Founded in 1868 by J. R. Watkins, the Watkins Company, as evidenced in their company history, was a pioneer in natural products to cure, clean, cook with, drink, and kill insects with. Elaine Allen, Director of Home Economics at the company, put together the 1941 book Watkins Household Hints which I perused this morning to find some random […]
Tag: household hints
Laundry, at Home
I’m a bit obsessed with cleaning lately, can you tell? It might have something to do with the recent installation of a sump pump in my basement apartment. Let’s just say that jackhammers create quite a bit of dust, hence my interest in this subject. Elizabeth Craig offers this bit of advice in her 1000 Household […]
Cooking Breakfast
In the preface to 2002 Household Helps, editor Janet D. Myers wished the book would “be called upon many times to shorten the labors of those who are responsible for the welfare of our American families.” Since I’ve mostly been cooking breakfast these days (who needs lunch or dinner, when there are so many sugared cereals […]
How Did We Ever Get Along Without Cellophane Tape?
I was all set to do a meaningful commentary on taxes and budgeting, given the upcoming deadline that all of my American readers know only too well. But since I’d do anything to avoid that topic, I picked this excerpt to share with you instead. It’s from Good Housekeeping’s The Better Way: A Unique, Money-Saving Handbook […]