It’s that time of year again! The craziness of Talloween has passed, the air is getting colder, and it’s time to begin planning your annual Friendsgiving festivities! I love being able to gather the friends I love most and eat good food among great company. Having a Friendsgiving in college is so fun and a great way to spend time with the loved ones you’ve found on campus, especially if you’re not traveling home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Friendsgiving is great, but it can also be a lot of work. It’s hard to coordinate a meal for so many people, let alone find time for you and your busy besties to gather together. It can get overwhelming very easily. Here are some tips that I’ve found make Friendsgiving as easy and stress-free as possible!
Plan, Plan, Plan
Being a host can be incredibly stressful, so I try to make my job as easy as possible. I plan out every single step, even if it seems excessive. The key to a successful Friendsgiving is preparation. I try to start planning Friendsgiving as soon as Halloween blows over to give myself ample time to prepare! I have my dish ideas, decorations, guest list, activities, and attire prepped and ready to go. It may be more work on the front end, but I find myself immensely grateful when the day comes around and I’m enjoying the festivities as a stress-free host!
I’ll Bring the Turkey
We all hate the person who only brings paper plates — I try to ensure that everybody contributes equally! Before I kick off my feast, I always make sure that me and my besties have communicated who’s bringing what. I found that setting up a shared document or group chat to keep track of who is bringing what is very helpful. We don’t all have access to the same ingredients or appliances, so we do our best to make our Friendsgiving financially fair for everyone involved. Traditional dishes are great, but I try to make my meal(s) creative!
TikTok videos can be so helpful in finding new recipe ideas. They often jog my memory for classic Thanksgiving dishes, such as traditional sides and desserts that are easy to forget. I know I’ll be creating a new folder to save all the yummy recipe ideas I find!
Say Cheese
The best part of Friendsgiving is the memories my friends and I make. Who wouldn’t want those memories to be documented, too? I always encourage a cute but casual dress code to ensure my friends and I show up picture-perfect for our meal! I just recently joined the social media app Lapse, and I know for sure I’ll be creating an album specifically for my favorite pictures that I take at my Friendsgiving.
Hosting a Friendsgiving in college is so exciting! With the right planning and the right people, I can create an exciting night full of memories that my friends and I will cherish for years to come. I wish you a happy and joyous Friendsgiving!
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