By Sara Barton | Leave A Comment
As we make and re-make our homes, everyone has advice for us — our friends, co-workers, and family — but it always seems like the advice you get from your mom is what you remember the most. She is the person who taught you what you want or don’t want when it comes to feathering your own nest. So, in honor of Mother’s Day and all the advice our moms have given us through the years, we are hosting a fun giveaway!
All you have to do to enter is answer the following question:
What is the best piece of home and/or garden advice you ever got from your mother (or stepmom, grandma, aunt, etc.)?
PRIZES? Oh yes, we have prizes.
Scanpan, the Danish cookware company, has graciously offered two prizes:
First prize: 5-piece cookware set, consisting of 1 fry pan, 1 covered sauce pan, 1 covered dutch oven (Retail value $299.95).
Second prize: 10 inch professional fry pan (Retail value $99.95).
I am especially excited to offer products from the Scanpan line because I had the privilege of receiving an 8 inch fry pan during the holiday season and it quickly became my favorite pan. My husband loves it as much as I do, especially because it helped him create the World’s Most Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich (email me for the recipe!), which never fails to make me happy.
The Scanpan Professional line is a collection of non-stick, dishwasher-safe pots and pans that are designed for daily use, ovenproof to 500°F and are 100% PFOA-free. The non-stick coating can’t be damaged by metal, and the squeeze cast aluminum base distributes heat quickly and evenly and retains heat longer, contributing to reduced energy consumption.
The full cookware line can be found at Sur La Table (in stores and online).
Entries will be accepted through midnight EST, May 9th and you can enter either via the comments on this post or in the forum.
Leave another comment with a link to a blog post or tweet you write about this giveaway and you’ll receive another entry!
Good luck!
Blissfully Domestic readers can also receive 20 percent off of the purchase of the Breville Smart Toaster (retail $129.99 and $179.99) at Breville by using the promotional code TOAST2MOM.
The Breville duo of Smart Toasters includes:
* Internal smart chip and motorized lever that gradually lifts and lowers like an elevator for your toast. Toast is raised and lowered mid-cycle to monitor for browning without having to cancel or re-set the cycle.
* The LED panel flashes with a blue progress indicator that counts down the toasting cycle.
* 4-slice unit operates with two separate toasting chambers, so busy families can tailor their browning, to please even the fussiest of eaters.
Sara Barton is a freelance writer and full-time mommy who blogs about her attempts at domestic perfection at So Many Flavors, So Little Time! She also writes about advertising on her marketing and advertising blog.
top kitchen image via flickr by gojeffrey
This contest is now closed! Thanks so much for all of your entries!
ABOUT Sara Barton
I am mom to a gorgeous 5 year old and step-mom to an active 12 year old. I have been married to Hubs{read more}
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Wow…amazing giveaway! The best advice my mom ever gave me is to make sure my home was a safe haven. A place where my children would always feel safe, loved, and most of all cherished!
What a wonderful give-away. Please enter me.
Karen
Those are beautiful pans. I have been looking for a good skillet I can go from stove top to oven with when I need to finish something. I’ll have to go take a look at those at my local Sur La Table.
What a great giveaway!!!!
The best advice I have been given came from my mother-in-law. “The chores will always be there waiting for you the kids won’t. Enjoy them while they are with you.” My mother-in-law lost her battle to breast cancer Aug. 10, 2005 and I still miss her every day. I was blessed to have her as my mother-in-law.
Smiles!
My aunt taught me how fun it is to be in the kitchen – experimenting and socializing!
What a great giveaway! I desperately need new cookware. The best advice my mom ever gave me was to relax and spend time with my son & worry about housework later.
My mother has shown me how to be a strong & independent woman by example. Her lead is by far the best advice I ever could have received. She’s now helping to show the next generation (her granddaughters) how it’s done. She rocks!
A wonderful giveaway…that one pan looks like it would be great to make Crepes in, also!
