Beauty, Charm & Style

So, you are invited to a dinner party.  These are 5 rules to live or die by when dining. Don’t mess this one up.

1. Once seated, unfold your napkin and use it for occasionally wiping your lips or fingers. At the end of dinner, leave the napkin tidily on the place setting.
2. If the food presented to you is not to your liking, it is polite to at least make some attempt to eat a small amount of it. Or at the very least, cut it up a little, and move it around the plate!
3. Should a lady wish to be excused for the bathroom, it is polite for the gentlemen to stand up as she leaves the table, sit down again, and then stand once more when she returns.
4. Desserts may be eaten with both a spoon and fork, or alternatively a fork alone if it is a cake or pastry style sweet.
5. Always make a point of thanking the host and hostess for their hospitality before leaving.

When having guests visit, a good hostess will be prepared for almost anything. How many guests will be in the visiting party? Are the guests allergic to anything? What are the guests’ favorite foods?

Alwasy provide top quality linens

Making a comfortable home away from home is what I always strive for when entertaining travelers. I have five easy tips to better prepare and take care of guests.

1. Have clean and pretty linens.  Even if your guest will be crashing on the sofa, make sure to offer an abundance of pillows, sheets and blankets.  Macy’s always has a great selection if you need to stock up on linens. (If offering bedding made with down, make sure your guest is not allergic.)
2. Provide a gift basket filled with toiletries, recent magazines, bottle water and mints.  I like to add little luxuries that I will often miss when away from home.
3. Clear some floor space in the closet for your guest to stow luggage, and even offer a few hangers for clothes that need to be unpacked.
4. Provide an alarm clock. But check to make sure the alarm isn’t set to go off too early for your guest. That would be jarring and embarrassing.
5. Anticipate any special wants of a particular guest. That is what a good hostess always does!