Last week, New York joined five other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing same-sex marriages. Wedding planners, take note: As early as July, same-sex couples may begin marrying in the Empire State. Finally! This is terrific news—and gives us a whole new set of wedding etiquette questions to ask (and answer). In many ways, the next same-sex wedding […]
more about: relationships
Who Should Pay When Friends Go Out Together?
Sometimes at a restaurant, you end up doing “the bill dance.” The check comes, and three friends reach for it in synchronized motion, and then the argument starts: You got it last time, hand it over. No, my turn. No, it’s mine, because you threw that Taco Tuesday party for me six months ago and bought all that tequila! This […]
What’s The Most Annoying Sound Ever?
I love, love, love it when scientific research confirms what I already know. In this case, researchers at SUNY-New Paltz have determined that yes, the sound of a child whining is The. Most. Horrible. Sound. Ever. In the experiment, reported in the Journal of Social, Evolutionary and Cultural Psychology, participants had to endure various sounds (an infant crying, a table […]
Readers Suggest a Few Etiquette Rules to Break
Last week, I started a list of outdated etiquette rules I am ready to say goodbye to. This week it’s your turn. Readers agreed with a few of my suggestions, found others to be controversial (OK, OK, I get it, you’re not ready to give up handwritten thank you notes) and chimed in on Real Simple’s Facebook page with more […]
Modern Etiquette Means Saying Goodbye to Some Old Rules
There was a time when good manners meant following specific rules. Lots of stern and formal guidebooks described the “proper” way to behave in any imaginable social situation. Where to put the salad fork when you set the table. How to address a wedding invitation to married guests with different surnames. When it is permissible to have a baby shower […]
Why You—Yes, You—Should Be Writing a Blog for RealSimple.com
When I was in second grade, I received a report card that my mother will apparently never forget. It wasn’t the grades that were memorable; it was the teacher’s comments. “Has trouble waiting her turn,” “calls out the answer,” “interrupts others”—you get the picture. It was, in short, all about me, me, me. I blame genetics: My father calls out the answer, and so on. So do two of my sons. There is a well-intentioned but decidedly obnoxious show-offy streak that runs through my whole family.
Stop Flirting with my Husband, Hussy! (as Betty Draper Might Say)
The reader’s dilemma this week makes me feel as if I am watching an episode of Mad Men….from Season 1, before the characters heard about Betty Friedan or that new-fangled idea called feminism. A reader named Elizabethmg wrote:
Is it appropriate for a single woman (divorced) to spend the entire evening at a party (where she knows almost everyone there and could have easily mingled with others to have conversations) with one married man whose wife was also at the party? She followed the man around—where ever he stood/sat—and engaged him in a conversation. Before the married couple left the party, the wife confronted the single woman and let her know she was out of line with her behavior.
Elizabethmg asked: Who was out of line here?
You Asked: In Flu Season, Should I Eat My Neighbor’s Food?
A reader named mimatz wrote to describe a quandary: “After a stay in the hospital, a neighbor dropped off dinner. They recently had a bout of flu in their household. I’m wary of serving it. What do I say to my neighbor when they ask how we enjoyed it?”
Money, Relationships & Your Turn to Weigh In
Men are more likely to cheat on women who earn a much bigger salary, according to a new study from Cornell University.
