Announcing the Fisher-Price™ Holiday Traditions Sweepstakes!
In just a few days, Chad, Bear and I will be celebrating our first Thanksgiving as a family. And, in a lot of ways, it’s going to be different from any Thanksgiving I’ve ever had. I love having holidays with my extended family (both Chad’s and my own), but this year, it’s going to be just us and the baby. For Christmas, we’ll have more than a dozen members of our family on both sides, but for this Thanksgiving, we’re on our own.
Which, in some ways, is really exciting. As we were thinking about this holiday, I realized that it was a time for Chad and me to create our own new traditions, the ones that will be part of our family’s memories for years to come.
Since Bear is just a baby, his needs are pretty simple this year: some snuggles, a long nap, and a few bites of sweet potatoes (they’re his favorite food)! And yet, I want to spend this holiday creating traditions that will be with us for years to come — even if he doesn’t understand them this year, he will later on, and I’m excited for these moments to become part of the fabric of his childhood. The traditions he’ll pass down to his own children someday.
So, here’s what I’m planning to do:
We’ll be sitting down to a big turkey dinner, cornbread stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Chad will watch football and I’ll catch the Macy’s Day Parade. All our family’s old traditions will be alive and strong.
But we’re also going to create our own.
I’ve always loved the idea of volunteering at a soup kitchen or doing a “Turkey Trot” to raise money for charity, but I’ve never done it. But this year, as we’re planning our first holiday traditions, it’s one that I would love to incorporate into our son’s Thanksgiving memories. So, this year, Chad, Bear and I will be participating in a 5k walk to benefit a world hunger relief organization. I’m thrilled to be teaching our son about helping others; Chad is nervous that he is too out of shape to walk 3.1 miles. Bear will probably sleep in the stroller the whole time.
So basically? Good times all around.
In addition, I’m planning to take special moments out of the day to teach our son about the holiday. This year, he’s little enough that teaching will probably be limited to turkey sounds and a story or two. But next year, and the year after, I’d like to take a moment out of the day to reflect on what Thanksgiving is all about: people from different cultures coming together, and treating each other peacefully with kindness and respect. This is such an important to pass on to your children, and holiday traditions provide a great way to make it meaningful for them.
Traditions come in so many shapes and sizes — there’s no reason to limit yourself to turkey and pie and call it a day. Those “untraditional” traditions are special, too, and they create wonderful, lasting memories for your family.
And as you’re creating your own holiday traditions, Fisher Price wants to hear your family’s story. Over on Instagram, they’re announcing the Fisher-Price™ Holiday Traditions Sweepstakes! To enter, follow @Fisher-Price on Instagram, and then post an original photo that captures your favorite “Holiday Tradition” with the hashtag #FPTraditionsSweeps. The sweeps runs from November 24 to December 21st, so there’s lots of time to capture your favorite holiday moments! (See the official rules here: http://www.fisher-price.com/en_us/Sweeps/holidaytraditions_rules.html)
So whether it’s a shot of your early-morning drive to grandma’s house, your perfectly roasted turkey, or your kiddos digging into their mashed potatoes, show us how you celebrate. I can’t wait to see them!
