5 People You Need To Butter Up This Holiday Season

Presented by Betty Crocker

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but I believe that you can weasel your way into almost anyone’s good graces with “homemade” cookies. And chances are, you need all the good graces you can get.

This holiday season, let’s remember the folks we usually forget to thank – the folks who truly make our lives better. Not only do they deserve our appreciation and gratitude (obviously,) but they also hold the power to make future days more pleasant or less pleasant, depending solely on how they feel about us.

With that in mind, here are five people you should butter up, and reap the benefits for months to come…

1. The Gatekeeper. The person who answers the phone is your key to unlocking the inner sanctum of the office, school, or daycare. She sees all things, knows all things, and has the power to make your life easier or much, MUCH more difficult.

2. The Neighbors. They see you run to the recycling bin or the mailbox in your see-through pajama pants and your boxer-shorted husband stumble into the kitchen every morning to make coffee. They hear you screaming at your sons as they run naked through the yard, and they watch your youngest child pee in the flower beds. Your neighbors see and hear everything you hope they didn’t see or hear, because they live right next door. Buttering them up is not only polite – after what they have witnessed, it would actually be rude NOT TO.

3. The Doctors. There are a slew of medical professionals in a mom’s life: the pediatrician, the optometrist, the allergist, the gynecologist, the dentist, and the dermatologist – just to name a few. These people have seen everything from your vagina to your child’s grossest rashes, and yet they continue to take your business. Your doctor can make the choice to see you on short notice or even take extra time to talk to you about your moles if you play your cards right.

4. The School Staff. The teachers are already on your list, (RIGHT?!) but what about the nurses, the office staff, the vice principal, the carpool monitor? These people have the power to overlook your child’s late entrance and decide when (or when not) to bother you at work and ask that you retrieve your sick child.

5. The UPS Driver. He is the one who will safely deliver the items you ordered on Black Friday when you were too lazy to put on pants. He decides how long to knock on your door, how many times to ring your doorbell, and how far out of the elements (rain, sleet, snow) to stow your packages. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to bribe him? Um, yeah.

So, what are you waiting for? Get that apron on and get your butt in the kitchen. It’ll pay off in the end, promise!

This post has been sponsored by Betty Crocker, who makes it easy to butter up all the folks in your life who need buttering. Visit Bettycrocker.com/spreadcheer for coupons, recipes, gift tag printables, and everything you need to #spreadcheer this holiday season. Happy baking!