Elyse Reflects on Holiday Generosity and Tipping

December 17, 2010 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

I love the holidays. The entire month of December is filled with its own special food, music, decorations and a massive movie market. But my favorite part is that it is the one time of the year when people actively try to be decent, generous human beings. I’ve always used this time of year to…

The Holiday Tipping Experiment

December 12, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

In years previous, I’ve written about holiday tipping. If you’re looking for that article, about suggested tipping amounts, check out my recent article called Holiday Tip 2009 . As a preview — your hair stylist might be expecting as much as $20! The topic was first proposed by my editor and I was a bit baffled…

How to Cozy Up your Apartment for the Holidays. . without going home

November 19, 2009 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming! A lot of folks I know aren’t going home this year because of $$ issues so I thought I’d write a few post about how to make your apartment really embody that home away from home feeling. The first thing I notice about my parents’ house is…

Holiday tipping basics

December 10, 2007 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

If this is your first holiday season on your own, how to handle tipping can be confusing. How much should you tip your super or your doorman? How about the letter carrier? And what to do if there is no money in your budget for tips? The gold standard in matters of etiquette, Emily Post,…

How to have a happy Thanksgiving in your new apartment – some do’s and don’t’s

November 18, 2007 | By Shelby AuthorMy First Apartment

Maybe you just moved across the country to take your dream job and you have zero vacation time. Maybe you’re not close to your family. Maybe you’re way too broke to buy a plane ticket. Whatever the reason, when the time for a Thanksgiving celebration rolls around, you’ll be on your own. Don’t do what…