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The Latest
The 5 Manners of Valentine’s Day Everyone Should Know
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America People seem to have either one of two thoughts about Valentine’s Day. Some see it as the most romantic, glorious day of affection, gifts, and expressions of love of the year. Others view it as a day they wish they could sleep through so they didn’t have to look at even one gushing, bouquet-carrying, heart-shaped-chocolate-eating, drunk-on-love person. I’ve been on both sides of the Valentine’s Day love fest, and on both sides feelings are deep and emotions are high. There’s a problem with the way we celebrate Valentine’s Day. It should never hurt, because it should never be an either-or day. Valentine’s Day should be a day when no one feels left out. That’s because everyone is loved by someone, and that someone (or lots of someones) should express it. The day would be sweeter if there were less stress about gifts, dinners, and flowers. It wouldContinue Reading
5 Simple, Savvy, Sincere Ways to Show Your Love
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America You’ve probably heard the much quoted joke about the couple that’s been married for decades. TheContinue Reading
Links to Love from Around the Web- Valentine’s Edition!
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette of America Here’s a collection of links to love from around the web. You’ll find Valetine’s Day centered postsContinue Reading
5 Tips for Getting Your Child to Say Thank You at Christmas and Always
Getting our children to say thank you and actually mean it isn’t easy, but it’s more than possible! Here are the five most important tipsContinue Reading
The 5 Manners of Opening Christmas Gifts and The #1 Don’t
Often times all eyes are on us when we open our Christmas gifts, and it can be nerve-wracking! Here you’ll find the 5 mannersContinue Reading
The Latest
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America Here are ten manners for hosts and guests on Christmas Day. When put into practice, if you’re having a great Christmas, they’ll help you insure that others do, too! And if you’re...
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Christmas card manners help you send out your Season’s Greetings with all the warmth and good wishes you want them to have. From what to write under the printed message to how to sign the card and address the envelope,...
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By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America Should you send a Christmas card to someone suffering a loss this year? Absolutely! In fact, sending a Christmas card is a great way to help lift the spirit of...
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Not every Thanksgiving gathering is as perfect as depicted in a Norman Rockwell illustration. The day can get “real” really fast. These seven Thanksgiving manners will help you handle the day with ease and graciousness whether you’re the guest or...
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What to Do Right Now Instead of Shaking Hands
By: Maralee McKee Most of us learned to shake hands when we were children, and we’ve been doing it ever since. Now, twenty, thirty, or more years later, it’s second nature to us. Shaking hands is a deeply rooted social custom in the U.S. and most of the Western world, and until a few months ago, it was considered good manners 101. There’s a New Alternative to Shaking Hands That Allows for Social Distancing Now, amid a pandemic, it’s anything but polite to extend your hand. In a matter of months, shaking hands has turned from a gesture of goodwill to one of lack of consideration for the health and safety of others. Yet for many of us, our right hand, almost instinctively, extends toward the other person. The good news is that there’s something to replace the goodwill, respect, and kindness expressed with a handshake! This new action also uses our right hand. YetContinue Reading
When to Stand and Why
By: Maralee McKee With the changing roles of women in the workplace, and workplace etiquette becoming more the norm in social situations (especially inContinue Reading
Opening and Holding the Door for Others – The Top 5 Manners
By: Maralee McKee There’s more to opening and holding the door for others than turning the knob or holding it for the next person.Continue Reading
10 Outdated Etiquette Rules You No Longer Want to Use
By: Maralee McKee Using outdated etiquette rules can make us seem stuffy and out-of-sync with the expected norms of today. Here are ten old-schoolContinue Reading
Social Skills & Special Occasions
When to Stand and Why
By: Maralee McKee With the changing roles of women in the workplace, and workplace etiquette becoming more the norm in social situations (especially in the US), this area of etiquette has undergone almost a total revision from what it was 25 or 30 years ago. If you haven’t checked out the etiquette of when to stand and why since you were taught it by your mom or grandmother, you’ll want to incorporate these modern manners into your everyday encounters so that your interactions are in sync with today’s best practices. The manners are easy to learn. And with these skills at hand, you’ll be able to rise to the occasion (literally and figuratively!) to interact with ease and graciousness as you greet and interact with colleagues, new friends and old, and family members! Here’s What We’ll Discover! What are best practices for when a man should stand? Should a woman stand to greet a man?Continue Reading
By: Maralee McKee Using outdated etiquette rules can make us seem stuffy and out-of-sync with the expected norms of today. Here are ten old-school etiquette rules you’ll want to retire so that you’ll come across as current, confident, and...
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By: Maralee McKee, Manners Mentor You’ve just been handed a gift and are about to open it. All eyes are on you. If what’s in the box isn’t what you would have picked out for yourself, you hope your face...
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By: Maralee McKee, Manners Mentor When you’ve been invited to a dinner or party, most of the time, it’s customary to bring a gift for the host or hostess as a way of showing your gratitude for having made the...
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Here are ten habits of gracious ladies (and gentlemen) that we can all make our own. When we put them into practice, we’ll be gracious, confident, and savvy — admired traits personally, socially, and professionally. By: Maralee...
Continue ReadingDaily Life & Must-Knows
Links to Love from Around the Web- Valentine’s Edition!
