One of the common problems that I see many of my clients dealing with is keeping the house clean, fresh and organized when they have cats or dogs. Sometimes, dogs or cats will start going in the house in a particular area. Here are some helpful tips to help manage this stressful problem:
1) For cats, make sure that the litter box is clean. If you do not keep the litter box clean, cats will not use it. Make sure you scoop the box out daily and change the litter as needed. I suggest once per week.
2) If for some reason, your cat or dog has started to urinate or do any of his or her business in a particular spot in the house, this is the result of the enzymes that he or she can smell in that area. It automatically draws them back to that spot to do their business. What you need to do is eliminate the smell from previous offenses from that spot. One of the home remedies for this is white vinegar. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water, and then soak the area in vinegar for 20 minutes or more.
3) You can also use the spray that is sold called "Urine Off." You should be able to find it in pet stores, such as Pet Smart or Petco. You may even be able to find it in Home Depot or the local supermarket.
4) For cats you can also try placing the litter box over that spot or area, in addition to the recommendation in number 2 above.
5) Take your dog out three times per day...at least 4 or 5 hours apart.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
Maintaining an organized home when you have children
So often, moms hire me to organize the rooms of their little ones, pre-teens and even teenagers who are in high school. What I've found is that, most of those households have tons of tools and systems for staying organized. But what they do not have is structures...structures in place for their children to participate in the upkeep. They'll have bins, book shelves, totes, nifty baskets, and many other devices that are so great for keeping the house organized. And no matter how much of these tools and devices they have, they find that they aren't making a difference. In these cases, I coach my clients to find ways to enroll their children in keeping their areas of the house tidy.
Here I am including some of the ideas that I pass along to my clients who are challenged by their children's belongings taking over the house or causing disarray:
1) Find something that your kids love to do, and negotiate. For example, if they love watching a particular show at 7, set up a time...maybe 6 - 6:30 in the evening three eves per week, before the show airs, to oversee them as they pick up their toys, put things away, and restore the order in designated areas of the house. Make this a requirement if they want to watch their show at 7.
2) One of the most common issues with number one above, that I hear from parents is: "but what if I don't remember to do this?" My answer to that is to put this activity into your phone/calendar, so that an alarm goes off and you are reminded when it's time to do it...and respect your alarm - don't put it off until later. This is an example of what I am referring to when I use the word structures.
3) Create a game or contest! I have a client who has twin boys who are challenged with making their beds everyday. I coached her to created a game where, if both of the boys make their beds every morning, Monday through Friday, at the end of the week they would be rewarded (maybe an extra 1/2 hour of play or TV time; or maybe a trip out for ice cream on Friday evening after dinner).
4) Don't allow the kids' toys, books and etc to take over the house. Instead, have designated areas (in their room, in the family room, etc). Also, make collecting these items from around the rest of the house, and putting them away in the designated areas part of the clean up time that you schedule.
5) Be an example! If your rule is that everyone washes their own dish after use, then wash yours too. If the rule is for everyone to make their bed when they fall out of it in the morning, then make yours too!
If you start your children off with these practices, and they develop a muscle at using them, it will stay with them in their
teenage years and beyond. The younger your children are when you start, the better, but it's never too late.
Here I am including some of the ideas that I pass along to my clients who are challenged by their children's belongings taking over the house or causing disarray:
1) Find something that your kids love to do, and negotiate. For example, if they love watching a particular show at 7, set up a time...maybe 6 - 6:30 in the evening three eves per week, before the show airs, to oversee them as they pick up their toys, put things away, and restore the order in designated areas of the house. Make this a requirement if they want to watch their show at 7.
2) One of the most common issues with number one above, that I hear from parents is: "but what if I don't remember to do this?" My answer to that is to put this activity into your phone/calendar, so that an alarm goes off and you are reminded when it's time to do it...and respect your alarm - don't put it off until later. This is an example of what I am referring to when I use the word structures.
