Things I Want To Learn Before I Become a Mommy

I have thought a lot over the years and have realized a few years ago that there are things I want to learn how to do before I have children. So I've decided this year would be the perfect year for me to learn these things. It's not a very long list and these skills should be fairly easy to learn when using discipline.

The first thing I want to learn is how to knit and/or crochet. I would love to be able to knit little baby booties for my newborns and infants just like my mommy did for my sisters and I. It gives me inspiration every time I look at one of my old baby pictures where I'm wearing the booties my mother made me.

I somewhat started crocheting about 15 years ago but never became that good at it. I never learned how to start off a project, my mother would always have to start it off for me then I would finish it. I never learned how to knit at all because crocheting just seemed easier to me. But now I want to actually learn how... and I want to learn how to do it well. Whichever one I become the best at first (knitting or crocheting) will be the one I continue with, I guess.

The next thing I want to learn is how to swim. I can't believe I've never learned how to swim after all this time. I took swimming in high school but only learned how to float, which I can still do. I've been going all of this time just floating or swimming with a life jacket but it really is time for me to learn how to swim like a pro. I actually love the water but don't do as much as I would like because of my inability to swim.

I've already decided that all of my children will learn how to swim at the earliest age possible (between 3-5 years old), therefore, I obviously have to be able to swim in order to protect them while in the water if needed.

The next two things I want to learn I feel are the most important. Those are CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why it's important to know these two things.

I more than likely will take the classes over and over again so that it becomes second nature to me. When scary situations occur it's natural to get a little flustered and kind of draw a blank. Therefore, I want to make sure that I know it well enough to where I don't have to think about it too much but rather have an automatic response. Hopefully I will never need to perform one of these things but they are definitely skills I must have.

Well, those are the only things on my list for now. It's not a very long list as I mentioned earlier. But I know that there will probably be a very long list of things for me to learn once I actually have children. Being a parent is a life long job that requires constant on the job training!

Using Scraps of Fabric as Hair Rollers

Rolling hair with rags started centuries ago. Before rollers and curling irons, women would use scraps of fabric/material to curl their hair.

I first found out about rag rolling when I was about 12 years old. I needed to curl my bangs but couldn't find my sponge rollers which I usually used. My dad saw how frantic I was then told me about how my grandmother and great grandmother used pieces of paper to curl their hair "back in the day". I had no clue what he was talking about. I could not possibly wrap my mind around how that could even be possible. But sure enough it worked. My dad (of all people) cut up a few pieces of paper and showed me how it worked the same as a regular roller. I was shocked and amazed, I had never seen anything like that before! I was even more shocked when I woke up the next morning and had better curls than I did with the sponge rollers.

A few months later I spent the night at that same grandmother's house and was once again without my rollers. We were going to church that next morning so my bangs had to be curled (Yes, I was a drama queen even back then!). She told me she didn't have any rollers so I asked her if she had any scrap paper. I told her how my dad showed me the way she and her mother would roll their hair that way. She told me how my dad was a little boy the last time she did that and she couldn't believe he actually remembered watching her do it (keep in mind my dad was in his 40's by then)! So she gave me some paper and once again, crisis averted!

Well, years went by without me ever using rags (or paper) again for my hair and I had forgotten all about it. I wasn't reminded until I was watching a movie set in the 1800's and saw the scraps of fabric in the character's hair. That's when I had an ah ha moment. I realized how when I used the paper as rollers, I could only use them once so I had to end up throwing them away the next morning after I took them out of my hair. However, by using fabric, I could use the scraps over and over just like regular rollers (just like the women did centuries ago)! You have no idea how excited I was.

So since then, I've used rag rollers off and on over the years and have been using them regularly starting pretty recently. They give tight, secure curls that last for a long time. They are much more comfortable to sleep in than hard rollers, and are a lot easier on my hair than sponge rollers. With sponge rollers my hair would always get stuck between the sponge and the plastic because my hair is so long. Rag rolling works perfectly!

This is what I did:

I took an old satin head scarf and cut it into strips about 1 inch in width. All of the strips don't have to be exactly the same size. They will work just fine even if they're a little off (or a little crooked!)



Next, I took each strip, folded it in half, then cut it again to make it into two shorter strips.



I cut out 12 strips and still ended up with quite a bit of fabric left over.


You can use any type of fabric you like, but I've noticed that using a type of satin or silk fabric works best. It doesn't have to be real satin or silk (wink wink). When I used cotton or similar types of fabric, there was a lot of unraveling (which left pieces of strings in my hair) and it also made my hair a lot frizzier. Cotton sucks all of the natural oils out of hair. Using end papers on the end of each section will keep the ends of the curls a lot neater and will also help with frizz.

You may want to lightly spray each section of hair with water or hairspray before rolling. However, if you have naturally curly hair that frizzes up while wet like I do, you will want to avoid any water or sprays. You can use castor oil (which is what I use) or shea butter to help smooth out each section before rolling. Rag rolling will work on straight hair or naturally curly hair.

Also, remember that the smaller the section of hair, the tighter the curl and the bigger the section of hair, the looser the curl. Below is a video where I show you how I use the rag rollers. I am only curling 5 sections of hair because my hair was previously curled. However, use smaller sections and more rollers if you are starting with straight hair.

Being a Proper Lady in Social Settings

There are so many different rules and protocols when it comes to different social settings, which can become confusing at times. No one wants to be the one to feel out of place, or even worse...actually do something that is considered unacceptable!


I have put together a list of the common "rules" for social etiquette. I have learned these things over many years and would like to share them with you.

Being a proper guest when invited to someone's home or business: (Includes personal meetings and interviews)

Only shake hands if offered. Don't be the first to offer your hand.

Never sit down until the host has sat down. If the host doesn't sit, then wait until you're offered a seat before sitting down. In the case where you are not offered a seat and the host doesn't sit, politely ask if you may have a seat.

If you are greeting the host and there are many people around him or her, be sure to greet the host before greeting the others. Give the others friendly smiles then verbally greet the host first. Verbally greet the others immediately after the host.

When speaking to someone, make eye contact while conversing.

Do not fold your arms or put hands on your hips.

While sitting, do not cross your legs. Sit with your legs together and cross your ankles at the bottom.


When you are the host:

Offer your guest a seat before you sit down.

Offer guest a glass of water or other beverage. (Bring it to them)

Be sure to greet the person as soon as you see him or her.

If there are many people in a large setting, be sure to personally greet each guest that has made eye contact with you in the crowd.

Always walk your guest to the door when leaving.


While Dining:

Place a napkin on your lap before eating.

Do not spit food out into a napkin if it is unappetizing. Remove the food from your mouth the same way you put it in (with a fork, spoon, your fingers, etc.).

Don't talk with your mouth full (I think we all know this one!).

Never put elbows on the table (I think we all know this one too!).

Never slurp (or smack) while eating.

Avoid eating with your fingers and only use utensils when possible. (Even with "finger food")

Never stand and eat if possible.


Other things to remember:

If you are being applauded for any reason, never clap for yourself. If you are in a setting where many people are being honored, clap for the others but stop clapping once your name is called.

Only speak loudly enough for the person next to you to hear. There is no reason to speak very loudly.

Always say thank you when someone opens the door for you or holds the door for you on their way out.

Never curse or use obscenities

If a gentleman offers you his arm to escort you, graciously oblige him.

These are just common rules and are usually valid at all times. However, like everything in life, they may need to be adjusted from time to time due to the situation. If in doubt just do what you feel to be correct. Listen to your intuition which will let you know when something is uncomfortable or isn't right.

Please feel free to share any other rules that you have!