30 Dec
Donate Your Used Books to a Soldier in Need
Is your house overrun with books? Send them to military personnel stationed overseas. See www.booksforsoldiers.com. Soldiers post requests and their addresses and you mail packages directly to them. What a great way to declutter your home and help a soldier at the same time!
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month: My personal battle with cervical cancer
Jacqueline Whitmore speaking at the National Cervical Cancer Coalition Convention
My mother always said that a person’s life can change with one phone call or visit to the mail box. As usual, she was right. One early morning in August 2001, I received a call from my gynecologist. She called to tell me that my Pap smear was abnormal and that I had something called adenocarcinoma in situ. In other words, I had the early stages of cervical cancer! Read more
How to Be a Better Conversationalist
By Jorie Scholnik, guest blogger
In school I spent countless hours learning how to read, write and speak, but I was never taught how to listen. Fast forward several years and I find myself in a counseling program where it is essential that I listen to my clients, understand their emotions and avoid giving unsolicited advice. It amazes me how much people just want someone to listen to them in conversation without being interrupted or judged. While you may have the best intentions, I recommend avoiding these conversation blunders. Read more
Top 10 Tips for Happy Holiday Shopping
By Jorie Scholnik, guest blogger
T
he holiday season is my favorite time of year because I love the cold weather, festive decorations, the time I have with my family and the opportunity to give back. However, the one part of the holiday season that always seems to stress me out is going shopping amongst the crowds. It is important to me to find that perfect gift that will make the ones I love smile, but first I have to deal with the parking and then the masses in every store. If you are like me and are hoping to keep your holiday spirits high, follow these shopping tips to ensure that you and everyone else has a pleasant experience. Read more
A Blessing
Today may there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.
Thank-You Note Etiquette Tips
Written by Booth Moore, Los Angeles Times
A handwritten note is the most personal way to say “thank you” during the holidays, whether it’s for a cashmere scarf or a Sunday dinner.
“Writing thank-you notes is an important skill, one that you should teach your children even before they can write,” says Jacqueline Whitmore, a Palm Beach, Fla.-based author and the founder of www.etiquetteexpert.com. “I can’t tell you how many e-mails I get from grandparents who are upset with their grandchildren, or with their children for not teaching their grandchildren to write thank-you notes.”
“You can write the note as a parent and they can sign their name,” she said. A proper note should always mention the gift.
Holiday Office Party Do’s and Don’ts
This interview appeared in Yahoo! HotJobs, December 12, 2009.
If your employer hosts a holiday party this year, it may be more modest than in years past, in light of the economic downturn. “The parties aren’t going to be as big this year — but they will be more intimate,” says International etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore. A smaller setting may put you closer to colleagues, thus magnifying any faux pas.
Use these tips to make sure you don’t do or say the wrong thing in front of the right people.
Don’t…
…bring an uninvited guest.
Smaller parties may mean that spouses and partners are not included in the festivities, even if they have been in years past. Whitmore says, “If you’re not sure if you can bring a guest, you should definitely ask. If it’s not indicated that a guest is invited, be polite and honor that request.” Read more
Jacqueline Whitmore Discusses “How to Give Gifts in the Workplace” on FoxBusiness.com
While it is not necessary to get your boss a gift, there is nothing politically incorrect about choosing to, either. Listen to what I have to say on FoxBusiness.com on the topic of how to give gifts at work.
(Notice how techno-savvy I am as I use my new, handy-dandy Logitech Webcam C905 during this Skype interview!)
Regifting Etiquette: 5 Top Tips To Regift Gracefully
With budgets being tight these days, more people are opting to dig deep inside their closets in search of that perfect gift. So if you’re contemplating what to do with those gifts you neither want nor will ever use, here’s some good news for you. It is perfectly appropriate to re-wrap an unwanted gift and give it to someone else as long as you adhere to the following five guidelines. Read more
Gift Giving Etiquette: The Office Politics of Holiday Gifts
Many thanks to LATimes reporter Alana Semuels for consulting with me on the dos and don’ts of holiday gift giving at work. Here is the article that appeared in her column, “Ask Alana,” on December 6, 2009.
The holiday season is upon us. Time for eggnog, caroling — and worries about what to buy the boss.
Dear Alana: I have been working in an office for a little more than a year now. Last year I did not exchange any gifts with co-workers because I was new. However, now that I have been here over a year, who am I supposed to give a card or gift to? What is appropriate?
Oscar in El Monte Read more