THE FRIENDSHIP BLOG: ADVICE, TIPS, AND PRACTICAL IDEAS ON HOW TO BE A GOOD FRIEND
It’s the blog’s birthday month, and I can’t believe it’s only been two years!
Most people don’t know that this blog was initially created because I needed a website for the first book I ever published, How to Plan a Girls Trip.
But when I realized how costly a website could be, I decided I needed this website to do more than solely house one book.
So when I reflected on the true purpose of the book (which is to use the vessel of a girls trip to deepen friendships), I was reminded just how much my friendships meant to me.
My friends' impact on my life has been so significant that I wanted every woman to experience its beauty, thus birthing a blog about helping women grow and navigate their friendships with intentional efforts.
So to celebrate two years, this blog post provides a sneak peek into every article I’ve ever written so that you can see all the advice, tips, resources, and guidance housed here at friendshipwithintention.com.
Maybe you stumbled onto this website for one type of content and didn’t even know it offered so much more. Here’s your chance to find all the goodies to help you grow and flourish your intentional friendships!
43 Blog Posts About Friendship
FWI Note 1: Each blog title is linked to the post for your convenience.
FWI Note 2: For certain blog posts, you'll find "Hidden Gems" that offer valuable insights you might not have anticipated from the title alone. It’s bonus content that is relevant and/or related to the blog post (Not every blog post will have them).
FWI Note 3: I marked the most popular blog posts with a star.*
1| WTF IS INTENTIONAL FRIENDSHIP?*
Blog Post Purpose: To explain exactly what doing friendship with intentionality should look like.
What Readers Love: The practical tips and examples of how you can be an intentional friend.
Hidden Gem: A section that discusses what intentional friendships are not (you may be surprised to see what’s on the list)!
2| HOW TO RESOLVE ISSUES WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Blog Post Purpose: To help you learn effective strategies for navigating conflicts with friends in healthy and constructive ways.
What Readers Love: the 7 steps to handle direct conflict with your friends.
Hidden Gem: This blog post includes a section about how to practice real forgiveness.
3| HOW TO DEAL WITH FOMO
Blog Post Purpose: To help you reframe your thinking about missing out on special outings with your friends.
What Readers Love: The tips on what you can do to alleviate your FOMO.
4| HOW TO NAVIGATE LONG-DISTANCE FRIENDSHIPS
Blog Post Purpose: To teach long-distance besties how to stay close even when they are so far away from one another.
What Readers Love: The real-talk conversation about the challenges of long-distance friendships.
Hidden Gem: A section in the post about how each friend can maintain realistic expectations in a long-distance friendship.
5| NOT YOUR BASIC HALLOWEEN PARTY
Blog Post Purpose: To show you how to throw an epic Halloween party that is unique and one that your friends are sure to remember!
What Readers Love: An overview of the essentials you'll need and instructions for playing games at your Halloween party. They also enjoy the examples of things you can add to make your Halloween mocktails/cocktails fun and spooky.
6| ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Blog Post Purpose: This blog post shines a light on all the great qualities we should appreciate about our friends.
The word “GRATEFUL” is turned into the following acronym:
Generosity
Reciprocation
Authenticity
Trustworthiness
Elevating Spirit
Faithfulness
Understanding
Laughter
What Readers Love: The examples given for each word that represent an amazing friend characteristic.
For example, for the word '“understanding” the blog post highlights the friend who:
Doesn't cut you off while you're talking.
Asks follow-up questions to learn more about what you're saying.
Makes the effort to see things from your perspective.
7| 9 UNIQUE WAYS TO HANG OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS VIRTUALLY
Blog Post Purpose: To show how you and your friends can stay connected through the use of technology by providing fun and unique ways to spend time together.
What Readers Love: The 9 activity recommendations with the guidance on how to execute each of them.
Hidden Gem: There are 3 tips to help you make any virtual hangout successful.
8| FRIENDSHIP CARE PACKAGE
Blog Post Purpose: To teach you how to put together a customizable and thoughtful care package for your friends.
What Readers Love: The plethora of examples for each of the 6 must-have items to include inside of the care package.
Hidden Gem: There is a section at the bottom that provides ideas on how to decorate your care package.
