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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clark chapter.

We all love getting together for a nice Friendsgiving dinner around this time of year, especially if you can’t make it home to your family. If you’re hosting your squad’s Friendsgiving this year, there are some important things to think about that will make your event a success. We’ve put together the top 10 things to think about when planning your Friendsgiving to ensure that it will be the best one yet!

  1. Get an accurate count of who is eating and attending before you buy the food. There’s nothing worse than shelling out money for a bunch of food only to have fewer guests than you expected (and fewer people pitching in to pay you back, too.) Try to nail down an accurate number of people who are definitely attending before you buy the food.
  2. Be aware of dietary restrictions. With large groups of people there are bound to be at least a few dietary restrictions among the group. Make sure you know what they are ahead of time so you can plan a menu accordingly and make sure there’s something for everyone at your feast.
  3. Make sure you have enough silverware and dishes to accommodate everyone. Think about what you’ll need for serving utensils as well. If you’re low on these supplies, you can either buy paper and plastic products or ask everyone to bring their own place setting.
  4. Plan out who is bringing which desserts and make sure they aren’t the same. Whenever there’s a potluck, at least 2 people will always bring virtually the same brownies or cookies. To eliminate this overlap, have everyone tell you what they’re bringing beforehand.
  5. Go to the craft studio to make sure you have decorations. Atmosphere is equally as important as food during the holidays! Make some cute Friendsgiving signs or table decorations at the craft studio a few days before. Small touches like this will bring your Friendsgiving over the top!
  6. Set the mood with a movie like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. This will give your guests time to relax and digest after the meal and bring everyone back to their childhoods.
  7. Rearrange your furniture before your guests arrive to make sure you have ample space, and if you don’t, make sure to get additional seating. Plan out logistics such as where you will set up the food and how you will accommodate all your guests at the table. Doing this ahead of time will make your actual Friendsgiving much less stressful and much more organized.
  8. Find out where you can stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you’re hosting on Thanksgiving Day, the Macy’s parade is the perfect thing to have on TV while your guests arrive! If you don’t have cable, find out where online you can stream the parade coverage.
  9. Send out reminders to your guests beforehand to make sure everyone is there on time. You don’t want to be sitting around while the food gets cold waiting for latecomers that didn’t know the exact time to come! If your friends are chronically late, a good trick is to tell them to arrive a half an hour before you actually want them to get there. This means that if they are late, they should be arriving right when you initially wanted them to anyway.
  10. Make sure everyone is on the same page about dress code. Maybe you want to go for a comfy vibe where everyone wears sweats and yoga pants, or maybe you’d rather everyone get a little fancy for this special occasion. Either way, let your guests know ahead of time!

We hope these tips will make your Friendsgiving the best one yet!

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Kelly is a student at Clark University pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies and Communications with a minor in Business Management. When Kelly is not in class, you can find her working in the Education Department at The Hanover Theatre, teaching Zumba classes and dancing her heart out with Clark University's Dance Society. Her favorite color is pink (especially Her Campus pink!) and she loves everything monogrammed. Kelly enjoys spending time with her friends, family, boyfriend, and two adorable cats. Kelly is thrilled to be a new Campus Correspondent alongside one of her best friends, Ciara Kilian. Follow along with her on Instagram and Twitter @kellrour HCXO!
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Haley is a student at Clark University studying Management with plans to pursue an MBA. On campus you can find Haley working as an assistant in the President's Office, or dancing (like nobody's watching!) with Clark University Dance Society. Beyond campus she loves her cat, her cousins, and chocolate. Her favorite color is pink, and she could watch The Mindy Project for days. Haley is looking forward to being a part of the Her Campus Clark team!
Annabelle is a Senior at Clark University, finishing her undergraduate studies in Business Management, and starting her MBA studies in the 5th year accelerated degree program at Clark. She loves fashion, photography, and writing!
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Gaby is an undergraduate student at Clark University majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Race and Ethnic Relations. On campus, she is a goalkeeper on Clark's field hockey team, a mentor and member of the curriculum team for All Kinds of Girls, and a volunteer for Youth Outreach- Worcester. When she's not worrying about school, she enjoys spending time with her friends, listening to music, and catching up on her favorite Netflix shows (specifically Jane the Virgin and How to Get Away With Murder). Gaby is very excited to be a part of the Clark Her Campus team!  
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Oliva is an undergraduate student the Clark University studing Envroinmetnal Science on a 3/2 Engineering track for Columbia University. On campus she is a foward for the field hockey team and an outfeilder for the softball team. In her free time she enjoys catching up on novels and tv shows when not studing. Some of her favorite shows include Once Upon a Time, House of Cards, Bones, and Arrow. Olivia is extremly happy to be a part of the Clark chapter of Her Caampus.
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Isabelle is a student at Clark University, who has declared as a Cultural Studies and Communications major and a minor in sociology. She is a yoga instructor at Clark, as well as the manager for the Clark Field Hockey team. She has a deep love for sea turtles, the free people Instagram account, and card making. When she isn’t procrastinating school work she can be found on the sidelines of Clark athletics events, or hanging out with friends and family. Isabelle is really excited to be a contributing member of the Her Campus team. 
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Jess is a Senior at Clark University who hails from Detroit, Michigan. She spends her time at college studying Psychology and Culture Studies & Communication, and trying to get involved in everything she can on campus! Jess wears a number of hat's around campus such as, President of the Student Activities Board, Co-President of Radio of Clark University, an intern for the Student Leadership and Programming Office, waitress at Annies Clark Brunch, and the Events Director for Clark's chapter of Her Campus! In her spare time Jess enjoys listening to music, reading, exploring Worcester, and spending time with friends!
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Samantha is currently a sophomore at Clark University, double majoring in English and French. In her free time she enjoys figure skating, spending time with family and friends, working out, and writing. She is ecstatic to have the wonderful opportunity to write for Her Campus and cannot wait to see what the future holds for Her Campus at Clark!
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Samantha Coleman is a student at Clark University, in the midst of pursuing a degree in English and Women and Gender Studies. She thoroughly enjoys reading and analyzing literature, especially literature that pertains to the impacts of women on society, which she knows is a hefty impact! Among reading, she is an avid writer, where she creates works that help women feel confident in their own skin. You can find her stretching out on a yoga mat, catching up on personal reading, or throwing punches at a boxing gym. While she hopes to pursue a career in teaching English literature, Samantha is very excited to write for Her Campus.
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