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The Latest
The 5 Manners of Valentine’s Day Everyone Should Know
By: Maralee McKee 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 would be sweeter if there wereContinue Reading
Links to Love from Around the Web- Valentine’s Edition!
By: Maralee McKee Here’s a collection of links to love from around the web. You’ll find Valetine’s Day centered posts and more. Enjoy!!! What isContinue Reading
5 Simple, Savvy, Sincere Ways to Show Your Love
By: Maralee McKee You’ve probably heard the much quoted joke about the couple that’s been married for decades. The wife asks her husband, “Why don’tContinue Reading
After-Christmas Thank You Notes — Who You Should Write Them To
You could send a thank you note to everyone who gave you a Christmas gift, but it’s not necessary for those you thanked in person.Continue Reading
The Top 10 Manners for Hosts and Guests on Christmas Day
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 youContinue Reading
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Knowing what not to say is often more important than knowing what to say. Here are five questions not to ask at a party – at Christmas or any time. I find that people often have friends a lotContinue Reading
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Here’s your simple and complete guide to holiday and Christmas tipping etiquette. You’ll find who is usually tipped, plus suggested tip amounts based on what others give. Thriftiness is a virtue, so it’s a positive thing that manyContinue Reading
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Sometimes re-gifting is perfectly fine, and sometimes it’s not. Because of this, there’s an etiquette of re-gifting that you don’t want to ignore. It’s one most people don’t know, and it’s this unknown (and thus unfollowed) etiquette thatContinue Reading
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Oftentimes 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 always know theContinue Reading
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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
How to Choose and Give the Perfect Hostess Gift
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 shortlist of guests to attend out of all the people they know. There’s definitely an etiquette to picking the perfect hostess gift, and the gifts people most commonly give, sadly, are on the worst list instead of the best list. For instance, flowers, food, and, wine, with a few exceptions, are all on the worst list. (I’ll explain why!) If all the usual gifts aren’t the ones we should be giving, what is on the best list? I’ve got you covered! I’ll share examples. Plus, there are certain moments and methods for giving the gift that will help the host remember your kind gesture fondly and make sure that other guests who didn’t bring a gift don’t feel awkward.Continue Reading
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 itContinue Reading
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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, andContinue Reading
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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 faceContinue Reading
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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: MaraleeContinue Reading
Continue ReadingDaily Life & Must-Knows
Links to Love from Around the Web- Valentine’s Edition!
By: Maralee McKee Here’s a collection of links to love from around the web. You’ll find Valetine’s Day centered posts and more. Enjoy!!! What is The History of Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day history is anything but romantic. Different theories abound, but the most common ones contain pagen rituals and, yikes, decapatation. Here, from NPR, is the dark histroy of the origins of our modern Valentine’s Day. Who was St. Valentine, and Why Was He 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. How Did Valentine’s Day Get Known for Love? 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. ItContinue Reading
How to Say Grace Amazingly Well This Thanksgiving and Any Time — With Examples
Saying grace before a meal, whether you’re the host or guest, can be nerve-wracking. Here’s help for saying grace amazingly well in all situations. WhyContinue Reading
Manners & More From Around the Web — Thanksgiving Edition
Here’s a curation of links from around the web gathered for your reading delight this Thanksgiving week! What really was on the menuContinue 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
Class, Confidence, & Conversation
5 Questions Not to Ask at a Christmas…or Any Party
Knowing what not to say is often more important than knowing what to say. Here are five questions not to ask at a party – at Christmas or any time. I find that people often have friends a lot like themselves. Because of this, we probably have quite a bit in common with other people at parties we attend hosted by our friends. Meeting friends of friends is a great way for us to make new friends ourselves. At least it is if we step out on the right foot! None of us mean to say the “wrong” thing; we all want to leave others with a good impression of ourselves. However, it happens to everyone. We ask a question without realizing the impact our words had on the other person. It seemed innocent to us, so what’s making the other person emotionally back away? The answer: We asked one of the five questions most oftenContinue Reading
Saying grace before a meal, whether you’re the host or guest, can be nerve-wracking. Here’s help for saying grace amazingly well in all situations. Why Many People Are Uncomfortable Praying or Saying Grace Aloud Two of the most common fearsContinue Reading
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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 theContinue Reading
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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 gloveContinue Reading
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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 itContinue Reading
Continue ReadingChildren & Family
5 Simple, Savvy, Sincere Ways to Show Your Love
By: Maralee McKee 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 what we want to do so thatContinue Reading
How to Graciously Let Others Know You Won’t Be Buying Them a Gift This Year
How do you tell people you won’t be buying them Christmas gifts this year? For your news to be well-received, you need to address bothContinue Reading
How to Say Grace Amazingly Well This Thanksgiving and Any Time — With Examples
Saying grace before a meal, whether you’re the host or guest, can be nerve-wracking. Here’s help for saying grace amazingly well in all situations. WhyContinue Reading
How to Express Gratitude Around Your Thanksgiving Table — 7 Easy and Unique Ideas
Saying thanks around our Thanksgiving table is the core of Thanksgiving Day. The holiday is a special 24 hours set aside for us not onlyContinue Reading
Holidays, Dining, & Entertaining
The 5 Manners of Valentine’s Day Everyone Should Know
By: Maralee McKee 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 would be sweeter if there wereContinue Reading
By: Maralee McKee Greetings! Summer has officially blown Florida a fiery kiss. The temperature is hot, and the humidity is high. At the end of a sweltering day, I’m often not in the mood for a heavy dinner. On thoseContinue Reading
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By: Maralee McKee, Manners Mentor Cut, Twirl, or Spoon? Fun Etiquette for How to Eat Spaghetti Spaghetti, my youngest son’s favorite, is something I serve a lot. When I teach corporate etiquette classes and dinners, the question “How do I eatContinue Reading
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The number-one etiquette question people ask me is why no one will RSVP. It’s hard to plan an event when you don’t know how many people to plan for. Here’s how to get folks to follow RSVP etiquette. By: MaraleeContinue Reading
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