Our Nashville Ambassador's Thanksgiving Family Traditions

Published on November 21, 2019 - Updated on December 09, 2019

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year! It feels so much simpler than others, with the focus on family time, good food, and being thankful. Whether you are celebrating with a small or large group, pick a new Thanksgiving tradition or two this year! It can create meaning AND memories for your family, however you celebrate. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

Let your kids contribute – Kids love to feel helpful and have a job, so let them set the table or cook with them to get ready for the day
Invite someone to join your family’s meal – If you know of someone who might otherwise be alone, invite them to join you; they’ll be so grateful you did
Share what you are thankful for – Gather round the table, hold hands, and take time before the meal to let everyone share 1 or 2 things that they are thankful for; kids enjoy this so much
Run in the Turkey Trot – Find a local turkey trot and get the whole family to join in
Help others – Volunteer at your local soup kitchen or take pet food to the local animal shelter to instill giving back in your kids during the holiday season
Host a family game night – Play checkers, chess, scrabble, and UNO the afternoon of Thanksgiving for a friendly competition
Play tag footfall after lunch – Lots of families play tag football in the yard or kick the soccer ball instead of napping or watching football on TV
Go for a post-Thanksgiving walk – Take a walk, a bike ride, a run in the neighborhood – a simple way to spend time with the family
#OptOutside on the day after Thanksgiving - In 2015, REI decided to close its stores on Black Friday and challenged everyone to #OptOutside instead. You’ll be glad you did!
Decorate for Christmas – Turn on the holiday music, pull out the decorations, and kick off the season. My kids decorate a gingerbread house every year with their cousins after the big meal to get ready for the season. They love it.

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Thoughtfully captured by:

Emily O'Grady

Emily O'Grady lives with her daughters Eloise (5) and Charlie (3.5), husband Mick, and their two senior dogs Porter and Francie, in Nashville. They’ve called Music City home for 7 years this September. After Emily and Mick met in New Zealand over 15 years ago, they’ve hiked and backpacked extensively across the globe for months at a time. In their new roles as parents, they’ve hit pause on their most extreme adventures for now, but they are consciously raising their daughters to love and appreciate nature, getting outside and exploring as much as they can in the hills of Tennessee and beyond. During the weekdays, you can find Emily leading teams across Asurion’s Product Development team, bringing the company’s service strategy to life across carrier clients. Before joining Asurion, Emily was an Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company for 4 years, as well as held Analyst roles with Telephia (Nielsen) and Bank of America Global Corporate and Investment Bank. Emily holds a BBA in Finance, French and European Studies from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.