At Home: War Time Home-making & lessons for us

[@ShirleyBonner-Jones]

I have that book. I did a nutrition day for elderly care some years ago. We were told that people were at their healthiest during rationing

[@lulucly]

My parents were young adults during the depression. My mother, especially, took nothing for granted. She could make a nice home on next to nothing. It took me many years to really appreciate what she could do. I can't imagine the hardships that they both endured during those very lean times.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I think appreciating what they managed on is a great lesson for us now. ❤️

[@kerrybyers257]

Just noticed….20K subscribers!! Congrats 🥂! And you worried we were here just for the gardening.😉❤️

[@CS5663-z5q]

Cheval set , pretty lacy doilies round and oval to place under perfume bottles and glass pots on your dressing table.

[@pamelacrow9783]

My dad would buy a tin of biscuits as a special treat at Christmas time. The lid would be taped down but my dad would carefully unwind the tape, winding it on to a pencil so that he could reuse the tape. He used to save as much as he could having grown up through the Second World War.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Wow, good on him......I've never thought to try to save tape. 😊

[@kerrybyers257]

Lordie, those were fabulous wedding gifts!! I can totally picture that pre war flat fully decked out. Thanks for the time travel. You sparked a memory…. I used to find gorgeous embroidered linen pillowcases and table cloth sets in their original presentation boxes in thrift shops. Wives safeguarded these aspirational wedding gifts forever! They were impractical in rowdy households full of baby boomer kids, but one day!……that never came. Use your precious things!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Hear, hear. Two of my pillow cases are lovely Irish Linen with a lace trim c. 1950s......which I picked up, still in their original box, from a charity shop. 😊

[@Evilgamesprite]

At the age of 16 for me and my sister 19 set about writing a list of everything we needed for our hope chest and what we needed to move out and live on our own. This list has been used by my children and my nieces and nephews. It's now a book filled with family recipes as well.

[@WhatVivididnext]

What a lovely idea....and now a beautiful family treasure. X

[@mollysmith6055]

This was too short! I loved hearing those sweet lists and entries, better than a romance novel to conjure that young couple so full of hope for their new life. I am chopping, cleaning and freezing my puny but precious celery harvest while you narrated. Thank you for keeping me company.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay for the celery harvest....and thank you for hanging out with me while you did it. My grandparents were SO in love.....and stayed in love their whole lives.....it was a joy to witness. ❤️

[@Daisyandchlo]

How wonderful to have a little piece of family history from your grandparents. I really enjoyed hearing about what they needed, were given, and some prices. I've noticed your bureau many times (I really like old wooden furniture) but didn't know it was actually a handed down piece from your family. Yet another family treasure 😊

[@WhatVivididnext]

It's one of my most treasured items......whenever I sit down at it, open the flap to start work....I always think of my Grandad doing exactly the same over the years....

[@karenbransome6978]

Loved hearing the lists from your grandparents. I had moist eyes thinking about my grandparents. Time with my great grandmas and great auntie Win. My daughter has just moved into her own home after her relationship ended. She is happy and thriving. However, she made two lists. One was a list of needs for each room. And the other was just a list of wants. Both her sisters chose things from the lists. It is a non furnished home with only a fitted cooker, and therefore, it felt like she was starting from scratch again. My parents and I clubbed together to get the washing machine as she has a uniform for her job, and she has to look like a new pin every day. A friend from work got her a bath bomb, bubble bath, large bar of chocolate, and a bottle of wine. 😂 There was something special about listening to her talk about needing the basics and not getting into debt or over stretching herself 😊. I felt very proud of her, and I thought..... as a single mum, I must have got something right. 😊😂😂😂 Beautiful video, Vivi. Warm-hearted reflection about yhe simple things in life. Big hugs 😊xx

[@WhatVivididnext]

How wonderful to hear that she's doing so well post break-up.....and is doing it sensibly! Yes.....you definitely did it right with her. 😊

[@karenbransome6978]

@WhatVivididnext aww thank you, Vivi. She sends me photos of her adventures. Friday night after work was her in the cinema drinking from a Paddington bear cup. 😆 🤔 hmmm.... I might just find out which cinema she's going to and get some shares 😆 🤣 😂.

[@joellenbroetzmann9053]

I was born in 1950. The war was still in daily conversation back then. Both my grandparents did fine because they were dairy farmers, so produced all their own meat and garden food. My mom's father refused to cash in his ration coupons, saying, "the boys needed the things worse" than he did. My dad lost his oldest brother who died at barely 19 in the Battle of the Bulge. My grandma never quite got over it. Every year on his birthday she would open his army trunk and show me his Purple Heart. I still get chills when I hear Taps.

