For some people, going home for Thanksgiving can be a nightmare. Large family-get-togethers have a tendency to be a recipe for disaster—especially for those of us with dysfunctional families. While a traditional family Thanksgiving may be unavoidable, consider having a Friendsgiving to celebrate the holiday before (or after) you head home for the real Thanksgiving.
They say friends are the family we choose, so why not have a turkey-themed gathering stuffed with friends, delicious food, and experiences that will probably be far less painful than having your family members ask you why you’re still single.
To ensure that your Friendsgiving is one for the books, we wanted to share some tips with our lovely readers.
Tip 1: Make it a potluck!
Let’s face it—cooking is hard for most of us. If you’re hosting the Friendsgiving, do not attempt to channel your inner Betty Crocker by cooking a meal for ten by yourself. Instead, ask each of your attendees to bring a dish! Just make sure everyone is bringing something different. The last thing you want is to end up with ten pumpkin pies because you didn’t think to delegate who was bringing what. If you’re up for it, you could provide some basics. If there’s a Trader Joe’s near you, we strongly suggest you shop there! It’s cheap and you can find everything from green beans to pumpkin ice cream. Here’s our Trader Joe’s Friendsgiving haul:
Tip 2: Get creative!
Friendsgiving doesn’t absolutely have to take place at a huge dining table packed with a giant turkey, stuffing, casseroles, and the like. Think about it, how many of your friends have a dining table big enough to seat ten? You don’t need to feast around a table to enjoy each other’s company. Have your friends eat their meals on the couch, on the floor, wherever! You could even have a Friendsgiving slumber party complete with a Netflix marathon and Chinese takeout, whatever works.
Tip 3: Decorate!
Because it’s sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving usually gets left in the dust. It’s a shame really—Thanksgiving decorations can be really fun to make and cute too! To spice things up a bit, consider making some DIY decorations. There are tons of easy tutorials on Pinterest, you can even search “Friendsgiving” to find tips on decorations, planning, and cooking (if you’re not going the Chinese takeout route). Our Friendsgiving centerpiece is made with a sunflower bouquet ($5.99 from Trader Joe’s) placed in a jar filled with cranberries for a festive look that’s also super simple.
Happy Friendsgiving to all our wonderful readers!