| How to Host a Friendsgiving Posted: 22 Nov 2019 04:00 PM PST Of all the holidays, Thanksgiving has the best food. Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving feast with your friends. And best of all, you and your friends can have whatever foods you want. Find the perfect space to host your Friendsgiving and invite your friends. Ask each of them to choose a dish they want to bring. Make sure no two people bring the same dish. On the day of the event, set the table and provide appetizers for your friends. Introduce your friends to each other and enjoy the camaraderie that follows a successful Friendsgiving. [Edit]Planning the Friendsgiving - Decide when to hold the Friendsgiving. Most Friendsgiving are within a week of Thanksgiving, either the weekend before or the weekend after. Each scheduling decision has its own pros and cons. Weigh the decision carefully, and get your friends' input during the planning stage to find out if most of your friends have a scheduling preference for the Friendsgiving.[1]
- If you schedule your Friendsgiving before Thanksgiving, you could use the event to test new recipes and get feedback on some dishes that you want to bring to your family gathering on Thanksgiving. Plus, your friends will probably still be around.
- If you hold your Friendsgiving the weekend following Thanksgiving, on the other hand, your friends might still be out of town with their own families. Plus, they could be burned out on eating turkey (if you choose to incorporate it).
- On the plus side of hosting a Friendsgiving after Thanksgiving, though, you can get turkey and lots of other Thanksgiving foods on sale.
- If you plan to host a Friendsgiving instead of (or in addition to) attending your family's own Thanksgiving, you and your friends could schedule the Friendsgiving on Thanksgiving day.
- Choose a location. You'll probably have the Friendsgiving at your house, but you need to locate the best place to host the event and find ways to maximize your space. For instance, if you have an outdoor patio with a table that seats eight, but your dining room table only seats four, you'll probably want to have the Friendsgiving outside on the patio.[2]
- Think about what the weather is usually like in your area in late November. If you're at a high likelihood of rain or nasty weather, you'll have no choice but to host your Friendsgiving inside.
- If you want to host the Friendsgiving indoors but don't have enough space, you might be able to rent furniture from furniture rental companies for the event. Even a few card tables and folding chairs can provide you with the extra seating you need.[3]
- Alternately, you could hose the Friendsgiving at your significant other's house (with their permission), or at the home of a close friend who has more space.
- Invite your friends. Without your friends, you can't have a Friendsgiving. There are several ways to ask your friends to attend your Friendsgiving. For instance, you could:[4]
- Send your friends an email or text message. Write, "Hi, I'm having a Friendsgiving on [insert date]. Would you like to come? If so, can you bring a dish to share with everyone else? Write me back soon with your decision and any questions. : )"
- Talk to your friend directly or call your friend on the phone. Ask your friend, "Would you like to come to my Friendsgiving celebration? i'm inviting several friends and everyone will bring a dish to share. Are you free on [insert date]?"
- Don't invite too many people. Think about how much space you have at your home. If your dining table only seats six, invite six people. If you can make room for extra seats or a foldout table, go for it, but stay conscious of how many friends can eat comfortably at your home.
- Talk about what each friend will bring. At Friendsgiving, each friend should bring a dish to share. But you want to ensure that your friends don't all bring the same dish (ten pumpkin pies, for instance, might be a bit much). Coordinate with your friends to identify a dish that they can provide.[5][6]
 - If your friends are really passionate about cooking a particular dish or type of food, encourage them to bring their specialty.
- For instance, if your friend has a top-notch mac & cheese recipe, encourage them to make and bring that.
- Suggest to your friends that they can also buy ready-made foods, and do not have to cook anything from scratch.[7]
- Let your friends know how many people are coming so they can provide enough to feed the whole group.
- If your friend is bringing their significant other, ask them to bring two dishes.
- Think about friends with special diets. For instance, if some of your friends are vegan, ask them and a few other friends to make (or buy) vegan dishes. Friends with special diets should be able to have a proper meal, not just a single item.
- Ask your friends to have their dishes ready to eat when they arrive at the party. Otherwise, you could end up with a roomful of friends all vying to use the oven.
