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The Protocol Post
Tips, Tools and Resources for Polished Professionals
November 2009
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When I was a child, I loved the smell of new pencils. Perhaps the scent reminded me of fall and the start of a new school year. Every year, my mother would take my best friend and me to the store to buy new school supplies. What fun it was to pick out items including notebooks, crayons and glue! Fall was a time for new teachers, new friends and new beginnings!
Today I stock up on office supplies instead of school supplies. However, some things never change. I take the same care in choosing the perfect stapler or calculator for my office as I did when I was a child choosing that perfect notebook or lunchbox for school. And..I still love the smell of new pencils!
Here are ten more things I love about fall:
- The weather turns cooler and I bid farewell to the sweltering Florida heat and humidity.
- My husband watches his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers play football on television.
- I go on longer walks with my two dogs (see #1 for reason why).
- I dust off my light sweaters and wear them once in a while.
- Everyone seems to be in a better mood.
- I like to tune into the QVC network to purchase holiday gifts for myself and my friends.
- Brussels sprouts are in season.
- Comfort foods like homemade soups, meatloaf and Beef Stroganoff taste better when it's cold outside. (Check out my blog for my delicious split pea soup recipe!)
- I turn off my air conditioner, open up my doors and windows and enjoy the fresh air (see #1 for reason why).
- My husband and I enjoy dining outside by candlelight without getting eaten alive by those pesky mosquitoes.
Life is good,
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Secrets of "Sock"cess - A Men's Guide
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Here are the three categories of men's socks:
DRESS SOCKS. Rule of thumb: The dressier the situation, the darker the socks.
In addition to being a dark color, dress socks are usually made from a fine fabric such as silk, although wool and cotton socks in a thin fabric are also appropriate. Some socks may also contain a percentage of nylon for fit, durability and smooth appearance.
The appropriate length of dress socks is more commonly over-the-calf (the longest available).
CASUAL SOCKS. These are the socks you can wear in a wide range of situations -- whether you're wearing chinos, slacks or jeans.
The rule still applies that you should match your socks with your trousers, but with casual socks you can wear more color, pattern and texture.
Heavier weight socks are perfectly okay in casual circumstances. For length, you can wear a mid-calf -- also known as crew socks. Just make sure your trousers fit properly so you don't flash any leg skin when you sit down.
Pattern. Socks can be any pattern imaginable - plaids, checks, dots and stripes. The more pattern, the more casual.
ATHLETIC SOCKS. Athletic socks are about the weight of casual socks, but they usually have a cushioned-sole or some other feature specific to the sport for which they were designed. Usually, they're white or white with colored stripes at the top or with a logo. Athletic socks are mostly cotton, a natural fiber that lets your foot breathe and absorbs moisture.
Most Athletic socks are crew or mid-calf length, however for certain sports like running, an anklet (the shortest) is available. In other situations -- playing soccer, for instance -- over-the-calf is de rigueur.
Shopping tip: When you buy a pair of socks get two or three more of the same style and color. If and when your socks disappear in the dryer, you'll still have others to match.
Source: AskAndyAboutClothes.com
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Jacqueline in USA Today:
Flu spreads a new etiquette
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  To shake or not to shake -- that is the question gripping the swine-flu-wary. How to delicately deflect an outthrust hand? An incoming bear hug? How to hint to a subway seatmate that his convulsive cough is unsanitary and possibly unsafe? On November 2, I was interviewed by Olivia Barker of USA Today about proper decorum in the swine flu age. Click the links below to read both of the stories:
How to cold-shoulder the flu, warmly
Swine flu is spreading a new hands-off etiquette
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Top 10 Tips for Drive-Thru Etiquette
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I was honored to be interviewed recently by author and blogger, Charlie Pratt (www.charliewrites.com), on drive-thru etiquette. Here is an excerpt from Charlie's article, "Tell Whoever Is Making My Whopper to Suck It."
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 It's been analyzed countless times by those who analyze things that road rage tricks the mind into believing that to be inside one's car is to be inside an impenetrable bubble in which whatever is said and done there carries no actual consequence in real life. You've seen it all before: Guy #1 yells at Woman #1 from the confines of his Lexus. Woman #1, upon observing Man #1's irrational fit, decides to return the favor and launches a choleric counterattack, sometimes involving lewd hand gestures and sporadic pointing. This goes on for three to eight seconds before the flow of traffic forces the perturbed pair to simmer down and get to where they're going.
