How To Make Sure Everyone Feels Welcome This Holiday Season

If you're planning festivities this season, "holiday cheer" might not be top of mind — it's stressful, expensive, and involves lots of spinning plates in order to be deemed a success. But for all of that preparation, the key to a good holiday party — the kind that gets mentioned for months after the last person leaves the house — always comes down to the guests. Who did you invite, how much fun did they have, and, perhaps most importantly, did they score a good slice of pie after dinner?

The quality of a party almost always hinges on the pleasure of whomever crosses the threshold — especially if they're a tad more high-maintenance than most — and pleasing everyone is a challenge. When your mother-in-law wants to have a hand in cooking every dish, your neighbor seems to show up at every party (whether he's invited or not), or your best friend never seems to get to the dinner table on time, the holidays can start to feel more burdensome than festive. But if you're planning a party this year, fret not: Ahead, we've compiled our favorite hosting hacks with Kim Crawford that apply to the most high-maintenance of guests — to ensure that your holiday party is a hit.