Dining Etiquette

Get your holiday manners on

By Arden / December 19, 2011 /

The holidays are here! As I was standing in a very long line at the post office this morning I reminded myself how stressful this time of year can be. Inside I was feeling impatient and angry at the everlasting queue, but I tried to focus on the positive rather than my irritation. I noticed the surprisingly well-behaved…

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How to impress family and friends at Thanksgiving

By Arden / November 3, 2011 /

We often pull out the linens, nice china and silverware for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. The formality of the table and the occasion can sometimes be intimidating. Follow these guidelines and your family and friends will be mightily impressed with your lovely manners.

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Teaching children table manners

By Arden / October 24, 2011 /

Guest post by Sarah Morris on behalf of Primrose: preschools with a well-rounded curriculum and a passion for educating children. The art of tables manners will always be in fashion and can add great value to the lives of your children if taught properly. Proper manners travel far beyond “please” and “thank you” in that…

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Interesting etiquette facts you probably never knew

By Arden / May 23, 2011 /

Did you know that the reason people clink wine classes during a toast is that back in the dark ages people heartily clinked their pewter mugs together to distribute any poison that might be in one of the cups? That way if someone was trying to poison someone, everyone would be poisoned, discouraging a person…

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Napkin wars

By Arden / May 16, 2011 /

Sometimes etiquette consultants don’t know all the answers. Shocking, I know! And sometimes etiquette consultants don’t agree with each other. I have been amused by a rather vociferous exchange on one of my etiquette consultants LinkedIn groups about what to do with your napkin when you get up during a meal and when you’re done…

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The Five Essential Manners Your Child Needs to Succeed

By Arden / February 22, 2011 /

I had the honor of being a guest on the 24/7 Moms webcast with the founder Trisha Novotny. I talked about the five essential manners you child needs to succeed.

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How Not to Go Mad as a Host or Guest

By Arden / September 2, 2010 /

I have been consumed by Mad Men madness. I think what’s so compelling about the show is witnessing a way of life that is so foreign from our lives today. A way of life that included a three martini lunch followed by a scotch on the rocks afternoon meeting; cigarettes being smoked everywhere including the…

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Are You Helping Your Child To Succeed?

By Arden / June 16, 2010 /

The other day my husband, Eric, and I grabbed a fast dinner at Whole Foods Market. We love the variety of options and how easy it is to get a quick meal. As I was enjoying my chicken mole I noticed a very nicely dressed family sit down near us with their dinner. They must…

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The Hesitant Host

By Arden / March 30, 2010 /

I sometimes get invited to a business lunch as a potential client. Interestingly, at the last two lunches I’ve encountered hesitant hosts. That is, after sitting down with our food, the host has waited quite some time to start eating. The etiquette is for the guest to wait for the host to start eating before beginning,…

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Job Search Etiquette

By Arden / February 1, 2010 /

I asked my Facebook fans for ideas for a blog post and got some really good questions. They were focused on job search etiquette. Q. When meeting a potential employer for coffee or a meal to discuss the possibility of working together who picks up the tab? And how do you handle the awkwardness when…

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