- The only exception to the free choice of dish each friend can bring is the turkey. If you decide to include turkey in your Friendsgiving, you the host should cook it and the gravy, because nobody wants to transport a big, cooked bird and a pot of gravy to another house.[8]
- Don't feel trapped by Thanksgiving traditions. Thanksgiving is associated with several specific foods like turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. But Friendsgiving isn't Thanksgiving. You can break the rules, or make new ones. For instance, instead of turkey, you could have sushi. Instead of pumpkin pie, get a cake. You could even choose a themed cuisine (like Chinese or Mexican) and have all the Friendsgiving food conform to the theme.[9][10]
- Finalize the plans. When you've figured out when the Friendsgiving will be, who's coming, and what everyone is bringing, send your friends a mass email with all the information. You could also use an app like Google Calendar to coordinate and finalize all these details. This will give your guests the opportunity to clarify and confirm what or who they're bringing.[11][12]
[Edit]Organizing on Friendsgiving Day - Tally your plates and flatware. Before inviting a bunch of guests to your house for Friendsgiving, ensure they'll all be able to get a plate. Count your knives, spoons, plates, bowls, and forks. You should have at least one for every person who is attending, plus one of each for you.[13][14]
- If you don't have enough flatware and plates, purchase some sturdy disposable plates and plasticware for the event.
- You could also ask a friend to bring a few extra plates and flatware sets for the Friendsgiving.
- Have snacks and appetizers available. Hors d'oeuvres and appetizers provide an opportunity for friends who don't know each other well to mingle and chat. They also provide a little something to stave off hunger if some of your guests are running late and you don't want to start the Friendsgiving dinner without them, or if some of your dishes aren't quite ready on time.[15]
- Pre-made snacks and appetizer platters are readily available at most grocery stores. You might consider getting a meat, cheese, and crackers platter, or a fruit salad.
- Veggie trays with carrots, celery, and pepper sticks and ranch (or another veggie dip) is the perfect appetizer for healthy friends.
- Have a variety of appetizers ready to appease the various tastes of your friends.
- Since snacks should be ready to eat as soon as guests arrive, it's best to provide the snacks and appetizers yourself unless you have a very trustworthy and reliable friend who you are sure can arrive before anyone else. If you arrange for your trustworthy friend to bring the appetizers and hors d'oeuvres, let them know that you're counting on them.
- Set the table. There are many ways to set the table. You could cover the table with an elegant and decorate tablecloth, or you could just leave the bare wood of the table showing. You could place candles or flowers in the center of the table to set the mood, but if you're cramped for space, you could just reserve your table space for the dishes you and your friends will enjoy.[16][17]
- You could set placemats in front of each seat.
- You could also wrap silverware in a napkin and place it in front of each seat for a more formal dining experience.
- Experiment with different styles before the Friendsgiving and find one that works for you. Use your knowledge about your friends and their preferences to find something that will make the event enjoyable and memorable for them, too.
- If your cuisine has a theme, your table-setting should conform to that theme, too. For instance, if your Friendsgiving theme is Japanese food, you might place a small bust of a geisha or a folding fan in the middle of the table.
[Edit]Having a Great Friendsgiving - Let your guests seat themselves. Friendsgiving should be a low-key affair. There's no need to seat your friends in a formal seating arrangement or use a seating chart to decide who sits where. When your friends come in, say, "Make yourself comfortable and sit wherever you'd like. We'll eat soon."[18]
- If some of your friends don't know your other friends, introduce them and share something about each with the other that would be of interest to them.
- For instance, if your friends Joe and Susan don't know one another, say to Joe, "This is Susan. She is an astronaut." Then turn to Susan and say, "This is Joe. He writes about astronauts."
- Provide alcohol. As the host, you'll be responsible for ensuring your guests all have enough to drink. You probably already know your friends' drinking habits, but if you don't you could just ask them at some point before the Friendsgiving what they like to drink. If your friends don't drink much (or at all), then you don't need to have much. But if your friends like drinking during dinner parties and get-togethers, provide an appropriate amount and variety of booze.[19]
- If you find the cost excessive, you could also ask each of your guests to bring a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer along with their dish.[20]
- In addition to alcohol, of course, your Friendsgiving should have soda, water, and juice available for people who don't want to drink.
