MANNERS START AT HOME

To ensure that your children will do well in the world of polite manners starting to learn at home is a sure way to success? Let’s look at some nice table manners. Keeping elbows off the table is a real must and saying please and thank you when asking for a certain dish to be passed at the table is a great start. Instead of jumping up from the table when you have finished eating, please remember to ask if you may be excused. Not only at home but when visiting a friend’s house it is a polite gesture to offer your help in the kitchen.
These are just some ways to navigate the world politely.

Thank you notes

The holidays are over and it is now time to think about thank you notes. When attending parties, I think it is very nice to call the hostess the next day and thank her for a lovely evening. With the modern age we do have the option of writing an email but a call is so much more personal. Of all the ways to say thank you nothing beats receiving a hand written note especially after you have received a gift. If you didn’t like the gift and you thought the party was an utter bore by all means write a note as it is a perfect way to cover up a thank you of lies.
See you at the post office!

UNWANTED GIFTS

I have been asked by several readers what they should do if they receive a gift and they already have that item. Should they tell the person or say nothing. Years ago I had two sweaters monogrammed for two sweet girls and I happily sent them off as Christmas gifts. Several weeks later I received the gift back with a note saying that the sweaters were too small. This was a very rude gesture and I suggest to my readers to simply be polite in a case like this one and thank the giver of the gift. If you are in doubt when giving a gift you can insert a gift receipt.
Remember if you don’t like the gift you may be invited to a white elephant exchange party. This is a perfect way to rid you of that unwanted gift.
HAPPY UNWRAPPING!

THE PARTY LAGGERS

I have been asked what you do with those guests that just don’t want to leave the party at a reasonable hour. Frankly there is no polite way to get rid of them. You can try a couple of tactics, stretching, yawning and staring at your watch and stating that you have an early morning appointment. While living in Sweden my husband and I frequently were invited to a lovely couples’ home along with other guest for dinner. The bewitching hour for the host was ten PM and when the clock struck ten he would ask us all to leave. At that time I thought this was very rude but now that I am older I appreciate a good night’s sleep. If someone wants to stay late at my home, I simply invite them to make themselves comfortable and inform them that I am going to bed.
GOODNIGHT AND SWEET DREAMS!

Accepting Invitations

Since we are in a busy time of the year, we need to think of the party invitations we'll be receiving. One of my readers wants to know if you accept an invitation and a better one comes along for the same date, can you accept that and decline the other one. I know that it is tempting to do just that, but, the answer is no. You need to honor the first invitation, if you have already accepted it.
I remember when I was young and when there was a dance, you had to accept the first invitation that came along. How sad I would feel when a better one presented itself, but there was nothing I could do about it. In those days, we had dance cards, so you could fill each dance with a different boy and spend minimal time with your original date.
Today, there is caller ID and we can now screen those unwanted invitations.
Hurrah for modern times!!

Holiday Giving

Tis the season to be jolly, but it can be a very stressful time when buying gifts. A number of readers want to know if they need to give everyone a gift? Absolutely not, it depends on your relationship to that person. Will some people be angry because they did not receive a gift? Perhaps, but I say - GET OVER IT!!
If you have business associates, the cost of gifts can really add up. One alternative, instead of giving candy, is baked goods. How special that you went to all the trouble to bake cookies or breads; what a wholesome and loving idea.
Some other gift ideas are: gift certificates to movies, restaurants, coffee shops and stores.
A good friend of mine came up with the idea to give to charities on their behalf. I think this is an excellent idea and one that is so needed.
If you want to avoid all gift giving, I suggess that you plan a long trip and beat it out of town, and if you are away long enough, people will forget that you forgot all about them at the holidays.
Happy Holidays and good luck on whatever you decide.

chewing with your mouth open

I have been asked if you can tell someone you do not know very well to chew with their mouth closed. My advise is not to mention it to them as it is a very sensitive issue. There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that we learn manners while growing up in our family of origin, but the good news is that we can change these habits by watching other people that have good manners.
Just imagine the noise at dinner time of the open mouth chewing family as they gather for dinner not to mention the splattering of food on the plates and mats. Chewing with your mouth open is definately obnoxious and not good manners.
If you are with a person who does chew with their mouth open and slurps their coffee, I suggest you find another activity together that does'nt involve food. You might consider long walks where you can subtly stear your friend to Maisy Manner's blog.
thank you for this very important and sensitive question.

What to do about slow eaters??

I have had many questions about slow eater problems. My readers tell me that they spend the day preparing for the party and expect that all will go well. The dinner hour arrives,everyone is seated,they begin to eat but there is that one person who only puts a small item on their fork and proceeds to chat and chat and chat. At this point in time everyone is finished except the talker. Now our hostess has a dilemma for she knows she cannot clear the dinner plates until everyone has finished eating.
There are some solutions to this problem. Sometimes just staring the person down works or drumming your fingers on the table and humming can be helpful. Perhaps a better solution is to announce that the dessert will be served in five minutes. Hopefully that will speed up our eater. If all this fails simply grab the eater's plate and storm off to the kitchen.
Well I hope this bit advice will be of help. Till the next blog remember good manners are never out of date.

   

The Importance of Clean Teeth

Welcome to Ms. Maisy Manner's Blog.

Thank you for visiting and I do hope you take my etiquette advice to heart.  Lord knows, I have seen a lot through the years and not all of it has been pretty.

To christen this blog, I would like to share one of my favorite dinner stories. 

Enjoy and come back again for more helpful tips.

I was in a restaurant in the state of Maine having a lovely lobster dinner.  Lovely, until I looked over at the table across from me, and a "gentleman" was flossing his teeth.  Needless to say, I lost my appetite very quickly.  So, my suggestion is - if you need to floss, do it under the table! or in the restroom, NOT at the table.

Bon apetit!