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Dining Etiquette
As I’ve mentioned in the past, people like to share their etiquette pet peeves or ask for advice on etiquette dilemmas. It always makes for good blog post fodder. Here are some of the etiquette grievances people have shared with me lately. Fido is forbidden Don’t bring your dog or kids to someone’s house unless…
I recently gave a dining etiquette presentation to DECA leadership participants. DECA hires me every year to speak to these bright young people because they know it’s important the students have good dining etiquette and table manners for success in their careers and social interactions.
In 2017 I wrote a blog post about tipping where I shared who to tip and how much. What a difference five years makes as I write this in 2022. A lot has transpired since 2017 that has impacted tipping. One of the biggest factors is the pandemic. When the COVID-19 virus shut everything down…
I have to admit that I have a thing for napkins. I simply can’t sit down to a meal without one on my lap. Even if I’m eating fast food I will put one of those flimsy little paper napkins on my lap. I guess my mom’s constant reminders to use my napkin stuck.
When I decided to become an etiquette consultant in 2009 I choose to attend The Etiquette Institute based in St. Louis, MO. for my training and certification. I had done quite a bit of research about the various institutions that offer etiquette consultant training and The Etiquette Institute seemed like the best fit. I couldn’t…
If you’re interviewing for a job, there is a chance you could be invited to meet over a meal. Managers know that you can learn a lot about a candidate by how they conduct themselves when dining. People tend to let their hair down a bit when dining because it seems more social than business.…
When I teach dining etiquette I often tell a story that my neighbor shared with me. When she was a teenager she went to her boyfriend’s house for dinner. She picked up her bread roll, cut it in half with her knife and buttered the whole piece. Her boyfriend loudly announced that she was eating…
The concept of etiquette and civility has been around for a very long time. I recently finished a novel called “Rules of Civility” that included mention of George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. Apparently, at age 16, young George (yes, eventual first president of the United States) copied by…
I first had the thought of teaching etiquette classes when I worked for Washington Mutual. My job at the time was managing sponsorships for non-profit events like breakfasts and lunches. Because the company often received a table at these events I had to fill them with willing WaMu employees. Not always an easy job. Inevitably,…
Can you hear it? It’s the sound of busy hosts shopping, prepping and cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I’m thankful my sister is one of those hosts. She usually hosts Thanksgiving because she has the bigger house and bigger family. The rest of us get to enjoy the gourmet bounty and family gathering in exchange for bringing…