The Holidays are All About Traditions, New and Old - Share Yours and #Win a Hickory Farms Food Gift #HickoryTradition #Giveaway

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review and to facilitate a giveaway.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms. 

Now that the holidays are in full swing, how are you handling everything?  Did you make it out to the stores after Thanksgiving, or even do some online shopping, to start checking people off your holiday shopping list?  Or, did you stay home and enjoy the company of family and friends who may have come to visit for Thanksgiving?  I ended up doing a little shopping in stores after the Black Friday mad AM rush as well as online...that was after we had finished trimming the tree, one of many holiday traditions I have continued from my childhood and now do with my family.

Do you have holiday traditions that you used to do as a child and have continued now that you have a family of your own?  Or, have you started new ones that hold special meaning when the holidays roll around?  I have some from my childhood and new ones I started once I got married and then again when we welcomed our girls.  As far as childhood traditions, my Christmas season kicks off in mid-October when I create and order personalized greeting cards to be mailed out.  Before the girls I would choose a holiday scene to personalize with my married name.  But, now, we can't go a Christmas without sending out photo cards of the girls, so that those who we don't see as often as we would like, can see how fast the girls are growing up and share in some of the special memories we have captured in print over the course of the year.  Come Halloween night, after the trick or treating and candy giving is done, I get all my holiday cards signed and ready to be shipped out.  Usually I wait until the week of Thanksgiving to drop them in the mail, as I don't want to stress out everyone about the upcoming holiday season.  

Once the greeting cards are done, I move on to the next important thing...starting my holiday shopping list.  My mom has always been about staying organized and instilled this in me early on.  I have lists for everything.  And, when it comes to holiday shopping, I can't do it without a list, which usually includes price comparisons, coupons attached, etc.  I love finding the perfect gift for everyone on my shopping list, but it is also nice to be able to save money, too! Don't you agree? :-)  Once I have my list of gift ideas done, I am ready to start thinking about the Christmas tree.  It wasn't until the girls arrived that putting up the tree was a big deal.  Before I could put the tree up and by piece meal put the ornaments on and have it ready for Christmas.  But, now, my youngest who was born in November like me, asks for the tree to be put up as part of my annual birthday gift request.  While it is a lot of work to drag everything out in one weekend and put together, the end product is amazing...being able to sit in front of the tree all adorned with ornaments we have purchased and have been given over the years, and watching the twinkling lights.  

This for me is the start of the holidays...next to listening to non-stop Christmas music or binge watching holiday movies. :-)

Another holiday tradition from my childhood that I have continued with my girls is counting down to Christmas with chocolate advent calendars.  How about you?  Nothing says Christmas than a piece of milk chocolate for the 25 days leading up to Christmas. :-)  My girls love this and look forward to it every year.  They are now old enough where they can choose their old advent calendars, which makes it that much more fun.

There are so many other wonderful holiday traditions from my childhood that I have continued, but I also wanted to make sure I mentioned some of the new ones we have since started since I married and started a family of my own.  When my husband and I bought our first home together, we started a tradition where each year we would buy a handful of holiday ornaments to add to the set my mom had started for me back when I was child.  Each and every ornament that I hang on my tree has a special meaning and makes enjoying the tree each year that much more enjoyable, as I find myself telling the girls stories about the meaning behind each ornament.  Once we welcomed our girls, we began ornament collections for them, just like my mom did for me.  I picked up Baby's first (second, third and so on) ornaments and a few others each year based on the girls likes.  And, once the girls move away and have a home of their own, I will pass their ornament collections down to them to share with their family.

Elf on the Shelf has become a new family tradition for us, as it wasn't around when I was growing up.  Do you have an elf that comes to visit around the holidays?  My girls go crazy from Christopher makes his first appearance after Thanksgiving, and every day leading up to Christmas, as they run around the house looking to see where their magic elf is hiding.  Besides the chocolate advent calendars, I started a holiday book advent countdown last year that the girls loved.  

For the twelve days prior to Christmas, the girls would unwrap a new holiday book to enjoy at bedtime.  These books are ones that we will pull from the shelves year after year to enjoy around the holidays. The girls love being read to, and have already asked when the book advent will be starting. :-)

When my parents became grandparents with the arrival of my girls, they started a new tradition where they surprised the girls with a Christmas Eve box filled with a new pair of pajamas, a holiday book, hot chocolate, and a craft ornament to do, as well as a few other tridents.  The girls loved this, as did I. If only my parents did this with my brothers and I when we were younger. :-)  

I could go on and on about different holiday traditions from my childhood and new ones I started with my family, but I would love to give you an opportunity to share some of your own with me.  Maybe you will give me an idea of new traditions to incorporate into my family's holiday.  Read on to learn how sharing your family's holiday traditions could win you a Hickory Farms gift set.