9| 25 GESTURES OF FRIENDSHIP APPRECIATION
Blog Post Purpose: To provide a list of 25 things you can do to show your friends how much you value their presence in your life.
What Readers Love: The straightforward and practical list of ideas that will make your friends feel loved.
10| NEW YEAR, NEW FRIENDS
Blog Post Purpose: To teach people how to make new friends as adults (with advice on how to do so in the least awkward way).
What Readers Love: The diversity and inclusion of the different types of friends they could make (i.e. mom friends, faith friends, etc.).
11| FRIENDSHIP GOALS
Blog Post Purpose: To teach people the importance of setting goals for your friendships and the type of goals you could set to make them stronger.
What Readers Love: The breakdown of how one person could be a better friend, and then the breakdown of how each friend could be more intentional in prioritizing the friendship (with examples of how to do it).
12| FRIENDSHIP & FITNESS
Blog Post Purpose: In the spirit of setting New Year’s resolutions, this blog post highlights the advantages of having friends as accountability partners and tips on how to do so effectively.
What Readers Love: The emphasis on how to support each other as friends in a positive and uplifting manner, without being demeaning.
Hidden Gem: There are 7 fitness routines provided that you and your friends can do together.
13| THE 5 SENSES GALENTINE’S DAY GIFT GUIDE
Blog Post Purpose: To provide a one-of-a-kind gift guide of things you could purchase for your best friends for Galentine’s Day.
What Readers Love: The unique list of gift examples based on each of the 5 senses and easily accessible shopping links.
14| THE 5 LOVE LANGUAGES FOR FRIENDSHIP*
Blog Post Purpose: To teach friends how to love one another using the 5 love languages (words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch).
What Readers Love: The practical examples of how to apply the 5 love languages.
Hidden Gem: There is a discussion on the importance of loving your friend in her love language, and not yours.
15| THE 5-PART FRIENDSHIP LOVE LETTER*
Blog Post Purpose: To guide friends on how to write a heartfelt letter to their besties.
This method breaks down the love letter into 5 parts:
Something funny
A special song
A favorite personality trait
A shared memory
A sincere message
What Readers Love: They appreciate the writing prompts as they help them reflect on their friendships and inspire them to find the perfect words.
Hidden Gem: There’s a section that explains how you can create this love letter using 4 different formats (handwritten, digital, video, and voice memo).
16| WOMAN’S INTUITION OR MIND YOUR BUSINESS?
Blog Post Purpose: This blog post is unique in that it uses an episode of the hit TV show Girlfriends to discuss a controversial topic in friendship.
The hot topic is: If you saw your friend’s partner cheating on them, what would you do?
This post explores the two different perspectives of telling your friend vs not telling your friend.
What Readers Love: The raw conversation about friends navigating an uncomfortable situation.
Hidden Gem: There’s a real-world example that shows what happens when you do or don’t tell your friend about a cheating significant other.
17| ARE YOU ENABLING YOUR FRIENDS?
Blog Post Purpose: This blog post is unique in that it uses an episode of the hit TV show Girlfriends to discuss a controversial topic in friendship.
The hot topic is: Are you unintentionally enabling your friend's unhealthy habits?
What Readers Love: The no-nonsense truth about how sometimes friends can inadvertently enable each other’s bad habits or behaviors.
Hidden Gem: There are examples that show what helping a friend can look like vs enabling a friend.
18| STOP CRUSHING YOUR FRIEND’S DREAMS
Blog Post Purpose: This blog post is unique in that it uses an episode of the hit TV show Girlfriends to discuss a controversial topic in friendship.
The hot topic is: Is your advice discouraging your friend from chasing her dreams?
What Readers Love: The tips on how you can provide practical advice to your friends while still being a supportive friend.
19| GIRL TALK: 40 CONVERSATION STARTERS FOR FRIENDS*
Blog Post Purpose: To help friends have more than just surface-level conversations, and take the legwork out of trying to find something to talk about.
What Readers Love: They LOVE the 40 questions!
Hidden Gem: There are 8 tips on how to have successful conversations with your friends (it’s more than just listening and waiting your turn to speak!).
20| SPRING BUCKET LIST: 15 THINGS TO DO WITH FRIENDS
Blog Post Purpose: To give you and your friends a list of things to do to spend quality time together when the weather starts to warm up outside.