3) Create a game or contest! I have a client who has twin boys who are challenged with making their beds everyday. I coached her to created a game where, if both of the boys make their beds every morning, Monday through Friday, at the end of the week they would be rewarded (maybe an extra 1/2 hour of play or TV time; or maybe a trip out for ice cream on Friday evening after dinner).
4) Don't allow the kids' toys, books and etc to take over the house. Instead, have designated areas (in their room, in the family room, etc). Also, make collecting these items from around the rest of the house, and putting them away in the designated areas part of the clean up time that you schedule.
5) Be an example! If your rule is that everyone washes their own dish after use, then wash yours too. If the rule is for everyone to make their bed when they fall out of it in the morning, then make yours too!
If you start your children off with these practices, and they develop a muscle at using them, it will stay with them in their
teenage years and beyond. The younger your children are when you start, the better, but it's never too late.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Dealing with Appointment Cancellations
As we get on with our day, things don't always turn out as planned. Sometimes, we have our entire day laid out perfectly, and one or more of the people we plan to meet with call to cancel. Typically, my first response to this is thinking that this time slot or part of the day is shot, and of how I could have booked someone else in that window. Immediately after this thought runs through my mind, I began to look at how I can make the best use of this time. Below, I am sharing some of those ideas with you:
1) Offer to meet via Skype, phone or web.
2) Keep a running "to-do" list of things that aren't urgent, that is separate from your daily to-do list. When you have a cancellation, pull out that list and take on completing one or two of the items on it.
3) Catch up on social media! If you have a blog, create a post; check up and respond to mail on your Linked In account; or update or post to your Facebook page.
4) Make some sales calls. I keep a list with me at all times of current clients, as well as referrals. I have booked some appointments that have really paid off, by sitting in my car making calls for a 1/2 hour after someone cancelled their meeting with me.
5) If you are a consultant like me, a good way to minimize client cancellations is to incorporate a cancellation fee into your client agreement. Mine is only a fraction of what my charge would have been for the visit, but it still causes people to think twice about cancelling.
6) Pick up your dry cleaning, shoes from the shoemaker, or those few items on your shopping list that you've been meaning to grab.
7) Visit the local cafe (Panera Bread or Starbucks are my favorites) and read and respond to email...for me, I always have plenty of emails to read and many that require responses.
8) Check your voicemail and respond to messages.
This list is a little short, but it has certainly helped me to maintain my productivity when someone cancelled on me at the last minute. I hope you find it useful!!
1) Offer to meet via Skype, phone or web.
2) Keep a running "to-do" list of things that aren't urgent, that is separate from your daily to-do list. When you have a cancellation, pull out that list and take on completing one or two of the items on it.
3) Catch up on social media! If you have a blog, create a post; check up and respond to mail on your Linked In account; or update or post to your Facebook page.
5) If you are a consultant like me, a good way to minimize client cancellations is to incorporate a cancellation fee into your client agreement. Mine is only a fraction of what my charge would have been for the visit, but it still causes people to think twice about cancelling.
6) Pick up your dry cleaning, shoes from the shoemaker, or those few items on your shopping list that you've been meaning to grab.
7) Visit the local cafe (Panera Bread or Starbucks are my favorites) and read and respond to email...for me, I always have plenty of emails to read and many that require responses.
8) Check your voicemail and respond to messages.
This list is a little short, but it has certainly helped me to maintain my productivity when someone cancelled on me at the last minute. I hope you find it useful!!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Document Management 101 - Organizing Your Documents
Documents to keep permanently:
- Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
- Divorce, Citizenship, Adoption and Custody documents
- Social Security Cards
- Military Documents
- Medical History
- Appraisals (i.e. on jewelry, artwork, and other collectibles)
- Real estate documents and corresponding insurance policies and claim info
- Tax Returns
- Wills and Advanced Directives (Power of Attorney, Living Will)
Determining how long to keep other documents:
- Once your year-end financial statements come in, you can chuck your monthly statements
- Utility bills need not be kept for more than 6 months; anything older than that can be accessed online
- I keep my credit card statements for 6 months in case I have to dispute anything or have a problem with merchandise purchased with a credit card. Generally, items purchased with a credit card are covered for replacement under certain conditions.