- Don't forget to stock up on ice for both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.
- Dig in. All the dishes should be placed on the table and passed around, or arranged on the kitchen counter for buffet-style self-service. If your food is arranged on the counter, fold a notecard in half along its vertical axis, then turn it sideways to create a small sign. Write the name of the dish and the name of the person who made it on each card.[21]
- Schedule some activities. After dinner, invite your friends to join in card games like 21, poker, or hearts. You and your guests might also enjoy a rousing round of Trivial Pursuit or charades. Think about what sorts of activities you and your friends enjoy and provide the opportunities to do them at your house.[22]
- To keep the Friendsgiving in the spirit of Thanksgiving, you could provide everyone with a small piece of note paper and a pen and invite them to anonymously write something they're thankful on the notepad and drop it in a jar. During or after the meal, pull out the pieces of paper and read what each person is thankful for.[23]
- You could also take an informal vote among your friends for the best dish of the night. Don't vote for yourself![24]
- Send leftovers home with your guests. If you have anything left over at the end of the night, invite each of your guests to take some leftovers with them in resealable containers or plastic bags. This will ensure they have a little something for the road.[25]
- You might also be able to obtain some disposable takeout containers from certain restaurants. Just approach the restaurant managers and ask if you could have a set of eight or 10 takeout containers and lids for your Friendsgiving.
- Have a good time. If you're having fun, your guests will, too. Even if some small inconvenience occurs a friend spills their wine on the table, or drops gravy on the carpet just stay cool and don't let it get to you. Instead, focus on the big picture you and your friends are enjoying a great meal, great conversation, and having great fun together.[26][27][28]
[Edit]References |
| How to Get Rid of Static Cling Posted: 22 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST Static cling is the result of electrical charges that build up in your clothes due to dryness and friction. There are a few tricks that will get rid of static cling quickly, but you may need to change the way you wash and dry your clothes if static cling becomes a big problem in your wardrobe. To remove cling quickly, rub your clothes with a metal object to remove the electrical charge. You can also rub lotion into your skin or spray your clothes with hairspray. For long term solutions, change the way you do your laundry. Add vinegar or baking soda to your wash cycle, and consider air drying your clothes to avoid static altogether. [Edit]Using Metal to Remove Static - Slide the affected clothes through a metal hanger. After you've washed and dried your clothes, grab a metal or wire clothing hanger. Before you put your clothes on, gently glide the metal hanger over your clothes. The metal discharges the electricity and removes the static. When you go to hang your clothing, hang clothing that is sticking and clinging with a metal hanger.[1]
- You can also pass a metal hanger in between your skin and your clothes after putting the clothes on.
- This works particularly well with delicate fabrics, like silk. However, metal wire hangers can distort some clothing items, like heavy sweaters. If you think that your clothing may be damaged by a wire hanger, simply run the hanger over the surface of the fabric before storing your item some other way.
- Hide a safety pin inside of your clothes to absorb static. Take a metal safety pin and turn your clothing inside out. Unlock the pin and slide it through the seam of your clothing so that it's hidden from the outside. Turn your clothing out to face the right direction and put your clothing on. The safety pin will absorb any static electricity.[2]
- It doesn't matter if you're removing your clothes from the dryer, closet, or dresser. The pin will still work to remove static cling.
- Avoid placing the pin on the front or near an exposed hem, since others will be able to see it if you do.
- Run a metal thimble or brush over the fabric. Running a metal object across your clothing discharges the static electricity. After drying your clothes, put a metal thimble on your finger. Run the finger across the surface of every clothing item to reduce the static charge. You can use a metal-bristled brush instead of a thimble if you prefer, although this may not be the best choice if your fabric could snag on the bristles.[3]
- As with other tricks involving metal, the idea is to discharge the electrical charge to prevent static. Touching any metal object will accomplish the same goal if you do not have a metal thimble.
