4 Tips for Throwing Your First Friendsgiving
My first ever Friendsgiving. A night full of great food, even better company, beautiful-uplifting conversation, delusional laughter, & tons of new memories.
I am in love with this stage of life. Finally living in my own place and old enough to host Holiday parties of my own with those who matter most. I learned so much from this whole experience, and if I am being honest, I kind of understand why my mom always ran around like a crazy woman every year on Thanksgiving. Throwing parties can be overwhelming, but if done right, so worth it all. Here is everything I learned from my first Friendsgiving:
Make the most of your little space.
I live in a tiny, one-bedroom, old mattress factory loft. It is perfect size for me and well..my dog, but trying to fit all of my friends gets tricky. So I decided to keep my guest list small, invite my 10 closest friends, and then make the rest work. I rearranged my WHOLE house. I hid things that were unnecessary for the night such as my TV and small furniture that took up space in my closet or laundry room - and then I got crafty! Knowing that my tiny table-for-two would be no good for the night, I created a long rectangular table by stacking three pallets on top of each other and used other little tables I had around to display all the food. We then sat around the quaint little pallet table with floor pillows and enjoyed our fun & non-traditional Friendsgiving in the most bohemian way possible.
Set the Table.
Don't be afraid to mix & match your table settings. Borrow some items from friends or family. I love the almost imperfect feel it brings. I bought mason jars to use as our drinking glasses to add to the rustic, homey feel. They are also inexpensive! I got enough for my whole party (with a few extras) for only $10!
Just add candles and a few simple flowers, leaves, or succulents for easy decoration. My centerpiece was made mostly from the garden downstairs!
Create & Fun, Versatile Menu.
Being my first Friendsgiving, or really my first time ever hosting a dinner party, I decided to go a bit overboard. I wanted to spoil my guests with all the Thanksgiving must-haves while creating a few whacky dishes (because breaking tradition is fun) and had each friend bring their favorite dish as well. With half of my guests being Australian and knowing nothing about our American holiday, some of the dishes we ended up with were... well interesting and nontraditional in any sense BUT IT WAS DELICIOUS. By the end we all ended up lying on the floor, staring into the fairy lights, way too full to move.
Feel free to break the rules. Cook your ham in pineapple juice (no really - it's incredible) & turn your boring cornbread into Pumpkin Spice Heaven. Get the recipe here! Discover your own go-to dishes that will become a Friendsgiving tradition from here on.
Focus on what it's all about.
Leave all the stress behind. No matter what burns, doesn't have enough seasoning, or didn't turn out quite how you hoped it would - live in the moment and enjoy your special night just as it is. No one remembers small mistakes but only the memories that you created together. Finish the night off chatting about what you are thankful for each other for & laughing too hard at ridiculous board games.
XX- Happy Friendsgiving Threads Babes!