Things every woman should know

Not going to preach here, but I think this little list of things will help out the female population.  Girl power!


1.  How to Spell
Alright ladies, even if you don’t know how to spell, take it upon yourself to Google or look up words in a dictionary.  I can’t tell you how many judgments can be made if you don’t know the difference between “their,” “they’re” and “there” and other words like “literally” and “defense.”  Take yourself seriously and other people will as well.

2.  How to tip
Knowing how to properly tip is important.  I’ve worked several jobs where tips are welcome and I’m always shocked and surprised how many people, especially women, don’t know how (or choose not) to tip.  A rule of thumb?  15% for basic service, 18% for good service and 20% (or more) for amazing service.  You can double the tax if you want the easy way out, however it’s important to tip properly.  It’s insulting to leave a $5.00 tip for a massage, considering 10% for a $60.00 massage is $6.00.  Also, when tipping at restaurants, be advised that waiters live off of tips.  They don’t get very much hourly (if anything) so be sure to leave them something decent.

3.  Stationary
It’s not something a woman should know, but it is something a woman should have.  Should you need to write a quick thank-you, it’s always best to have some personalized stationary in your desk.  Consider it like “branding” yourself.  Having a nice notecard or piece of paper to write to someone makes everything a tad more personal.

4.  How to receive a compliment and take criticism.
There is nothing more annoying than a lady who can’t take a good compliment; it’s excrutiating really.  Listen, if you lost some weight and someone says, “Wow!  You look great!”  the correct response is, “Thank you!  You’re sweet!” or something to that nature.  Not “I’m still fat” or “You look way better.”  Seriously, if you plan on meeting people you need to expect that people will compliment you.  Furthermore, if you’re doing something that is wrong or is bothersome to someone and they a) let you know and b) give you some advice on how to change or fix it, take it with grace.  There’s nothing more unattractive than a person that has to be right about everything and doesn’t accept tips from others.  Be sure to take some things with a grain of salt though.
Also, it helps to know how to give a compliment and how to give criticism.  If you can’t pay someone else a compliment then you probably have bigger problems to deal with.  Learning how to give criticism is really an art; in speech and communication classes we always were taught to not make it a “you” issue, but an “I” issue.  For instance, instead of saying, “You’re acting like a bitch,” say, “I feel bad when I hang out with you sometimes.”

5.  Know your body type
I’m pretty much a stickler for this.  I know that if I wear baggy clothes I look homeless and about 20 pounds heavier than I really am.  I know what styles and cuts look good on me and plenty of styles to steer clear of.  It’s like when you see Ice-T’s wife Coco in the magazines wearing a string bikini… makes you cringe.  When you know you’re body type you’ll be a lot happier in the clothes you wear.

6.  Be a well-rounded woman
I don’t think anyone wants to be characterized as “that idiot girl” who has no connection to any world except for her own.  There’s nothing more cringe-worthy then hearing girls babble about crap that makes no sense.  I met someone at work when I first moved here who thought the “Dallas Rangers” was a fantastic baseball team after I had told her I just moved to LA from DFW.  Yeah, they definitely are fantastic in your fantasy world.  It’s the Texas Rangers… duh.  Even though most people would get the point, it still makes you seem like a nimrod when you have no concept names, places, people, etc.  Brush up on a daily newspaper or check out The Daily Beast online for some stories as well.

I’m sure there are a lot more… but that’s all for now folks!  Any suggestions?