In no particular order:
- Folding laundry is for chumps
- Chronic disease is much preferable to fatal disease; remember this when you feel like whining
- Eat small amounts of real food every three hours
- Drink water 99 percent of the time, beer 1 percent
- You will never regret planting more vegetables; you will often regret planting more grass
- Mulching is never a waste of time
- You will always order more mulch than you will feel like shoveling in a day — just move it from the driveway to little piles in the garden and worry about spreading another day
- Before the age of twelve and after the age of twenty, television is a waste of time
- Accurate measuring is the only path to good results (think knitting, sewing, blood glucose)
- Admit when you’re wrong or you don’t know
- You can’t do anything well or enjoy anything thoroughly without enough sleep
- Shoes should be shaped like feet
- You can’t spend too much on good shoes and good bras
- You can easily spend too much on everything else
- Figure out what makes your partner feel special and do it as often as you can
- Resentment hurts no one as much as the resenter; forgive freely
- Keep extra socks and underwear at your desk
- Buy yourself flowers from time to time, because you’re the only one who understands how much you love them
- Kid snuggles are the best thing ever
- Eye cream is not a gimic
- Your body loves exercise, don’t let your brain talk you out of it
- Wait a week to think about big purchases
- The house doesn’t look clean unless the kitchen is clean
- Always keep the following staples on hand: Parmigiano Reggiano, lemons, olive oil, pasta, onions, garlic, pancetta, white beans
- Call your mom more, you’ll miss her when she’s gone
- “How you breathe is how you live” — breathe deeply
- Do the biggest thing you’ve ever dreamed of doing
- Whenever you are suffering, ask yourself how much of it is because of your own attitude or behavior
- Wool is the answer to damp, cold environments
- All baked goods are better with nuts, preferably pecans
- Don’t schedule things on weeknights
- Always play dress up when invited
- Treat children with respect
- Make things
- Always sing along when you love the tune, even if you don’t know all the words