Completely off topic: Some common grammatical mistakes that make my head hurt...

I get so frustrated and kinda sad when I see the really horrible spelling on various handmade product sites, and even sadder when I see the hard work that goes into creating a lovely label only to have a huge typo on it! I admit that I will often question the veracity of a really great article on a topic if when the writer doesn't know how to use its vs. it's. I think spell check has made us lazy because it won't pick up most of these problems because they are spelled correctly but not used correctly.

So I'm offering a few suggestions for those things that generally trip us up when it comes to spelling and grammar...

Its vs. it's - If you can break the word down into it is, it has, it was then it's the contraction and you want to write it's. If you want the possessive, as in "the dog enjoyed its bone" then you don't put the apostrophe in place. I know it's a bit confusing because the possessive generally has the apostrophe in place - Susan's purse, Raymond's gorgeous hair, 7 Sushi's awesome Las Vegas roll - but in this case, the apostrophe indicates the contraction (as we find in don't, won't, shouldn't, and so on). It takes a second to ask yourself if it's the contraction (it is, it has, it was) or the possessive (its bone) and you will make those of us who are grammar obsessed so grateful. If you're in doubt, then just write it is, it has, it was instead of the wrong its/it's!

You're vs. your - Again, think of the contraction. You're means you are or you were, whereas your is the possessive. If you are talking about someone's possession - your telephone, your great conditioner, your kettle has just boiled and is perfect for a cup of tea right about now - then we use your. If you're talking about someone being something like "you're so vain", "you're so pretty" or "you're so picky about language, Susan", then you want to use the contraction. So again, break it down and figure out if you want the contraction (you're) or the possessive (your).

If you're in doubt, double check your use of apostrophes. Using apostrophes when you see any "s" at the end of a word is called the "grocer's apostrophe" because grocers used to...well, take a look at the picture to the left. So ask yourself what the word owns. If you see something like this sign, you can see just by looking at it that the groceries, newspapers, ices, and requirements don't own a single thing and the apostrophes are put in the wrong place. (Ironically, we're not sure if it should be called the grocer's apostrophe (one grocer) or the grocers' apostrophe (many grocers).) So if you're writing about your lovely bath salts or lotions, there will be no apostrophe in either of these words before the apostrophe!

Irregardless - This is not a word. Regardless means without regard. "Ir" is a suffix we use to indicate without. So irregardless means without without regard. I think this mistake comes from words like irrelevant (not relevant), so we add to to the front because it actually does sound like a proper word. But it isn't. Please stop using it!

Myself - This is used more in speech, but the word you're looking for is me or I. I used to think people who used this in conversation were pretentious, but I'm starting to think we see it because people aren't sure where to use me or I. ("George sold a dog to Raymond and myself." See how silly it looks!)

You use me if you aren't the subject of the sentence, if you aren't combined with a verb. "I don't know what he sees in me." (The verb - sees - goes with he, not me). Use I when you are the subject of the sentence, and when you are combined with the verb. "I went to the store the other day." (The verb - went - goes with I.) "Raymond and I drove to Granville Island yesterday and bought some awesome sausages." (The verb - drove - goes with Raymond and I.) "You and I have a lot in common." (The verb - have - goes with you and I.)

Yes, I'm a grammar obsessed woman and I realize that some people will think me quite pedantic, arguing the English language needs to grow and people like me are stifling creativity and then point out that hey, wait, I make up words all the time - for instance, using the word bone-ular for pain I feel in my bones (no, this isn't muscular, it feels bone-ular) or creating my own adjectives by adding a -y at the end (lotion-y, comfort-y) - and that I use dashes and parentheses with reckless abandon and start sentences with conjunctions, so where do I get off on commenting on grammar? Well, before I mention that this was quite the run on sentence, I did spend five years of my life working on a degree in English and I used to spend far too much time reading grammar books and dictionaries before I caught the chemistry bug, so I think I might be able to make a case for being allowed to make a comment or two from time to time...but more importantly it's about presentation.

When people see these kind of typos on products or in write-ups on web sites, it might make them think twice about buying from you. I get so annoyed by poorly made signs and banners around my town ("Its the best deal in town!" - argh, I get frustrated even writing that sentence knowing it's wrong!) and I actually make a point of avoiding them as punishment. I know that might seem a little ridiculous, but when you're selling a product, you need to think about the image you're presenting, and poor spelling and grammar can undo a lot of what you are trying to accomplish.

Please note, I'm not holding myself up as the paragon of grammar and spelling, and I know I make mistakes all the time so please don't write to me to quote places where I might have made a typo so you can feel all superior to me, because this isn't written from a place of superiority. I'm not standing here saying I'm awesome and you're not. I'm trying to offer some genuine help for those of us who write blogs, tweets, or posts about our products, recipes, or businesses. I'm trying to offer a handy guide for  remembering those things that we often mess up when writing. Although, if you see some typos, let me know!