OK, my mom has a black thumb, so I’ve definitely never taken any garden advice from her… the best piece of home advice has been from my grandmother- she was a dietitian by trade, but never counted calories, just ate whole, from scratch foods- and that’s what I try to do today!
I’m totally in need of new pots and pans…my current ones are all scratched up. The best advice I got from my Mom regarding the home is train kids up in basic household tasks like laundry, cooking and cleaning.
This would be amazing!
My Aunt Kae of Blessed Memory always believe the best about others.
My mom gives me great advice all the time. She has amazing taste in houses and decorating, but used to drag us to so many open houses when we were kids that I never wanted to be so “obsessed” with design. Now, though, she’s helping my husband and I to design our dream house, and her advice has been invaluable!
The best advice came from my Grandma, she said “teach those boys to clean and cook and you will teach them to be men. Teach them to be waited on and you will never have a daughter-in-law that you get along with!” Great giveaway!!!
Great giveaway. My mom had and still has lots of good advice. Some favorites include, the dust will return tomorrow anyway, so enjoy the day with your kids.
Start teaching your little ones how to help in the kitchen and that love of cooking and preparing loving meals will stick with them.
Worked on me!
Perfect giveaway for mother’s day! My mom taught me to always clean up as I cook, so after dinner I won’t be overwhelmed!!!
My mom has steadfastly encouraged both my brother & I to follow our dreams & passions in life.
My mom always said “better safe than sorry.” This advice has come in handy for me many times, including while packing a diaper bag or suitcase, grocery shopping, or calling the pediatrician.
Thanks for the chance!
Megret
musesofmegret (at) gmail (dot) com
My mom always believed in me… still does. She always encouraged me when I thought I couldn’t do things and that was quite often. She also taught me a skill or two in the kitchen. There is nothing like a lil Cajun woman preaching on the benefits of cayenne!
The best advice I got was to make a menu. I have been using her advice since I started my family (almost 9 years ago). It is one of my favorites!
My grandma just recently told me that if I would put Elmer’s glue on the ends of my roses after I pruned them, it would keep the insects out. She has given me tons of advice but that is the one bit that stands out since I recently applied that little bit of advice! Thanks for a great giveaway!
My mom told me to always eat dinner as a family around the table. It’s great for company and conversation.
I think the best advice I learned from my mom was to eat dinner at the table… not in front of the TV or in seperate rooms. My husband and I (almost) always eat dinner at the table… it’s a nice time to relax and talk without distractions from TV, etc.
What a great contest. I sure could use the pots and pans. Please pick me.
Thanks for the chance to win these!!! I could sure use some new pans!!!
My mom’s best advice in the kitchen was to clean as you go!
nicholakleyle at hotmail dot com
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/Nichola_K/status/1698751842
Awesome giveaway!
The best advice my mother ever gave me was to eat a meal together as a family as often as possible.
The best piece of home advice from my mother was: when in doubt, throw it out. It really has helped me to keep down the clutter in my house, and has really simplified my life. Thank you for offering this giveaway!
The best house advice my mom gave me was not worry about making things perfect all the time!
At the age of 10, my Mother told me that I could cook anything. All I had to do was read the recipe and follow it. She gave me the confidence to try anything in any cook book. I’ve had some failures but many more successes.
~AWESOME~ Give away!!
Geez, my mom and gram have given me so much advice! I would say the one piece of advice that comes to my mind..is Everything has its place…when you are done..put it back. The reason i chose this one is because my kids are learning that from me, which is really cool, because it allows for extra family time in the evenings! Thank-you!
~Sher
septemberbaby10@gmail.com
The best advice my mom ever gave me about my home was to support me in my decision to stop working to stay home with my kids. That was worth more to me than anything else!
Hmmm. my mom is a huge clean freak so she always told me if you take it out put it back if you spill it clean it up. simple rules but it helps me so much today.
