Have you ever wondered what your parents forgot to spell out for you because they thought you'd probably just pick it up through the years? Have they ever wondered if you were really listening? If my mom had written a personal book of wisdom for me it would include, among other things, 'Enjoy the journey', and 'It came to pass, not to stay'. She would also encourage me to call my friends more often, remind me not to put off my work until the night before it's due, and to wash the towels separately from the socks and undershirts, even if they're all white.I recently stayed up past my bedtime looking through page after page of Jaime's advice to her own daughter. Her honesty and wit made for an interesting read and I found myself wishing I'd learned a few of these a little earlier on in life. Some of my favorite pieces of advice:
Cultivate a genuine enthusiasm for the minutia of other people's lives.
This is how to be a friend.
Paint the inside of your favorite costume jewelry with clear nail polish.
No more green fingers.
Doing things inspires doing more and greater things.
Doing nothing breeds inertia. When you do anything at all, no matter how insignificant, you begin to create a sphere of action and intention that expands around you.
If you want to leave a party and you don't have a good excuse, spill something on yourself.
Leggings are not pants.
Prudent Advice is full of wit and wisdom and would make a lovely gift to any mother, no matter how long they've been at the wheel. You can find out more about Jaime's book here and purchase your own here. Other stops in the blog tour have included:
10/15 Cooking With My Kid
10/18 The Tum Tum Tree
10/19 ohdeedoh
10/20 Ish and Chi
10/21 Little Miss Heirlooms
If you'd like the chance to win a copy leave a comment below sharing some of the best advice from your own mom/grandma/influential person in your life. Winner will be chosen Monday, October 25th.
If Ruby ends up with curly hair she will definitely be getting this advice from me. Don't wash it every day. If it's feeling funky on day two get yourself to a curling iron and pony tail holder and you'll make it.
xoxo,
Rachel
141 comments:
I love her blog. A common phrase from my mom was, 'You just have to deal with it.'
when you have a teething baby never underestimate the power of a car ride... even at 3 am...
xo,
christen
Every time I wore a skirt or dress, my mom would make sure I was wearing a slip...because "if not, everyone will be able to see straight through it!"
My Grandma, mom to 6, wrote this to me at my baby shower with my first daughter "Patience, Patience, Patience" I repeat it to myself every single day! With 3 kids under 5, I need to remember it constantly.
Advice from my mom: "Only boring people get bored."
"Be a sponge."
In every situation — good and bad — take in everything. Learn as much as you can, keep what you need and wring out the rest.
call your mama everyday :)
"stop crying and pull yourself together. you can do this."
What my great-grandma (who lived to be 98!) always told us: ice cream is good for you because it's made with milk, and that's good for you. I never doubted the nutritional advice of a 90-some year old woman.
my mom's 2 standbys:
*patience is a virtue
*eat your veggies
Ooh! What a neat book. The one that really stands out to me is when my mom would tell me that when I didn't want to do something right, that's when I really needed to do it. Thanks for the giveaway!
I LOVE her blog and I'm so excited about this book! Such a great idea.
My favorite advice would have to be "follow your heart always."
I love my Mom. :)
Great giveaway!
"this too shall pass"
gets me through everything.
:))
kelly
My Mother-in-Law, right before my wedding, told me that words are permanent... once they come out of your mouth, no matter how many times you take them back or say you're sorry, they will never be forgotten.
Think be fore you speak, especially towards the people that you love the most!
i saw a review of this book here also: http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2010/10/prudent-baby-book-review-and-giveaway.html?
Hmmm.. the main advice i remember from my mum is 'blue and green should never be seen'.. but i disobey this rule so much in my fashion choices.
sorry mum...
My grandmother: "Be yourself, don't try to change yourself for someone else" ^.^
-k-
leggings are not pants! yes! thank you.
my mom says "que sera, sera" a lot and it really helps to repeat it when I'm worried about something. Whatever will be, will be! Acceptance.
my mom always says, "people are more important than things." this is advice that has always stuck with me!
I have been told a many times in the good and bad, "everything comes to an end". It has been proven to me many a times. :D
Aw, hurray for moms! advice from mine:
Hold out for a man who is really passionate.
The best advice I've received was from my stepdad- my personal hero. "If something's not working, don't be afraid to make a change". Simple but wise, and those words have helped me through some tough times.
