Etiquette: Regifting for the Holidays 
Who cares how a gift got there — it’s the thought that counts. Etiquette means grace, and re-gifting can be done gracefully. Here are some tip:
* Check the re-gift for tell-tale signs of the original gifter. Make sure there are no cards or engravings or inscriptions to you on the […]

Photos have a lot to do with the owners of the photos — some people throw out any photos in which they don’t look good — or in which they don’t look the way the person wants to remember themselves or their loved ones.
I suggest saving ALL pictures — even the ones you hate — […]

People who have only just started celebrating Christmas — either because they have married someone who grew up celebrating Christmas, because they have chosen to celebrate Christmas “suddenly” of their own accord, or because they’ve chosen the path of least resistance in school, offices and communities, don’t have the family history of Christmas with the […]

I receive lots of questions from readers about how to split up the holidays, either because of divorce or family obligations. With Easter approaching, here are a few tips and strategies families can try to employ.1. Do it ahead of time. For anyone divorcing, splitting up the holidays for a custody schedule is not […]

CURRENT TRENDS IN ST. PATRICK’S DAYS DRINKSFor the traditional revelers:*Irish whiskey drinks! There’s nothing like Irish coffee for St. Patrick’s Day wherever it’s cold.For the Southern belles — wannabes:*Go green! If you’re in the south, or just feeling like you’d like to be there, a mint julep with some extra green mint on top will […]

With Easter coming up, how does giving up something for Lent prepare us for such a holy season? There are several ways to give something up in order to feel closer to god.   * One way is to sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice. If you feel that sacrifice is a virtue, then giving up something — […]

Whether you’re Jewish or not, it’s a great time of year (even Santa’s going to check his list and find out who’s been naughty and nice) to atone. It’s so easy to pray and ask for things, but atoning and apologizing is hard for mere mortals because it requires taking personal responsibility — not one […]

People are curious about the unknown, and that includes haunted houses, roller coasters that go fast, upside down and loop dee loop, and bad boys, among other risks. Their fear is not the overriding emotion. The people who love these frightening scenarios are more driven by curiosity, which can also be categorized as dare devil […]

The approach of Memorial Day signals another media opportunity for hand-wringing over a supposed lack of patriotism, evidenced by low turnout at parades, grave-decorating, etc. Or might there be another interpretation?
Could it be, for instance, that younger generations of Americans simply don’t care for parades and graveyards?
Younger generations have been sensitized to death, violence […]

I feel sorry for women, and there are quite a few, who don’t have good relationships with their mothers. I can’t imagine it because I’ve been blessed with a mother who is beyond wonderful.
Even though I threw many a temper tantrum in childhood as well as in adulthood. Even though I retaliated for something one day, […]