Ready to move past the "to-do" list and into the "to-be" list? This week, we’re de-cluttering our dreams and bringing them to life with a Friendsgiving: Vision Board Potluck.
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There is a specific kind of magic that happens when you declare your goals in front of your favorite people. In this episode, Sandra Colton-Medici breaks down how to host a high-vibe, creative gathering that turns private resolutions into collective reality.
What’s in this episode:
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The Set-Up: Learn the "Quick Win" for signaling to your guests that it’s time to create, not just consume.
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The Menu: Why "hand-held" and "non-greasy" are the golden rules for crafting. Plus, the best "Brain Power" snacks to keep the post-meal slump at bay.
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The Supply Strategy: Pro-tips on where to source materials and a "Hosting Hack" for guests facing creative block.
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The "Squad Goal" Twist: How to curate a collective vibe and why you should dedicate a corner of your board to a shared friendship goal for 2026.
Action Item: Grab your glue sticks and clear the dining table—it’s time to manifest your year with your inner circle.
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Episode 2 Transcript:
INTRO: We've all been there. It's 4:00 PM on a holiday. You're covered in flour. You just realize that the Turkey is still frozen in the middle, and you haven't even showered yet. The joy of hosting has been replaced by a to-do list that feels kind of like a marathon that you didn't train for and maybe didn't even sign up for the truth.
The stress isn't your fault. We live in a world that waits until the very last second to tell us what we need. Creates a shopping frenzy and calls it tradition. I'm Sandra Colton Medici and I'm here to tell you we're doing it all differently in 2026. Welcome to the Friendsgiving Lifestyle.
SANDRA: Welcome back to the Friendsgiving Lifestyle Podcast. This is episode two, and in this week we are remembering how last time we decluttered our plates. But this week we're going to declutter our dreams. We've all made New Year's resolutions in private that fizzle out by February. I know you know what I'm talking about, but there is a specific kind of magic that happens when you declare your goals in front of your favorite people.
Today we are hosting the Vision Board Potluck. We're moving past the to-do list and into the to be list. Here's your quick win for today. Clear your dining room table completely and cover it in butcher paper. It signals to your guests that the moment they walk in, we are here to create, not just consume.
If you haven't had a chance to check out my new website, it's at Friendsgivingshop.com. Alright, so let's get into the menu. We are really focused on finger foods. This time, since our hands will be busy with scissors and glue sticks, the menu needs to be handheld, if you will, and not greasy. No one wants to smudge buffalo sauce on their 2026 travel goals.
So here's your action item. Keep it high in protein, clean finger foods, think chicken skewers, veggie, summer rolls, and small quiches. If you're doing a potluck route, ask your friends to bring brainpower snacks. This means blueberries, walnuts, or even dark chocolate. It keeps the energy high. Your creative juices are flowing and it doesn't have the post-meal slump.
Let me give you a little bit of supply strategy. As the host, you are the one who's going to provide the bones of the event, which means you need to have a stack of magazines. And here's a pro tip. Go to your local library and ask them for their pile of recycling. Typically, you're gonna find some good reads in there and lots of things that you can craft with.
Don't forget to get your poster boards and your glue stick at the dollar store, and also make sure to get a few pairs of scissors. Don't limit yourself. Another hosting hack. Don't just stick to magazines. Print out what we call power words or affirmation strips beforehand. Sometimes a guest knows how they want to feel, but they can't really find the right picture.
Having a bowl of words like abundance, adventure or rest ready to grab makes the process so much smoother for those who get creative block. You could do this at your next event, which could be. Valentine's Day, and because you're listening to this episode, I'm gonna give you a sneak peek. Now, this is one of the first products that will be available on the Friendsgiving shop.
It is a Friendsgiving 2026 invitation. The front says you're invited, Friendsgiving 2026. Good food, great friends, even better vibes. And on the back you will see. It is a save the date. So it says, A Friendsgiving gathering is on the way, filled with festive flavors, heartfelt moments, and the spirit of gratitude.
And you can fill in the date, time, location, and how to RSVP. It comes in packs of 10 with envelopes as well. Alright, back to your event, curating the collective goal vibe. This isn't just about. Individual boards, the friends giving twist on this event is that you're setting collective friendship goals.
