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They'll melt your heart
Around this time of year we hear endless discussion about holiday traditions. Less frequently, though, do we talk about the fact that not everyone has them—and it's totally normal. When I chatted with HomeGoods' partner Vanessa Lachey
about which traditions she and her husband Nick would pass down to
their children, she reminded me of this—it's even a topic she says she
might write a book about one day.
Growing up, both Vanessa and Nick (though both from
loving families, she adds) never had traditions that were set in stone.
"I was an air force brat," Vanessa told me, "So I traveled a lot, I
went to eight different schools my first nine years in school." Because
of this, and the fact that both of their parents were separated and they
bounced to different homes during the holidays, they ended up creating
their own traditions when they started dating. As their family grew,
their traditions were changed and perfected.
"Some
things the kids will hold onto when they’re older and say 'I remember
this' or 'I remember that' and some things they won’t and I won’t hold
it against them," she giggles. Whether little Camden, Brooklyn, or
Phoenix Lachey pass them down to their kids one day or not, let me tell
you, these classic family traditions could actually melt the coldest of
hearts.
Nick Cherishes His Ornament Box From His Childhood.
"He actually has a whole box of ornaments
from when he was younger that he made in school. You know, when people
do like the clothes pin reindeer, or when they paint their hands on a
plate, or all of these little things he had when growing up that his mom
gave him when he left—we still have it."'
The Couple Watches Love Actually Every Year.
"When
we got married one of our scenes was kind of like the movie in the
scene where they sing 'All You Need Is Love.' That's a whole other
story," she laughs. "There’s a time and place for us snuggling up and
watching movies. I love the formal living room because there is no TV in
that room. So when we go in there as a family, we’re talking, we’re
playing, Nick and I will sit on the couch and the kids just run around
us, they play, they dance, we put music on, we have hot cocoa and
cookies, or Nick and I will have a holiday cocktail. And we can just sit
there and hang out and really appreciate what the season is and take a
minute."
They Decorate The Day After Thanksgiving.
"We
decorate the day after Thanksgiving, which is a big tradition for us
that we started literally our first year of dating. It’s all these
little moments that we’re doing now that when we do it again the
following year, I’m like 'I think this is now our tradition.' Nick gets
into the attic, he gets the tree, and he puts it together. I love that
he appreciates the season as much as I do, decorating as much as I do."
Their Kids Count Down The Days With A Special Advent Calendar.
"We
have an advent calendar to count down the days, it’s something that we
started with Camden and now with the three kids it has evolved. I found
this beautiful big wooden, 2 foot by 2 foot, advent calendar at HomeGoods
for such a great value. The kids can touch the days and there will be
anything from a little treat to a little toy for each day. It lets them
really appreciate the time."
Their Kids Count Down The Days With A Special Advent Calendar.
"We
have an advent calendar to count down the days, it’s something that we
started with Camden and now with the three kids it has evolved. I found
this beautiful big wooden, 2 foot by 2 foot, advent calendar at HomeGoods
for such a great value. The kids can touch the days and there will be
anything from a little treat to a little toy for each day. It lets them
really appreciate the time."
They Have An Annual Christmas Breakfast Together.
"I
have created a tradition of breakfast every Christmas morning—the same
casserole dish that I still do now with the kids. We can all sit down
and look forward to it on Christmas morning after we open our presents.
For me, the breakfast casserole is kind of something Brooklyn and I can
do in the kitchen. We prep it the night before because Christmas morning
with kids is, as I’m sure you know even if you don’t have kids, is all
about opening presents. When they’re little little we have to give them
their morning bottle of milk in their room because once they come down
it’s on. So we do that for a few hours and we pop it in the oven and
it’s ready."
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