What Readers Love: The unique ideas and the 5 quick tips on how to enhance your Spring outings.
21| THE “FRIENDS” GROUP CHAT*
Blog Post Purpose: To provide the “do’s” and “don’ts” of the friend’s group chat, and make the group chat fun again!
What Readers Love: The discussion on what probably shouldn’t be shared/handled in the friend’s group chat.
Hidden Gem: There are 10 group chat games/activities provided with instructions.
22| HOW TO PLAN A GIRLS TRIP*
Blog Post Purpose: To provide 10 fundamental tips on how to plan a vacation with friends that is both fun and fulfilling.
What Readers Love: The conversation about why a girls trip can be beneficial to your friendships.
Hidden Gem: My book How to Plan a Girls Trip: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning and Hosting the Best Experience for Intentional Friendships goes into detail about all of these tips, while offering so much more!
23| GIRLS TRIP PERSONALITIES
Blog Post Purpose: This is a fun post where you and your friends can discover your girls trip personas based on these 8 personality types:
The Planner Friend
The Turn Up Friend
The Bougie Friend
The Thrifty Friend
The Adventurous Friend
The Laid-Back Friend
The Photographer Friend
The Research Friend
What Readers Love: The “what we love” and “what annoys us” about each friend on the girls trip.
24| THE TRUTH ABOUT MIXING FRIENDS*
Blog Post Purpose: To have an honest conversation about the challenges of mixing friend groups and why you should use caution to protect all of your relationships.
What Readers Love: The practical tips on how you can approach mixing friends.
25| THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS*
Blog Post Purpose: To explore the distinction between friends and people you’re just friendly with.
What Readers Love: My “loose” definition of an acquaintance vs my “loose” definition of a friend.
Hidden Gem: While many people visit this post to learn about the dangers of treating acquaintances like friends, it also delves into the opposite scenario: treating friends like acquaintances.
This section explores what happens when friendships become complacent and you stop being intentional.
26| HOW TO BUILD GENUINE COWORKER FRIENDSHIPS*
Blog Post Purpose: To help you build authentic friendships with coworkers where the foundation won’t be shaken if either friend gets a new job.
What Readers Love: The do’s and don’ts of establishing workplace friendships.
Hidden Gem: Although this article emphasizes the importance of exercising caution when forming workplace friendships, there is a section about the benefits of having a friend at work.
27| 60 WAYS TO BE A SUPPORTIVE FRIEND*
Blog Post Purpose: To teach you how you can be a supportive friend using the four methods of social support:
Emotional support
Informational support
Tangible support
Esteem support
What Readers Love: The 60 scenarios of when a friend would need to be supported (i.e. getting married, studying for an exam, dealing with loss), and the realistic steps of what you can do to support them.
28| FRIENDS AS ROOMMATES: 10 TOPICS TO DISCUSS BEFORE LIVING WITH A FRIEND*
Blog Post Purpose: To help you and your friend navigate the challenges of living together by establishing clear boundaries and learning each other’s expectations.
What Readers Love: The 50 questions that are provided to help get the conversation flowing with your friend before becoming roommates.
29| WINTER BUCKET LIST: 8 THINGS TO DO WITH FRIENDS INSIDE THE HOUSE
Blog Post Purpose: To give you and your friends things to do to spend quality time together when it starts to get cold outside.
What Readers Love: This blog post is extremely detailed with not just what to do, but how you can do it, and examples to help you and your friends get started.
Hidden Gem: One of the things to do is to have a book club with your friends and there is a list of 10 Black Love Romance book recommendations.
30| 5 FRAGILE FRIENDSHIP FOUNDATIONS TO AVOID
Blog Post Purpose: This blog post explores 5 ineffective ways people tend to form friendships (like building a friendship on shared trauma) and provides tips on how to strengthen those relationships.
What Readers Love: The deep dive into why starting friendships on these foundations can be problematic.
Hidden Gem: There are questions to help you reflect on your friendships and their durability.
31| OPEN WHEN LETTERS FOR FRIENDS: THOUGHTFUL AND MEANINGFUL IDEAS*
Blog Post Purpose: To help you put together a gift for your friends in the form of Open When letters.
What Readers Love: The over 100 recommendations of things you can put inside your Open When letters and gifts to friends, and the unique Open When themes.
