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Anyone who has raised teenage girls can tell you that we end up "sharing" (even if unwillingly at times) our shoes, clothes, make-up, money, cars etc…

So I thought, why stop there? I am a middle-aged "mom." Well, slightly middle aged. I prefer to think of myself as a fine chardonnay, complex and beautifully crafted to perfection. Why not enlighten my daughters with my knowledge before they evaporate what's left of my sanity? After weeding through life's ups and downs, I have managed to come up with a few pointers.

If it looks like a zebra and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't ignore the signs. Or even worse, don't try to reshape the signs into what suits you. Like if you're having a gut feeling to, let's randomly say, call off your wedding, run…don't walk to the nearest exit. Certainly don't listen to those voices in your head when they are telling you such things as "He's just having cold feet" or "I know things will be different once we are married." The voices fib… a lot. Maybe they just like to throw us off our game, not sure which one, but either way my point is to always listen to your instinct, or your mother's reassuring voice in your head (had to sneak that one in there).

This brings me to my next words of wisdom.

When life gives you lemons, add vodka. Life is hard. In fact, anything worth doing is hard. If I had quit every time something in my life turned out to be challenging, like motherhood for example, I would have stopped when my labor got to be, oh let's say 100 on the Richter scale for pain. But I pushed through, no pun intended, and was deeply rewarded with all the joys of motherhood. Not to mention all the benefits of raising girls by a kick-a** mother such as myself. (Don't say anything; just let me have my moment).

Now, let's move on to my most important piece of advice.

Money can't buy happiness; it can, however, pay the rent. I know buying those Jimmy Choo shoes would look absolutely amazing on you. But if you suddenly end up walking the last 10 blocks to work in them because your car died, every heel click that hits the sidewalk will be a painful "I told you so." Prioritize your budget. Always live within your means and pay the necessities first. After all, I have no doubt you'd be just as happy when you score last year's shoe collection (but still fabulous) on super duper sale. Let's face it, they are Jimmy Choos, do we really care what year they graced the store shelves? I think not.

Always keep these three things in mind, and you will find yourself enjoying more of life's ups than downs. Just be sure to keep your hands and feet inside the "Adventure Express" at all times.

- Tricia Jelonek

Tricia Jelonek is a single, progressive mom of three (!) girls. Born and raised in the North and moved down South in her mid 20s, she's what the locals here refer to as your "d**n Yankee." And to make matters worse, she's Catholic (insert gasp here!). She does three kinds of cooking - frozen, takeout and microwave. Her post-divorcing dating life has been less than desirable. Her father is always saying that she flies by the seat of her pants, so she figures, why change now? She writes a blog about her life's misadventures. Strap in and enjoy the ride!