Travel Documents:
- When traveling internationally, email your documents to yourself before leaving for your trip. Be sure to send them to an email address that you can access from any computer. Include scanned copies of your passport, airline tickets, drivers license and if applicable, your visa.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Managing Your Time Effectively
We
all wear many different hats, and struggle from time to time with
coming up with the best way to manage all of our priorities...between
home, work, family, leisure time...how do we balance it all?
Here are a few tips to not only help you get through the day, but to
help you get the most out of your day, and be more productive. These
tips can be applied both at home and at the office.
- When you start your day, write up a list of all that you'd like to accomplish for that day. Identify the priorities on the list and be prepared to shift things around, even moving some of the items to the following day if necessary. One thing I've learned is that its nearly impossible to stick to such a list exactly as it is written, or as you have planned it. I've found that I am far more productive when I remain flexible enough to deviate from the list in order to put out fires and/or handle emergencies, returning to the list once the emergency situation is under control.
- Don't be afraid to delegate when you need to. Many times, we are hesitant to ask for help and feel like we must do everything ourselves. One of the true characteristics of effective time management is knowing when and how to delegate tasks to those who are available and willing to assist you.
- I always recommend to my clients that they keep one calendar. Having more than one calendar leaves plenty of room for error - there's always the possibility that you might forget to update one of them and double book..or even worse..forget about an engagement because its not on the calendar you checked that day.
- Lastly, use your time wisely....even small intervals of time. This one is my favorites. Sometimes I'm amazed at how many things I have accomplished before arriving at the office in the morning. For example: in my area, Sams Club opens to business members at 7:30am, I often run in there at 8am to pick up a few items before going to my office in the morning. It is almost empty in there at that time, absolutely no crowds or long lines. Additionally, I often run out for lunch a little later in the day when most other people have already taken their lunch. This way I can handle errands like running to the bank or post office, and the lines aren't as long as they are around noon when everyone else takes lunch.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Organizing a Move
One of the biggest undertakings in life is managing a move. There's researching neighborhoods and school systems, figuring out what's important to you in a community, deciding on what to take..what not to take...what needs to be replaced, and then there's packing. Over the years I have provided move-related services to several people, and wanted to share some valuable tips to help move those of you with this project at hand through to the other side.
Whether your move is work-related, for family reasons, or for a change in climate, you may have already chosen your new community. But in case you haven't, the following is a great site to do some research on different communities. The site provides demographics on the neighborhood such as the average family income, demographic make up of the town, school ratings and more: http://www.moving.com/real-estate/city-profile/index.asp.
If you are using a mover, be sure to conduct a thorough comparison of moving companies before you choose one. Also, once you select one, make sure you read the fine print in the agreements and other paperwork.
The area in which I can be most helpful is providing advice regarding packing for the move. Packing can be an overwhelming task, but you want to be sure that you do as much as you can on the front end, so that you have less to do when you land in your new home. Here is a quick guide to help you with this task:
- You may have to purchase larger boxes, in which case I recommend a visit to Walmart. Their boxes are much cheaper than the boxes sold at moving companies, storage facilities and truck rental companies.
- For smaller boxes, visit your local supermarkets and liquor stores. In my experience, the people working in these stores have been very willing and helpful, letting me know what time to come gather boxes before they are put into the incinerator (sometimes its early in the morning or late at night). The liquor store boxes are particularly good for glass items like drinking glasses, etc, because they are compartmentalized from the wine bottles being shipped in them. The supermarket boxes are great for books because they are smaller and books are heavy. You would not want to pack a large box full of books unless you are a body builder, in which case it would still be very awkward to carry :)
- When you begin your strategy for packing, think categories, but also work to pack a room at a time. For example: when you pack your bedroom, you want to pack in categories like toiletries, shoes, small clothing (underwear, scarves, hats), etc.
- Be sure to label every box with not only what it contains, but also what room it belongs in.