[@WhatVivididnext]

❤️

[@mariac3534]

Interesting gifts and so many useful items. A cheval set is crocheted doilies, according to Google. Always enjoy your videos.

[@gillianmeehan3206]

I'm with you on the integrated kitchen appliances. They are always smaller than their freestanding cousins and when you do need to replace them there isn't as much choice.

[@SharonGreen-gc3ym]

My mum always kept a button box full of buttons although it wasn’t a box it was an old quality street tin, oh the memories 😊

[@WhatVivididnext]

Ditto in our house. 😊

[@Cumbriman]

Awww loved this. So lovely to have those things to look back through 😊 x

[@WhatVivididnext]

It's such a lovely treasure to have. ❤️

[@poolfield2]

I love the special book! I have a similar one from my parents marriage in 1952 and it wasn’t much different, they had a door, a table, 2 chairs, a tin bath and I also have a list of the food they managed to collect for their wedding reception. It was definitely humble while there was still rationing.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I love that their gifts included a door! Yes, humble and sensible/practical too. 😊

[@alisonnorman7158]

I have Ruth Motts wartime kitchen and garden. Loved watching the TV series when she was alive bless her. I remember my daughter who is now 35 doing a project at school and we had a week of recipes from her book. It was fun. X

[@WhatVivididnext]

I loved that TV series too. 😊

[@bethyoung4030]

I really enjoyed that. I often think back to how my parents started out when they married in 1955. To save money they rented a one bedroom cold water flat. No shower or bathtub, you had to heat water to take a sponge bath! But they were 22 and in love. Within 2 years they built a new home. When my great Aunt passed we found a little notebook she kept with prices of everything, wish I had that to look at now.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Ahhhh, yes, being in love helps to gloss over the not so good stuff! I'm so glad to have this little book of theirs.....a real treasure. 😊

[@pixiepops9058]

Absolutely love this kind of social history, what I beautiful snapshot into their lives. There is so much here including their everyday handwriting xx

[@WhatVivididnext]

It's such a treasure. ❤️

[@atwoodan]

My mother taught me, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." Sometimes it was a fun challenge to see what we already had that we could use to meet a particular need. I thoroughly enjoyed this video, Vivi! Thank you for sharing ❤ Sending love from Michigan, Anne

[@WhatVivididnext]

Aww, thank you Anne. 😊

[@mysecondsmile]

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful treasure with us! In the materialistic, wasteful & disposable society we live in, there is much to learn from our parents/ grandparents. My late mum taught me how to be frugal & I'm so grateful for that. Among many things, I still remember her darning her tan tights so many times, make do & mend! You did make me chuckle when you scolded your grandad for his illegible bit of writing!! x❤

[@WhatVivididnext]

Aww, thank you lovely. Yay to making do and mending......I have a pair of wool socks waiting in my Sunday Night Darning pile. 😉

[@aileengasson3541]

What a lovely post Vivi. A friend of mine once bought a box of old kilner jars from a house clearance sale and at the bottom she found a small recipe book about preserving and pickling, with lots of hand written notes such as "less sugar", "more onions" etc., plus what was obviously a record of home accounts - listng bills and things such as butcher, milkman, gas/electric. She didn't know who it belonged to but she treasured it and lovingly used the jars for her own pickles etc. and told her grandchildren about the lady who had used them before. I think one of the g/children took the books into school for a show and tell. I do have a couple of notebooks with knitting/crochet patterns, quilt designs (badly-drawn!) and a few recipes, but I'm not sure anyone will be able to decipher them. I don't think anyone will want my several years of spreadsheets showing all my incoming/outgoings though.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh what a lovely thing to find amongst the old Kilners.....and how kind of her to do it justice by keeping it and sharing with her family. Lovely! Hahaha.....I don't think anyone would want to trawl through all my copious notebooks either. 😉

[@wendyshanahan2652]

A lovely step back in time. I also have a book like that from my great Aunt Emily, a small town school teacher for 42 years. It shows her grocery and small items list for a few years mid 20th century. Her favorite snacks were peanuts as they show up weekly at 20-50 cents. Also a time of reuse/recycle, and they say we are too wasteful nowadays...built to last was how it used to be. Now it's single use or with built in obsolescence. My Grandma kept things for 7 yrs., if not used, keep it for 7 more, it'll come in handy someday.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh how lovely that you have your great aunt's book. Yes, we can learn a lot from that generation.......consume less and consume well (things made to last!). 😊