My mom taught me about organization. It makes the house run SOOOO much smoother! I do these things without even thinking!
My mom advised me to buy things of nature–bird prints, mossy green velvet fabric, bamboo blinds–saying that it would all blend together, just as it does outdoors.
She’s right!
The best advice my mom ever gave me is to read a recipe through before beginning to cook or bake. When I have not followed her advice, I have ended up kicking myself because I didn’t have enough time to marinate the meat. So I always try to read the recipe through the day before I intend to use it. I have been eyeing these scanpans for a while, and would love to win!!
I would love to win this! Pick me!
My grandma was basically my mom and taught me so many things. She taught me the basics of cleaning and cooking and just general life. She taught me how to always have certain basics around and to save and not waste things. The most valuable thing she has taught me has been recently. I’m having some health issues and she has been teaching me how to pace myself and get a routine going so my house can still be neat but not overdoing myself.
What a generous giveaway!! The cookware looks amazing!
My mom is gone 4 years now and I miss her everyday! Her daily tid bits of information made me the mom I am today! Having both been both raised by our moms to always eat together at the table – we always do and always say grace no matter who is with us. My mom always said “Everything in its place.” and that can refer to a lot! But especially, as others have said, to put things away after you use them so it is not too much at the end of the day!
~Nancy
Everyone could use new pots and pans every once in a while, and I am one of those people.
Love your family and friends with all your heart, but always keep a piece of yourself separate and involved in your own life purpose.
would love new pots and pans….best advice I ever received was from my grandmother about being purposeful. She was an avid list maker (in fact she had a little black book that she called her “mind”.) Imagine when she lost the booka nd had to tell the clerk in the TG&Y that she had “lost her mind.” (Say that in a real southern drawl and you really ge the drift…). Her list helped her stay on track, never serve the same thing at a dinner party, rememeber important dates (she was a great card/note writer), and even keep stock quotes straight. I miss her…she lived on purpose.
The best advice my Mom ever gave me was to spend my money wisely. From her I learned my frugal ways!
I so need this prize, i have sorely used my dutch oven making jam and it needs to be replaced! Thanks for the fun giveaway!
I would really love to win this beautiful prize. The best advice my mother gave me is to sometimes put things together in the kitchen that normally wouldn’t sound good together and try them. Now I am always experimenting with new recipies adding my own touches.
What an amazing giveaway. My mom’s best advice was to follow my heart in all situations, and to trust my faith in God to help me through my tragedies and sorrows.
Tweeted http://twitter.com/cdziuba/status/1700224960
The best advice my mom gave me was to sleep when the kids were sleeping and to make sure I take care of myself.
Best piece of garden advice I got from my mom: cow manure and fish heads provide the best nutrients for plants and veggies. If you want to get HUGE sunflowers, feed them elephant dung! (hello elephant poop when the circus is in town!)
Kiki
ParkingGoddessFTW at gmail dot com
My mother not only taught me to cook fantastic meals but how to can and freeze our fruits and vegtables This is something that I now have taught my children
The best advice this new bride was given was to keep your pantry (yes that word needed to be explained as well) stocked with some basic items like flour, salt, sugar, brwn sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, garlic powder, etc. I was given a Betty Crocker cookbook too! A book with pictures and basic kitchen knowledge was essential. I was also told to have fun!
Thanks!
The best advice I received from my mom would have to be Don’t forget the pot holders”.
and that metal shouldn’t go in a microwave.
awesome !!!
The best advice my mom gave me … take good care of myself
and smile !
My Mom has always taught me about gardening and told me one of the most important things in life is being able to grow your own food! I didn’t like doing garden work when I was a teenager, but over the years I’ve grown to love it and love seeing the rewards of fresh, good fruits and vegetables. I’d love to win this set so I can cook some of those delicious meals she also taught me!
