15 Things I've Learned from My Mom

My mom is my best and most honest friend. She is the reason that I push myself to always do more/better and, like any girl with a great mom, I've learned a number of very important things from her. I wanted to share a few them with you.

1. Wear lipstick and perfume every day. It doesn't matter if you are running to the store or going to your best friend's wedding. It doesn't even matter if the rest of your face is bare. Wear lipstick, preferably one that is right for your coloring (sub-lesson: if you don't know how to find a lipstick that's good for you, head to ZCMI- or Dillard's, since ZCMI is long gone- and talk to one of the nice ladies at the Estee Lauder counter). And don't go having 20 different kinds of perfume. Find your signature scent and be faithful to it, at least until a better signature scent makes its' way into your life.

2. Don't wear colors that don't compliment you. And don't wear anything that makes you feel ugly.

3. Iron your clothing. Even your jeans. And your t-shirts. You'll look better and feel better if you do.

4. Make your bed everyday. Your tired self will thank you for the smooth sheets in 12-14 hours.

5. Don't use gift bags. They are lazy and boring, not to mention overpriced. When you give someone a gift, take the time to wrap it in pretty paper, with a pretty bow. (My mom's wrapping jobs are always pretty- almost too pretty to open, and I wish I could say that I keep up with her standards in this department but must admit that I use the occasional gift bag. In my defense, I only use them because someone has already given them to me.)

6. Practice makes perfect. This is probably the most important lesson my mom taught me. Practice was mandatory in my home. It didn't matter whether I was entering a coloring contest, learning my times tables, or preparing for a national piano competition. If I was doing something, I was practicing beforehand. And not just a little bit. (True story: my mom would make copies of my coloring contest pages and make me practice coloring them before doing my official entry).

7. Be grateful and always remember to send thank you cards, even for small favors and gifts.

8. Your business is your business. There is no need to share all of it with everyone you know. Keep some things to yourself. Most people probably don't want to know every detail of your life anyway.

9. Honor your commitments. If you say you'll do something or be somewhere, do it and be there.

10. Don't be cheap and don't buy cheap shoes. They are uncomfortable and make your feet stink. (Confession: I don't always follow this advice... I can't help it... the shoes at Target are just irresistible sometimes.)

11. Sometimes, what's popular isn't necessarily attractive. Trendy often equates to tacky so don't hop on every style train that goes by.

12. Reading is fun. So is the library.

13. Pale skin is better than leathery, wrinkled, cancerous skin. My mom was anti-tanning long before the rest of the world realized that spending hours in the sun or visiting the tanning salon every day were bad ideas. I'm so grateful to her for keeping me out of the sun and tanning beds. So is my skin.

14. It's better to have one good friend than a dozen semi-good friends.

15. Lateness is rudeness. Always be on time for everything. If you can, be early. At least five minutes early.

These 15 things are obviously not the only lessons my mom taught me. They aren't the biggest or the most important, either. They are just some of my favorites, some of the ones that I'd like to see Harper learn as well.

What are some of the best lessons that your mom taught you?