- Marissa George
Three Easy Friendsgiving planning Tips
Thanksgiving is no doubt the main event of November, however another gather, Friendsgiving is quickly gaining momentum. Although it is just another excuse to eat, drink and hang out with friends, Friendsgiving is becoming, if not already a popular activity in November. More and more friends group are attempting to plan their first Friendsgiving dinner, or looking for a few tips to make this years gathering better than the last. So, in the spirit of keeping it simple and stress-free, here are three easy tips to guide you while planning your very own Friendsgiving.
Pick a theme.
In my opinion Friendsgiving is basically thanksgiving non-formal sister. It is a great opportunity to take the formality out of your yearly gathering. A great way to do this is to pick a theme. Last year my friends and i decided on a onesie theme. We knew that we wanted super casual, and what better way to be super casual than to wear pajama's ! Start the conversation with your friends about themes you would like to try. A theme also can apply to the food being served. If you do not want traditional thanksgiving food, maybe everyone wants pizza, or Chinese take out. Whatever it is make it fun and memorable.
Divide and conquer.
If you and your friends do decide to have a formal gather, that's ok ! However....Cooking a full thanksgiving meal is a huge task, splitting the responsibility is less of a daunting task. If you are the planner of the group, do not take the responsibility of cook and host, ask your friends to contribute. If you are a contributor, do not be afraid to buy store bought items (especially if you can not cook !), if it taste great no one will care if you made it yourself or bought it from the store. Sharing the responsibilities gives everyone the opportunity to be a part of what should be a fun experience. Remember this is supposed to be a less stressful gathering, try not to over complicate and simplify.
Be realistic.
If this is your first attempt of planning friends-giving, or your fifth time around, being realistic of everyone's schedule is number one on the list when planning. This year for example, my friends and i have very busy schedules, between my friends who have kids and others work obligations. Finding a date that worked for everyone was difficult, not to mention finding the time to actually cook the meals. Rather than canceling, we decided to pick a great restaurant , relax, have someone else cook and still call it friends-giving. Be realistic, if its impossible to plan, find other creative ways to make it happen. Because going to a restaurant isn't less friendsgiving-ish, than having a four course meal at a friends home, its the gather that matters most.
Picture from my Friendsgiving 2017 :Korean bbq
Pictures from my Friends-giving 2016 : Onesie pajama theme
