Over my 19 years of life, I've spent a lot of time with my mom. I guess you could say that some of her habits rubbed off on me, and although some people may not want to be exactly like their mother, I'm pretty happy to be a chip off the old block.
1. Never pay full price.
This is the golden rule of a true bargain hunter. My mom taught me from a young age to always head straight to the back of the store to plow through the clearance section because that is where you score the real deals. Now, as a struggling college student, I really appreciate that she has me well trained to search our the nearest sale or to dig through the racks and Marshalls or TJMaxx.
2. Read the situation and adapt.
Although this bit of wisdom was spewed my mother as a response to, "How do I blow dry my hair?" it actually applies to practically any situation in life. If you don't know how to do something, or perhaps, have never done it before, don't panic. Just take into account what you know about what is going on around you and use your common sense to adjust yourself. This can apply to relationships, jobs, even school work.
3. Don't write anything you wouldn't want on the front page of the New York Times.
This is some seriously good advice. Especially now where we are all becoming increasingly entranced by our iPhones. Never text, post, or Snapchat anything you wouldn't want everyone to see. We all know that screenshots of whatever you say could come back to bite you.
4. Always take the next step.
This applies to when you are told to look for something. Instead of looking hastily and crying out, "I don't see it!" (like I always do), use your common sense to look further because it's normally right in front of your face.
5. Sometimes, you need a "white trash" day.
If you are unfamiliar with what a "white trash" day is, let me paint you a picture. So my mother and I normally do this when we want to do something, but we have no money. It normally starts with a trip to Costco. Who doesn't love Costco -- am I right? So we basically walk around perusing the gigantic stuff while making sure to hit up every free sample station. After enjoying our free snacks, we get the $1 frozen yogurts on the way out. We end our day with a trip to Petco to watch the dogs staying at the "pet hotel" as they play with each other, and then hit up TJmaxx to see if there are any bargains.
6. Meryl Streep can do anything.
Everyone should have a Meryl-a-thon where they watch all Meryl Streep movies. She really does everything from drama to comedy to musicals. To sum it up, Meryl Streep is a baller, and it's never the wrong time to watch "Mamma Mia."
7. Always remember to laugh.
It really doesn't matter what you're laughing about. Honestly, half of the time my mom and I go on tangents about things that no one else would even find remotely humorous, yet we crack ourselves up. So, always remember to have fun and not take things too seriously.
Thanks, Mom! You have given me some solid advice that I use every day of my life. So here's to you for making me the (somewhat questionable) girl I am today.