"remember who you are" and "there's a world out there"
tomorrow is another day ...
The best advice from my mom is "It's okay, they are just things" when something breaks or gets stolen. It helps to put things into perspective that our possessions don't own us and we're not to get angry when they break. People are more important.
Great giveaway!
xoxo
Talia Christine
My favorite pieces of wisdom from my Mom is also one of her simples. "You get what you put out there". :-)
This book sounds great! Thanks for sharing.
xx -Simone
"Love him through it." My momma's marriage advice is priceless.
my mom told me to marry for money ;) she also told me that tights were not pants, no matter how thick they are. at the time (circa 5th grade) i didn't buy it, but now i know better!
"Worrying doesn't change anything." So far, she's always been right.
-Amanda R
When I was getting desperate about something, I was told to tell myself "stop it" and do something else. It usually worked.
My dad, although he didn't quite come up with this sentiment, got me a sign a few years ago that reads, "No boy is worth crying over, and the one who is won't make you cry".
When I was struggling a bit in my teenage years, my mum painted "The sun'll come out tomorrow" in her beautiful swirly script above my bed. It's always stuck with me - no matter how bad it seems at the time, the sun'll come out tomorrow. Plus, I was in a production of Annie when I was 11 which was a total dream come true, so it tied in with that too.
An advice from my dad, since my mom was never the advice giving type:
Be careful with other people's hearts.
When I worried about what other people might think "You can't please everyone all of the time" sometimes she would add "so you might as well please yourself".
Even if you are planning to be a stay at home mom, go to school! You never know when you'll need to help with the income or what will happen in the future!
Also, learn to say "no". You can't do everything and you need to be content with your life before you can tackle other projects.
My gran brought me up until I was 14, and she always used to say, whenever I was upset with anything at school, 'keep your head down, keep yourself to yourself, and don't let anyone else make you unhappy'
Although she also used to tell me that if ducks ran away quacking that means they liked me.
funniest advice from my great g-ma: It's just as easy to marry a rich man as it a poor man.
and
my momma: God never gives you more than you can handle.
Aw, such a lovely book. My favourite mantra when I've got a problem is from my infinitely-wise grandmother: "If you can do something about it, do it. If you can't, stop worrying about it." Simple and effective :)
i love the advice about leaving a party. I am horrible at goodbyes and usually just do the disappearing act...this is a good one! thanks for sharing.
I love stuff like this!! I'm one of those people that likes to be told what to do.....well, to an extent :D :D
hmm the one that sticks out to me would be "Get over it!"
:)
Sarah M
sounds like a great book! best advice from my mom/aunts: men are dumb! :)
My mom always would say, "This will seem better in the morning. Sleep on it."
I don't remember any particularly common word of advice from my parents, but they did shake their heads at me a lot and say, "You'll learn the hard way." And I probably did, but I'm thankful to them for letting me try whatever I liked (within reason of course) :)
The note about spilling on yourself made me laugh out loud. My mom's signature advice is "Be a duck" (let people's insults and negativity roll off your back like water off a duck's feathers).
From my grandmother who died of cancer, "If you start feeling sorry for yourself, do something for someone else." She made it her goal to call at least one person a day to see how THEY were while she was sick with cancer. I'm pretty sure it's how she fought it for so long. : )
"Just be yourself, don't let anyone change you or make you feel like you need to change, be true to who you are!"
xoxo~Meg
My mother always said, "Patience is a virtue." I know it's nothing revolutionary and is a pretty typical piece of advice, but I find that it has come in handy throughout my life. Now, as a high school English teacher in the city, it has become more important than ever for me to repeat it to myself, daily. Love that idea behind the book!
My grandmother has always told me that with keeping God has your focus all your other relationships will flourish.
Tamara
oh wow, i love this so much!
the best advice i ever received from my mother was to write a list of 25 things i love about myself, and then keep it where i could find it quickly in times of doubt.
that was about 15 years ago, and i still have it. it's wrinkled and covered in tears but it always gets me through. and if i ever have children, or if my niece ever comes to me in pain, i will tell her to do the same thing.
"no matter what, tell everyone that you love them. even if you are yelling it at your husband." my mother's words of wisdom.
lovelove
leigh
teaandluv.wordpress.com
My mom always told me, "Never expect."