[@suekelleher2786]

What a treasure of a book! You’ll be able to picture your grandparents life when they were young. Talking about growing food in the war, my friends in Gaza are actually doing that right now. They’ve been displaced a lot but have been fortunate to be able to live at their parents house for now. I set up a fund for them which has done better than expected and I’ve been able to get the money to them. It’s meant they can afford expensive food at the market and also some seeds. They’ve cultivated the garden and have just had their first crop of molokhia (like spinach) and now growing quite a few things. I only hope that they can remain there, things being so grim but I told them about digging for victory. 👍xx

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh I hope they can remain settled there for a while and continue to nurture their little patch of land. X

[@Kight213]

I wish you could have been able to read the entire book to us. I absolutely loved that little book. You are so very lucky to have such a wonderful book. I, like you, love learning from the past. Again, you are so fortunate you are to have this precious little piece of history/family writings.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you. 😊

[@ninaoaster8039]

"They taught me well, they taught me well.' What a wonderful, sweet and poignant legacy! You are so blessed to have ancestors such as these.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I really am. Thank you lovely. 😊

[@lyndakling901]

I get emotional too at times because I miss my grandparents and parents so much some days….after my best friend died suddenly during heart surgery , it got worse and I started on antidepressants….helped tremendously. I’m coping so much better now.

[@SweetPea72x]

Oh Vivi..I loved this so much. Reminded me of my Grandmother in particular. How everything she owned served a purpose and was valued. The hours I spent with her baking and learning to sew are cherished memories. The simplicity of needs back then are something I wish would return today. Your Grandparents note book brought a lump to my throat. What a wonderful treasure. ❤

[@WhatVivididnext]

@@SweetPea72x Thank you so much lovely....I am glad it has brought pleasure to others too, from sharing here. 😊😊

[@Snookums1950]

That wedding gift list was indeed fascinating ! I always enjoy your chats .

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@beverley1539]

Oh agree I enjoyed too.🇨🇦🐝

[@soniarose1387]

Oh how I love these treasures from the past. I have always been fascinated by how people lived during wars, specially the WW2. Thanks for sharing 🙏💕

[@ecojo]

Vivi, the integrated washer problem has happened to me. You are doing the right thing. As for workmen invading the home, being rude. That touched a nerve with me. Because, I had that, with two guys fitting our new central heating boiler and system. For two days. I was intimidated in my own home while alone. It was very upsetting to me. My husband does not get treated in the same way but he's hardly ever in that situation because he works away from home, it's usually me. However, now I have 2 large dogs who make a huge difference, for companionship and safety. I am now happy as they go everywhere with me and I feel more confident. But we should feel safe in our homes anyway. I have had more than one incident like this. Its awful. x. Love the chatty vids.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Ugh, yes. I'm so glad I have had such a fab boiler team over the years.....a family business.....and I feel like they've become extended family to me now. 😊

[@clairethackrayreads]

What a heart warming video ❤

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@rebeccamusser1645]

This was my favorite so far! I have handwritten recipes from my mom, grandmother and great-grandmother. They are such dear treasures. And I’m so glad your grandparents were list people. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you so much lovely. It was such a pleasure to share. 😊

[@lindacapen500]

I love the walk down history lane. I loved watching the Wat Time show on the BBC. Knowing it is your family makes it even more interesting.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@sandrabryan9106]

My youngest daughter and I have been using the same gift bag for years to present each other with our birthday gift to each other. It makes us happy exchanging this bag back and forth. Unfortunately this year, I finally bought a new one because I couldn’t find the other one. Now I’ve found it so I guess we will have 2 to rotate lol.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Aww, what a lovely idea.....such a sweet tradition to have between you.

