The Importance of Responding to an RSVP

The acronym R.S.V.P is short for the French phrase “repondez s’il vous plait”, which means “respond if you please”.

If you receive an invitation with an RSVP request, it is proper etiquette to respond. It is best to reply as soon as possible and keep your response brief letting the host know whether you are accepting or declining, including any other information asked for in the RSVP.

A response to an invitation is important for the host of an event because it allows them to be prepared the amount of people who are expected to attend. This is especially important for occasions that are catered. A host will always want to have enough food for everyone.

If it is a formal invitation with a response card and envelope, then it is best to use that. If the response card gives other information of how to respond, phone number, email or e-vite address, then you should respond accordingly.

If you receive an invitation without RSVP information it is still good to let that person know whether you plan to accept or not, something as simple as an email or phone call will do.

The Most CRITICAL, PETTY, DISCONTENT People are…

Almost always it is those that serve (give, work, sacrifice, love)

the least that will be the most

CRITICAL,

PETTY,

DISCONTENT

people in the crowd whether it be in the

family, voters, church, occupation or group.

Do you have one in your family who avoids work?

He will be the one that complains and demands the most.

Do you have one in your church who serves little?

He will be the one most critical and quarrelsome.

Do you see citizens demanding more?

They will be the ones giving the least and taking little personal responsibility.

It’s ALL selfishness,

a lack of character and understanding that we are here to serve…

to love our neighbor!

Be alert! Take notice while your children are young. Are they lazy and demanding? Do they play the victim and go off on self-pity trips to pout? Are YOU guilty of responding this way and setting a pattern for your family?

Help them to understand the value of work, time and money.
Encourage them to show compassion for others.
Explain to them the work/service of others that usually goes unnoticed.
Be sure they understand there is no free-ride in life; someone somewhere must pay.
Insist that they believe the best of people before jumping to the worst conclusion.
Don’t demand things you have no real right too, YOU are setting the example.
Point out ways to go the extra mile and go above and beyond what is expected.
Do all you can to encourage a heat of service, not a heart of entitlement.

But many who are first will be last,

and the last first.

Matt. 19:30

Etiquette Class

Yesterday I taught an etiquette class for our 4-H cub.

We discussed good manners concerning the phone, cell phones, texting, introducing yourself to new people and table manners.

I ended our lesson with a competition, girls vs. boys.

Each team had to place all the tableware in it’s correct place.

The team with the least amount of correct settings has to

wash the dishes next month when we do our formal luncheon.

Looks like the boys will be washing!

You can look at the pictures from last year to see how we did our luncheon HERE.

The more opportunities your children (and you) have to set a table correctly, or eat using the correct utensil the more comfortable they will be with it.

All of etiquette and good manners is about loving your neighbor, preferring others first. If you will always consider how your actions and words make others feel, and you seek to make people feel welcome and relaxed, the ‘rules of etiquette’ will not be that important. People will remember your smile and kind words more than they will remember you using the correct fork.

But… knowing which fork to use, how to pass the food, etc… will help you feel more comfortable in group settings.

Foods You Can Eat with Your Fingers

Artichoke

Asparagus

Bacon

Bread

Cookies

Corn on the Cob

Chips, French Fries, Fried Chicken, and Hamburgers

Hors d’Oeuvres, Canapes, Crudités

Sandwiches

Small Fruits and Berries on the Stem



Read more details about the above list at Cuisine Net.

The Home Experience

Why Set the Table?

This was the table on Mother’s Day.

I’ve added a new category to our website called Today’s Table to give you a little look at how we do things at our house. We set the table nice at supper time, although not always ‘formal’, but nice. Different foods, different guest and different occasions call for different settings. My friend Robin has a wonderful and beautiful view of her table.

Setting the table beyond a plastic plate and plastic cup will communicate to your family that gathering around the table and breaking bread together is important.

The best way to teach your children (and yourself) what fork goes where and when to use it is to actually set the table at home and PRACTICE! :o) If your season of life does not allow you to set the table nicely on a regular basis consider making Sunday lunch or Saturday night supper when you go the extra mile. Assign members of the family different tasks, including the cleaning up. ;o) Or if once a week is too much, start with once a month, such as the first Sunday. Make it something you plan for and that the family can look forward to. Do your VERY BEST not to get stressed about it and have a good attitude. Put some pleasant music on while you prepare, it helps sets the mood. If the wife/mother of the house has a grumpy mood and a beautifully set table, I dare to say the mood will be remembered more than anything.

