Whether you’re a newlywed planning your first big holiday feast or a party planning pro looking to spice things up at your holiday table, every home cook can use a little help during the holidays. At Ocean Spray, we're holiday specialists. After all, cranberries have had a starring role on tables for hundreds of years.

Here are some tips to help get you through the biggest meal of the year!

Stress Free Preparation
Good parties take some planning, but they don’t need to be complicated. Be realistic with your time and energy, plan your approach, keep your sense of humor and most of all, have fun. After all, you should enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else.

• Keep organized with checklists and post a holiday calendar countdown on your fridge to remind you to stay on top of all your party planning to dos. This will ensure you don’t forget the little things, like polishing the good silver and washing the nice linens ahead of time or creating playlists of your favorite holiday songs for the evening.
  
• Make a timetable. Include time to shop, prepare foods, set the table and decorate.

• If guests offer to bring something, let them. A contribution of bread or rolls, a side dish or a favorite dessert is one less thing you have to worry about.

• If you do the cooking yourself, plan to do as much as possible ahead of time, to avoid that last minute rush.
  
• Enlist the kids to wash vegetables, roll out pie dough and set the table. Or keep them busy with craft ideas that can make great decorations for the holiday table.

• Have someone come a bit early to help with decorations, organize foods and pass appetizers. Don't forget to enlist help from the kids. Older kids can help with simple decorations, clear away clutter or pass appetizers.
  
• Assign people to bring foods; appetizers are fun and easy to bring along. So are desserts.
  
• Have a "job jar" or list of ways others can help. Guests can pick a simple way to help out, from setting the table to pouring drinks.