Manners Monday: Holding Doors Open for Others

Happy Monday! Did everyone have a nice Father's Day weekend? As I mentioned here my father and I live on opposite coasts so I sent him a package early last week and we made a point of catching up twice last week via Skype so that was our visit time. :)

As promised, I'm beginning our week with a Manners Monday post. Given several run-ins I've had over the past few weeks, I thought it was about time I did a little post about the importance of holding the door for others. We began the conversation in The Classy Woman Facebook community and I decided to bring this topic to the blog. (If you haven't joined yet, be sure to like my page as I post there daily and join the conversation!)

How you treat others says a lot about you as a person. Everybody appreciates a polite act like having the door held open for them. This act of kindness is not just reserved for men. It is important that everyone know how to hold a door for another, whether they are carrying heavy bags or just passing through empty handed. Once we have mastered it, we must teach it to our children that they might lead the future generation by example.

 5 Tips on How to Properly Hold a Door for Others


1. Who to Hold a Door For- Hold the door for everyone, whenever the occasion arises. Some reserve this polite gesture only for the elderly,  a mother with a stroller/small children or in the case of men they hold they door open for ladies and not gents. Regardless of a person's age or sex it is proper and thoughtful to hold the door for someone else.

2. How Long to Wait for Someone Walking?- Generally speaking, when walking up to a door with someone behind you or coming from the other side of the door, the time spent holding the door is extremely minimal so it is one of the easiest and most thoughtful things we can do for another. Sometimes we'll notice an elderly person several 20 feet away and feel compelled to hold the door for them. Do remember that in your waiting for them, it sometimes makes someone feel as though they now must speed up to get there instead of just keep on at the pace they are comfortable with, use discretion so one doesn't view your efforts as a nuisance more than a blessing.

3. Make Door Opening Less Awkward-Sometimes we are met with someone who holds the door for us by extending their arm to push the door open as we are to squeeze past them. This type of door holding while thoughtful can be awkward. The best way to hold a door for someone upon meeting the door first is to pull it towards you and stand to the side and let the other person/people through then follow them after they have walked through. If you happen upon a door that opens away from you, walk through it and stand to the side out of the way as others walk through then let the door go once everyone has walked through.

4. Do it With a Smile- I think many times people go about things in a mannerly fashion as if it is expected of them (if they were raised that way) but it appears there is no joy in it. I think it is so important to do things with a smile whether thanking a cashier and wishing her a nice day, saying good morning or holding the door for someone. The classy woman is warm and desires to improve another person's day. She does not view manners as tedious tasks that she endures so that she won't be looked upon as rude. Rather, she regards manners as kindness granted to another just because they too are human and deserve to be treated as such.

5. Don't Expect a Thank You- I say this because if you don't expect it, you won't be disappointed if it doesn't happen. While it is nice and often rewarding to hear the words "thank you" when we have taken the time to do something nice for others, our efforts and manners are their own reward. Personally speaking, I have sometimes felt annoyed after having held a door for someone who was struggling with a stroller or heavy packages and didn't receive so much as a nod or a smile. I'm sure you can relate. I've learned that there are always going to be people that disregard polite gestures or don't respond the way you might have hoped or. Don't let it get you down!

For some who practice good manners and are not met with a thank you, it can be enough to think why bother and forget making the polite gestures altogether. But if your true motives for doing the good deed are pure and joy is in your heart to truly assist another then your reasons should outweigh any rude folks you come across. Besides, the world needs more people like you to carry on and lead by positive example in a time when basic manners seem to be at an all time low.

Have a great week ladies! Pssst....I have an awesome this week that I'm really excited about and you do not want to miss! Be sure to check in again soon. :)



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Five Friday Favorites

Hello Lovelies! How is everyone? Are you enjoying the summer so far? It's been hot here in Florida but the rain just keeps coming, we've had rain daily for the past two weeks mixed with sun. Dry weather and sunshine are in the forecast, I can't wait!

This Sunday is Father's Day-What has everyone got planned? With distance always an issue being that I'm on the east coast and my dad is on the west coast, I mailed him a fun little package this year filled with some of my favorite things from Whole Foods that I know he'll also enjoy and a heartfelt card. We were catching up Wednesday afternoon, running some ideas past one another and he told me it arrived that morning. As suspected, his favorite part was the card-aw, he's so sentimental, gotta love that!. There's nothing better than the gift of good health! I'm so grateful that we share that in common, but then again, I learned so much of it from him!

