GREEN FLAGS IN A MAN’S APARTMENT _ Women were asked: What do you notice or look for at a man’s apartment that are green flags? What women said:
• Hand towels and hand soap in the bathroom.
• A clean bathroom and toilet that you can feel comfortable in and sitting on.
• Books.
• Hand soap in the bathroom. I befriended a guy who did not have hand soap… he was 24. I bought some and left it there, just a regular sized bottle. It was still sitting there, almost unused (except for the times I used it) almost a year later.
• Plants. It’s the next best thing to having a pet. Plants need care, they’re alive, and having one (or many) shows that there is a nurturing side to them.
• Toilet paper stocked, clean sheets on bed, clean towels for hands and body, separate kitchen towels, artwork on walls, a clean toilet and sink.
RESEARCH: CLEANING MAY BE GOOD FOR YOUR LOVE LIFE _ A study examining people’s cleaning frequencies and their personality traits revealed Americans who are “super clean” are twice as happy with their overall lives than those who believe themselves to be “messy.” The study surveyed 2,000 Americans and divided them into three self-identifying groups: super clean, moderately clean and messy. The super cleans were found to be more content in family matters, have a better sex life, get better sleep, have more career satisfaction, and felt less stressed.
FOUR QUESTIONS I ASK MY KID EVERY DAY _ A blogger says she asks her pre-teen daughter these four questions every day.
• How’s life? “Sometimes I get somewhere with this one. ‘Sucky’ is what she says when she wants me to ask a more direct question or pry for more details. But when I get a “fine,” I know that question isn’t going to get anywhere, so I don’t press it.”
• What’s up with your friends? “Occasionally, I will ask about a specific friend if I know a kid has been going through something, or if she’s told me about a disagreement she’s trying to work out, but most of the time, I pose this question in general terms. You’d be surprised how, when you take the spotlight off of your kid and shine it on friends, your kid will be more likely to talk.”
• Anything cool going on? “I’ll be honest, this is more for me and my absent-mindedness than it is for her. Sometimes I forget about things coming up, and if I ask this question, she usually reminds me. But sometimes, she tells me all about her secret Harry Potter club or a new project at school.”
• Do you need help with anything? “Most of the time she says no … But this question can go a lot deeper than that. Maybe she’s having trouble trying to fix a rift between two friends, or she doesn’t understand a concept they’re working on at school. Asking if she needs help every day gives me the chance to be there for her when I didn’t know she needed it.”
