CC Sunscreens has been in the business of helping Arizonans live more comfortably since 1992. We are proud to be a family-run, locally-owned business. All of our employees are committed to honesty, service, and integrity to our neighbors here in the Valley of the Sun. We serve the entire Phoenix metropolitan area and beyond from Queencreek, Sun City, Buckeye, to Cave Creek and all the surrounding areas.

What’s “Friendsgiving”, anyway?

“Friendsgiving” is exactly as it sounds – a Thanksgiving celebration with your friends. While people have been enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with friends for decades – “Friendsgiving” is a relatively new term. It is often associated with Friends the TV show, but it is actually quite a bit younger than the 1990s hit.

According to an article in Bustle, “Friendsgiving” was coined right around 2008, just as the economy took its major nosedive. Older millenials had just graduated and moved to big exciting cities with hopes and dreams of fancy jobs and grown-up apartments (https://www.bustle.com/p/when-did-friendsgiving-start-its-actually-newer-than-you-might-think-3227865 ). Instead, these millenials actually faced one of the toughest job markets in US history. Worse jobs and high unemployment meant less money. Less money earned meant less money available to travel home for the holidays. Thus, Friendsgiving was born. Whether by choice or by circumstance, spending Thanksgiving with “family you choose” can be extremely fun and successful.

Backyard Friendsgiving Tips and Tricks

Several Phoenicians are transplants, and natives are few and far between. Because of this, many of us are far from home this Thanksgiving. Combine this with our beautiful November weather and Friendsgiving in your backyard may not be a bad idea. The following are some tips and tricks to throw a cheap and chic backyard Friendsgiving this year.

1. Choose a date after Thanksgiving

Unless all of the friends you want to invite to Friendsgiving don’t have family in town, chances are they will have plans on the actual day. Of course you can plan your Friendsgiving for a date prior to Turkey Day, however, if you plan it after you can take advantage of the sales that will surely be happening on everything from turkey to decorations.

2. Make it a potluck

Take some of the load off your shoulders by making your Friendsgiving a potluck this year. Either provide the turkey and the alcohol and have each friend bring a side, or provide the turkey and sides and do it BYOB style. Either way, you’ll have more time to focus on things like the making sure your guests have an awesome time.

3. Cook your turkey on the BBQ
Add to the flair of your backyard Friendsgiving by grilling your turkey this year! Grilled turkey creates a crispy skin with juicy and tender meat. You’ll be able to enjoy the beautiful outdoors while cooking rather than slaving over a hot stove, and you’ll look really cool doing it as well. Another perk – grilled turkey takes only 2-3 hours, rather than the 5-6 hours it takes in the oven. There are a lot of recipes online for grilled Thanksgiving turkey, but one of our favorites can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/13662/the-greatest-grilled-turkey/.

4. Use rentals or go shabby chic

You don’t have to spend a fortune on dinnerware for 10+ people that will only be used twice a year, or worry about polluting the environment with paper or plastic plates and cutlery. Instead, opt for shabby chic dinner place sets or rentals. Shabby chic basically means blending the dinner sets you have now to create multiples sets. For example, if you have 3 dinner sets for 6 people, you can create 18 different place settings by simply mixing and matching. If this is too funky for your tastes, rentals are also a great option. Renting plates, bowls, glasses and silverware is an affordable way to provide matching dinner sets to all partygoers. The best part? Most companies accept returned dishes dirty – making your cleanup that much easier.

5. Party inside a patio shade

Curious creepy crawlies will surely be interested in your Friendsgiving feast. A great way to keep them at bay is to eat inside the protection of a patio shade. A backyard patio shade also provides protection from the sun for your guests. Although we hate to admit it, sometimes Thanksgiving Day can get pretty hot here in Phoenix. Under a patio shade, however, your guests will not only be protected by harmful UV rays but also the searing heat.

Happy Thanksgiving from CC Sunscreens

From all of us at CC Sunscreens, we want to wish you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving this year. We are extremely thankful for our loyal customers, our hardworking staff, and for being in business in Arizona for over 20 years.