[@TXJan0057]

I interesting the notes from your grandparents. When we got married in 1972 we got very simple gifts. One fancy gift from my older brother, who was already established, was a 12" TV. Mostly, we got a blanket or a pot or skillet or a few towels or a cookbook, I don't remember any electric appliances other than a hand mixer. Neither of us had ever lived on our own, so the practical gifts were so important.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I love this. 😊

[@shelleymatthews5050]

My Grandad taught me everything I know about gardening .. my Nan taught me to knit , to sew and how to make Yorkshire puddings and rice pudding!! They were my safe haven in a difficult childhood and like you I miss them both very much x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Awww, they sound so special. We are blessed to have had such good guides......and, yes, safe havens. X

[@c.oreilly1387]

Such wise words about the past not being a theme park. I remember my grandmother telling me about the desperation of those times, the shortages, the blackouts, and during one harsh winter, having to break up their furniture for firewood.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Exactly! When we look back and learn we should do it with respect. x

[@michelletessier1647]

Thank you for shading. I love hearing about how other people lived and what kinds of things they may have wanted or needed. So interesting how much simpler things were.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@stephaniet9264]

Vivi. Thank you so much for sharing this treasure. I immediately notice the lack of dreaded plastics that now permeate our world. Less is obviously better.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Exactly! 😊

[@sandrafannin1277]

Oh Vivi what a beautiful keepsake you have❤️I love family history!! Thank you so much for sharing this snapshot into the past. Hope you get feeling better soon.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you Sandra. 😊

[@witsonsmom729]

What a treasure! As you read the gift list, it made me think how much a marriage is a community event. I love practical gifts, what different times... even down to what would be considered necessary setting ware for the table. And here we are today, where one doesn't even get a formal thank you often for wedding gifts given at all or before the couple is already divorced. My one grandmother set a more formal table... I recall having half a grapefruit broiled with brown sugar topping at my grandmother's house... grapefruit bowl and grapefruit spoon included. Things are very informal these days.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I like a bit of formal from time-to-time......a lovely table cloth, pretty china etc.......and always a thank-you card! 😊

[@angeladrummie4461]

Great Vid Vivi, Our house was a miss match of all sorts of furniture in the house I grew up in, mainly inherited from family members or bought in the local second hand antique type shop in the nearest town. I stuck it out to the end and as soon as you said what the cheval set was I recollected the name and could envisage the items on my grandma's dressing table. Take care x

[@WhatVivididnext]

I love miss-matched pieces......they have a story! I don't have any furniture that was bought new. 😊

[@christinekeay8456]

Vivi that wedding present list is not unlike my haul of wedding presents from the 1960s. I come from a small town in Scotland , although I worked in London at the time, and my mother said very firmly, “we don’t deal with wedding lists up here”. The result was a huge assortment of mismatched china, pillowcases, vases, washing up bowl, dustpan and brush etc, very similar to your grandparents. All different colours and styles! People who knew my parents gave what they called a “minding” which was a small present , like one of the above. Wedding Lists were definitely a thing down south where I worked and presumably over the next few years crept up the country.

[@WhatVivididnext]

The latest thing seems to be no wedding list but everyone is asked to give money for a honeymoon in some expensive far-off place!

[@christinekeay8456]

@@WhatVivididnext yes, one of my children did that and I felt a bit uncomfortable about it. Different generations, different things seem to be acceptable

[@lyndakling901]

Mine from 1970 were the same..a set of towels, $10, pillowcases…I have the list still of what we got. The gifts today are ridiculous. As are the amount spent on weddings.

[@beverley1539]

@@WhatVivididnext Totally Agree. My Partner has many nieces and nephews soo we have had 3 weddings in 3 years including his son. Ridiculous truly, hotels, engagement parties, bachelor parties bachelorette parties, Jack and Jill etc. Then you don’t even get a Thankyou card and maybe 5 min at the event spent with with the couple. I find it really cheeky! Definitely time change not for the better in this case. 🇨🇦🐝

[@judithmitchellthedevotedlu3087]

Very special video. Absolutely love your precious notebook.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@loveconnection1118]

I really enjoyed this video! So interesting. How lovely that you have the bureau too.X

[@WhatVivididnext]

The bureau is such a treasure.......and it's lovely that it is documented in my grandparent's wee notebook. 😊

[@crazyhomemaker]

I love this! Wedding gifts. I would have loved most of these things. A lot of these things I am buying for myself...tablecloths, pillowcases, table napkins, etc.

[@WhatVivididnext]

The perfect gifts for a couple setting up home and starting with nothing. 😊

[@crazyhomemaker]

@WhatVivididnext We are 33 years married. I just love the items from that time. I love putting doilies under my lamps and all over the house. I have my grandmother's, a family friend's and ones that I made. Have a great day!

[@WhatVivididnext]

@@crazyhomemaker Awww, so special. x

[@chorky2]

Great video Vivi. I prefer an old style house I live in a terraced cottage and most of my furniture is second hand that myself and my late husband refurbished. Your little book is a wonderful thing to have. Heather

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay for furniture that has a story. 😊

[@chorky2]

@@WhatVivididnext I always find it’s better made as well I always go for proper wood with dovetail joints non of your IKEA stuff. Heather

[@fragilefleur]

I love hearing the wedding gifts of your grands!! Thanks for sharing!