My aunt showed me how to transplant a cactus. I couldn’t believe it flowered in bloomed in Oregon’s wet lands after being in a pot for 25 years. Apparently many of them can thrive anywhere.
Gosh, “Susan” and I must be the same age, because my Mom also taught me how to stock my pantry, ie. what food items and condiments to always have on hand and she gave me the red Betty Crocker Cookbook! My Mom then explained to me what type of pots and pans to have and how many of each and the sizes. As I’ve gotten older, my Mom continues to advise me on which oils are beneficial, not only for cooking, but for my health, and I’ve learned to switch many of my “pantry” essentials to healthier, lighten versions. My Mom never used recipes when she cooked, and still doesn’t, so I’ve learned a lot just by watching or helping her in the kitchen over the years:)
maggie@mannwieler.com
I follow on Twitter, as “Smokeysmom”, and tweeted this giveaway: http://twitter.com/smokeysmom/status/1701085869
maggie@mannwieler.com
the best advice my mom gave me was when i had my first baby. she said, “trust your instincts.” and it truly made a big difference in making me the kind of mom i am today.
Growing up in the Philippines I was surrounded by fresh fruits and vegetables from our organic garden. I learned @ a young age to eat healthy and be mindful of all living things and the impact of being green to our environment. The best advice I got from my mom was about composting and to use animal manure to use as fertilizer instead of synthetic, chemical fertilizer so on weekends me and my sisters would go to grazing field and picked up huge horse poop.It paid well coz we have mangoes,guavas, jack fruits,papayas,and different vegetables.Because of my mom and what she taught me I grew up being a vegan a foodie and of course I have my own organic garden of heirloom tomatoes,squash,eggplant,basil,cilantro, bok choy, broccoli and red cabbage.
My mom taught me how to shop for groceries as well as the importance of organizing your cupboards and shelves (she was so unorganized it inspired me to be the opposite).
This best advice my mom ever gave me…”housework can always wait!” She has always encouraged me not to miss those precious moments with my children when I feel the pressure to do work around the house. There will always be work to be done, but our children are only little for a short while. Thank you, Mom, for always taking time for me!
The best piece of advice I ever got from my mom about running a household is that I can never do it all!!! It is okay to ask for help and I need to not try to be superwoman and accomplish everything at once!
My mom taught me that good cooking is a way to a man’s heart. She also told me to make sure I keep the heat up in the bedroom too.
She also told me a man needs a little space to call his own.
Don’t sweat the small stuff because in the end it won’t matter.
My mom gave me the advice not to worry so much about a perfect house, kids grow up quick. You can have a neat & clean house then!
best advice I ever got from mom…be yourself, love yourself- no one is perfect and don’t try to compete with the neighbors- becuase odds are they are not as happy or as rich as they want you to think. Live within your means and relaistically and as long as you are happy who cares what others think.
My mom always told me to keep my kitchen sink clean and my kitchen will be clean. It is so true! If my sink gets piled with dishes, then the counters don’t get cleared and therefore don’t get wiped down and slowly it leaks into every crevice of my house!
My mom taught me to be comfortable with myself. I try to do that every day.
The best advice my mom ever gave me was the following:
When the house is dirty, just put a for sale sign on the lawn & move to a clean house.
Viola!
Problem solved :>)
My mom taught me to always make more food than you could possibly eat. You never know who one of the kids/siblings/roomates may have over around food time. If all else fails and you are left alone its one less meal you have to cook tomorrow.
OH, and she taught me to ALWAYS be the cook. The cook cooks, the eaters have to clean up after!
The best advice my mother gave me was to pick my battles carefully. Also she taught me that it is easier to keep a clean home if you do a little bit every single day. Thanks!
