Whether you react with joy or dread when the holidays and all of its hosting rigors roll around depends on how well you prepare and plan for them. Unexpected guests may show up at any given time, whether they're brought along by other family members or friends, or they simply want to show up and extend their good wishes - or gifts - for the holidays. {relatedarticles}Regardless, they may throw a kink in your existing plans, but it's important to be gracious and try to extend that holiday spirit. Think of it as the more, the merrier - especially if they bring kids, who can keep your own children entertained. As the adults socialize, then it's a good idea to have a few activities on hand that the kids can work on and maybe even take home. Provide construction paper, scissors, double-sided tape, crayons, markers and holiday stamps - kids can fashion decorated strips of paper into chain links that can be used to decorate a tree. Keep your home at the ready by decorating with lots of "catchall" items, like decorative ottomans with hidden storage, baskets and bowls to catch clutter, such as keys and cell phones.