Writing a thank-you note can seem daunting and leave you procrastinating because you are not sure what to say. If you follow this four sentence layout, it is guaranteed that you will have all of your thank-you notes written in no time.
A thank-you note consist of four sentences.
1st , 2nd & 4th sentence should be about the gift.
3rd sentence is unrelated to the gift.
Here is an example:
Stick to these guidelines and writing thank-you notes will be the least of your worries.
By: Karen Bowles
If each of us painted a picture of our perfect Christmas Eve, many of our paintings would look surprisingly similar. Our family and friends would have happy faces and healthy minds and bodies; the warmth of home and the love abiding there would be visible. Presents would be under the tree wrapped with festive paper, bows and tags fastened to each, as the clock on the wall tells the day is still young. Everything would be in its place – the house clean, the fire in the fireplace glowing, and the stockings “hung by the chimney with care.”
Ahhh….the feeling of being finished with the hustle and bustle of Christmas in time to enjoy the holiday’s true meaning. After attending Christmas Eve service at church, we would nestle “all snug in our beds,” the gifts all wrapped. The question: how do we get to this ideal? The answer, I’ve heard, is by starting early, by having our shopping completed weeks before Christmas arrives.
In order for our shopping time to be tolerable and perhaps even pleasant, there are some rules of thumb that may help us keep the joy and peace in this busy time of year. Here are a few of these holiday shopping guidelines:
Procrastinate no longer: If we leave shopping until the last days, it may seem as if we are in the middle of a football huddle as we reach for that fairy princess tea set for little Suzie or the glow in the dark robotic toy for Uncle Fred. It is not proper shopping etiquette to push and shove, so let us try to avoid that if at all possible.
Dress comfortably: Shoes are the most important part of your shopping attire! Make them your most comfortable. This is not a fashion show; no one will be looking at our feet. We get grouchy when our feet hurt are too cold or too hot, and when others see or sense our grouchiness, they are uncomfortable. Making others uncomfortable is not using nice manners. Bulky clothes or large handbags slow us down. Streamline them both; you won’t regret it. The people you walk past will appreciate your not hitting them with your cumbrous pocketbook and the store clerks will be relieved not to have to refold the stack of sweaters that landed accidently in a heap on the floor when the winter coat folded over your arm brushed the top of one sweater as you sidestepped by. Perhaps donning a vest would be a better choice than a coat on our shopping days. It is not considered good manners to bang into unsuspecting shoppers with our oversized handbags, nor is it polite to make more work for those people charged with picking up what we cause to be misplaced.
Leave small children at home, please: They will thank you, store clerks will thank you, the rest of the shoppers will thank you, and mostly, you will thank yourself for such a novel and brilliant idea that allowed you to have two hands instead of one, or none, as you shop. If we want to take our children and/or grandchildren to see Santa, let us do all we can to make Santa and the children the main event of the evening, sans shopping. Everyone will be much happier should we choose this approach. When hurried, stressed out parents with bored, overtired, and understandably cranky children cause a disruption in Sears, the parents in creating a lose, lose situation for all and are not displaying good manners.
Avoid parking lot rage: In the days leading up to Christmas there are officially more drivers than parking spots, so good parking manners are essential. If you see a spot about to open up, pull to the side of the aisle and turn on your indicator light. Try your best not to block the entire aisle. Don’t swoop in and steal spots from others who clearly are waiting for a spot. It’s bad manners and bad karma. And unless you want expletive-laden messages left on your vehicle, please don’t ever take up more than one parking spot.
Smile: Remember that the reason you are shopping is to buy gifts for people that you love, and to celebrate friends and family. Regardless of our opinion on the commercialization of the holidays, if we’ve chosen to participate, we must do so with a smile. Saying please and thank you will make shopping days better.
How closely will we match the Christmas Eve in our paintings to the Christmas Eves in our homes this year? If we plan ahead, and take a moment to remember our manners; to say please and thank you, to smile, and to treat others as we wish to be treated, perhaps we can come surprisingly close.
This article can be found at www.fluvannareview.com
It is always better to give than receive. For many people the holidays are very lonely. This holiday giving a gift of your time to the less fortunate is better than any gift you could buy. During this time of year, it is easy to get carried away with everything besides the true spirit of the season. Shopping and parties seem to dominate the holidays, which often leaves little time to think about the less fortunate. Most people I know are blessed and have everything they need, so I am encouraging everyone to share not only tangible presents, but to bring joy and happiness to others through volunteering. Kindness is the language that speaks to all. If we were all to donate just a small amount of our time at local soup kitchens, animal shelters or any place that volunteers are needed we would certainly be moving one step forward to making the world a more kinder place.