The best advice I got was from my gram. Years ago, as a new first time mom she was a big help to me when baby was fussy, sick or I just needed someone to listen to me. She’d been thru it all and passed on several home remedies for colds, fussy kids and other ailments that she had used before the days of “modern medicine” (she just passed away this April at 91). I wish I had written it all down, because now that she’s gone that part went with her except for a few things I still remember. I can remember things like chicken broth rubbed on your chest for a cough, a potato, cut in half (raw mind ya!) and wrapped in a cloth around your head to relieve a headache, and a few others… stuff that she used years ago, and that still worked today.
The best advice that I ever got from my Grandma was to not worry so much about what the house looks like. She says that company does not come to look at your house, they come to see you, and if they did come just to see the house, you should charge them admission.
) My grandma was the coolest lady ever & I miss her!
My grandma taught me how to make great homemade gravy. This has come in handy as I started being the one to cook thanksgiving dinner.
My mom taught me about efficiency. She would put away the dishes as she waited for the kettle, cut up veggies while boiling the water and folded laundry while on the phone. This made for extra time to read or play with us kids during the day. Now a mom myself, I appreciate her advice when there is so many things to do- efficiency always makes it faster.
Best advise from Mom: Treat others the way you want them to treat you!
Tweeted http://twitter.com/cutepeafreebies/status/1704945645
My Mom always told me to keep God first in my life. That would make everything else fall right into place. Great advice!
Mom taught me to always do dishes along the way while preparing big meals; after having a few holiday piles of dishes at the end of the night, I realized she was right, and I always cook and clean together now;)
My mom SO needs a new set of pots!
My Mom taught me how to share my kitchen with my children. I am not a fan of messes and cooking with kids is ALWAYS messy but they benefit so much from the cooking and the interaction
Hi
My grandma’s best advice was to always be ready for company and when they come treat them as if you’d never see them again. My grandma was the sweetest person and when she had a, or several visitors she’d make a point of feeding them. If it was around lunch or supper then they were included for the meal without question. If it was coffee time then the coffee and squares or cake would come out. The same occurred in the evening. I find that this generosity of spirit is seldom found today.
My experience is that few people can be bothered with social niceties. It has been with dismay that I have heard from other school parents that they don’t ask people to stay for dinner or lunch or are annoyed if their children have friends around home at meal time(they view it as freeloading and lack of interest or supervision in other parents). I’m not sure exactly when this became ‘a problem’ but I think it reflects a lack of generosity on many fronts. I love it when friends come by because my friends are important to me. For my children, it’s the same. My grandma set a very good example and I miss her dearly every day.
Oh .. and I would love some new pots, mine fit into the category of relics(over 20 years old) and replacements would be duly appreciated. Thanks
Cheers
The best advice my mom gave me was to not worry so much about the housework and have fun with my kids while I still can.
The best advice my mom gave me was don’t sweat the small stuff – enjoy each day and find something good in each day.
great giveaway thanks
Finish the project you’re working on before you start another one! (though this may have been learned via ‘don’t do as I do’ method
)
My momma taught me to take challenges as they come. You can’t change your situation but can change your outlook and attitude. She is my hero!!
The best piece of advice my mother has given me is to not overcommit myself to things and to not feel guilty about saying “no.”
My mom insists that all her children were so smart because she let us play in the mud. I don’t know how much of that is true, but it helps me to remember to let my kids get messy, play in the mud, use their senses to engage in the world, and I think they will be better off for it, rather than keeping their clothes (or my floors!) clean.
The best advice that my grandmother gave is to bake or cook something if someone is sick. Everytime I was sick, she made me cookies or a rice pudding. It was always very therapeutic, and I was never sick for very long. I remember having 8 teeth extracted, and not needing pain medicine! The cool rice pudding instantly made me feel better.
I posted on my blog: http://parentblogger-momsblog.blogspot.com/
My mom taught me two important things about housework: keep it clean as you go along and it’ll be easier to keep clean and she never heard of anyone who, on their deathbed, said that they wished they spent more time doing housework. Mom rocks!