- Drag a metal object over the shirt to gather electrical charge. If you don't have a thimble, brush, hanger, or pin, any metal object will successfully remove an electrical charge. A fork, spoon, bowl, gear, screwdriver, or any other object will work so long as it's made of metal. Make sure that your metal object is clean before running it over your clothes.[4]
[Edit]Spraying Your Clothes - Spritz your clothes with hairspray to remove static. Grab any can of hairspray. Stand away from your clothing and spray it with the hairspray for 3-4 seconds. This will lightly cover the clothing in the hairspray without soaking it. Hairspray is specially formulated to combat static in your hair, but the same chemicals will prevent static cling from occurring on your clothes.[5]
- Do this immediately before you wear your clothes so that the hairspray doesn't have time to wear off or dissipate.
- Hairspray won't normally stain your fabric, but it may leave a residue behind. If you're worried about staining or damaging your clothing item, turn it inside-out before spraying the hair product on to your clothes.
- Spray a fabric conditioner on your clothes to minimize cling. Mix 1-part of liquid fabric softener with 30-parts water and fill an empty spray bottle with the ingredients. Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients together. Stand away from your clothing and mist your clothing for 4-5 seconds. This will minimize the effect of static cling on your clothing. Do this right before you're going to put your clothes on for the best results.[6]
- Most fabric softeners won't stain your clothing, especially when it is diluted with water. If you're worried about staining your clothes, turn the clothing inside-out before spritzing it.
- Stain removers and wrinkle removers will usually work just as well.
- Mist your dried clothes lightly with water. Fill an empty spray bottle with lukewarm tap water. Stand away from your clothing and spritz it 4-5 times while standing . Spray enough water to mist your clothing without soaking it or making it damp. The water will neutralize the static charges that cause cling to occur.[7]
- Do this right before you put your clothing item on for the best results.
[Edit]Adjusting the Wash Cycle - Add of baking soda to your wash cycle. Baking soda will function the same way as fabric conditioner to absorb the electrical charges as your clothes wash. Before you start your wash cycle, pour of baking soda into the drum of the washer. Add your standard detergent and wash your clothes as you normally do.[8]
- If you plan on machine drying your clothes, some of the charge may come back after the baking soda has been washed out. This method works best when used in conjunction with another way of removing static. You may not need to use another method if you air dry your clothes instead of machine-drying them, though.
- For smaller loads with less than of clothing, feel free to decrease the amount of baking soda to .
- Baking soda effectively creates a barrier around each garment, preventing negative and positive charges from building up and causing the garments to stick together.
- Baking soda has the added benefit of neutralizing odors.
- Sprinkle of white vinegar into your rinse cycle. After the washing machine completes its initial wash cycle, pause the machine and pour of distilled white vinegar over your clothes. Restart the machine and allow it to continue its rinse cycle. Vinegar softens fabrics, preventing them from becoming too stiff and dry. This also helps to reduce the amount of static build-up.[9]
- Do not use vinegar with bleach. These ingredients produce a noxious gas when they're combined. Do not use this method with the baking soda, although it's fine if you want to use tinfoil and fabric softener.
- If you don't want your clothes to smell like white vinegar, soak a washcloth in the vinegar instead and add that to the rinse cycle. The odor shouldn't be too overwhelming, even if you add the vinegar straight to the rinse water.
- If you have a softener dispenser in your machine, you can pour the vinegar inside at the start of the entire cycle. Adding vinegar to your clothing also results in brighter colors and cleaner whites.
- White vinegar works best, but in a pinch, you can use apple cider vinegar. You may not want to use apple cider vinegar on white or lightly-colored clothing, though.
- Throw a ball of tinfoil into the washing machine with your clothes. Take a sheet of tinfoil and crumple it up into a small ball. Pack it tightly by squeezing it between both of your hands over and over. Add your ball of tinfoil to your washer and run your normal cycle. The tinfoil discharges positive and negative charges that the washing machine produces.[10]
- You can use tinfoil along with any other method, although you should avoid mixing baking soda and vinegar in your washing machine.
- Use fabric softener to prevent charges from building up. Liquid fabric softener helps prevent static from building up during the wash cycle. Add of liquid softener to your standard cycle per your softener's instructions. As wet clothes are tossed around in the washer, they build up an electrical charge that causes them to stick together. Fabric softeners contain chemicals designed to stop that electricity from building.[11]
- Softener sheets work the same way as fabric softener. Get sheets if you want to avoid messy liquids. Softener sheets are typically added to the dryer, though.