By: Tina Hayes
The season is here for holiday gatherings. The ho, ho, ho buzz is in the air and some of you are planning to attend or host a party. While many schools, businesses and social organizations prepare for their Christmas socials, you also must be prepared to exhibit the highest degree of party decorum. Here is some etiquette advice to help you shine.
Be the Perfect Guest
Hosting a Holiday Party
Office Parties
At an office party, you may be inclined to “let down your hair,” or “loosen your belt buckle,” however, be sure to maintain professionalism. Keep in mind, you are attending a company- sponsored event and you never know who is watching. To ensure that your good reputation remains intact, I suggest the following guidelines:
Dress appropriately for the occasion. Choose an outfit that reflects the festive season. Men, it is okay to wear a holiday tie. Ladies, you may finally be able to wear that evening dress; just remember not to reveal too much.
Avoid in-depth discussions about business, especially if clients are in attendance. Here are some conversation suggestions: current events, holiday traditions and travel, sharing of holiday recipes, shows at the theater or holiday concerts. Also, avoid negative discussions and comments about the party and other employees.
Do not drink excessively. It is okay to have nonalcoholic beverages.
Express appreciation to management for hosting the event. In addition, thank the planning committee for coordinating the party.
Whether you are the host, an invited guest, or attending your company’s holiday party, the most important thing that you can do is enjoy the time you spend with others. Don’t attend the gathering just to eat and drink, but mingle, meet new people and engage in the activities. Allow your personality to shine like the Christmas star.
Merry Christmas!
This article was featured in Cuisine Noir Magazine. You can find this article and others written by ASP Graduate Tina Hayes at http://www.cuisinenoirmag.com/etiquette/etiquette-for-holiday-parties
We are so proud of our Graduate Karen Bowles! Karen will have a series of etiquette themed articles published for the Fluvanna Review in Virginia. This article has great advice and we wanted to pass it on to our readers. Hope you enjoy!
You’re in line at the grocery store and the person behind you, while placing their items on the conveyor belt, starts talking out loud. You turn, knowing they must be talking to you given the fact that no one else is around them only to see the Bluetooth device they are wearing on their ear. The first time I saw a man walking into a store with one of these devices I thought for sure he was a member of the Secret Service. We are, indeed, a society “plugged in” at all times.
In our plugged-in, fast-paced world this holiday season, let us not allow cell phones, laptop computers, iPods, iPads, electronic games or any other techno gadgets to get in the way of our being present to the people around us. While our myriad devices are designed to enhance our lives and allow better communication, it seems we sometimes ignore others by focusing on the tool rather than the person. Our use of technology could be part of what causes others to see us as less than polite and lacking in good manners. Technology is not the culprit; rather the problem is how we use our technology that can cause us to come across as rude, and void of important social skills.
Perhaps were we to make and follow some “technology rules,” we would find ourselves able to create the friendly feeling we desire during the holidays and beyond.
Here is a beginning list of rules of proper Tech-Etiquette:
All manners, including Tech-etiquette, are ways of letting other people know that we think they’re important. We convey a warm feeling when we are able to focus on the people we are with, not their or our cell phones. We need only consider the effects of our own behavior on others around us, and we’ll get it right every time.
This article is located at www.fluvannareview.com
I went online to look for an Etiquette School. Peggy’s personal call answered my prayer about what etiquette school to choose. I loved the idea that I would get “one on one” training time with the children. Dolores was so helpful in our class on dining when each trainee had to present in “teaching format,” a portion of how we would instruct our students.
Deb Stephenson, Tennesse
Upon requesting information, Peggy called me immediately; I believe all the business in this arena should do that. I thought I was going to get an e-mail response and certainly not the same day. I was impressed with Peggy and how she ran her business.
Having children come in each day was the bonus that made the class better than I could have imagined when I selected ASP.
Brenda’s table scape design class was incredible. I never thought I could make flower arrangements like we did with Brenda. She planted exciting ideas about how to make the tables beautiful for the children. Cheap, effective, very live and so easy.
Thank you, Brenda.
Gena Homan, Georgia
After speaking to Peggy Newfield, who called me immediately, I knew I had to look no further for a school. I loved watching her teach the children each day. Our 800 page manuals are more information that I could have imagined; literally every detail is done for us to begin our business. Besides the wealth of knowledge, I made friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.
Donna Beethoven, VA
I was “hooked” on Peggy after we spoke on the phone several times. I must say that without the children each day, I would not have felt as prepared because there is so much to learn. It was amazing to see how quickly every child in the class, especially the really young ones, learned. Thank you for bringing our training into your home. There is nothing more “cold” than a hotel or business center and your beautiful home made me feel “at home.”
Elizabeth Loustalot, Arizona
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