If something isn't working out like you want it to, leave it and come back another day.
Love the giveaway!
Whenever I was complaining about unfairness, Mom would always say no one ever said it would be fair, deal with it.
It's harsh but it's so true!
Wow, this looks like a great book! Thanks for sharing!
I'm not sure if this is my mom's best piece of advice, but certainly one of the funniest:
"Always where clean underwear when you go out of the house. You never know if you'll get in a car wreck and have to go to the hospital. And you wouldn't want dirty undies then would you?"
LOL!
what an adorable book! :D i love 'leggings are not pants' - hah.
& advice from both my grandmothers: look presentable every time you leave the house, even if it's going to get gas.
Always send a thank you note...even if it seems excessive.
Hmmm, not from a relative but from a book. You should always forgive a person but you don't have to forget what they did or have them been a part of your life.
Always accept free stuff from people who are "cleaning out," even if it's junk, because you'll probably get a treasure somewhere down the line.
beware of how many time you say "I" in a conversation. Then stop.
Out of all of the amazing years of advice, my Mimie's best was, "And this too shall pass."
Upon any stubbed toe or minor, curse-worthy injury, my mom would calmly say, "It's too far from my heart to hurt."
"Be kind. You don't know what they're going through."
My most used piece of Mom advice is, "If you've caught a draft, the only thing to get rid of it is a good nap." And this was growing up in southern California; now that I live in snow country, it's super useful.
Always, always smile at people you pass, you just never know if that will be what brightens their day.... :)
My Mom always says "Just let it go"
It is a great piece of wisdom to follow in the everyday small things. It's like saying nothing is permanent so let it go earlier than later.
Thanks Rachel for making me think of this! it was a great reminder for my day!
go out and do something... i got that one a lot!
Whenever I would make a big mistake my Mom would tell me "don't dwell on it but learn from it, and then move on"
"Try it, it could be your favorite!" From my Dad. I just posted about this actually!
Ohhh I like this! :) My mom told me when I started sewing to buy atleast a yard of every fabric that I fell in love with but didn't have a specific project for. That way the store doesn't sell out when you finally find something you'd like to make with it :) If my daughter shows an interest in sewing pretty things, I'll pass that one down to her :)
one of my mom's favorites was "better safe than sorry"...can't tell you how many times that's saved me...and in how many situations it is completely relevant! :)
Fun! And amen to the "leggings aren't pants"!!
This one isn't life changing or anything, but I remember my mom telling me that just because the phone rings doesn't mean you have to answer it. :) Needless to say, I'm a total screener and only like to talk on the phone when it's a good time for both parties!
"if you gain weight, you won't be able to fit into your clothes anymore." -it was her chinese way of saying, you've already spent money on all of these clothes & i will not buy you anymore if you gain too much weight. Yes, of course this was after my 18th birthday, but I still hear it to this day.
i suppose a valuable piece of advice she gave me was to not buy more than i can afford. saving $ reaps more rewards than you can ever imagine.
I love advice, you can never get enough. All these are good, some real gems in the comments too :)
Thanks for the one about the curly hair, my second day hair usually gets shoved in a bun or quickly straightened. I'll have to mix it up!
I love moms, they're so wise. My mom taught me:
"Learn to laugh at yourself, especially your mistakes."
It's been priceless.
My mom always used to tell me that when I had to find a new stylist I should walk into a salon and look for the stylist with the worst hair. That meant they were the person all the other stylists were getting their hair done from. :-P (She was a stylist herself for awhile)
Sounds like a great book! My mom is fond of saying "This too shall pass."
The best advice I got wasnt from my mom, but from a friend who was just like a mom. She told me to 'Loosen up and have fun, stop holding your self back." I followed that advice and now I'm married with two under two and still having fun.
My Dad always said he would trust me in all things, unless he discovered that I had broken that trust!
Some of the best advice I ever received was from my father, who is one of the most infulential people I know. He taught me "the best revenge is living well." And, my dear husband that I love with all my heart- "the hard is what makes it good." He said that in reference to marriage and enjoying being married. I have always taken it to heart since we've been parents too because it's so true- the hard work you put in to it enriches it and makes it that much more wonderful.