Olivia bought this silverware at a yard sale.

You don’t have to have matching dishes or every piece of silverware and glasses. Keep your eye out at yard sales and thrift stores and start building your resource of tableware. See if there is a grandmother or aunt who has dishes she is not using and would be willing to let you have. I bought my charger plates (gold plates above) after the Christmas season on clearance really cheap. Start out small and let it grow.

Most of my dishes are white or glass, this way they will go with any season or holiday, all it takes is a change in table cloth or napkins. Someday I want a goldish yellow or deep red plates.

Table cloths are another thing that is so simple to add and make such a difference. I buy all of mine at yard sales and thrift stores really cheap; I’ve gotten great deals! Because I have quite a collection of table cloths it is not a big deal if something gets spilled on them; usually a squirt of Dawn or stain remover will take care of it. It’s really not a big deal to throw a table cloth in the washer every few days.

I have posted on our bulletin board a diagram of how to set the table properly. This makes for a quick reference when you can’t remember what side to place the napkin, etc…

If the thought of making a big deal of your table time overwhelms you, try implementing one new thing each week; maybe start with cloth napkins.

It is important that your children know table etiquette, not only for peace and order at YOUR table, but also so they know how to conduct themselves publicly. Good table manners are all about loving your neighbor.

Make the table a place of priority, you will not regret it.

Virtue Beings with a Spoon- A MUST Read!

I am so thankful that Jeff insist that we always eat meals together at the table. I am thankful that our social circle we are closest to also believes that eating at the table is important. Often when we entertain those who do not share our same spiritual beliefs, or family values, are surprised at the emphasis we put on at meal time, and some are even uncomfortable at the table, which is sad.

I love meal time, yes, the food is always good (we have some excellent cooks in our family), but what I LOVE the most is that it is where we always gather after a day of work. It is where we pray and talk. More world view, more virtue is taught at the table than any other time of our day. It is not so much the food that makes the meal, but those who are sharing it.

One thing that I have noticed in some young people, especially in their 20′s, if they have not been raised at the table with their family, or if they have removed themselves from fellowship from the table (regular meals with family) , their manners decline greatly; not only their table manners, but often their whole outlook on life becomes so self-centered and crude; they have no desire to “live in common” with anyone, because it is all about them!

From Fr. Patrick Reardon:

It is at home (domus) that human beings are — literally — “domesticated.” It is during meals that they increase, not only “in stature,” but also “in wisdom” (Luke 2:52). Here they acquire those patterns of affability, restraint, courtesy, and cultivated joy that prepare them for a wise life in a larger world.

In acquiring table discipline — which pertains to language and posture as well as eating — young human beings are instructed in the simple pleasures of what is called “conviviality.” This literally means “living in common.”

Indeed, it is arguable that the lessons learned at the family table are more fundamental to the pursuit of Wisdom than those learned in the classroom. It is at meals that souls are nourished, as well as bodies. It is largely from eating with the family that helpful information is conveyed and the foundational lines of character are formed.

You MUST read this whole article, Virtue Begins with a Spoon, it is EXCELLENT!!!

A Ticket to Dine

Today our 4-H group had a formal luncheon to practice proper table manners.

Joining the group of young people were adults from the Extension office.

The mothers did the serving.

We also did our share of laughing as we tried to remember which side to serve on and which side to clear from.

Trish, Olivia and Jerri did a wonderful job preparing the food.

Trish also did a fantastic job with the table settings.

Johnathan, club president, served as host and led the blessing.

After lunch, Mrs. Rouse, a local music teacher and world traveler, shared with us dining customs of different counties.

Practice is the only way our children (and even ourselves) will become comfortable with good table manners. As Mrs.Rouse shared with us, etiquette is a ticket. It is a ticket to sit and share food together, knowing that you will respect the other people at the table. Good table manners is not as much rules as as it is being considerate of others.

I love a beautifully set table.