A successful party is like a good recipe: Invite guests who mix and mingle, serve interesting food, offer easy-to-serve beverages, and add music to keep the vibe festive. Holiday parties have a different feel and expectations. The guest list often includes family members, which can create its own issues.

Holiday gatherings can overload the senses. Add poor hearing and eyesight, memory decline and a break from routine to the mix, and a holiday gathering — no matter how fun — can be tough, especially on older guests.

'Tis the season to find the right, hard-to-find gift for that special someone: son, daughter, spouse, grandkids, neighbor, best friend, book club members … the list goes on. We've got Northeast Ohio-specific places to find unique gifts for special people of all ages and interests, and maybe a couple for yourself.

Families and the holidays can be tough because relatives use fewer guardrails with each other. So, we’ve turned to the pros for help: psychologists Dr. Kathleen Payne, founder of Royalton Psychological Associates, and Dr. Adam Borland of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Adult Behavioral Health. Here are their tips for this happy, hectic and hot-topic season.

I’m still on the entertaining/hosting track, but am sorting through kitchen items and party gear that I no longer need. I’m keeping the best of stuff and leaving it for our kids to tackle with a dumpster and a tag sale company after I’m gone. 

All that's Woth Noting this issue: Food banks step up for Thanksgiving; older drivers escape harder driving tests; author Bob Adamov unveils “Not Alone at Home;" Hallmark ensures happy endings; and heralding Dry January.