[@jennyconroy1658]

Lovely video, thanks for sharing i found it very interesting. How wonderful to have the book in your possession. Your grandparents must have treasured all of their wedding gifts and i bet they lasted for many many years ❤

[@WhatVivididnext]

They did......I remember so many of the items from their home...even into my adulthood. 😊

[@AlisonGreenValleyCrone]

Paper and string - taught by my grandparents to open presents and parcels carefully so that paper and string/ribbon can be reused - my poor kids still humour me with this one 😂 Loved hearing the list of wedding gifts

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely, I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@SharonGreen-gc3ym]

My mum & dad bought me my first dinner set for my bottom drawer bless ‘em 😊

[@sallydavies8267]

Fantastic video Vivi; how lovely to have your grandparents' little notebook. I was mainly brought up by my grandparents, who lived with us, so I have lots of the same habits - button tin anyone? Nothing goes in the rag bag without the buttons being removed for re-use. In fact I have two button tins, "Boring buttons" and "Nice buttons", much to my five year old granddaughter's amusement. I see her looking through them in fascination, and remember myself doing the same thing at her age!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh that's so funny.....I, too, have separate tins for 'boring' buttons and one for 'fancy' buttons. 😁

[@ibislife]

Absolutely lovely chat Vivi. I was making a homemade caserole dish while you were telling the story. My mind went to my own relatively close history. My mother was born in 1935, she is still with us. Her parents survived 2 world wars, and here in Norway life was grim, when it came to food. Norway was under German occupation, and they took all food they could lay their hands on. They controlled everything coming into the country. Everything was rationed. My grandmothers on both sides had their victory gardens, and were exellent cooks. Mostly they had potatoes, and fish. They could fish in the fjords. But they did not have any fats like oils, margarine or butter. They had cod oil.. My mother said she could still smell it the memory of potatoes and onions cooked in cod oil. Awful. Flour was partially chalk, and tasted bitter. They had chickens and a garden pig shared with others, they had to hide it for the Germans. I found a lot of letters and even Telegrams when we were moving my mother into the nursing home this summer. The Telegrams were colorful and beautiful. And was for everything from a wedding and even Birthdays. Notebooks too. I think my grandmothers inherited a lot of the contents of their houses. I even have furniture passed down in generations. Wonderful to listen to. Thank you. 🥰

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely.....and thank you for sharing these precious family memories/stories of yours. 😊

[@Sally-wm5jh]

So informative of what it was like back in your grandparents day. Great video, Vivi.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@krissy2321]

I really enjoyed hearing about your grandparents wedding gifts. It’s a good reminder to us today to be grateful for all we have. Thanks for sharing Vivi 💛

[@WhatVivididnext]

Absolutely! 😊

[@DonnaLatty-kh6db]

Good Saturday morning Vivi yes from the war and the Great Depression there's many great lessons to learn from 👍❤️🙏🇺🇸🕳️ What a treasure of a book to have their handwriting 😊

[@julieford6204]

Nice to see you lovely to go over the pass and nice to talk about your new kitchen 😊

[@WhatVivididnext]

Cheers Julie. 😊

[@carolwhite6979]

I hope you feel better soon. if you do decide to donate your treasure book or gift it to a family member, consider including a photograph of your grandparents, maybe from the wedding and later life, and other pertinent information. Maybe a short biography, dates, and first address? knowing a bit of their story, in and through the war years builds a picture and puts the rest in context, It is good toknow you are starting to plan your new kitchen! Your idea to have freestanding appliances makes sense. you read about the old kitchens. The only fixed items were the sink and the wood stove! I have an old hoosier..... that graced a prairie kitchen many years ago, that now supports our sick animal care supplies.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Oh what a lovely piece of kitchen furniture to have.....what tales it could tell. 😊

[@carolwhite6979]

@ it is a treasure! the old flour sifter is intact.and there are three tin drawers to keep mice or insects out! a cutting board pulls out under the counter top and two more shelves for supplies under the counter. It has a tambour door that rolls up to increase useable counter surface, and a couple of shelves above for supplies. I hung the saline bag inside the flour compartment, for sub cu fluids. the top shelved house boxes of syringes,vet tape and gauze pads and prescription meds. the bottom caters to dog and cat food, pee pads, paper towel, and cleaning supplies, and the cutlery drawer hold pens, scissors, box cutters, clips, It is like a miniature clinic. everything at hand. I had originally thought it a greenhouse cupboard, but multiple elderly cats with kidney issues and a diabetic senior dog soon repurposed it.

