Are you hosting at home this Mothering Sunday or Easter? Do you see it as a chance to prove you're the perfect host? Or does it leave you with a feeling of dread?

Fret not, because we've put together a 7-step strategy for you to pull off the perfect dinner party.

1. Don't become a victim of vaunting ambition. Assess your culinary skills, budget and venue before tailoring your social occasion to fit your capabilities.
2. Make the nature of the event absolutely clear to your guests. They will feel understandably annoyed if they turn up to a formal dinner in jeans and trainers.
3. Ensure to ask guests if they have any allergies when sending out invitations and ensure that you have this in mind when buying ingredients & preparing food.
4. Remember that your primary role is to be the host. Attend to your guests at all times and don't allow yourself to be drawn into an intimate tête à tête with someone.
5. Have a seating plan. Even if it's an informal one in your head, explain to your guests where you'd like them to sit.
6. Work out your timings. Don't let drinks go on too long and ensure that food is ready when you call everyone to the table.
7. Deploy subtle hints by asking if anyone would like: cups of coffee, offers of taxi numbers or spare beds, if the evening is going on too long.

Best of luck with your next engagement and bon appétit!

The first of the Season's events, Cheltenham Festival is one of the more relaxed horse racing events as it does not have a formal dress code.

Taking place in March in the UK, it's wise to dress warmly. Here are our top tips on what to wear if you're planning on attending the Gold Cup on Friday the 15th of March.

• Although there's no formal dress code, smart outdoor winter dress is expected in the Club Enclosure.
• Men usually choose to show off their tweeds. A shooting jacket is a great option as it is both comfortable and warm.
• Wednesday is Ladies' Day and many complement their outfits with a hat. Currently in vogue are hats adorned with colourful pheasant tail feathers. Gents normally wear trilbys.
• Given that two-thirds of the car parks are on grass, ensure to wear suitable footwear. (Stilettos sink in the mud..)

Whatever your style, place your bets, relax and enjoy the racing, as the Season has officially begun!

Finally a positive eBay feedback story. Matt Shoukry in Missouri got a lot more for the old VHS player he sold on eBay than he expected. And we’re not talking about money.

The buyer of the VHS player was an 86-year-old man from Phoenix, Arizona, who decided to pick up a pen and write a handwritten note to Mr Shoukry thanking him for the joy it had brought him. In the letter, the octogenarian detailed how he had watched tapes from his 'retirement party from 25 years ago that I have never seen', as well as watching the 'gentle maturing of my family’.

The letter, which was uploaded to Twitter, has received over 300,000 likes and lots of responses from people wanting to share their own stories about small acts of kindness.

This example goes to show that it doesn't matter the number of 'likes' you get online, or even securing a '100% eBay feedback rating' on eBay, sometimes all it takes is one kind letter to touch the heart and warm the soul.

Read the BBC News article.

Are you confused by dating in the digital age? There was a time when dating simply involved submitting a personal ad to your local newspaper and knowing which three and four-letter acronyms to use. Or you'd just ask someone out for a drink.

One example of a personal ad may go something like: Scottish foodie, 42, with a GSOH WLTM an adventurous male for fine food and dining. LTR intended. 

But with the advent of the smart phone, the apps for dating in the digital age have now created an endless supply of Johns and Janes at your fingertips. Although, more choice does give way to the potential for more rejection. Below are just some of the new terms used in 2019 for online dating encounters. All definitions courtesy of urbandictionary.com.

1. Submarining: when you stop seeing someone and cut off all communication and then reappear after some time and act like nothing happened.
2. Ghosting: when a person cuts off all communication with their friends or the person they're dating with zero warning or notice beforehand.
3. Orbiting: is when the person who 'ghosted' you, still hangs around by watching every single one of your Insta stories & liking your social media posts.
4. Breadcrumbing: when the 'crush' has no intention of taking things further, but continues to flirt by sending texts just to keep the person interested.
5. Stashing: when you're in a relationship with somebody & you refuse to introduce them to your friends & family; mostly because you view the person as temporary/replaceable.

Have you decided that 2019 is going to be the year you land your dream job? Good! Find out below how to write a CV.

You're not alone, January continues to be the busiest month of the year for job applications. So, how to write a CV that gets noticed and help you progress to the first round of interviews. Here are our top five tips:

1. Write a cover letter. So many candidates decide not to include one and this means they're not giving themselves the opportunity to highlight specific skills and experience from their CV. Attaching a cover letter also allows you to project your personality, as well as showing your knowledge of the company's recent news i.e. a merger with another business.

2. On average, a hiring manager looks at a CV from anything from six seconds to two minutes (if you're lucky!) Ensure that your CV is clear and has a logical format. It should highlight your skills, experience and achievements. Finally, make sure your CV shows you as human and someone who is sociable, flexible and that has interesting hobbies outside of work.

3. Be honest. The CV is a legally binding document, meaning that you can and will be removed from a role that you have bluffed your way into.

4. Include an opening statement and think of it as your elevator pitch. Concisely say who you are, what you do and how you do it. If you are writing a cover letter to accompany your CV, then you only need to create a new cover letter and tweak the opening statement on your CV for each application.

5. Finally and most importantly; don't use your CV to describe your roles in terms of goals and duties, most recruiters can guess them from your job title. You must talk about your accomplishments and how you personally made a difference in the role. This is what will get you to the interview and will help you sell yourself when you do.

Boost your confidence for interviews and land your dream job with expert training from Debrett's tutors. Call +44 (0)203 950 5240 to find out more.

Best of luck with your job search!