It set me thinking about the places in which we create a false sense of superiority based on the feeling that we can't be touched. The road rage issue is common theater; just the other day, I found myself staring at a man in the lane next to me, driving down the highway and waving his arms wildly, giving the double-bird to a dented blue minivan in front of him. I imagine he was under the assumption that the minivan was packed with parents and little children (which, of course, are the natural targets for dyspeptic rage and inappropriate hand gestures) but what if the van had been filled with armed thugs? Mr. Rage-y Pants didn't know, but he rolled the dice anyway.
We generate a lot of nerve when we think we're invincible, and the drive-thru line is no exception. Restaurants, banks, pharmacies, coffee shops-the great American drive-thru is one of the best places to observe irrational human behavior based on the magic audacity that is gained by simply driving in one's own car.
Before I began coming up with my own list, I decided to call a professional. Jacqueline Whitmore, one of the leading experts in the field of modern etiquette, sat down with me to discuss this issue and to find out if there are a few tenets of restaurant drive-thru etiquette that might be gleaned for public consumption. Click here to read more.
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| How to Carve a Holiday Turkey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays -- mainly because I love to cook and I love to eat! One of my fondest Thanksgiving memories is when my mom, who passed away last February, would come to Palm Beach several days early and help me prepare my Thanksgiving meal. She loved to peel and chop all of the vegetables as I prepared the other items like the pies, cranberry sauce and the turkey.
Here's a good video by Cooking.com on how to carve a holiday turkey. So in the spirit of the season, click here and enjoy!!
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Greeting Card Tip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Stand out from the crowd. Instead of sending the proverbial holiday card to a client or friend, send a Thanksgiving card instead!
Remember to hand write a short, personal message inside the card, address the envelope by hand and put a decorative stamp on it!
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Want to Accelerate Your Business in this Volatile Economy?
Introducing an interactive webinar for entrepreneurs, speakers and trainers
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How to Make a Stream of Profits
Presenting Dining Etiquette Seminars to Corporate Executives
and University Students
Would you like to make extra income to help pay your monthly rent, mortgage or car payment?
Would you like to teach dining etiquette seminars to executives and college students?
Join me as I reveal my secrets for getting booked (and paid!) to speak at some of the most prestigious universities and Fortune 100 companies in the United States.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 * 4:00pm - 5:30pm Eastern time
OR
Monday, November 16, 2009 * 1:00pm - 2:30pm Eastern time
All you need is a computer and a telephone to participate!
During this fun, content-rich, strategic and interactive session, I will teach you:
* How to price your programs for maximum profits.
* The essential "must-have" topics to cover.
* Key elements you MUST include in your PowerPoint presentation.
* Who to contact and when they'll be most receptive.
* Crucial points to include in your proposal and contract.
* And much more!
Because of the focus and nature of the extensive information, space is strictly limited to 20 participants.
Investment: $60.00, includes the webinar AND a CD recording of the webinar as my gift to you.
Special Bonus: Register before Friday, November 6 and I will send you a bonus CD, "How to Make Money Speaking at Department Stores, Tea Rooms and Health Resorts" (a $60.00 value at no extra charge).
Click below to reserve your spot now!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
If you cannot attend either of the webinars, no problem. You may still purchase the CD recording by clicking HERE.
One final thing to remember...All expenses of continuing education taken to maintain and improve professional skills are tax deductible according to Treasury Regulation 1.162-5 Coughlin vs. Commissioner, 203 F2d 307. Please contact your accountant for details.
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Dinner Party Protocol 101
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Have you ever been to a dinner party and didn't know your salad fork from your fish fork? Have you ever wondered the correct way to set a table? Would you like to learn how to properly hold your wine glass? CLICK HERE to watch me give a quick video tutorial on dinner party table manners. |
Let's Connect on Twitter!
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 Many of my Protocol Post fans are already following me on Twitter (I've got nearly 1,500 followers!) It's a great way to stay in touch and as I share my etiquette tips, advice and articles on a more frequent basis. If you haven't already joined the world of Twitter, I encourage you to do so. I would love to learn more about you and what you are doing. Follow me @EtiquetteExpert.
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The Protocol School of Palm Beach, Inc. 