[@julieh4662]

I love it bread breadboard and a saw, gave me a real good chuckle thank you

[@WhatVivididnext]

Hahaha, it made me giggle too. 😉

[@marilyn9155]

Good morning Vivi. Rotten cold of yours begone! You popped up at a good time . Was needing your company . I had a British friend who was in the Land Army. She gave me a cookbook from war times called “We’ll Eat Again”. So you have it too !! It was Full of depression - era recipes and rationing tips, as you know. I regret donating that book . Yes ! I DID find this fascinating. Especially dealing with English history. Interesting the needs folks had . Very practical and precise in their wishes , only what was absolutely needed!! and I love your bureau! This was informative and interesting ! A ‘Miller ‘ clock! I have one. Not antique though . Feel better my friend ..❤️x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. So glad you found it of interest. 😊

[@kathymc1863]

I have and use a soup ladle that was a wedding present to my parents in 1947 😊

[@WhatVivididnext]

How lovely. 😊

[@kathymc1863]

@@WhatVivididnext Imagine how hard it was to set up a first home in post war Britain… it really would be back to basics 😬

[@janedoe09]

Oh my, I have some of my Great Great Auntie's chevals!!! cloth with blue trim. I'm 70, they all three never married, and if memory serves??? the last one passed around 1968 so I guess the chevals were Old Then! as all three lived into their 89's. I Loved the stories of your grand parents...thinking we are all here to learn and to love they passed on so much to your family

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. x

[@ecojo]

I really enjoyed listening to the wedding list. So, lovely to know that when we begin married life or move out we only need the basics. I have decluttered as we are downsizing and going very rural in our new home. Our family home housed a lot of things for 6 of us and it's good to be rid of the excess. Mari Kondo book helped me and I am careful about no extras now. I do not want the fuss of managing it. x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Hear, hear! Less is definitely more. 😊

[@rickiwinter1587]

Still haven't been able to work out what a pumbler was ? I'm sure that most of those wedding presents lasted them a life time too. I just checked on google and£100 in 1942 had the spending power of £5,900 in todays money. Seems incredible! Loved this video ,so enjoy hearing your stories of your grandparents

[@WhatVivididnext]

Gosh, that was quite a big loan then.....so about £120 to pay back each month. I googled Pumbler but couldn't find anything.....I reckon it was a laundry dolly.... Yes, those gifts DID last a lifetime....I remember them in my grandparent's home even when I was a grown up.....and now a few of them are in my home. 😊

[@pennythompson4790]

I have the We'll eat again book I got it off amazon after I'd watched a series called the wartime winter & summer & was thoroughly captivated by it i love anything to do with the war x

[@tinaweeks438]

Oh Vivi I certainly stuck with you and thank you for sharing your treasure, how precious, oh and I also looked up cheval set, such a sweet gift from Aunty Teapot. This was fascinating and very interesting 😊 x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@joyful8072]

I remember my late mom used to tell me stories about her grandmother's cooking during the depression. One of the things she mentioned was oatmeal soup. I'm going to try this soon myself. As for reusing gift wrap, I started doing this some time ago as a way to cut down on paper wastage. I alternate with wrapping gifts with reusable items such as dishcloths and dishtowels and putting them in reusable baskets as appropriate. I've done it for a long time and most people mention it and appreciate it. Sometimes I do use gift bags, especially at Christmas. In that case, I don't write on the card that usually attaches to the corded handles so that the bags can be reused. I enjoyed hearing the information your grandparents kept in the black book and also the items they received for their wedding gifts. It reminded me of one wedding I went to when I was a tween and the gifts back then were also humble. I miss those times when the expectation was really only that you attend the wedding, not necessarily that you were bringing gifts! Today one feels embarrassed unless you can give an expensive item to the newlyweds, or at least I do.

[@AlisonGreenValleyCrone]

Yes! I’ve used new tea towels as gift wrap - forms and extra little gift too

[@joyful8072]

@@AlisonGreenValleyCrone Great. 👏🏽👏🏽🙏🏽

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. Ugh, I hear you about attending weddings these days......I had an invite to one for someone I don't consider a best friend.....more of an acquaintance.....the gift 'list' was actually a request for money with a 'suggested donation of £100 minimum' (!).....needless to say I did not go.

