Photo by Amy Theilig Photographic

My two favorite gifts this Christmas were books from my daughter.

A Shutterfly photobook of my daughter’s and son-in-law’s wedding was a labor of love and time. Without words, it is a beautiful compilation of the highlights of one of the happiest days in my life.  (And I assume of theirs as well!)

The second book is the New York Times bestseller “Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book.”

No matter how young or how old you are, surely you know what a Little Golden Book is. They have been around seventy years, having been first published during World War II.

I believe the universal appeal of these books comes from the charming illustrations and a message that is clear and relevant without being preachy or pushy.

The publisher calls the 2013 book “a humorous guide to life for grown-ups!” Author Diane Muldrow, a longtime editor of Little Golden Books, said that it suddenly dawned on her that the books held a lot of great advice for adults as well as children.

So Muldrow summed up the advice succinctly and paired each tip with an actual page chosen from over sixty of the books.

The guidance was free-flowing, but I felt the lessons could be categorized into the five areas of positivity, physical health, mental health, a well-rounded life, and love.

Some of the directions under positivity are: each day is a new day, get up and get dressed, eat a substantial breakfast, be creative, and sing.

The physical health instructions include exercise daily, dance, walk, eat wisely, and get a good night’s sleep.

Under the mental health category you’ll find encouragement to daydream, play, watch the stars, have fun, use your imagination, remain curious, recognize that a good cry may help you feel better, and be grateful.

What I categorize as recommendations to live a well-rounded life are turn off the TV, read a book, learn something new, take on adventures, work hard and play hard.

Finally, under love, are reminders to hug, make new friends, keep in touch with old friends, choose your friends wisely, eat together as a family, and don’t let a birthday go by without a celebration.

One suggestion that was timely for our family was “enjoy your wedding.” We did, thanks.

And I swear that the only page in the form of a question was intended specifically for me: “Weren’t you going to learn how to swim?” Because learning to swim is on my bucket list.

So you don’t really need to buy any other self-help book this year. For less than $10, reminders from your childhood will be all you need.