Image from Cosmic Kitty

We’re in the weeks between Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day, so I thought I’d share a few of the best little lessons I learned from my parents (and one from a grandparent).  Hey 20sUP contributors, I’d encourage you to write down a few of your own (on here or on your own).  What are the more unique tidbits you picked up from whoever raised you — by direct advice or just example  —that have proven the most valuable now that you’re out on your own?

Skincare

My mother taught me that you don’t need a million skincare products.  I’m easily tempted by pretty bottles, good smelling products, and generally the whole beauty section of Target, but as far back as I can remember my mother only had one jar of moisturizer on the sink.  That’s all she really needed for her face.  There were no fancy oils, it was fragrance free whenever possible, and as simple as she could get.  She moisturized like a champion starting in her twenties and you know what, her skin is still pretty amazing today.

Car Smarts

My father is all about the practical, common sense advice, and he loves his cars.  The advice is that everyone who drives a car should know how to change a flat tire.  It’s like learning CPR before you take a lifeguarding job — you hope you don’t have to use the skills, but you’re pretty much screwed if you don’t have them.  Don’t know how often to have your oil changed, which lights on the dash mean trouble, or even how to open the hood of your car? Learn. Do you really want to be consulting eHow by the side of the road?

Do What You Want

My grandmother once told me that she’d never done anything in her life that she didn’t want to do. At seven, I was sure that meant I didn’t have to go to school ever again — wrong.  Now I understand what she was saying, if you can’t find anything positive in what you’re doing with yourself, change it.  Stay in control.  Life’s short, don’t put off what you really want or waste time on things that don’t matter to you.

The Restaurant Trick

You generally can’t judge your date’s relationship with his mother until you’ve been together for awhile, so this trick is much more practical early on.  My mother told me that the best way to tell what a guy (or it works for girls too) is really like is to watch how they treat the server at a restaurant.  The server is someone they can expect to be there, someone they’re able to take for granted.  Congratulations, that server represents you 2, 5, or 30 years into this relationship.  The guy who’s friendly, sweet, patient with the server (even when the drink order isn’t exactly right) is probably a keeper.  If he’s rude, annoyed, or makes comments after she leaves the table—you might want to take note.

Your turn —