- You can use fabric softener alongside any other method in this section.
[Edit]Drying Your Clothing - Add a dryer ball to your dryer before adding your wet clothes. Dryer balls will work the exact same way as the sheets or fabric softener. They are designed to soften clothes without the use of chemicals. Add 1-2 dryer balls to your machine when you transfer your wet clothes to the dryer and run your dryer cycle as you normally do.[12]
- Dryer balls also minimize the amount of contact fabrics have with one another in the machine. Electrical charges build up in fabric as one piece rubs up against another, so minimizing this contact also minimizes static.
- Add a damp washcloth to the last 10 minutes of the drying cycle. When your drying cycle has 10 minutes remaining, pause it. Switch the dryer to the lowest heat setting and throw a clean, damp washcloth into the machine. Turn the cycle back on and finish it. The water will absorb some of the electrical charges from the dryer and encourage clothes to remain soft and cling-free.[13]
- This is essentially the same thing as misting your clothes with water after they dry.
- Shake your clothes when removing them from the dryer. As you remove each item of clothing from your dryer, give them 2-3 quick shakes. This prevents static from setting in as your clothes are placed on another surface.
- This only works if you take your clothes out immediately after they've finished drying.
- Air dry your clothes to avoid static altogether. Instead of running your clothes through the machine, dry them by hanging them on a clothesline or closet rod. Take each item out of the machine after it has finished washing and hang it on the line or rod with a hanger or clothespins. Alternatively, you can run the dryer through half of a cycle to partially dry your clothes and then air dry them for the remainder of the time.[14]
- A good portion of the electrical build-up responsible for static cling occurs when wet clothes are completely dried out using heat. Air drying prevents clothing from becoming extremely dry, which also prevents it from developing too much of an electrical charge.
- For an added layer of cling removal, hang your clothes on metal hangers to air dry them.
[Edit]Making Simple Daily Adjustments - Moisturize your skin to keep clothes from sticking. Any kind of moisturizing lotion will work to remove static cling. Before putting your clothes on, rub moisturizer into your legs, torso, and arms. Work it into your skin until there are no visible globs of lotion remaining. Moisturizer will dispel static as your clothes absorb it from your skin.[15]
- By moisturizing your skin, you remove dryness that would otherwise attract a highly-charged fabric.
- You can rub lotion over your hands before removing laundry from the dryer or folding your clothes. This will prevent excess electrical charge from transferring from your hands to the fabric.
- Use a moisturizing conditioner to maintain your hairstyle. If static cling from your clothing is causing your hair to become frizzy, get a moisturizing conditioner or hair product. When you shower, rub the conditioner through your hair after shampooing. If you're using a moisturizing hair product, dry your hair and work the product through each section of your hair before styling it.[16]
- Silicone-based conditioners will help keep static away from your hair more effectively, but there's a lot of debate over whether silicone is good for your hair or not.
- Moisturizing your hair will keep your hair from drying out. Dry hair is prone to attracting static electricity, which is what causes static cling.
- Swap your rubber-soled shoes out for a leather pair. Most shoes have rubber soles. This presents a problem with static though, since static charges can build up in rubber. If you find your clothes developing static cling throughout the day, swap your shoes out for a pair of leather-soled shoes.[17]
- Wearing leather shoes will help you stay grounded since leather does not build up electrical charge as easily as rubber.
- If you find yourself constantly dealing with static cling, put a humidifier in the room where you wash and dry your clothes. The humidity will help resolve the problem by reducing the electrical charge in the dry air.[18]
- Synthetic fabrics are more likely to develop static cling than natural fibers, like cotton or wool.[19]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Using Metal to Remove Static - Metal hanger
- Metal brush or thimble
- Safety pin
[Edit]Spraying Your Clothes - Spray bottle
- Fabric softener
- Water
- Hairspray
[Edit]Adjusting the Wash Cycle - Fabric softener
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
[Edit]Drying Your Clothing [Edit]Making Simple Daily Adjustments - Leather shoes
- Hair moisturizer
- Conditioner
- Moisturizing lotion
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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