[@joyful8072]

@@WhatVivididnext The kind of events where the gift is prescribed have to be the worst.

[@lynnoorman2144]

Greedy objects!!! Why do they think that folk have £100 to spare?​@WhatVivididnext

[@BriansJerseygarden]

Good morning vivi what a fascinating interesting vlog this morning I hope the rest of your day goes wonderfully

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@indirarimkeit6644]

Hi Vivi, what a treasure that war-time book is. Super interesting. I love the 1943 edition of The Joy of Cooking that I inherited from my mom. There are so many good frugal ideas in there.

[@WhatVivididnext]

What a great book to inherit. 😊

[@deegroove6802]

Loved that you shared a glimpse into the past!

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely, t'was my pleasure. 😊

[@dawnedgar5681]

Thank you for sharing the little book, it was fascinating, especially to know how much they paid for their/your bureau. What a lovely memento.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I'm so happy their/my bureau was documented in the little book......makes it even more special somehow. 😊

[@mandymaxwell3249]

Chevalier Set a set of pretty mats or doilies-traditionally a larger oval mat and two or more smaller round mats-used on a dressing table to protect it from jars.perfume bottles,brushes,etc,and to look pretty.

[@beverley1539]

Agree cause I had to google lol couldn’t wait. Thanks 🇨🇦🐝

[@JB-pd4ni]

I'm so glad to know you have that treasure of a book from your family!

[@BriansJerseygarden]

Utterly fascinating I think this is the fourth time I'm watching it

[@WhatVivididnext]

Awww, cheers Brian. X

[@maryfennell9672]

How lovely you have that book Vivi, I don't have anything from my grandparents apart from some photos that were left by my parents. Much humbler times and people weren't so dissatisfied with what they had.

[@WhatVivididnext]

I think having less helps you to be more appreciative of what you DO have. 😊

[@rena4220]

Loved listening to this. I reuse wrapping paper and save gift bags whenever possible. When MY kids were small, I made them be very careful when opening gifts. I don't think any of them do the same. I have a few doilies that my mom made.

[@dawnpetteford6726]

A lovely video and totally interesting as a piece of social history. It obviously brings you much joy as that sort of thing would for me too if it was my family history. Thank you for sharing! x

[@WhatVivididnext]

Aww, thank you lovely, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@marshahodgkins9215]

I loved hearing all that goodness from the little black book. I think it’s especial with both your grandparents’ handwriting. I’m going to have to study up on quids and pounds so I can understand your story better of the borrowing that went on with the grands. Certainly it was a very frugal amount, even then.

[@WhatVivididnext]

It really is a lovely treasure for me to have.....and a reminder that life can be good even with little by way of material possessions. 😊

[@booksknitsthings]

Luv your channel Vivi 🌅

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you. 😊

[@OurSmallholdingAdventure]

Beautiful memories and yes, stayed with you! Take care, Tracy

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@bluumz-n-veg]

I loved your grandparent's book, thank you for sharing Vivi!

[@WhatVivididnext]

And thank you for watching. 😊

[@marilyngoossens1379]

Hi vivi, Loved the video,I find it so lovely to go back and see all that it’s such a lovely thing to be part of a very important time in your grandparents lives. My grandfathers writing was so similar to your granddads.people back then cared about things like that didn’t they?. It’s been lovely sharing this with you vivi thank you. Hope your cold clears up soon. Take care love Marilyn. Xx

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you lovely. 😊

[@theresepazell7875]

Enjoyed Yes and they survived without all that we have now and still never enough . Sad and some ppl r still not happy..God what a world..

[@pennythompson4790]

I love this list as I had casserole dishes,a marble rolling pin, pyrex pudding basins, a mirror, a carpet sweeper etc so it means a great deal to me xx

[@cherylprice1790]

Lovely upload Vivi. I have little snippets of my late parents' handwriting, and it is very precious to me. ❤

[@WhatVivididnext]

It's so lovely isn't it. 😊

[@cherylprice1790]

@WhatVivididnext yes it really is.

[@susancooper4803]

I remember my Nan having a cheval set (crochet doilies) on her dressing table with her brushes and handheld mirror.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Awww, lovely. 😊

[@MoonSpinners]

Wonderful video Vivi. I don’t have a cheval set, but I do have the glass dressing table set that went onto the cheval mats 😂 it’s a large glass tray with the round glass powder puff thingy and glass trinket what nots, they were my grandmothers. I also have two silk parasols from the 1800’s that were my great great grandmothers, I have no children, so was thinking of donating them to a museum. I’ve got loads of “heirlooms” and when I’m gone, who’s going to get them? It’s a problem when you have no children, and neither does my brother 😐 I hope you do make a video on Swedish death cleaning, cos I could do with some encouragement.