The vibe put on a playlist that is upbeat, but lyric tight, think chill, house, or jazz so people can really talk as you're cutting and pasting. Ask the room, what is one thing that you want to do together this year? Maybe it's a camping trip, a monthly book club, or just committing to one no phones dinner a month.
Dedicate a small corner of everyone's board to a squad goal that connects you all. We're gonna pivot to part of the night, which is not the glue, it is the why. As you wrap up the crafting transition into a show and tell. Now, I know some people might be introverts. They might not wanna share what they've put on their board, but keep it low pressure.
Ask each person to share just one image from their board and why it's there. This turns a craft night into a deep connection night. When you know your best friend is manifesting a career change or a peaceful home, you know exactly how to support them. Over the next 50 weeks of the year. Okay. I said I was going to give you a sneak peek at one of our first products on the Friendsgiving shop, but I think I'm gonna let you in on the second one.
This is our second product that will be on the Friendsgiving shop. You can find it at. Friendsgiving shop.com, and this is for Valentine's Day, which is typically celebrated the day before Valentine's Day. We have pals Night Out Party free entry. Right here on the side it says Valentine's Day, and if you're listening to the podcast, it is super, super cute.
This is in kind of like a burnt orange kind of brownish color with black, and it's on a white card and it has location time and RSVP at the bottom. This. Also comes in a pack of 10 with envelopes to go with it. So you are set. You are ready. Now we just need to wrap up your event so that we can make it a success.
Alright, the gratitude wrap-up. There is so much power in being seen by the people you hold near and dear. By the time your friends leave tonight. They won't just have a piece of poster board, they'll have an army of people cheering them on. So to help you do that, I've put a vision board supply list and some power word printables in the show notes for you.
Grab 'em, get your glue sticks ready, and let's make 2026 the year that we actually show up for ourselves. Next week we're slowing it down for the check in dinner, or I'm gonna teach you how to master the Rosen Thorn conversation, but I don't wanna leave you without telling you all about. The great stuff that I've been putting on the Friendsgiving shop over the past few days.
We have been introduced to a sort of. Flipped upside down food pyramid. So on the blog, which we call the Journal on the Friendsgiving shop, you will see my very latest article and it's called The Inverted Friendsgiving, turning the Table on the New Food Pyramid. Whatever your politics. This one is actually pretty fun.
We're not gonna talk about all the things that could go wrong. We're only gonna focus on. What could go right? Another great idea for a Friendsgiving get Together, it's called The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Girl Scout-themed Friendsgiving. Yes. They came out with a brand new cookie. I'm not gonna tell you which one right now.
I want you to go to the blog, check it out, and see how you can make your Friendsgiving an. Themed Friendsgiving around Girl Scout cookies. I've got fashion ideas, awards to be given, sashes and badges galore, so check it out. Another one that is on the journal is called Goal Getter Gatherings, how to Structure a Vision Board Potluck, and this one has.
Everything to do with this episode of the Friendsgiving Lifestyle. So check out the blog on the Friendsgiving shop, and don't forget to subscribe to the Friendsgiving Lifestyle Podcast wherever you get your podcast. I'm so grateful that you're here, and if you'd like to support the podcast, definitely send me an email at support@Friendsgivingshop.com.
Don't forget to check out the socials for Sandra Colton Medici and College of Style. You can find all of the blog articles, our brand new shop products for Palin's Day, and your Friendsgiving 2026 invitations on our shop. That's at www.friendsgivingshop.com. I would love to see all of you on our socials.
And also don't forget to join the membership on my YouTube page because there are so many things going on over there in addition to quizzes and different sort of community posts, and I would love to see you over there as well. So my ask for you is to share this episode with one of your friends as you're planning your next vision board potluck or your Friendsgiving dinner, definitely share this episode with them.
One more thing, as a host, you don't have to be perfect. I just want you to know that it's okay, that if what you thought the event was gonna be doesn't exactly turn out the way it's supposed to. That's fine. Don't worry, don't stress, just bring your friends to the table and everything will work out as it should.
I'm Sandra Colton-Medici and I will see you next week right here at the table.
Take a moment to subscribe to the newsletter so we can keep this conversation going all year long. While you're here, listen to the latest episode of The Friendsgiving Lifestyle podcast. If you want to learn the history of Friendsgiving, check out "What is Friendsgiving?" - our complete guide.