10 Soft Skills to Refine to Achieve More Personal                        and Professional Success this Year   Much of what it takes to be successful in social settings is valuable in business as well. Impeccable manners and the ability to move →

          Top 10 Etiquette Dos for a More Civilized City Experience                     “Fine manners need the support of fine manners in others.”                                                  →

The Art of the Holiday Meal   It’s that special time of the year when we gather around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family and friends. Using our best table manners and polished social skills will ensure that we will make a good impression and that it will be an enjoyable and pleasant →

Polished and Proper for Fall 10 Tips to Help You Polish Your Personal Brand   Be open and confident.When it comes to making the first impression, body language, as well as appearance, speaks louder than words. Make an entrance! Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, smile, make eye contact, →

By Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick Some of my fondest memories of summers past include having houseguests. Perhaps it is because my friends have lovely manners, and my husband and I enjoy making their stays memorable. I do know, however, this is not the experience many have had, or remember about having houseguests, which is why I thought it necessary →

By: Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick  “In a shrinking world with ever increasing competition, Americans are finding they need to know more about other cultures to survive both at home and abroad.”                                                                           - Brooks Peterson, author of ”Cultural Intelligence.”                           By now it should be evident that no nation on earth can thrive in the twenty-first century without being →

By Patricia Napier-Fitpzatrick  How to Be a Polished Host Do dress for the occasion. Just because you are entertaining your friends and colleagues  in your home, doesn’t mean you don’t have to change your shirt or put on a fresh pair of shorts or slacks. Let your guests know what the attire will be for →

By: Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick  The greatest danger for most of us lies not is setting our aim too high and falling short; but is setting our aim too low, and reaching it. – Michelangelo 1. Know the proper protocol for making introductions, and introducing yourself. 2. Shake hands with a firm grip, direct eye contact, and good →

By Ryder S. Ziebarth It’s late spring, and as a lifelong gardener, and currently, the first vice-president and chairman of the Garden History and Design Committee of the Garden Club of Somerset Hills, this time of year, full of beautiful blooms, brings both delight and dread.  From  mid-May to mid-June, when my peonies bowl me →

By: Jennifer Roach  While dining etiquette is often discussed and dissected, restaurant-specific tips are not quite as commonplace, despite the frequency with which business and social entertaining takes place in our society. Rarer still are guides specifically aimed at the service professionals who make up half of this staff/patron arrangement. Here are ten tips each →