Presents are great, but we know what really makes a holiday special: THE FOOD!

Meal planning takes work, especially when you are the host or hostess. Not only do you want to make sure you get all of the basics - which can be easy to forget - but sometimes you will haved to deal with food allergies, special diets, and picky toddlers. Click on the links to the left for ideas to add to your spread!

I mean - just look at that table:

Here are a few tips for bringing your meal together with ease:

Delegate

Remember to delegate out dishes. If you know something is going to take a long time to cook, and you're already in charge of the turkey or ham, assign it to a relative or friend. Always, always asks guests to bring a dessert, but make sure there are not multiples of anything. No one needs five apple pies!

Do your prep work

Don't try to cook everything the day of the dinner. You will overwhelm yourself and you won't get to enjoy the holiday. Prep as much as you can beforehand, this way you will only have a few things to cook - chopped vegetables do not keep in the fridge well - and you will only have a couple things to cook.

Imbibe mindfully - and hydrate

You should also be mindful of how much you are sipping throughout the day. Drinking too much alcohol and not enough water is a recipe for disaster! (See what I did there?)