I haven't spent much time blogging this week as you can see. I've taken some time to catch up on my blog reading though, popping by and leaving comments on some of my regular and favorite blogs.

I realized I haven't done a post of my favorites in a while and after coming across several share-worthy posts that I enjoyed so much, I thought I'd spread the love so you can read them also. :)

MY 5 FRIDAY FAVORITES:

1. A Little Chevron- A few months ago, I was delighted to have stumbled upon a lovely fashion blog called Pink Peonies. I'm not sure how I ended up there but I'm so glad I did! Rachel, the author, models unique, fun, trendy and classic looks daily on her blog. For anyone looking for fresh, new fashion ideas, ways to perk up your current wardrobe for summer, I highly recommend popping by. She lists all sources too so if you find something you love, you can buy it too! She is just darling, do pop by and visit {here}, a listing of all of her outfits. Enjoy! Pssst.....If you love the look of chevron, take a peek at what I created for my living room last month.

2.  The Dog-Eared Pages- If you haven't met Kate from Centsational Girl, you simply must! She is just so creative and her home is overflowing with beauty. She is always working on a new project and has been featured in several home decor magazines. Her latest blog post speaks to what many of us struggle with: Magazine clutter! I love magazines and I'm forever tearing pages out, bending the corners of others and have several magazine organizers in my office closet but I loved what she did with her favorite bits....she did something with hers that has such a beautiful, polished and professional end result without a lot of expertise, time or resources. Check it out {here}. The image above is of her master bedroom. Don't you just love the stenciled wall? It's one of my favorite things in her home. :)

3. Custom Art/Family Rules Signs- Tara over at Between You & Me creates really awesome artwork for the home-everything from family rules signs to city signs. I fell in love with them last year, when she lived about 15 mins from me and I was determined to buy one but due to a string of little unexpected house fixes, it just wasn't in the budget for us. I popped by last week and saw that she is going to begin creating and selling them again this summer as she did last year too. I love that her and her hubby create these together and she's just the sweetest gal. Since last year she moved away, we're no longer in the same state. I kind of regret not having gotten to meet her in person. I'm hoping to order 2 of her signs this summer. Take a peek and see what I mean...she'll create custom signs with scriptures, your favorite quote, song lyrics or simply choose one of her ready-made designs. Visit a list of her signs {here}.
*Tara didn't ask me to promote her art, I just really love her work. ;)

4. Photoshop-ing Spree- It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of YoungHouseLove, I have been for years. Sherry and John's ability to consistently produce some of the coolest ideas is what hooked me on their blog, What keeps me going back for more, though, is their down-to-earth nature and witty text as well as their ability to completely be themselves even with millions of readers! Their recent post on Photoshop tricks was perfect timing for me because I'm just about to take a free course at my library and buy Photoshop Elements. as I've felt for years that I could be so much more creative and productive. If you're a mom, you will love all of the neat ideas they share for little ones too, featured in this pic is their sweet daughter Clara and the uber-cute dollhouse they made for her recently. I enjoyed their little photoshop tutorial, you can find it {here}

5. Cream & Black Kitchen- As much as I'm inspired by Spring's plethora of bright, cheery colors, I am a lover of classic design at heart complete with neutrals with just a few pops of color to balance a space. This classic kitchen featured on Dust Jacket Attic, although cream and black, has just the right amount of color, texture and style. I am in love with every.square.inch of it! It is so beautiful yet functional and filled with storage options galore! This one is not to be missed, you can get to it by clicking {here}. I always love this blog for it's consistent showing of gorgeous photos.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and fun time with Family this Father's Day! Don't forget to pop by on Monday for new Manners Monday post! If you want a little weekend inspiration, pop by our Facebook Community where I post to daily, we hit the '700 fans' milestone the other day and are growing quicker than I ever expected, I'd be thrilled id you'd join us!  :) Now, I'd love to know- which one of my favorite blog posts was yours also?

