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Isn’t it funny how moms teach us/embed things in our head we never forget? No matter how hard we try sometimes, the lessons can’t be unlearned.
I was thinking about this the other day while I was at Trader Joe’s. They had this nice container of fresh cut fruit I really wanted. Fresh cantaloupe, melon, strawberries, ext. It was a good looking fruit salad. I wanted it so bad. But I knew better. I knew that I should buy the whole fruit and cut it myself because you get more bang for your buck that way. Buying pre cut fruit from a grocery store is like giving your money away, everybody knows that.
So what did I do? I didn’t buy any fruit.
But I didn’t think twice about buying flowers.
My mom won’t spend $5 on cut fruit, but she’ll walk into any garden store and drop whatever the hell she pleases on 100 new plants and flowers for the backyard without batting an eye. We all have our things I guess. Unfortunately, our mothers often instill “their things” so they become “our things.”
Let’s take a look at a few more of my mom’s “things.”
The pretty towels hung in the bathroom with a matching hand towel over the top? Don’t even think about using them. There’s ugly towels in the linen closet. The pretty towels are only for fancy guests who don’t know any better.
Speaking of bathrooms, if you have to go #2 you better go upstairs. Only guests get to go #2 in the downstairs bathroom. It’s been slightly harder for me to implement this rule at my place since we only have one bathroom. Instead I make Chris go outside when we have people over.
Never leave for vacation with a messy house.
Sleep is for the birds. (I didn’t inherit this trait, I wish I had. My mom runs on 3 hours of sleep. I run on 15.)
Don’t use fat free cream cheese when cooking appetizers for parties. People at parties want the real stuff.
The world is your junk drawer. (Especially before you host a party.)
When you host a party, go all out or go home. It’s either silver platters or don’t even bother.
Don’t ever get rid of anything! Just continue to take over every other closet in the house. And basement. And garage. Then rent a storage unit.
If there’s a committee, join it. (Again, another trait I didn’t inherit. My mom is a part of 100 different things at any time. The thought of socializing with that many other people makes me itch. So I join none.)
If you don’t replace the toilet paper roll when it’s empty you might as well go live outside, because you’re clearly a wild animal.
If you ever lose anything just pray to St. Anthony and he’ll help you find it. (This is a weird catholic thing I just can’t shake.)
Diets are for tomorrow.
Trends are temporary, gold rope necklaces are eternal.
If you want something, go get it. If someone’s standing in your way, ask them to move. (But be polite about it, you might be on a committee with them.)
My mom has taught me a lot over the years. But most importantly I’ve learned to be who I want, do what I want, and for God’s sake don’t leave the house with unpainted toe nails!
Moms are great. We should celebrate them more often. What did your mom instill in you?
Saint Anthony totally works!!! Seriously! I tried it on a whim yesterday looking for something and it worked! Prob bc I finally went to Mass with my family for Mothers' Day that morning.
Great post! Moms are great, especially yours. Sorry I didn't invite her to the wedding like I half-promised .. I hope she doesn't think ill of me.
These are great traits and lessons learnt – your momma rocks! x
Moms seriously rocks. Biggest thing my mom taught me….how to make bomb spaghetti.
Grew up the exact same way re: towels, #2 and messy house before a vacation. Catch myself doing it all the time!
Decorative towels – YEP. I get that from my mother, too. Also fully cleaning your house before a vacation…but ya know what? It makes sense.
The St. Anthony thing is completely, totally real! (Catholic wins.)
aw moms really are the best and for real…don't actually use those towels! my mom also taught me that sometimes you just need get the costco size bottle of wine and drink and snack about life.
My mom did the decorative towel thing too. And you always pray to St. Anthony lol – or if you're trying to sell a house, you have to pray to St. Joseph and plant his statue upside in your garden. Ah the life of a crazy Catholic lol.
your mother is very wise. this reminds me I need to clean my house and buy some plants.
I love this post.
My mom taught me to always keep a smile on my face. Moms are the best.
This is such a great post! We totally have "fancy" towels for guests and she'd always put out extra "guest towels" folded so pretty and usually with a seasonal theme if we had people over. I found myself doing the same for my ugly sweater party – stressed about turning into my mom for 5 seconds – and then decided I was totally ok with it. Mom's are the best!
My mum has taught me to never argue with a drunk and my nan taught me no matter how late or how tired you are take your makeup off before going to bed
Great life lessons indeed. Happy (belated) mother's day to your momma!
It's so true. The older I've gotten the more I've had to stop myself because I had the realization of "holy shit I am my mother's daughter" after doing things like taking out the nice hand towels because guests were coming over when I was the kid who would always purposefully use them because I never understood that until now. Good to know what traits we'll probably pass onto our kids now too.