The best housekeeping advice my mom gave me was to have a place for everything and to put things back in their place.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com
The best advice I ever got from my mother is how to save money! She is amazing when it comes to grocery shopping and buying anything else for the home. She is teaching me how to be like her when I get my own house someday! Thanks mom!
Amber
Crystalclearbc@aol.com
My mom told me to try to keep it simple, and don’t overdo it. And don’t worry if the house is a mess, just enjoy the day
Sunday dinners at my grandma’s house taught me how wonderful it is to use incorporate fresh veggies from the garden.
My grandma taught my about using eucalyptus oil in water on the stove to clear a stuffy nose and headache. She’d also rub Vicks allover my chest and pin a towel tight around my chest to keep the heat in and break up the gook in my lungs. I still love to do that and it works! (She also taught me that 7Up floats do wonders for a sore throat
I tweeted this giveaway…
http://twitter.com/sendtocindy/status/1714385329
The best advice my mom gave to me is to treat my family as well as I treat my guests. U
The very best advice my late grandma gave me was this: “A little dirt won’t hurt you.” An avid gardener, my grandma would take me to the garden centers and nurseries in northeast Ohio all the time to pick up this or that new shrub or flowering bush. I learned to appreciate flowers, bushes, trees and the growing seasons through her mentoring. I took her advice to mean that I shouldn’t be afraid of trying new things in life, and when challenges arise, to work my way through them, dust myself off and keep on going forward. Her advice has served me well in so many aspects of my life. Thank you.
best advice my grandmother told me, keep your name clean its the only one you have. I think that is very good advice, just think about it for awhile.
a note from my first grade son that said: “i have no money in my pocket, but i have love in my heart for you”.
the best advice my mom ever gave me was friends come and go, but family is forever.
The best piece of thing I ever received was a hand written pie recipe from my grandma. She was famous for her pies, but didn’t use recipes. But one time she wrote a few down as a favor to a friend and when my grandma died that friend gave them to me. It is one of my most precious gifts. I haven’t ever made one, I am too afraid
My Mom’s best advice: Family is first. The house doesn’t need to be spotless, and in fact, having it spotless makes it feel unwelcoming–but the people inside should laugh a lot, love deeply, eat wonderful food, dream exciting dreams, support one another and spend a reasonable amount of time sitting in the garden without doing much at all. That’s what makes it home.
This is more funny than anything….we grew up without air conditioning….and the window fan was near the fridge…so Mom would always tell us to hurry and close the fridge door because the fan was sucking all the cold air out of it…I have no clue what that even meant!! HA!HA! When asked the question, this is the first thing I thought of!!! Thanks for the memories!!!!
Put the egg shells in the garbage disposal to sharpen the blades! My mom makes sure I know that everytime she is over for Sunday breakfast!
Carla
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com
It’s hard to feel peace if there’s a mess all around you. Just pick up after yourself.
I can’t really put my finger on just one piece of advice because I use all of them. I think “Just love them” is a great one. If I gave you all the advice from the garden to the ktichen I’d have to spend several hours listing them all.
“Marry him. That man loves you.” was the best advice my mother ever gave me. DH and I just celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary, so I guess Mom was right.
The best advice my mom gave me is “after God, put your husband first before your children. If you don’t have a good marriage relationship, your children will suffer the consequences.” I made the mistake on focusing on my children more than my husband in my first marriage. I don’t plan to repear the same mistake with my new husband. Thank you for the entry.
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
My mom never put a lot of things on the wall since they moved a lot being a military family. So she never put a lot of things up in our house even though we didn’t move often. So I learned to put up a lot of pictures of family, artwork, things I loved so that my home would feel warm. I just gave my mom a picture collage for her newly painted walls. I think she’s finally going to put something up on the walls of her own house!
The best cooking advice my mom ever gave me was, not really “cooking” advice but rather “eating advice” she told me to always eat dinner as a sit down together as a family. a lot of people dont eat meals together, but you would be surprised how much you can learn at dinner time