PS- All the curly hair tips you want to give, please do! I have a 3 year old girl with curly hair and I am still learning! I have always been a lurker on your blog, but I honestly love it and like the idea that I live in the same city and can experience it in such a different way when you share your day-to-day. Thanks for doing so Rachel, you really are an inspiration in reminding us to be thoughtful and remembering to express ourselves in so many ways and not to forget the things we should say.
mama always said, "always wear clean underwear. you never know what the day may hold!" and for those times when i call her looking for the right answer, she always says, "you'll make the right choice." and even though its not what i want to hear, i always do. can't wait to check out Prudent Advice! love that blog!
love this advice--
GIVE--and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
My Mom, a librarian, taught me that you don't have to know everything you just have to know how/where to find it. Which is wonderful for someone like me who has a horrible memory!
my parents always told me, "life is an adventure to be enjoyed, not a problem to be solved." so true.
love your blog so much. this book looks charming. i think i need it.
My dad always told me, "Don't say something behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to their face." And he NEVER did. I always try to remember this when I get caught up in (even friendly) gossip!
Something my mom would always say right before we'd go out somewhere nice was "Put some lipstick on." Classic.
My best piece of wisdom is actually a question my aunt (second-mom) always asks me at the beginning of a convo: "What have you been doing for yourself lately?" It's a reminder that it's okay to do nice things for myself every once in a while and it forces me to reflect on whether I've been doing it lately and what I have been doing.
my mom always told me to do my best.
that was the best advice she gave
My mother and I have had a rough relationship. It has been better as of late (moving away for college, and staying here in the Twin Cities.) but it has always been tough to communicate with each other. She recently has started texting, and sends me messages every once in a while now that say "Always be the best. Love Mom". It means so much to me.
Thanks for this great giveaway!
"people are more important than things." best advice my mom ever gave me. <3
This book looks so awesome! My mom taught me to always find the good in people. :)
God never dishes out what he doesn't think you are capable of handling.
When all my kids are crying I have to breathe deep and say no problems and carry on!
My mom (still to this day) say "can't means you won't". saying I can't just doesn't fly in our house, even as adults she won't take it.
The advice I abide by (which comes from both my mom and grandma) is: If you see something you like, don't immediately buy it. Figure out how it's made and make it yourself!
This is advice has inadvertently become an incredibly crucial part of my life!
my grandma always told me to never put lotion on right after shaving your legs, it stings and gives you little bumps.
my mom told me when i was first married, "be careful what you ask your husband for. he loves you so much, he will do anything to give it to you." that has really stuck with me and helped me to see how much my man does love me & how hard he works to provide for our family. :)
Best advice I ever got "Remember you are on a bunk bed"... THUD. My dad was just a little late ;)
Don't ever talk bad about your husband to either side of the family because once you've forgiven him it's harder for them to forget.
Saving money... No credit card debt. Thanks, mom.
"Put it back" - when you use something and you finish using it just put it back. This is true at home, at work, everywhere, and makes life so more simple.
Thank you for the giveaway!
ap_lemos at yahoo dot com
My mom has given me an endless amount of advice, my favorite being; you can do absolutely anything you set your mind to.
Even if I don't always belive it, it helps to know she believes in me. =]
xxo
Taylor
The best advice my mom has given me is that you can't change someone if they don't want to be changed, so don't worry about it. I get told not to worry a lot, but it always works. : )
And Rachel, I definitely agree with your advice about curly hair. I wash mine every other day--I'd hate to see what would happen if I did it every day.
This books seems so sweet and so wise. Great giveaway!
My mom changed the course of my life by saying "everyone deserves a second chance."
2 years ago today my mother passed away from breast cancer, and every day i wish i could have her advice again. she once told me, "you never know what haunts a person," and every time i come close to judging someone, i remind myself of it.
My mother always told my sister and I, "You are so beautiful." It may not be advice, but it never fails to make you feel confident and loved.
She is so wise! My mom told me to be nice to everyone everyday because you never know what that person is going through.
I'm looking forward to checking this out! My grandmother always, to this day, reminds me that "this too will pass". Sometimes those are the only words that make sense.
~kris
Looks like a great book. :) What popped into my head first of the things my mom used to tell me is, "You don't have to tell everything you know."
Mom told me 2 things when I had my daughter. There will always be laundry, dishes, etc, don't worry about it. And the best piece of advice I have ever gotten...Sleep when the baby sleeps.
