Son and Mother Poems

For French women, taking care of their bodies and skin is top priority. Since clothing is so close to the skin, it is imperative that there be a delicate and natural balance. Most American women douse our clothes in unnatural scented detergents, many of which are hard on the skin and can cause skin rashes. The detergents and “fabric softeners” we use on a daily basis are hard on the machines we use and hard on clothes causing them to wear out quickly. When we lived in Europe we were not able to use American fabric softeners at all or it would ruin the European machines.

French women believe in preserving linens and such to last a lifetime or longer. To do this they are careful about using stain removing techniques and always take good care to use mild and gentle detergents on their clothing. They hand wash anything delicate to preserve the quality for generations.

Natural Stain Treatments

For delicate whites with stains, use a mixture of 2 parts lemon juice and one part water and let the stained item sit in the sun for a few hours. Hand wash. Lemon is a natural lightener and so is the sun. The sun is not only a natural whitener it is also a natural germ killer.

Another natural stain removing technique is to mix sea salt with a mild powdered detergent in a small, shallow basin of water. Lay the cloth or item on top of the mixture and set in the sun. After an hour or so check on the stain. Gently scrub and if it needs to sit longer, allow it to do so. If an item needs to sit outside for even twenty-four hours, it is perfectly fine to do so. These mixtures are not harsh and abrasive and will not ruin clothing like bleach or another hard chemical mixture would.

Detergent

To preserve the life of your clothing and the delicacy of your skin, use a mild detergent or make it yourself. Some mild detergents you can find at your grocery store are: Mrs. Meyer’s brand, Arm and Hammer washing soda, and All Free & Clear. Making your own detergent is best and also very nice on the pocketbook.

Rinse Aid

The best rinse aid or “fabric softener” you can use is white vinegar. White vinegar is germ killing and will rid your clothes of any souring (from leaving in your machine too long). Vinegar will also help rid your clothes and machine of build up residue left behind by harsh laundry detergents or fabric softeners. Washing your darks with vinegar added will also help preserve the color longer and keep the colors from bleeding.

If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, don’t worry, it dissipates. Alternatively, you can use scented vinegar by mixing a few drops of your favorite essential oil in with your vinegar. The French love lavender and lemon for laundry. Lavender is also a disinfectant.

Drying

The French are appreciative of nature and enjoy being outdoors as much as possible. Line drying is most often used by Europeans because it is inexpensive and gentler on the clothes. If you would like a little more scent, spritz some lavender water on your line-dried clothes. You can also add lavender sachets to your wardrobes and closets. Lavender will also repel the bugs.

Laundry done with so much care becomes a joy and not just a chore. If you feel that you never keep up on the laundry pile, take another tip from the French and minimize the amount of clothing you and your family keep. Less is more.

When you’re a fashionista, packing for a vacation can be a challenge. You’ve simply got to take all your favorite clothes with you, no matter what professional organizers might say about what you should or shouldn’t bring. Our fashion school experts feel your pain. That’s why they’ve got some practical tips on packing your clothes efficiently, so you can take as much as you can with a minimum of wrinkles. You’re going to overpack, so you might as well do it right.

1. Heavy articles on the bottom. As you’re filling your suitcase, put the heavier items at the bottom, so they do not flatten and crease the lighter items. Heavier items might be shoes, toiletry bags and books. And the “bottom” of the suitcase refers not to the bottom as it’s laid flat while you’re packing, but the bottom after it’s closed and upright.

2. Stretch out those pants. Folded pants and dresses take up too much room. Instead of folding them, stretch them out across the bottom of your suitcase so the waist and the bottoms extend over the edge. After you’ve finished packing your other clothes in, you can then fold the waist and bottoms over the top. Also, remember that your trousers and dresses should be zipped and buttoned before they’re placed in the suitcase.

3. Pretend you work at the Gap. Anyone who’s worked in retail or a fashion design house knows that properly folded clothes don’t wrinkle, even when they’re stacked to the ceiling. First, button shirts and cardigan sweaters, if necessary. Place the garment face down flat. Fold each sleeve toward the center of the garment so you create a rectangle, and then fold the garment in thirds, with the collar and upper section facing out. To help you pack, you can also use an 8 ½ x 11-inch piece of cardboard as a template to fold your clothes around, just like they do in the stores.

4. No hills or valleys. Place the folded garments in your suitcase into even layers. As you’re packing, the clothes should lie relatively flat, without stacks that are higher than others. This also means that you should avoid having empty pockets of space. Fill up gaps with rolled socks, t-shirts, underwear, even extra sweaters so items don’t shift during travel. That’s right, you have a fashion school endorsed excuse to pack more clothes!

5. Leave clothes on hangers. If you have items on hangers, go ahead and leave them on, as long as the hangers are flat and don’t take up too much space. Just fold two to three garments together, using the hangers as an internal framework to keep the clothes from shifting and wrinkling.

6. Place items in your shoes. The space inside your shoes is valuable packing real estate, so don’t waste it. You can fill your shoes with socks, underwear, cameras, and medications. Also, if your shoe is the right style, you can slip one shoe inside the other to save space.

7. Ship items ahead of time. With the cost of checking baggage at $25 or more per suitcase, consider shipping some clothes to wherever you’re staying so they’ll be there when you arrive. The cost of two-day shipping can be about the same as an extra piece of luggage.

Overpacking for a trip is just part of the fun of being a fashionista, so embrace it. The key is to do it right, so all your clothes make the long trip looking as fabulous as you.

Divorce is all about the next generation! Two adult people have lived their lives to adulthood and have had the luxury of making a decision that according to them will free them from the tyranny of living with their spouse. They are involved in the decision and are in agreement with it in most cases.

On the other hand is a child or children whose world as they know it has been torn apart. The school of learning on life, has just been dismantled and the teachers have resigned! The role models that they had, who were meant to guide them as they make decisions in their own lives have just thrown in the towel. So where do we go from here?

Well I guess the children had better look for other role models. Perhaps they now need to pay closer attention to what their peers are saying. Maybe joining a gang will give them that security that they feel they desperately need. How about getting love through sex? As for authority, forget authority figures. It is all a scum. Principles? Why believe in principles? It didn’t help my parents. God? Forget about him. where was he when my home was breaking up?

So we tremble as generation after generation of frustrated children are created through divorce. We are creating the next generation through the choices that we are making today. A generation of fathers and mothers who do not know commitment. People who despise authority and who themselves will divorce their spouses!