Ms. Demeanor's Modern Manners

New topics are coming soon! ~ How to 'break up' with a friend without creating an enemy. ~When is it time to get the kids (and husband) doing chores. ~Ways to help organize your life so you don't miss anything (unless you want to). ~Staying out of your friends marriage; How to not run her life. ~When you should apologize and when you should bite your tongue and move on. ~Pets! ~Teaching kids some table manners: What works and what doesn't. ~When good kids are bad sports: Parents behaving badly. ~Online Friend Etiquette (because etiquette should even extend to Facebook) ~Texting, Messaging and Phone Calls ....and much more!

FLAME WAR A flame war is a heated argument between two individuals, that results in those involved posting personal attacks on each other during, or instead of, debating the topic at hand. Most forums have rules that forbid flaming. This is because the quality of conversation on a forum can be seriously degraded by a flame war. Topics can be "hijacked" by two people who would rather flame each other rather than discuss the subject of the thread. Some websites encourage flaming for the purpose of entertainment. First of all, if you do take the trollbait and become embroiled in a flame war, realize that you have already lost. A practiced and e-rep'd troll will push all buttons, all the time, and if you hit the post button in anger you have already lost. Just accept it and take the ridicule. Second, if you cannot rise above the trollbait, at least exhibit decent spelling and grammar. For instance, when stating one's sexual preference, instead of “U R A FAG” ** simply su

Many women dream of an elegant, traditional, white wedding. Many of those "many" start planning at the age of 12 and begin by slapping together a wedding binder filled with lace, China patterns, pictures of wedding dresses, menus, fonts, invitation paper and who knows what else! Realistically , how many of those women actually get to have that fantasy wedding? For most Average Janes, a fantasy wedding just isn't feasible. A large number of variables come into play when planning a wedding and help to determine what type of wedding will be had, or, if any wedding will be had at all. The biggest crusher of wedding dreams is the big "B". The BUDGET . We won't get into premarital reproduction which forces you to put half of your wedding budget into the planning of a nursery... oh, you get the idea ! Shite happens! So you may have to cut corners! All in all, planning a wedding is a lot of work , a lot of time and a lot of money . Let's say you realize that yo

I am a Thank You note writer. I love stationary and hand-written notes . I love sending Thank Yous, and I love getting them in the mail. Okay, truthfully, I love getting any kind of personal mail but Thank Yous are especially nice. It's nice to know that your gestures/actions are appreciated. Everyone likes getting a piece of mail that puts a smile on their face and I personally, have yet to frown while reading a Thank You so, I continue to send them to others whenever I get a chance. That being said, many people have asked me over the years why I continue an antiquated tradition such as hand-written notes when there's email, e-cards and whatnot hovering out there in the webisphere . These electronic ways of communicating in a world full of people too busy for personal correspondence is a blessing in many cases but it's taken the "person" out of it all. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is; don't stop using email, etc. to say hello or even t

I think by this point we've all read or seen how Martha Stewart and her minions think we should treat guests. With her homemade shampoos and monogrammed robes, she's a an inspiration to us all...to a point. A house guest should feel welcome and should never be made to feel as though their visit has caused any undue work on your part...so skip the monogrammed robe and, only make the shampoo if you were making some for yourself anyway. Having guests doesn't have to be stressful; I have a few simple tips to help things run smoothly for you...and for them. Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it. ~Clean your house thoroughly at least a week before your guests arrive. This way you'll have plenty of time to do all the heavy duty cleaning and not feel like a deadline is looming over you. Also, it makes quick wipe-downs and any other last minute tidying easier to do. Keeping up with this stuff will also give you more time to hang out and hav

Welcome to Ms. Demeanor's Modern Manners. What is it? A blog for those who need it. A laid-back and modern twist on common courtesy, manners and getting through the obligatory social bologna that life serves up. Consider it finishing for those of us that are a bit rough around the edges, ourselves included. Yours Truly, Miss Informative