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette of America Here’s a collection of links to love from around the web. You’ll find Valetine’s Day centered posts and more. Enjoy!!! Valentine’s Day history is anything but romantic. Different theories abound, but the most common ones contain pagen rituals and decapatation. Here, from NPR, is the dark histroy of the origins of our modern Valentine’s Day. Who was St. Valentine, and what did he do to get martyred? There are actually two priests named Valentine that were martyred by the same Roman emporer. Both are tied to our celebration of love. This priest stayed true to his convictions and contrary to the orders of the emporer he refused to stop performing marriage cermonies. The idea that Valentine’s Day is for celebrating love is believed to have originated in this epic 699 line poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliment of Fowls. It contains one of the first mentionsContinue Reading
Should You Send a Christmas Card to Someone Suffering a Loss This Year?
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America Should you send a Christmas card to someone suffering a loss this year? Absolutely! InContinue Reading
Manners & More From Around the Web (Week Eight)
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America Here’s a curation of links from around the web gathered for your reading delightContinue Reading
How to Say Grace Amazingly Well This Thanksgiving and Any Time
Saying grace before a meal, whether you’re the host or guest, and whether you’re doing it in person or via Zoom, can be nerve-wracking. Here’sContinue Reading
Class, Confidence, & Conversation
How to Say Grace Amazingly Well This Thanksgiving and Any Time
Saying grace before a meal, whether you’re the host or guest, and whether you’re doing it in person or via Zoom, can be nerve-wracking. Here’s the etiquette of how to say grace amazing well in all situations. By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School Of America Two of the most common fears people share are public speaking and heights. I bet if we took a poll, we’d be surprised to find out that for a lot of folks, their third biggest fear is praying out loud, even if it’s around people they know. It ties in to the general fear of public speaking, but with praying or saying grace in front of others, there’s an extra added something that makes people feel they’ve got to get it perfect. After all, no one wants to be known as what Corbett, my youngest son, calls a bad “pray-er.” 🙂 When he was younger, after every prayer theContinue Reading
Here are 19 easy ways to look better instantly today and every day! By: Nada Manley I used to love makeover shows, but I was always slightly dejected when each episode was over. There was no miraculous makeover in the...
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By: Maralee McKee Let’s talk about glove etiquette, including dress gloves, winter gloves, and wearing gloves during flu season. See the end of this article for surprising advice on wearing gloves for protection from viruses. Today’s reader question about glove...
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By: Maralee McKee With the changing roles of women in the workplace, and workplace etiquette becoming more the norm in social situations (especially in the US), this area of etiquette has undergone almost a total revision from what it...
Continue Reading
By: Maralee McKee There’s more to opening and holding the door for others than turning the knob or holding it for the next person. That’s why when you know the five manners of opening every door, you unlock a...
Continue ReadingChildren & Family
5 Simple, Savvy, Sincere Ways to Show Your Love
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America You’ve probably heard the much quoted joke about the couple that’s been married for decades. The wife asks her husband, “Why don’t you ever tell me you love me?” The husband dryly answers, “I told you on our wedding day. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.” It’s a classic case of a couple with differing expectations of the need for and the how-to of ways to show their love for one another. In the joke, the example is so obvious that no one can miss it. However, in millions of important close relationships of every type (marriages, dating, best friends, parent and child, adult child and parent, adult siblings…), the same thing happens in ways that aren’t obvious. In fact, to notice them you have to be looking for them. And looking for ways to love other people that speak to their heart is exactly whatContinue Reading
Trick or Treat Manners for Kids and Grown-Ups, Too!
By: Maralee McKee, Manners Mentor There actually is Halloween etiquette on this most laid-back of days. Families have different traditions for taking part inContinue Reading
Do You Know Your Etiquette I.Q.? Find Out Here!
Etiquette and manners best practices are often not what our first instincts tell us. Take this fun modern manners and etiquette quiz and put your knowledgeContinue Reading
Forgetting Someone’s Name — What to Do
By: Maralee McKee, Manners Mentor Forgetting someone’s name leaves us feeling awkward. We can all relate because it’s happened to everyone more than once, andContinue Reading
Holidays, Dining, & Entertaining
The 5 Manners of Valentine’s Day Everyone Should Know
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America People seem to have either one of two thoughts about Valentine’s Day. Some see it as the most romantic, glorious day of affection, gifts, and expressions of love of the year. Others view it as a day they wish they could sleep through so they didn’t have to look at even one gushing, bouquet-carrying, heart-shaped-chocolate-eating, drunk-on-love person. I’ve been on both sides of the Valentine’s Day love fest, and on both sides feelings are deep and emotions are high. There’s a problem with the way we celebrate Valentine’s Day. It should never hurt, because it should never be an either-or day. Valentine’s Day should be a day when no one feels left out. That’s because everyone is loved by someone, and that someone (or lots of someones) should express it. The day would be sweeter if there were less stress about gifts, dinners, and flowers. It wouldContinue Reading
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America You’ve probably heard the much quoted joke about the couple that’s been married for decades. The wife asks her husband, “Why don’t you ever tell me you love me?” The husband dryly...
Continue Reading
Getting our children to say thank you and actually mean it isn’t easy, but it’s more than possible! Here are the five most important tips for how to teach your child to say thank you consistently and authentically. By: Maralee...
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Often times all eyes are on us when we open our Christmas gifts, and it can be nerve-wracking! Here you’ll find the 5 manners of opening gifts and the number one don’t. Put these skills into practice, and you’ll...
Continue Reading
By: Maralee McKee, The Etiquette School of America Here are ten manners for hosts and guests on Christmas Day. When put into practice, if you’re having a great Christmas, they’ll help you insure that others do, too! And if you’re...
Continue Reading