- Make sure you have enough insulation for your dishes, wine glasses, etc. You can buy bubble wrap very reasonably at Walmart as well, but you also want to use resources around your home to minimize the cost, i.e. small plastic grocery store bags, newspaper, even paper bags and gift/tissue paper.
- In the kitchen you want to pack all the dry goods and seasonings together, and if you have any coolers, use them for the items in your refrigerator and freezer. Of course you'd want to pack these at the very last minute.
- Also, you absolutely want to keep all cords that are detached, with the appliance that they go with, i.e. printers, cordless phones, etc. You can tape those cords to their corresponding appliance so that you are not searching for them when you get to your new living space.
For the most part, if you work your way from room to room, remembering to pack like items together, and keeping the items in each room together for the most part, and labeling every box, you should be in pretty good shape when you arrive at your destination.
And if you simply cannot manage packing, or just choose not to, you can always hire a service to do it for you. My customers can't share enough about the difference we've made for them in their moving process.
Lastly, when you get to your new home, unpack one room or half of a room at a time. Don't try to do it all at once.
Hopefully, these tips will help make your moving process a little less stressful.
Whether your move is work-related, for family reasons, or for a change in climate, you may have already chosen your new community. But in case you haven't, the following is a great site to do some research on different communities. The site provides demographics on the neighborhood such as the average family income, demographic make up of the town, school ratings and more: http://www.moving.com/real-estate/city-profile/index.asp.
If you are using a mover, be sure to conduct a thorough comparison of moving companies before you choose one. Also, once you select one, make sure you read the fine print in the agreements and other paperwork.
The area in which I can be most helpful is providing advice regarding packing for the move. Packing can be an overwhelming task, but you want to be sure that you do as much as you can on the front end, so that you have less to do when you land in your new home. Here is a quick guide to help you with this task:
- You may have to purchase larger boxes, in which case I recommend a visit to Walmart. Their boxes are much cheaper than the boxes sold at moving companies, storage facilities and truck rental companies.
- For smaller boxes, visit your local supermarkets and liquor stores. In my experience, the people working in these stores have been very willing and helpful, letting me know what time to come gather boxes before they are put into the incinerator (sometimes its early in the morning or late at night). The liquor store boxes are particularly good for glass items like drinking glasses, etc, because they are compartmentalized from the wine bottles being shipped in them. The supermarket boxes are great for books because they are smaller and books are heavy. You would not want to pack a large box full of books unless you are a body builder, in which case it would still be very awkward to carry :)
- When you begin your strategy for packing, think categories, but also work to pack a room at a time. For example: when you pack your bedroom, you want to pack in categories like toiletries, shoes, small clothing (underwear, scarves, hats), etc.
- Be sure to label every box with not only what it contains, but also what room it belongs in.
- Make sure you have enough insulation for your dishes, wine glasses, etc. You can buy bubble wrap very reasonably at Walmart as well, but you also want to use resources around your home to minimize the cost, i.e. small plastic grocery store bags, newspaper, even paper bags and gift/tissue paper.
- In the kitchen you want to pack all the dry goods and seasonings together, and if you have any coolers, use them for the items in your refrigerator and freezer. Of course you'd want to pack these at the very last minute.
- Also, you absolutely want to keep all cords that are detached, with the appliance that they go with, i.e. printers, cordless phones, etc. You can tape those cords to their corresponding appliance so that you are not searching for them when you get to your new living space.
For the most part, if you work your way from room to room, remembering to pack like items together, and keeping the items in each room together for the most part, and labeling every box, you should be in pretty good shape when you arrive at your destination.
And if you simply cannot manage packing, or just choose not to, you can always hire a service to do it for you. My customers can't share enough about the difference we've made for them in their moving process.
Lastly, when you get to your new home, unpack one room or half of a room at a time. Don't try to do it all at once.
Hopefully, these tips will help make your moving process a little less stressful.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Recommendations for Beach Vacations in 2014
One of my favorite things to do is to travel, so I thought I'd post some suggestions for this year based on my past travel experiences. I also want to include some tips for the different destinations I've been to.