[@WhatVivididnext]

What lovely items......yes, it's a bit tricky knowing what to do with everything if you don't have kids.....

[@MoonSpinners]

@@WhatVivididnext …maybe I’ll become a minimalist, it would solve a lot of problems

[@WhatVivididnext]

@@MoonSpinners 😉

[@ErnieCG]

Our great grandmother husband died in the First World War ,they had two daughters and a son,the eldest daughter our mums mum was born in 1900 in edinburgh as was the other daughter ,their son was born in Canada when they emigrated there from edinburgh,good video.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Thank you Caroline. Do you have any contact with the Canadian 'branch' of the family?

[@lyndakling901]

When I look at all we have and then look at the very old suitcases that people traveled with ..probably a change of clothes and the pair of she’s they wore…I’m trying to pare down belongings but it a lot to get rid of after 76 years on earth…!

[@WhatVivididnext]

I hear you. 😊

[@SharonGreen-gc3ym]

Last week I made a sausage and split pea soup and it was delicious 😊

[@beverley1539]

Share🇨🇦🐝

[@sarahm9651]

What a wonderful treasure you have with that book. One set of my grandparents married in 1939 so it was interesting for me to imagine them getting similar wedding gifts. My Nan always had a cheval set on her dressing table and I know that one of my great aunts made it for them. Lovely memories.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Aww, I'm so glad this had the extra relevance for you of your Grands also getting married in '39. 😊

[@hollyfield6566]

Hello! A cheval set is a three piece of crochet or knitted doilies. They aren't worth much anymore except to collectors of the craft.

[@catherinetunley983]

That was such an enjoyable video, I am also a great list maker and also love my notebooks. Thank you very much for the recent items I bought from your shop. The three little baskets are just perfect and I have the book on my coffee table and dip into it often. 😊❤xxx

[@WhatVivididnext]

Cheers lovely.....and that book is a perfect 'dip into' one, I'm glad you like your purchases. 😊

[@susanpedersen4720]

I love this. And... I think the gifts were very generous. My husband and I had a pretty humble wedding ourselves. We lived together ahead of time but had very little by todays standards. Nobody really paid attention to the gift list and gave cheques. I am happy that we did not go into debt for the wedding and the gifts did help to make sure we didnt. At the ripe age I am we are still furnishing our house the way we like it.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Lovely. 😊

[@janemctavish2666]

I am a third generation paper saver/recycled. We all actually pull out the gift wrap and iron it. Actually a fun thing remembering who had the last gift and what it was. 😂

[@WhatVivididnext]

Love it. 😊

[@SuperNorini]

Is there anything that they didn't get on the wedding gift front?!? 😂❤😂 Sounds utterly lovely. You can just imagine the cosiness of your grandparents first flat. 😘

[@WhatVivididnext]

Exactly. 😊

[@mildredpierce7728]

💕Thank You Vivi!!!💕

[@WhatVivididnext]

My pleasure lovely. 😊

[@SueRice-q2w]

We had wedding in church then all trooped to the church hall for sandwich buffet and we got married in 1986! Dont regret it, was a lovely relaxed day for all. No wedding list - though we did get 3 casserole sets 😅 xx

[@WhatVivididnext]

Yay for a small, home-made wedding. 😊

[@SueRice-q2w]

@WhatVivididnext 🥰

[@joviv6340]

nice , i enjoyed the small trip in history. Ppl were more resilient back then BECAUSE they HAD to be . Todays ppl . . . . . . i dont even want to comment on . Enjoy your day Vivi.

[@WhatVivididnext]

Cheers lovely.

[@SharonGreen-gc3ym]

What a fantastic little notebook memories to treasure 😊

[@WhatVivididnext]

It really is. 😊

[@claudiaebert7842]

What a truly wonderful memory of your grandparents. It's completely legitimate and normal if you get emotional. How did you get this precious souvenir? Unfortunately, I don't have any memorabilia of my grandparents. My last grandmother died when I was six years old. I can't even remember the other grandparents. I don't have any things that would remind me of my parents, both of whom died a few years ago. But I can still keep the memories of them in my heart, which is a greater comfort to me. ❤

[@WhatVivididnext]

I'm so grateful that I had my grandparents well into my adulthood. ❤️