The George-Anne reminds you that it’s illegal for people under the age of 21 to drink alcohol. We encourage you to drink responsibly.

We may not realize it, but as college students, there is a lot we have to be thankful for in our lives. In the midst of all the stress from midterms, football season and the presidential election, students need to take a moment and enjoy what matters.

A great way to come together and rejoice is by planning out a friendsgiving feast. It is more than just Thanksgiving with your closest friends. It is a time to celebrate the semester and other old memories – the good, the bad and the downright embarrassing- with more inappropriate jokes and alcohol than you can with the family.

You can plan the dinner before or after actual Thanksgiving, whatever works best for the crew. Here are a few tips and ideas to assure everything runs smoothly for an unforgettably fun night.

1. First things first, create a GroupMe and include everyone who is invited. This will keep all the information in one place, and no one will be left out of the loop.

2. Create a Spotify playlist and paste the link into the GroupMe. This way, you can please everyone. People can add their favorite new hits, a few fun holiday tunes or those throwbacks that remind you of those hard to remember weekends. Either way, this will keep everyone jamming throughout the night.

3. This may be a dinner with people you see almost every day, but dressing like the adults you all think you are will bring a sophisticated atmosphere to the event. Plus, everyone will look great for pictures. You do not have to pull out pencil skirts and ties, just a nice cute-casual outfit.

4. Make the room’s atmosphere match as well, with holiday-scented candles, some warm colored placemats and of course, some Christmas lights. Think about hanging a “thankful” banner or painted pumpkin centerpieces. Pinterest is the perfect place for DIY decoration ideas.

5. This event would be nothing without food. Plan for everyone in your group to bring a dish. Usually, the host makes the turkey, because that would be difficult to transport. This is a great time to think outside the box with unique and fun dishes, because you will get plenty of the basic turkey and vegetables at home.

Try fried mashed potato gravy bombs, twice baked sweet potatoes with marshmallows, or spicy cranberry barbecue meatballs. This is the best part of the night, so get creative with it.

6. There are always those who have no talent when it comes to cooking, so assign them drink duty. Some drinks they could serve are gallons of tea, apple cider, hot chocolate, or pumpkin spice lattes. Bringing drinks will include cups and maybe ice duty, too. But do not forget to add the very necessary twists to those drinks, making a Pumpkin Spice White Russian, apple pie jello-shots or holiday wine bottles.

7. Speaking of wine, suggesting everyone bring their favorite bottle of wine is a great way to bond over similar drink tastes and to try some flavors you would not usually have. Stray away from the typical Liberty Creek Moscato. You and your friends deserve a night to splurge. Some good suggestions are Apothic Crush, Erath Pinot Gris or Protea Chenin Blanc.

8. Food and drinks? Check. Now, in its own category separate from the main course, we have desserts. Try pecan pie cake rolls, pumpkin spice cheesecake, snickerdoodle party mix or strawberry pecan pretzel salad. Cue the drool and growling bellies.

9. What is a dinner party without drinking games to incite a little competition or tipsy fun? Have your friends drink every time someone says how good the desserts smell, when someone says the turkey is moist (or dry, depending on the outcome), or when someone says they are going on a diet the next day.

Charades and heads up are an awesome way to get some high energy competition going, because we all know everyone gets really involved with those games. Cards against humanity is also a good game to do while sitting and eating.

10. Finally, have plenty of blankets and pillows prepared for those either too drunk to drive home or that pass out from eating too much. Make sure to thank your friends for a successful night.