All articles filed in Advice Column

Dear Lola, I fell and broke my arm and am now struggling with a moral dilemma. I know lying is typically frowned upon, but explaining how I fell down is embarrassing because I literally do not know how it happened. It seems my feet plotted one course and my brain had another idea. Somewhere in that split second,…

Dear Lola, Recently my 5-year-old son had been playing with friends in our backyard when I overheard their conversation. The friend was asking if my son had juice and without missing a beat he replied that we had apple juice and Mommy’s special grape juice. I shudder to think what that child repeated to his mother…

Dear Lola, My mother and I have a lovely tradition of taking tea together once per week. We almost always imbibe at my home as it gives my mother a chance to visit town. My problem is with the cake. I tried serving store-bought cake, but my mother made it clear she prefers my own recipes.…

Dear Lola, I’ve lately started to notice that my sister will give me a compliment that can also be construed as an insult. She’ll point out my choice in home decor by saying ‘what a lovely couch, it’s a daring color to choose’ and then smile prettily at me, waiting for me to thank her – which…

Dear Lola, I’m hoping you can help me with a very frustrating circumstance happening in my home. My husband routinely puts dirty dishes into the clean dishwasher. I fault myself a bit because I’ve badgered him for years to clean up after his mess and stop leaving dishes all over the house. However, despite the light on…

Dear Lola, Why do my humans wash the floor right when I’m trying to come in from the garden? I’ve talked to my human about this, but she repeatedly ignores me. Sometimes she even blames me for the paw prints all over the house. I say she only has herself to blame for sloshing water…

Dear Lola, My child is driving me absolutely insane. We are attempting to potty train him, but the amount of puddles I am finding on the floor is beginning to make me doubt my worth as a parent. He is my first-born so I have never tackled this problem before. Can you give me any tips on how…

Dear Lola, I recently witnessed a Twitter conversation debating the differences between shrimp and prawns. Before we go any further, I feel I should disclose that your Mommybeast was the leader of this pondering. I hope she doesn’t retaliate against you should you arrive at a different conclusion than she did. Now that we’ve addressed that,…

Dear Lola, Why do restaurants give you silverware when you order a delivery of food? In light of the excessive amount of plastic filling our oceans, it would be better for them to ask if the customer needs utensils. If saving the planet from death isn’t enough motivation, surely restaurants realize how much money they…

Dear Lola, I’ve often thought about a career change because I deplore my current profession. Since I want my job to be exciting and pay well, I’ve determined that becoming a ninja is the best course of action. I do need your advice on one aspect of the job, regarding payment. When hiring out my services,…