't plastic either. They, too, were metal. There are still a lot of metal lunchboxes out there!
And, if you've got a baby in your home, consider wooden teething toys and rattles for him instead of plastic ones. And bibs and burp cloths needn't be plastic either! And, of course, baby was wearing cloth diapers in the 50's (and thankfully, they've improved since then)! Want a cool wooden high chair? Try this award-winner on for size (it does have a plastic tray cover though).
Kitchen utensils weren't plastic either. Strainers, spatulas, whisks, dish drying racks and the like were metal. Bowls, cups and containers were glass. We were actually healthier and more eco-friendly 60 years ago than we are today!
So, try and replace even a handful of these items, but don't be wasteful and throw out your old, plastic items, unless they're dangerous or recalled. Donate them to a Goodwill Store or Salvation Army for resale. The product is already in circulation; might as well let someone get use of it!
Mom Cooked
One way the 1950's were different (better) is that Mom cooked every meal every day. Sure, families went out to eat and sometimes Dad did the barbecuing outside, but overall, Mom cooked. Breakfast wasn't the common diner-style ordering that kids have now. One kid comes in with "I want a waffle" while another comes in with "I want cereal" and Mom hastily throws breakfast piecemeal on the table as they make it to the kitchen (and usually the TV is on in the other room or the ipods are on the table with you). Lunch is more of the same.
No, no, no. Back in the day, Mom had breakfast prepared as she wanted. If Mom felt like serving pancakes and sausage, she made enough for everyone. The table was set and everyone was called down at the same time to sit and eat as a family. Kids weren't at the table with their hair in disarray and pajamas on. You were washed, dressed and ready for the day before you were allowed to sit down at the table. If you missed breakfast, you probably got to eat it cold when you did make it to the table (no microwave, remember?).
The same was true for lunch on the weekends (or, if you homeschool like we do, everyday). When Mom called you in for lunch, you ate what she served and you sat down as a family and ate it together. If lunch was sandwiches, they were on the table, your hands and face were clean and you ate with your parents.
Why have we gotten away from this? Schedules? Maybe. For those of you that do send your kids to school, it can get harrowing. However, if you want the meal time as a family, the effort has to be there. And if Dad's the one who's home, this is Dad's job.
Here's a challenge to you. Try this for a week. Set your alarm to get up before you want everyone to have breakfast. If you want breakfast served at 7:00, get yourself and it ready by that time. Set the table and sit down with your family to a family breakfast and then, if your day permits, try it for lunch. Don't allow phones, computers or anything electronic on during your meal. Have your kids clear their plates (after they've asked to be excused) and then clean up right away so nothing ends up sitting around dirty.
See how you feel after a few days of that. :)
House Calls
Have you ever wondered why the doctor stopped making house calls? Why the milk man no longer exists or comes to your house? Well... women got cars. Homes went from having one car that Dad took to work to having two cars. Once Mom got her own car, she was free to drive the kids to the doctor and drive herself to the store for milk during the day while Dad worked.
Would we all like to live in the 1950's? Was it so wonderful then? No it wasn't. Life wasn't easier by any stretch. People lived without modern conveniences that we've grown to love (microwaves, dryers, remote control TVs, air conditioners, cell phones, computers, GPS to name a few). Children had fewer sports and activities available to them and girls had even fewer still. So we won't sit here on this blog and pretend the 50's were wonderful. What we will do, though, is showcase some of the ideals and morals that did exist then and pass along ways you can impart them today.
Hopefully, as we share information and ideas, we can make your life a little bit easier.
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