Social & Lifestyle Etiquette

  If you need dinner party ideas, you’ve come to the right place. Entertaining at home is one of my favorite things, and planning ahead is what makes it work. Here’s a list of my most important to-do’s: • Guest list: Eight to ten is the maximum number of people at the dinner table, or…

Why is it that the best restaurants are always French or Italian and you have to be able to speak those languages to order? Some restaurants, usually in tourist areas of foreign cities, will supply an English menu, or you may find and English translation in smaller type next to the native appellation. But it’s…

With the anticipation of every trip comes the stress of packing for that trip. If ever a saying were true, it’s this one: Less is more. If you’ve read my book, A Traveler’s Passport to Etiquette, you’ll know the No. 1 rule for packing is to pack lightly so you can make room for your…

Food trucks are the newest urban dining trend. They are everywhere these days, in business districts and neighborhoods, in front of art show openings and concerts, at farmers markets, and in parks and parking lots for regularly scheduled food-truck nights. Food-truck grazing is a great, casual, and often inexpensive way to dine, but it’s not…

I have written a book on travel etiquette, but unfortunately, many people have not read it, and many more people are not aware of the ABC’s of travel. Enroute to Arizona last month, I boarded a Southwest flight and was seated in section A. Travel warriors know the Southwest drill. It’s A, B, or C,…

  For a forty-something female (ok, I turned 50 this week), I would bet that I’ve had more nonelective surgeries than most people my age. It’s funny, though—surgery does not scare me. It never has. I have always loved my doctors, and I regard general anesthesia as a chance for the kind of deep sleep…

  Learn the right things to say to get the item you want at the best possible price. There are certain rules of etiquette that should be respected when shopping for antiques at flea markets, garage sales, antiques stores, and market stalls. Antiquing is a fun way to spend an afternoon, but remember that the…

Time and time again I get emails asking for gift ideas. Why, I ask myself, when there are a zillion giftie items on the market? To make things easier on both sexes this (and every) holiday season, here’s a list of my favorites. Some are generic, some might seem downright odd, but they’re creative and…