XO



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Spring Fashion Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone that entered the Fashion to Figure Spring Fashion Giveaway! With a little help from Random.org, the winner has been selected and it's #16. Congratulations to Amy D. who said she loves the blossom floral tank!!

New items are added weekly, so you might even see something else that catches your eye. I'll be sending your e-mail info to my Fashion to Figure contact today and she'll get in touch with you shortly.

For those that didn't win this one, there are more giveaways on the way! Just this past week I've been contacted by two more great giveaway sponsors that I'm excited to share with you all very soon.

A big thanks to Fashion to Figure for making this giveaway possible!

Happy Monday! :)

Spring Fashion Giveaway!

Recently I was contacted by a women's clothing company, Fashion to Figure, who is now our newest sponsor. :) Fashion to Figure works very hard to provide trendy as well as timeless pieces that will appeal to fashionable women of all sizes. Best of all, they are giving one reader a chance to win a $30 certificate to purchase anything they would like in their online shop. With spring in full swing, and summer right around the corner what better time to add a new piece to your wardrobe!

While Fashion to Figure offers an affordable line of  plus-size women's clothing, they also sell accessories like handbags, clutches, jewelry and other accessories. So, there is something for everyone! I selected my favorite looks from their collection to give you some ideas of what they have to offer.

These pieces can be found on their website via these links left to right, top to bottom: summer bloom striped maxi dress, zig-zag clutch, hail and halter ruffle front dress, team luxe orange bib necklace, empire state dress, easy a-line turquoise dress, white on black sleeveless v-neck dress, wooden bangle, tropical print maxi dress

Now, it's your turn, pop over to the website and come back here to leave a comment on your favorite item or what you would spend your $30 on. There are 4 other ways to enter too!

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED**


GIVEAWAY DETAILS: 

1. To enter, leave a comment here letting me know what item you would choose if you won.

2. For extra entries you can share this giveaway via your blog, Facebook, Twitter or grab my blog button from my sidebar and display it on your blog. {worth 1 entry each}

*Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and don't forget to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blog, so I can contact you if you win! 

GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Saturday June.9, 2012 @ 11pm EST

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE: $30 to spend as you choose and includes shipping.

RULES: The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on 06/11/12.

OPEN TO: U.S. residents only for this giveaway.

Good Luck to Everyone! :) Also, a very special thank you to Fashion to Figure for this generous giveaway!

XO

Living Well: Learn to Enjoy the Moment

I think one of the biggest challenges that face women today is balance. With being a woman comes maintaining a home, trying to succeed in the workplace, managing a social life, nurturing friendships, paying bills, running errands, meeting deadlines and above all making time for family. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months and before long a whole year has flown by with only a few celebrations or moments often savored along the way.

The truth is that life was never meant to be a race, it was meant to be enjoyed. Many women are overwhelmed or so tightly wound up from all they're trying to accomplish in a week that it's sometimes hard to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of life on weekends or during vacation.

In the last few years, spending more time outdoors with nature and taking a step back from demanding corporate sales positions to work for myself has allowed me to delight in the small moments like I never had before. This isn't to say that I don't feel overloaded with work at times or stressed but I had to take the time to define what was most important to me and my family. Beginning a gratitude journal was also key to unlocking a more thankful heart that allowed me to focus daily on five things that I am most grateful for at the end of my day.

Things that had been so important to me at one time in my mind, were no longer necessary. I adopted a less is more approach to life and scaled back in many different areas which has allowed me to spend less money, free up my schedule, bring less stuff into our home and focus on only what we truly need to be happy. I recently came to some other new revelations {here} while on a trip about what we want vs. what we need in life.

I just love this quote, it challenges us all to enjoy what we have whether it be time, an occupation, our family, money, friendships or the latest version of the iPad. Let's be women who know how to be content with what we have, not needing the next trendy pair of shoes or handbag to be happy. Ignore what the media tells you that you must have and need to be in order to be a success. Be satisfied in knowing what is best for you and keeping life as uncomplicated as it can be.

 "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; 

remember that what you have now was once among the things

 you only hoped for." 

~Epicurus (Greek Philosopher) 

On that note, I hope you all have a wonderful and fulfilling weekend enjoying the simple and most beautiful moments of life. :) I'd love to hear from you! How have you become more present in your  own life?

XO



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