Kindness

a child holding a red heart in her open hands

What would Ted do?

By Arden / March 28, 2024 /

I’m a bit behind on my TV series watching so I’m just finishing the third season of the highly acclaimed Apple TV series, Ted Lasso. From the very first show in season one I was hooked. The series is about an American football coach, Ted Lasso, who is recruited to lead AFC Richmond, a fictional…

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Four tips for being a good host to house guests

By Arden / June 2, 2023 /

In my last newsletter I shared some tips on being a good house guest. A reader suggested I share tips on how to be a good host. She and her husband had a challenging visit at a friend’s house when they were relegated to a “horridly uncomfortable” couch in the office. When they were invited…

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 14 Things You Need to Know About Being A Good Neighbor

By Arden / February 11, 2022 /

Do you know who your neighbors are? According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Americans say they know some of their neighbors. Whether you frequently talk to your upstairs neighbor or you only see your next-door neighbor on occasion, being a good neighbor is important in establishing yourself as part of the neighborhood…

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I thought you should know (insert bad manner here)…

By Arden / January 13, 2020 /

A colleague of mine has a podcast called How Can I Say This where she discusses everyday communication conundrums. Beth Buelow, is the founder of the podcast and owner of ZOPA Consulting, Someone submitted a question to her about how to tell someone they chew with their mouth open, so naturally, as an etiquette expert,…

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How to be more gracious

By Arden / July 28, 2019 /

I’ve been thinking about graciousness lately. A characteristic that I think is so important in our dealings with others – whether it’s coworkers, friends or family. Being gracious was not something I was taught growing up. My dad role modeled some aspects of graciousness but it wasn’t until I became an adult that I started…

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How to help an ailing friend

By Arden / July 10, 2019 /

A lot of people in my life, including me, have had surgeries lately requiring assistance with daily tasks. When you have to use a walker or crutches, can’t be weight bearing or move your arm, it makes doing routine tasks challenging – things like shopping, cooking, bathing, dressing, cleaning, etc.

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How to get along with others

By Arden / February 1, 2019 /

People can be frustrating, annoying, difficult – you name the emotion – basically not easy to get along with. Or can they? In our little worlds, as in our minds, when it comes to relationships with others it’s easy to think that we do things the right way and that others are wrong – whether…

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Gratitude Unwrapped

By Arden / November 30, 2018 /

Tis the season to focus on our gratitude. I always love taking turns  at Thanksgiving to share what we are grateful for. While I usually say the same things, it’s a good reminder of all the blessings I have in my life and what really matters.

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Is chivalry still relevant today?

By Arden / September 28, 2018 /

I’m often asked in my presentations if chivalrous acts are still appropriate for men today, such as standing when a woman walks into a room or allowing her to get on the elevator first. Older men especially seem concerned about this question since they were raised in an era when chivalry was expected and the…

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A Professional Organizer’s Guide to Writing More Thank You Notes

By Arden / September 3, 2018 /

This is a guest post by Denise Allan, Founder of Simplify Experts. I am a big fan of appreciation and thanking someone warmly for a gift or a kind act. I love receiving handwritten thank you notes (I don’t knock email notes either) because it means someone took the time to let me know they…

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