Here's some advice: Let's stop giving each other bad advice.

Registries. RSVPs. Tacky bow bouquets and pink shot glasses. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I'm in that awkward stage that happens in your 20's where every season is wedding season.

Seems many of my friends are already married, engaged, or talking about getting married. Totally normal in our age bracket. It can also be totally annoying.

I'm not one of those bitter single girls. I don't have a wedding dress picked out and posted on my fridge, waiting for 'the one' to pop the question. However, I do think that some (not ALL) girls let being married to go their head in a bad way. There's an heir of pretentiousness that I don't understand at all. And some of the things they say are even more confusing.

Women give other women some pretty horrible advice.

I spent part of my weekend at a bridal shower for a dear friend here in Naples. The event was held at a club house in a gated community next to tennis courts and a private pool. Caterers served quarter-sized bites of food in 8-minute intervals while Celine Dion played in the stereo. The ratio of single girls to married/engaged girls was about 3:20. Pass the champagne, please.

We played this little game where you had to write anonymous advice onto little cards and the bride had to guess who each tidbit was from. There were two categories-- Sweet Advice (mine- always stay best friends) and Sexy Advice (mine- be selfish. What? That's legit...). Let's just say not everyone hit the nail on the head with advice quite the way I did.

Among the worst--

"Make him think it was his idea."

"Have sex to get him to do the dishes."

"Let him believe he's right, even when he's not."

I was well aware of the disgusted look I had on my face. I couldn't help it. That's HORRIBLE advice, single or not. I looked around the room and saw a group of beautiful, intelligent, strong-willed women with great big personalities who apparently thought unnecessary lying and manipulation was the key to successful relationships. And for them, it is. But I'm not that kind of girl... and I would never tell my friends to be that way, either.

Why would you ever let a man believe he's right when he's clearly wrong? How is he going to learn what's right? That seems awfully counterproductive and a recipe for being miserable right up until the moment when you snap and tell it like it is. It all sounded dishonest and shady.

It made me think of all the unsolicited bad advice women get on a daily basis. One of my best friends just recently read an awful book titled "Settling For Mr. Good Enough" or something like that. She didn't seek out the book-- her sister gave it to her. Thanks, sis.

The author; a 40-something, single woman who has never been married but seems to think she's fit to teach other single girls how to get a ring on it. The premise, according to my friend (I'd never read that garbage), is that you shouldn't disregard men because of 'little things' that drive you nuts about them-- like unattractiveness or an annoying mother. In a sentence: It's okay to settle.

She's seriously trying to get me to read it. I think it's blasphemy. If you're like me, you don't settle in your career, you don't settle with the people you decide to be friends with... why would you EVER settle on a man?

The shower wasn't the only event I attended this weekend among a group of women and dozens of drinks. I randomly got connected with my sorority's local alumni group recently and its first event was a wine tasting with artisan appetizers. The food was light; the drinks were heavy. Aside from one friend in her 30s, I was the youngest person there by a good 30 years. They were all amazed at the heels I was able to wear and the fact that I had Internet on my phone. They all had a son, client, or family friend they wanted to hook me up with.

A lot of small talk and wine later, I realized advice from this age bracket was a lot more practical than that given out at a 20-something's bridal shower. Most of these women are going through their first divorce or are on their second marriage and employ the same no-bullshit approach that I do to life.

Among the best--

"Don't rush the search for a husband."

"Value your girlfriends."

"Whatever you do... Dear Lord, don't get pregnant."

Now that's advice I can get behind.