SAINT LUCIA: I'll start with my absolute favorite! While traveling is one of my passions, I normal do not like to visit the same place twice. I feel like it's a waste of travel resources...just my personal opinion. There's so much to see, I just like to take the opportunity to venture out to see places that I've not seen before. Even though I normally don't visit a place twice, I did visit Saint Lucia twice. What a beautiful Island. My recommendation for accommodations is the beautiful Bay Gardens Resort Bay Gardens Resort. It's located in Rodney Bay, right in the Tourist Village. The resort is right on the beach, and you could literally walk to shopping, restaurants, night life, and just about anything else you might be looking for. They even have a yoga studio there and quite a few salons for various beauty treatments. I remember having my locks washed while I was there at a nearby salon.
ACAPULCO, MEXICO: Another one of my favorites, and I have many, is Acapulco, Mexico. While I was in Acapulco, there was an earthquake that measured at 6.9 on the rector scale, and my cousin and I came out unscathed! We stayed in the Fairmont Acapulco Princess.
This hotel/resort includes two towers that I'm pretty sure I heard were modeled after the pyramids in Mexico City. One word of caution, this resort did not have coffee makers in the rooms :) You had to actually go downstairs to the "cafe" to get coffee in the morning, or have some at the breakfast buffet.
If you play golf, there's actually a golf course directly across the street/road from the resort. Also want to point out that these twin towers are built to withstand an earthquake of up to 9.0.
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: If you are one of those people who could do without all of the hustle and bustle while on a vacation, and you'd rather relax and do things that are easily accessible, you would love Bahia Principe Resorts.
This resort is an all inclusive resort that is like it's own magnificent
city! There was a train-style trolly car that you could take around
the premises because the grounds were so huge. I had a couple of spa treatments that were excellent - they had more than one spa on the premises. There's also more than one gym on the grounds, and about 5 or 6 different pools. There was a choice of about 10+ different restaurants, and most of them were included in the all inclusive package.
You could make reservations at a different one each night. And if you didn't feel like having dinner at a restaurant (there was a dress code at most of them), then there were round the clock buffets in several different locations. In spite of my efforts not to gain any weight on the 5 day vacation I took to this destination (I worked out every single day first thing in the morning), I still gained 5 pounds. I was pretty good with food and portions, but I think it was all the drinks :)
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: OK, when I visited Santo Domingo, I did so on a shoe string budget. So the experience was a little different than when I went to Punta Cana. Here, I stayed in a small resort in the inner city called the Acuarium Resort , but it wasn't a bad experience. We actually stayed in a condo with a full kitchen, etc. and the supermarket was right down the road.
Even though this resort is not right on the beach, they provided a daily shuttle free of charge that would take guests to Boca Chica, the local beach at about 10am, and then come back and pick them up for the return trip at about 5pm. At this resort, you want to be careful walking around the area, and be sure to take taxis if you have to go to the supermarket or anywhere else. Also, directly across the street was a house where the prostitutes worked, but we had already done our research in advance and we knew about that. I traveled with other adults so it wasn't really an issue, as long as we knew to stay away lol. There were really no disruptions or problems during our stay, and many others on Tripadvisor had reviewed it saying the same thing. However, if you are traveling with children, this is probably not a good choice.
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS: This was another trip on a shoe string budget, but it was a nice, relaxing trip. I stayed in a small hotel called the Ports of Call Resort , but it actually used to be a Comfort Suites and was under the Choice Privileges Rewards Program. Since I traveled there, they have now become independent and are no longer associated with the program.
This hotel, though not directly on the beach, is literally a 5 minute walk away from the beach, and they have the rights to beach access for their guests. Something really great you want to keep in mind, they have a gourmet market right across the street that is very similar to a Whole Foods. They even sell wine at this market....some good wines!!
