Social Etiquette

An angry looking black pug

Social and workplace etiquette grievances

By Arden / October 15, 2024 /

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…

Read More
Two hands holding coffee cups

Dating dos and don’ts for an online world

By Arden / September 25, 2024 /

Many of my single friends are dating and, yes, yours truly is too. Let me just say, dating is weird at my age. In my before-marriage dating days you just met people and if you liked them you went on a few dates and eventually decided if this was the forever person. There was no…

Read More

Lessons in harmony: How my Slovenia and Croatia tour can inspire a positive workplace

By Arden / June 15, 2024 /

I recently returned from a delightful Rick Steves tour of Slovenia and Croatia. Our group consisted of 26 people from diverse backgrounds with different values, interests, and opinions, yet we all got along wonderfully. This is particularly remarkable given the many hours we spent together each day—whether riding a bus, standing shoulder to shoulder on…

Read More
a child holding a red heart in her open hands

What would Ted do?

By Arden / March 28, 2024 /

I’m a bit behind on my TV series watching so I’m just finishing the third season of the highly acclaimed Apple TV series, Ted Lasso. From the very first show in season one I was hooked. The series is about an American football coach, Ted Lasso, who is recruited to lead AFC Richmond, a fictional…

Read More

Four tips for being a good host to house guests

By Arden / June 2, 2023 /

In my last newsletter I shared some tips on being a good house guest. A reader suggested I share tips on how to be a good host. She and her husband had a challenging visit at a friend’s house when they were relegated to a “horridly uncomfortable” couch in the office. When they were invited…

Read More

Are we back to shaking hands?

By Arden / October 3, 2022 /

In late February 2020 I drove to my CPA’s office to drop off my tax documents. At that point, 15 cases of the COVID-19 virus were reported in the U.S. and there were over 1,100 deaths worldwide. I felt a bit nervous about the virus but not overly concerned. When my CPA came out to…

Read More

Wedding etiquette: from invitations to attire

By Arden / April 15, 2022 /

Wedding season is upon us! In June, I am attending two weddings for family members. One is Friday night, and the other is the next day on Saturday afternoon. While it will be a little challenging getting to two weddings in two different states on consecutive days, I’m thrilled to attend them. I love weddings!…

Read More

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 14 Things You Need to Know About Being A Good Neighbor

By Arden / February 11, 2022 /

Do you know who your neighbors are? According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Americans say they know some of their neighbors. Whether you frequently talk to your upstairs neighbor or you only see your next-door neighbor on occasion, being a good neighbor is important in establishing yourself as part of the neighborhood…

Read More

How etiquette has changed over the last twenty years

By Arden / December 16, 2021 /

I sometimes wish there was a different word for etiquette. Often the term conjures up a stuffy, old-fashioned concept; one that is certainly not relatable to today’s realities. But as I often say in my trainings, I would not be an etiquette consultant if it was any of those things. I remember when I was…

Read More

The new etiquette norm for greetings

By Arden / March 5, 2020 /

Yesterday, when I met with a new CPA to give him our tax documents I noticed that as he approached me he had his right hand in his pocket. While driving to his office, I had thought about whether I would shake his hand or not because of the Covid-19 virus. I was prepared to…

Read More