Tag Archives: home entertaining

Sections For Your Holiday Notebook: Part Two

There are still so many things you have to do and the clock keeps ticking away. Let’s find that notebook again (and that pen) and get to work. What else can you put in your holiday notebook? Lend me an ear, my friends. Parties and Entertaining What would the holiday season be without festivities? The problem may be keeping track of all the entertaining you will be doing during this crazy and joyous time of year. Include in this section any information about guest lists, menus, seating arrangements and activity information. Menus and Recipes What would any holiday celebration be … Continue reading →

Ten Stupid Things That Guests Do: Count Them!

Some of the following tips may seem as obvious and unnecessary as one I found in old driver’s manual about not sleeping on the railroad tracks, but you would be surprised how many people forget their manners. Such action can knock the best of us a few rungs off the social ladder not to mention the “invite again list” of the harried host or hostess. Consider the following and then…don’t! 1. Do not neglect to show up. A host or hostess will always remember that you didn’t care enough to come through. 2. Always dress appropriately. Low-cut latex at church … Continue reading →

The Wet Bar: Is Swimming a Prerequisite?

What is a wet bar and how is it different from a dry one? Do you have to be of a certain age to be near it? Read on for some watery facts. A wet bar is used for mixing alcoholic and other types of beverages in the privacy of one’s home. If you entertain often, a wet bar is a convenient and not too expensive enhancement to your home. In order to make it possible to mix drinks, a wet bar must contain a flat counter-like surface on which beverages and glasses can be placed. It also needs a … Continue reading →

Sleepover Guests: A Dangerous Threshold

A sleepover guest crosses a new, different and very precarious threshold of endurance that should never be mistaken for hospitality. One who does so must tread lightly, lest they be forbidden to darken the doorway again in either the near or distant future. You have to know how to be a guest, and somehow if you can’t figure it out, there’s already trouble in River City. But let’s go over some rules of the sleepover road anyway, just in case you lost your way, but are really on the right track and mean well. Be sensitive to any notes of … Continue reading →

Dinner Gaffes and Graces

Social blunders are different than other kinds. That’s because they have endless repercussions, like waves crashing against the shore of friendship and acquaintanceship. Unlike leaving your keys in the salad or your passport in your socks, these boo-boos are enduring and they are true indications of what can only be called “comatose inconsideration.” Hosts and hostesses have rather long memories, and aren’t likely to forget a guest who forgot to mention they were vegetarian or allergic to specific foods when invited over to dinner. It’s impolite; plain and simply put. Don’t forget to show up for dinner. It once happened … Continue reading →

Even More Party Do’s and Don’ts

Modern polite society barely remembers the repercussions of the Trojan horse and that old adage about Greeks bearing gifts. Bearing gifts really has nothing at all to do with Greeks or any other nationality when it comes to being polite to someone who has invited you over for an evening of food, fun and fine conversation. A little gift is a way to show your appreciation. The offering can very small because in this case, it really is the thought that counts above all else. When bringing a gift, think about the host or hostess and what THEY would like. … Continue reading →

Party No-Nos For Nanette and People With Other Names

Social misdemeanors may not land anyone in jail, but they won’t grant them $200 either and should be avoided at all costs. It’s not likely that falling from social grace will get you invited to other parties either unless they are thrown by other social outcasts. Avoid the following mistakes and most should go well. 1. Do not ever ask your host or hostess who else is coming. It sounds as if one is questioning his or her taste in friends and if you were invited that really should tell you the whole story. 2. Never arrive too early and … Continue reading →

More Party Dips, Do’s and Don’ts

Try to forget the words of Miss Piggy whenever you find yourself at a friendly get together. She is quoted as having said: “Never eat more than you can lift.” These words defy fatal social repercussions. Instead of minding “Ps” and Qs” (whatever they are anyway), consider these politically correct, although neither right nor left thoughts, about dipping and such whenever they let you out in polite society. When dipping, always rescue a broken chip with a spoon. Do not use your fingers or toes just because they are convenient. Instead of hogging the bowl, spoon some dip onto your … Continue reading →

Guest Etiquette: Dos, Don’ts and Dips

Good manners are not something we are born with: they evolve with our social and cultural growth and help us emerge as thoughtful, caring humans. When they are genuine, manners reflect a good heart, and they are as important as anything any of us will learn in our adult lives. So where did all of this go wrong at the party last week? Read on for some thoughts. As a guest, there is one important skill we can utilize and can take home with us after the party is over. I am talking about the ability to listen, which takes … Continue reading →

How To Be a Great Guest: Party Etiquette

Everything in life has its proper place and time and that includes human diversions also known as parties. In many ways, the party is the universe’s way of giving all of us a time to let our hair down, so to speak. (If you wear a toupee, you will have to use your imagination to make this point clear.) Still there are some rules of the road to follow, even if you can’t find the path. Consider the following: 1. Answer all invitations promptly. Don’t wait to respond to the last minute and if you are going to commit this … Continue reading →