At the time I stayed there I had recently started my journey of eating well and working out so that market was a Godsend. Also, there's a gym, The Athletic Club where you can purchase a day pass to do yoga, work out and enjoy all kinds of other classes and activities for the day.
So these are just a few of my favorite destinations, but I have many more in my travel portfolio...Freeport, Bahamas...Montego Bay, Jamaica....Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Please feel free to post comments or ask any questions that you may have about any of these destinations I've posted.
SAINT LUCIA: I'll start with my absolute favorite! While traveling is one of my passions, I normal do not like to visit the same place twice. I feel like it's a waste of travel resources...just my personal opinion. There's so much to see, I just like to take the opportunity to venture out to see places that I've not seen before. Even though I normally don't visit a place twice, I did visit Saint Lucia twice. What a beautiful Island. My recommendation for accommodations is the beautiful Bay Gardens Resort Bay Gardens Resort. It's located in Rodney Bay, right in the Tourist Village. The resort is right on the beach, and you could literally walk to shopping, restaurants, night life, and just about anything else you might be looking for. They even have a yoga studio there and quite a few salons for various beauty treatments. I remember having my locks washed while I was there at a nearby salon.
ACAPULCO, MEXICO: Another one of my favorites, and I have many, is Acapulco, Mexico. While I was in Acapulco, there was an earthquake that measured at 6.9 on the rector scale, and my cousin and I came out unscathed! We stayed in the Fairmont Acapulco Princess.
This hotel/resort includes two towers that I'm pretty sure I heard were modeled after the pyramids in Mexico City. One word of caution, this resort did not have coffee makers in the rooms :) You had to actually go downstairs to the "cafe" to get coffee in the morning, or have some at the breakfast buffet.
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: If you are one of those people who could do without all of the hustle and bustle while on a vacation, and you'd rather relax and do things that are easily accessible, you would love Bahia Principe Resorts.
This resort is an all inclusive resort that is like it's own magnificent
city! There was a train-style trolly car that you could take around
the premises because the grounds were so huge. I had a couple of spa treatments that were excellent - they had more than one spa on the premises. There's also more than one gym on the grounds, and about 5 or 6 different pools. There was a choice of about 10+ different restaurants, and most of them were included in the all inclusive package.You could make reservations at a different one each night. And if you didn't feel like having dinner at a restaurant (there was a dress code at most of them), then there were round the clock buffets in several different locations. In spite of my efforts not to gain any weight on the 5 day vacation I took to this destination (I worked out every single day first thing in the morning), I still gained 5 pounds. I was pretty good with food and portions, but I think it was all the drinks :)
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: OK, when I visited Santo Domingo, I did so on a shoe string budget. So the experience was a little different than when I went to Punta Cana. Here, I stayed in a small resort in the inner city called the Acuarium Resort , but it wasn't a bad experience. We actually stayed in a condo with a full kitchen, etc. and the supermarket was right down the road.
Even though this resort is not right on the beach, they provided a daily shuttle free of charge that would take guests to Boca Chica, the local beach at about 10am, and then come back and pick them up for the return trip at about 5pm. At this resort, you want to be careful walking around the area, and be sure to take taxis if you have to go to the supermarket or anywhere else. Also, directly across the street was a house where the prostitutes worked, but we had already done our research in advance and we knew about that. I traveled with other adults so it wasn't really an issue, as long as we knew to stay away lol. There were really no disruptions or problems during our stay, and many others on Tripadvisor had reviewed it saying the same thing. However, if you are traveling with children, this is probably not a good choice.
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS: This was another trip on a shoe string budget, but it was a nice, relaxing trip. I stayed in a small hotel called the Ports of Call Resort , but it actually used to be a Comfort Suites and was under the Choice Privileges Rewards Program. Since I traveled there, they have now become independent and are no longer associated with the program.
This hotel, though not directly on the beach, is literally a 5 minute walk away from the beach, and they have the rights to beach access for their guests. Something really great you want to keep in mind, they have a gourmet market right across the street that is very similar to a Whole Foods. They even sell wine at this market....some good wines!!