32| GALENTINE’S DAY MOCKTAILS*
Blog Post Purpose: To provide fun and cutesy drinks that can be created for a fun girls’ event, especially for Galentine’s Day.
What Readers Love: How simple, yet creative each mocktail is.
Hidden Gem: There are videos on how to make each of these mocktails on the @friendshipwithintention Instagram page.
33| 12 FRIENDSHIP RED FLAGS YOU’RE IGNORING*
Blog Post Purpose: To show you signs that your friendship is in an unhealthy state, and to call out un-friend-like behavior in your supposed “friends.”
What Readers Love: The in-depth, real-talk conversation about behaviors and attitudes that are not conducive to a healthy friendship.
34| 12 FRIENDSHIP GREEN FLAGS TO CELEBRATE
Blog Post Purpose: To show you signs that you’re in a healthy friendship, and to shine a light on positive behaviors that should be celebrated in your friendship.
What Readers Love: The heartfelt truths of what real, genuine friendships should look and feel like.
35| 10 FUN ACTIVITIES WHEN DINING OUT WITH FRIENDS
Blog Post Purpose: To provide something fun and different to do at a restaurant that will spark great conversations and create an atmosphere of bonding amongst friends.
What Readers Love: This post not only gives you the activities of what you can do but also the instructions and examples to get you and your friends started.
36| THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIPS OUTSIDE OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP
Blog Post Purpose: To encourage open dialogue about the importance of maintaining friendships while in a romantic relationship.
What Readers Love: This post examines the positive impact of friendships on your life and relationships, as well as the negative consequences of neglecting friendships when you enter romantic partnerships.
37| 7 KEYS FOR NURTURING FRIENDSHIPS WHILE BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP
Blog Post Purpose: To show people how it’s totally possible to be in a committed relationship and still pour into your friendships.
What Readers Love: The emphasis on real-life scenarios that arise when a friend gets into a relationship, and the helpful tips for maintaining friendships while in a romantic relationship.
38| 9 THINGS YOU MUST DO ON YOUR NEXT GIRLS TRIP*
Blog Post Purpose: To help friend groups bring a little razzle-dazzle to their girls trips to make it something special.
What Readers Love: The fun and unique ideas no matter the size or scope of the girls trip.
Hidden Gem: There is a girls trip playlist link that’s updated often (free on Apple Music).
39| HOW TO NAVIGATE FRIENDSHIPS WITH MOMS WHEN YOU’RE CHILD-FREE
Blog Post Purpose: To have an important conversation about how motherhood affects friendships and how friends can navigate these major life changes.
What Readers Love: The 10 tips on how both the child-free and the mom friend can be supportive and good friends to one another.
Hidden Gem: There is a section dedicated to how you can support your pregnant friends.
40| 10 WAYS TO THRIVE IN YOUR FRIENDSHIPS WHILE ON A BUDGET
Blog Post Purpose: To teach friends how to spend time together without breaking the bank.
What Readers Love: The real conversation about how finances can strain friendships and tips on how to prevent your friendships from putting you in a financial bind.
Hidden Gem: There are high-level tips on how to create a budget.
41| THE LOW MAINTENANCE FRIEND: THE GOOD, THE MISCONSTRUED, AND THE REAL
Blog Post Purpose: To advise on how you can be a “low maintenance friend,” but still make purposeful efforts to maintain and grow the friendship.
What Readers Love: The conversation about why people are becoming more attracted to low maintenance friendships.
Hidden Gem: There is a brief discussion on how sometimes friends prefer to navigate difficult seasons alone, and there are prompts on how those friends can communicate that preference.
42| BEST FRIEND COUPONS: IDEAS FROM A TO Z
Blog Post Purpose: To help you put together a gift for your friends that’s infused with acts of service and quality time.
What Readers Love: The list has ideas for every letter of the alphabet.
Hidden Gem: There is a freebie of pre-made BFF coupons.
43| GIRLS TRIP TIPS: 2024 UPDATE
Blog Post Purpose: To offer fresh insights on planning your girls trip that will minimize stress and drama while maximizing fun and ease.
What Readers Love: The practicality of the tips that can be applied in today’s times.
What’s your favorite blog post or a new blog post you’d like to check out? Share in the comments!
