out of town guests

Welcome guests into your home this holiday with these simple strategies. Credit: Getty Images

Holiday season means lots of visitors in our households! A few simple tricks make a visit to our busy home a special experience for family and friends. One King's Lane co-founder Alison Pincus recommends the following:

Arrival: Wherever possible, I like to meet and greet our guests at the airport. It always makes for a warm opening.

Food: First and foremost, always determine if your guests have food allergies or requests in advance. It turns out that many of our guests adore dessert so we always stock up on their favorites. And, we always like to provide special treats. In addition to staying in and entertaining, we also enjoy going out. Getting ressies for large parties at great restaurants requires good planning. Always plan ahead!

Amenities: We always like to make sure that we have plenty of fresh and yummy accessories in the bathroom (shower gels, lotions, toothpaste, etc). Pre-stocking is key!

Movies: In addition to playing games, we love watching movies -- it helps us to relax and escape. It's always great to have plenty of movies on-hand. The better the selection, the happier you'll find your guests.

Photographs: Pictures are a great tool for reminding everyone of the fun that was had. We alwaystake lots of pictures and following our time together, send pictures to our guests. I wish I was good at framing and sending -- on my to-do list for 2011!

Tips: If a friend is visiting and is new to the area, it's always nice to provide a tips document on great restaurants, sites to visit, etc.

Celebrating the holidays somewhere warm? Check out these outdoor entertaining tps from our friends at One King's Lane!