With whisky, bagpipes and poetry aplenty, a Burns Night supper is a lot of fun. Here's the traditional format for the evening in remembrance of the memory of Robert Burns, Scotland's most celebrated poet:

1. Before everyone sits down to eat, the host says the Selkirk Grace, attributed to Burns.

2. After the starter has been eaten, the haggis (a dish made from spices and minced sheep's heart and liver) is brought in, accompanied by the bagpipes playing. The host says the poem: Address to a Haggis, the haggis is toasted with whisky and the meal is served, then dessert.

3. The main speech at a Burns Night Supper, after the meal is the Immortal Memory, a tribute to Robert Burns. The host normally focuses on a part of Burns' life and speaks for 15 minutes. Subsequent speeches include a Toast to the Lassies, a reply to the Toast to the Lassies and a final Burns recital.

4. Once the host has thanked everyone, people stand to sing Auld Lang Syne, the song traditionally song on Hogmanay, or New Year's Eve, to welcome in the New Year.

Slàinte! 

Should I tip my takeaway driver? Because things don’t always go to plan when ordering food from the many delivery apps available, here are our top tips to help you overcome the potential delivery dilemmas you could experience below and some advice on tipping.

My food spilled everywhere in transit. Help!

Some dishes travel better than others. However, there are times when the restaurant hasn’t packaged the food properly or the food has been damaged in transit. If you are disappointed with your delivery, the first thing you should do is check the takeaway app’s terms and conditions for who to contact as many state that it is the restaurant’s responsibly to securely package your food. Bear in mind too that you’ll have to wait again to receive your new food order, although hopefully this time it will come in one piece!

Should I tip my takeaway driver?

With payment having been taken through the app, you’re not required to hand over any cash to the driver upon receiving your food. However, because a tip is discretionary, feel free to tip if you feel that the rider has gone above and beyond to get your food to you in record time and in perfect condition.

Don’t abuse the delivery instructions section

It’s pretty standard to ask for an extra couple of sauces when ordering. Some people, however, always feel the need to ask for appetisers or extras on the house for no good reason. If you realise you’d like to add to your order, then it’s up to you to add items at an additional cost. Of course, only the brave attempt having their food delivered to them while they’re on a train, as evident in this YouTube video.

Bon appétit.

Think wedding lists are women's domains? Think again if you want a say in your bar set or barbecue. We know what men really want. And with Debrett's wedding list partner, The Wedding Shop, being nominated recently for Best Gift List in the British Wedding Awards 2019, there's no better time to register for your gift list with Debrett's and The Wedding Shop.

So, forget about toasters, dishes and silver service cutlery, we've selected the wedding gifts men really want.

Sit back in your favourite armchair, take a sip of whisky and close your eyes. Momentarily, you are Don Draper. Or, at least, drinking from this classic, sleek Dartington Crystal whisky glass you can pretend to be.

Dartington Crystal, Classic Single Whisky Glass £25 (Product 91713)

Wow your guests with both your culinary skills and also your French pronunciation with this essential and striking Le Creuset casserole dish. (It's pronounced 'Luh Creugh Say'!)

Le Creuset cast iron casserole dish 1.8 litre £149 (Product 6572)

Men love gadgets. Fact! And what's better than a wifi-enabled sous vide machine you can control from your phone? Want to make a delicious and tender ribeye steak with minimal effort? No problem!

Witt Smart Sous Vide Machine £299 (Product 312679)

To sit alone or with a few friends, half-drunk under a full moon, you just understand how lucky you are; it's a story you can't tell. It's a story you almost by definition can't share. I've learned in real time to look at those things and realise: I just had a really good moment. - Anthony Bourdain

Are you planning on giving thanks this holiday season? We live in a fast-paced world where we often pay our phones more attention than ourselves and those we love. With that in mind, we've written below three ways you can use Thanksgiving as a springboard to focus on what's important in life and how to put actions into practice.

1. Start a Gratitude Diary

Studies show that writing helps organise our thoughts. So make sure you pick up a pen each time you experience something that touches the heart. The secret to staying committed to your diary is by keeping it brief and by not setting yourself targets for the number of entries.

2. Do Something Kind for Someone

Being kind is the one decision that we can make every day to bring some happiness to other people as well as ourselves. Whether it's buying food to give to the homeless, or giving up your seat to someone less able than you on public transport, being kind is good for the soul.

3. Give Away, Rather than Sell, Unwanted Possessions

You don't have to open the eBay app every time you're having a clear out. Donating clothes to a charity shop instead of selling them for a few pounds makes a real difference to those who need it most.

We hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving and find some time today to reflect, recenter and refocus on the important people and things in your world.

This week is the most popular time for the office party during the festive season. So, before you put on your reindeer antlers, Christmas jumper and sip that first glass of something sparkling, make sure to take a look at our do's and don'ts that will ensure you'll breeze through the celebrations without a single festive faux pas.

Act Smart at The Office Party:

Do: Embrace the dress code. Whether it's a Christmas jumper job or a black tie affair, wearing the appropriate apparel shows respect to your colleagues.

Don't forget: You're under the watchful eye of senior management.

Do: Circulate and socialise. Chat with members of the office you don't normally interact with day-to-day.

Don't get carried away: We guarantee that using your boss' credit card for thirty-something espresso martinis will leave you with more than a hangover the next day.

Do: Ask colleagues about their families, children and holidays.

Don't gossip: Or spread rumours, or confess your sins...

Do: Pace yourself, eat plenty and alternate alcoholic drinks with glasses of water.

Don't linger under the mistletoe: Steer clear of dirty dancing.

Do: Keep goodnight kisses innocent (or better still, avoid entirely). Wake up in a familiar place, e.g. not the hospital or on the pavement.

Don't pull a sickie the day after: It's not cool

So, don your Santa hat, enjoy the free food and drink provided by the company, and keep a cool head.