A Friendsgiving was had here over the weekend.

 The past few weeks we have been feverishly preparing to host our 20 guests in our 1200 square foot condo. A trick indeed to be able to seat those many people and not be too claustrophobic.

We went potluck style. Each person brought their own dish and we contributed our home, a turkey, gravy and apps. The dinner was so delicious. Each person's dish was well received. My picky eater self didn't try everything (I have trust issues with stuffing) but I have it on good authority from my husband that everything was delicious.

It was great to be able to have everyone together and continue our tradition this year. We also told people we would be making a trip to a local food bank to put together a Christmas dinner basket and they were more than welcome to bring a contribution.

Our friends did not disappoint. It felt great when people brought in bags to share with our donation knowing that we were about to have one of the first of our holiday celebrations.

Wishbone 

Sunday we recovered. After a full Friday, Saturday day prep, I just wanted to veg out on the couch. And that's what I did. We had leftovers for dinner and I ate chips for a snack. Then, I tuned in for the AMAs. Decent show.


Here's to my last week in retail and a week of many thanks!

5 Tips for a Successful Friendsgiving

Friendsgiving has started to become quite a common get together the past few years. If you are unfamiliar, Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving gathering of your friends. It can be held Thanksgiving day if you are far from family or even the week before or after. We are on our 3rd year of Friendsgiving and it's become a great time to slow down during the holidays and really enjoy company with friends.

This year, we are the hosts of Friendsgiving and I wanted to share a few tips with you of what it takes to host a {hopefully} successful Friendsgiving.

Menu. 
Decide what kind of meal you will be serving. Will it be a nice sit down dinner with the normal Thanksgiving fixings? Or maybe you will want to try out a potluck style dinner where everyone contributes a part of the meal. Just make sure you know who is bringing what and there isn't a key component left out. Dessert is never a negotiation.

via

Atmosphere.
As you gather for your Friendsgiving, many friends will be chatting and creating the atmosphere on their own. But it's a great idea to have some background noise to go along with it. Play your favorite Thanksgiving play list or perhaps your favorite tv show's Thanksgiving episodes. We will be finding out best Friends and How I Met Your Mother Thanksgiving episodes. And decide on seating for your guests, get creative if you need to.

Festive Decor.
Now is the perfect time to show off any of your DIY accomplishments and HomeGoods find. Aren't we all a little #HomeGoodsHappy? If you are like us, finishing your everyday decorating will be helpful too. Bare living room walls might scream for other decorators.

Drinks. 
Offer your friends a fall cocktail or a Friendsgiving signature drink if you are feeling creative. Make it festive with a nice straw or some cranberries. Or maybe you just want to open a bottle of wine and have a few beers. Just make sure you have a drink plan. It isn't a holiday dinner without alcohol.

Apple Pie on the Rocks

To-Go Containers. 
Especially important to help get all that food out of your fridge and keep those extra pounds off. It's nice to offer to pack up doggy bags for your guests to take some things home with them. I know I do not want any extra desserts or appetizers left for me to eat for no good reason.

If you have taken care of these, you are sure to have a successful Friendsgiving. Any tips you would suggest if you have Friendsgiving?