At the time I stayed there I had recently started my journey of eating well and working out so that market was a Godsend. Also, there's a gym, The Athletic Club where you can purchase a day pass to do yoga, work out and enjoy all kinds of other classes and activities for the day.
So these are just a few of my favorite destinations, but I have many more in my travel portfolio...Freeport, Bahamas...Montego Bay, Jamaica....Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Please feel free to post comments or ask any questions that you may have about any of these destinations I've posted.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Setting the Table for Your Dining Experience
Often
times, when I'm planning dinner parties, I am asked about how the table
should be set for a semi-formal dinner. So this blog is
dedicated to setting the table.
Here's how to set the table for a semi-formal event, and I'm saying semi-formal because this post will not include certain peices, such as the fruit fork, the fish knife, or the champagne and sherry glasses:
Note: The attached photo inclcudes a few additional items that I have not used in this posting.
Folding the Napkin:
Goblet Fan (to be placed inside the wine goblet): Fold napkin in half. Pleat napkin from top to bottom. Fold the napkin back 1/3 of the way on right (folded) end and place into goblet. Spread the pleats out at the top.
Basic Napkin Ring (to be placed on the dinner plate: Lay the napkin flat on the table and pick it up at its center. Once you are holding the napkin at the center point, allow all points to fall into place naturally. Insert the tip of the napkin into a ring and adjust if necessary. Lay the napkin on a dinner plate.
A note about wine glasses
On ocassion, a client may ask me about the difference between a red wine glass and a white wine glass.
The white wine glass has a smaller opening (and has a longer slimmer look) because white wine is served chilled. The smaller opening is designed to keep the wine cool.
The red wine glass is round and full with a large opening, allowing the wine to breathe, in order to create a fuller taste.
I hope this post inspires you to start planning your next dinner party. Eat, drink, and be happy (-:
Here's how to set the table for a semi-formal event, and I'm saying semi-formal because this post will not include certain peices, such as the fruit fork, the fish knife, or the champagne and sherry glasses:
- The dinner plate (sometimes referred to as the service plate) should be placed directly in front of the guest
- The soup bowl is placed on top of the dinner plate
- The bread and butter plate is placed at the 10:00 position
- The butter knife is placed on top of the bread and butter plate, slightly diagnal at the 11:00 position
- The water glass should be located at the 1:00 position
- The wine goblet should be just below and to the right of the water glass
- The dessert fork is placed above the dinner plate in the horizontal position
- The dessert spoon is placed above the dessert fork in the opposite direction
- The dinner knife belongs to the right of the dinner plate, with the cutting edge toward the dinner plate
- The soup spoon belongs to the right of the dinner knife
- If serving shellfish, the oyster fork belongs to the right of the soup spoon
- The dinner fork is placed to the left of the dinner plate, and the salad fork to the left of the dinner fork
- The napkins should be ironed to ensure that there are no wrinkles in them, folded (see instructions below on how to fold), and placed inside the wine glass or on the dinner plate using a napkin ring.
Note: The attached photo inclcudes a few additional items that I have not used in this posting.
Folding the Napkin:
Goblet Fan (to be placed inside the wine goblet): Fold napkin in half. Pleat napkin from top to bottom. Fold the napkin back 1/3 of the way on right (folded) end and place into goblet. Spread the pleats out at the top.
Basic Napkin Ring (to be placed on the dinner plate: Lay the napkin flat on the table and pick it up at its center. Once you are holding the napkin at the center point, allow all points to fall into place naturally. Insert the tip of the napkin into a ring and adjust if necessary. Lay the napkin on a dinner plate.
A note about wine glasses
On ocassion, a client may ask me about the difference between a red wine glass and a white wine glass.
The white wine glass has a smaller opening (and has a longer slimmer look) because white wine is served chilled. The smaller opening is designed to keep the wine cool.
The red wine glass is round and full with a large opening, allowing the wine to breathe, in order to create a fuller taste.
I hope this post inspires you to start planning your next dinner party. Eat, drink, and be happy (-:
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