One tidbit of advice from my mother was to sporadically brush your teeth with baking soda before using toothepaste. It really helps and I still do it today!
reags00@hotmail.com
I love this book already.. My mum always tells me: 'Making friends isn't hard, keeping them is.'
such sweet advise you shared from the book! my mom's words of comfort: "this too shall pass". (:
from my Gramma: "NEVER wear sweats or pajamas to the store. It shows disrespect for the people who have to see you. And it's just plain lazy."
Growing up a very sensitive little girl, my Nana used to console me by saying, "Sometimes you have to just cry it out".
And so I do :)
"If you are having fun, then you ARE doing it right!" from my loving aunt.
"If you see something you love in a store but don't really need, walk away. If you can't get your mind off of it later, then it's okay to go back and buy it. You probably really will use it." - advice from a good friend. And a great way to save money :)
i love this book. my mom always reminds us "you can do it!"
she really brought us up to be strong women.
My sister who's been like my mom for 18 years, has always taught me to have a short term memory. If I made a mistake I'd simply move on from it without holding a grudge against myself.
My fancy grandma used to say two things - Always wear red lipstick, and Don't wait for a boy to buy you pearls. Buy your own pearls, so that when your man buys you pearls, then you have two strings of pearls. (I have a husband and no pearls - I failed obviously :)
My mom always taught me to write a thank-you note for every gift I ever received. I am so thankful for her advice! ;)
the advice my mother gave me when dropping me off at college my freshman year, "test drive the car before you buy it." thanks mom.
my mum always tells me "you don't have to be the best, you just have to do your best."
always true...
"Don't ever limit yourself."
You are the only one who can stop you from excelling.
My mother always says "It'll all work out in the end" - meaning even if it seems bad now, it will be for the best. Thanks for your great blog - I love reading it!
no need to be a perfectionist- "it wwould never be seen on a galloping horse!"
When I was younger and learning to write, whenever I would mess up, I would get upset and scribble it out. My mom always told me, "It's ok, just draw a heart over it and it will look like you meant to do that" :)
I was just thinking last night how my mom really instilled a desire in me to cook good food. That it's worth all the time and trouble. Good home-cooked food is nutritious, cheap, and has so much flavor because it's fresh! Any time she goes out to eat, she says she could've have made it better. :) This book would be a good read.
What a great book! I'd love to have a copy. My mom's best lesson to us as kids was to "share .... you can always get more".
This book sounds fantastic! My mom always reminds me that 'this too shall pass' and taught me to enjoy the little things in life :) I call her everyday!
a professor once told me: "find something you love and you'll never work another day in your life"... and i certainly have!
taylor
p.s. i love "leggings are not pants" i want to scream this about 20 times per day. unless you are a baby or a supermodel... you can't pull it off! haha
let your yes be yes, and your no be no...sometimes over explaining weakens it.
resolve your marital issues with your husband, not your mother! she has great marriage advice.
my mom used to tell me if i never wanted to do something to blame it on her and say i had to go home. :)
from my parents and many others - don't go to bed angry!
Thank you for sharing! A good one for parents...Parents you are the star of the show, your children are always watching what you say and do. So always be aware of how you present yourself. You might forget, but your children will always remember what was said or done. God Bless!
My Mom and Nana are full of great advice...but Nana's most recent and my favorite is, "If you see embroidered hankies/napkins at a garage sale/thrift store/estate sale don't worry with the letter, JUST BUY THEM!"
Always keep a black sharpie in your purse - touch up the scuff marks on your black heels and sign autographs along the way.
The book sounds beautiful, what a great giveaway!
My Granny always used to say to me 'what's for you won't go by you'... it helps me to remember this when things aren't going quite how I imagined they would!
My best friends's mom once told me, "Never go to bed angry at someone you love."
Communication is essential in having a successful relationship, especially on bad days. Sometimes, you just have to sit down and talk things through.
if you don't have time to make something from scratch to take to a party: just buy something pre-made and put it in one of your nice dishes. if anyone dares to ask what's in your recipse just flippantly say, "oh you know... a little of this and that!"
My mom always said never go to bed with your makeup on. Not very deep, but still great advice!
I learned a lot from my mom, after her death I realized that I could have learned it all from just about anyone except for the most important advice "it doesn't matter what you do or who you become, you will always be a little girl, my little girl and I love you, remember that."
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