My grandmother grew up in a family of ten in Brighton when there was rationing and a war on.  Her mother, and my great great grandmother made every bit of the money they had coming in last as long as was possible. This was quite an accomplishment since the children were born so close together and most of them were girls. Grandfather held down various jobs over the years and did his very best to make the family home as comfortable as was possible for every member. Though they were often clothed in hand me downs, the majority of the furniture was handmade by granddad.

When my grandmother used to tell me about her childhood she had fond memories to share, and lots of valuable lessons. Surprisingly, she had gained some real decorating insight living in a household filled to the brim with people both big and small. One of the wisest things she told me when I was preparing to decorate my first home was this. Don’t fill a small room with small scale furniture. It won’t make it feel roomier, it will do just the opposite in fact. The bed will be the focal point, and as such needs to be big not punny. The key is to decorate with normal sized pieces that have height to them. So position a tall headboard with a high bed, and all will appear just right.

Back in the late ‘80s I can remember my grandmother using aluminium foil on plenty of things it definitely was not originally made to do. If the inventor of the foil had dropped by to see what granny was up to they would either have applauded her for her ingenuity and using so much of it, or would have been stunned by her audacity to use it that way.

Ever since seeing her wrap aluminium foil around a television antenna, and line a bathroom window with it I have secretly been on the look out for interesting ways to make use of this product.  For me it is a way to keep Gran’s creative spirit with the unlikely material alive.

Most recently, I used it while painting my daughter’s playroom.  I wrapped it around door handles grates and light switch covers. Yes it worked pretty well, but funniest thing was that my daughter did not want to take it off, she thought it was cool. I bet this love for the foil will carry on through another generation.

There are so many things that grandma used to tell us that ring true in our daily lives. Such as get the hard stuff done first, and work now play later. In fact, just about every weekend when I prepare to do the cleaning of my home I can here one of her adages in my head. But on those Saturday mornings mostly I think about how much of what I do is guided by what she used to do.

She always said the best way to get through chores is to have a routine that you stick to as often as possible. As she did, I start my cleaning in the kitchen, as I consider it the biggest task.  I start with things on top, and work to the bottom. So, I wipe down the fridge, outside and inside then the appliances and countertops, along with a good deep clean of the sink with scrub and boiling water.

Every other week, I do a quick wipe of the cabinets, and then move on to the sweeping and mopping of the floors. By the time this is done, I already feel like I have accomplished so much, it is not hard to push on to get the rest out of the way. One more habit to thank grandma for, even after all these years.

Here is another of Grandma’s helpful hints that became known to me through chance. Though I was constantly begging her to jot down each and every savvy kitchen idea she had, this one nearly slipped through the cracks, or I guess a more apt way of putting it would be it nearly slipped through the fork. Dear old granny used to pierce the foil seals on bottles of things like syrup and oil bottles with the prongs of a fork. This aids in preventing too much of the liquid from coming out of the container at once. Thus, it creates a control barrier so that you do not waste the item, nor ruin a recipe by having too much gush into a mixture. I really like this tip, but it is also the one that makes me wonder the most about how many other smart things grandma knew to do that I never saw, heard of, or picked up on during our times together.

My grandma used to get my brother, sisters, myself, and even the neighbour’s children to help her in her vegetable garden. I did not realize that I was learning as we were having so much fun playing in the dirt, and picking yummy veggies. But, some valuable info did seep into my recall, and it has provided me with the know how of what grows easiest and can be used to the fullest of extent.

One of my all time favourite of these simple crops are the broad beans. They can be collected and enjoyed when they are immature and tasty, or be used when the tops have reached their optimum height, and snip those off and cook up with some margarine. Plus, they are much appreciated when they have fully grown too. Of course there are probably hundreds of wonderful recipes for these little darlings, and that makes them even better.

My grandmother was quite the inventive woman. She loved to come up with uses for things that they were never intended to be used for at all. Many of these quirky, yet beneficial tips are used amongst my mother, siblings and several lifelong friends.

Gran loved to use pantyhose until they had absolutely no life left in them. Oddly, she rarely wore stockings in all the years I knew her, but that did not stop her from using them as a wonderful resource. One of the clever ways she worked the stockings into everyday life is to use them in the garden. They work really well as garden stake ties. Give it a try, and pass the tip on if you like.

I spent many an hour with my grandmother, and it seems as if she always had a needle and thread in her hand. Early on she taught me the basics of sewing, and ultimately gave me a sewing machine. But long before I had the sewing machine I knew how to make hems by hand, to patch holes, and to fix buttons and zippers.

Whenever we were together she reminded me to use a thimble, to keep my sewing kit organized, to collect extra buttons for a button jar, and to always return pins and needles to the squishy tomato shaped pin cushion. Needless to say she introduced me to and taught me the importance of sewing skills. She said it would prove invaluable to know these things, and she was right once again. Now, I have my own daughter enrolled in a sewing class and she has really taken to it. She has patterns all over, and adores fabric stores. I have told her these skills will be useful in life, and now I am telling you. Should you get the chance to learn to sew, jump at it.