And, speaking of Hickory Farms, are you familiar with this, America's most famous holiday food gift brand?  I remember growing up my mom would send food gifts from Hickory Farms to family who lived far away and wouldn't be joining us for the holidays.  And, in return, we would receive a handful of packages from Hickory Farms in the mail from family doing the same. :-)  Hickory Farms offers perfect gift ideas for the holidays and year round.  

From Sausage and cheese gift sets, to fruits and nuts, baked goods and chocolate to even wine and cheese combos, Hickory Farms has the most amazing selection of gifts to meet everyone's budget. They offer gifts for under $20 up to ones $90+.  Whenever the holidays roll around, I head on over to the Hickory Farms website to place my orders for family and friends.  I pick up a few gift sets to bring to my parents who host Christmas dinner, as hostess gifts.  Not only do my parents expect these gift sets year after year, but so do family and friends who come for dinner.  The baked good sets I bring make the dessert table that much more inviting and who can resists reaching for dried fruit and nuts while they wait for the turkey dinner to be done. :-)

"Many Americans have a distinct memory of Hickory Farms at their holiday gatherings; Hickory Farms is very proud to be a part of those nostalgic moments and continues to focus on and celebrate its long heritage of tradition and authentic holiday memories."

Instead of stressing out on what to get those hard to shop for people on my holiday list, I find myself putting down "Hickory Farms" next to their names when I start putting together my holiday shopping list in November.  I know that whatever gift I order will be well received by the gift recipient, as the quality of these gift sets are what make loyal holiday shoppers seeking the perfect gifts for family and friends for over 60 years coming back to order year after year, and passing the tradition of shopping Hickory Farms from parent to child, just like my mom did with my brothers and I. :-)

"According to a national survey, nearly half of American adults agree that the holiday shopping season officially starts when they see Hickory Farms arrive at their local mall."

Want a few ideas from Hickory Farms that would make the perfect gift this holiday season?  Check out these mouthwatering gifts...

Winter Wonderland Basket -- Only $90

White & Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark -- Only $15

Shh, I ended up picking up this set to bring to my Mom's house for Christmas dinner, so that she can offer an assortment of tea and accompaniments at dessert. :-)

Tea Time Collection - Only $30

Summer Sausage & Cheese Gift Box - Only $36

Signature Party Planner Gift Box -- Only $46

Hickory Farms Reserve Cheddar Flight with Salami' -- Only $50

Chocolate Decadence Trio -- Only $35.00

Hickory Farms helps people appreciate shared moments that are worth embracing and passing down through generations of families, but also creating new traditions and sharing them with loved ones. So, as you prepare for the upcoming holidays, why not consider shopping Hickory Farms for many of your gift giving needs? 

I was recently sent their Chocolate Decadence Trio to share with my family.  And, it arrived just in time for me to put it out on the Thanksgiving dessert table.  

And, just like I thought, this was favorite among family and friends, who kept going back for another cookie or gourmet brownie. :-)

 

I have already placed my order and took advantage of the specials Hickory Farms offers, which saved me money and gave me a reason to order a few sweet sets for my family.  And, thanks to my recent order I was able to cross off about 50% of my holiday shopping list. I am feeling less stressed knowing that family and friends will be receiving their food gifts directly from Hickory Farms, to enjoy for the holidays.  I get to save on wrapping and lugging all the gifts to my parents' house, too! So, it is a win-win for all! :-)

So, what are you waiting for?  If you haven't shopped Hickory Farms before, or it has been awhile since you have, why not check them out this year?  You will be glad you did.  Hickory Farms’ food gifts are available at Holiday Market locations nationwide, on hickoryfarms.com and at leading retailers.  

--GIVEAWAY--

I am always excited when a vendor offers to give one lucky reader the same product I was sent to review. And, thanks to the kind folks at Hickory Farms, I am happy to say that one lucky Inspired by Savannah reader will win the Chocolate Decadence Trio (Valued at $35.00), just like I reviewed and shared photos of above, to enjoy with your family this holiday season. Yippee!!! :-)  Insert happy dance here.

To enter this FLASH (ends in 3 days on 12/2) GIVEAWAY, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review and to facilitate a giveaway.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.