Larkin Family

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The holidays are always a wonderful but tricky time for us because our loved ones are so spread out. My family is on the East Coast (Pennsylvania, NYC and Long Island) and in New Orleans, and Mitch’s family is 2.5 hours south of Chicago and in Wisconsin.

Typically, we try to attend as many gatherings as possible, even if it requires multiple flights and living out of suitcases for several weeks. We just want to see everyone! But last year, this took a toll on our family. (All three of us were exhausted and sick toward the end.) So this year, we’re majorly scaling things back for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

I think this is such a common dilemma for young families. When it was just the two of us, Mitch and I could totally still go to everything and see everyone. No big deal! We’ve realized, though, that this just isn’t possible with a toddler in tow. (For the Larkin Fam, at least.) We want Emma to have a magical holiday season; not one during which she gets run down.

Still, opting to skip holiday gatherings is such a difficult thing to do, especially if you’ve never missed one before. Yet so many young families have to make the choice: when to “break off,” for lack of a better phrase. When to celebrate on their own, for the sake of the kids… and everyone’s health.

What We’re Doing For Thanksgiving

 

So this year, we’ve decided to do Thanksgiving at home here in Chicago, just the three of us. (We’re going to cook!) For Christmas, we’re going to my parents’ and in-laws’ home for three days each. And for New Year’s, it’ll just be the three of us in Chicago again. (Though maybe we’ll hang out with our neighbors while the kids sleep! So easy and fun.)

At first, I was really sad about the decision to scale back. Will we miss everyone too much? Will we be able to pull it off on our own? Will it still feel special? But both families were so understanding and supportive! And they completely understand that it’s difficult for us to pull off three holidays that are essentially back-to-back. The best part? My parents are going to fly in the weekend after Thanksgiving to see us, and my in-laws are having us down to the lake house next week for a very low-key turkey dinner. We’ll all FaceTime on actual Thanksgiving, too. :) And Kira and Tom are in a somewhat similar situation, so we’re going to get together the Saturday after. (We’ll probably cater it, just so no one has to stress!)

Which brings me to these photos!

As an extension of yesterday’s post, we’re teaming up with Walmart again to show you how easy and budget-friendly Thanksgiving can be if you’re doing it on your own or hosting for the first time. Before we started collaborating, I had no idea that Walmart offers free two-day shipping on all orders over $35 (no membership required), or that the company carries such beautiful, functional stuff. (The site is actually very easy to navigate; you can browse home furnishings and decor by style and price.) We found everything we needed–from plates and silverware to decor and extra seating–in under 30 minutes, and it all arrived on our doorstep two days later.

Btw: links to everything you see are at the top and bottom of this post. And, I mean, can you believe that everything you see here is from Walmart?! I wouldn’t have believed it had I’d not been the one to place the order!

And don’t you think that this little setup is going to help us make our first Thanksgiving on our own feel special? :)

No, Thanksgiving isn’t going to be what we grew up with, but we grew up, and things change. And that’s okay! And good! Fabulous, really. Let’s take last year, for example. For the first time ever, we weren’t at home in the cold/snow for Christmas. We were in sunny New Orleans because my brother and sister-in-law had just moved there and couldn’t get off work. And you know what? Sure, it was very different. But it was also beyond memorable and fun and wonderful, and I wouldn’t have changed anything about it. It was one of our best Christmases ever, even though we celebrated it under palm trees. :)

So here’s to creating our own traditions this Thanksgiving, and to focusing on what the holiday is really about: being grateful.

Are you doing anything different for Thanksgiving this year? (Or have you broken from tradition in the past?) Would love to hear your plans, and how you’re feeling about them!

PS: Noodle/Beale steals the show in these pics, haha! Also, I need to be real with you for a sec. We’re obviously a few weeks out from the big day, so we set the table and got Boston Market so we could take these pics without cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal. 😂 But then we had the best dinner together, and now Emma constantly asks “Thanksgiving today?!” So cute and hilarious. <3

What we're doing for Thanksgiving - Kelly in the City
What we're doing for Thanksgiving - Kelly in the City
Noodle
Thanksgiving table idea
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Emma Larkin
Wine
What we're doing for Thanksgiving - Kelly in the City
Thanksgiving Table Idea
Table
Thanksgiving Table
Thanksgiving Table Idea
What we're doing for Thanksgiving - Emma
Noodle
What we're doing for Thanksgiving - Emma and Noodle

Shop the post:

Artificial Sunflower Arrangements Gingham Runner / Tall Pumpkin Spice Pillar Candle and Short / Unscented White Pillar Candles / Dining Bench Hurricane Pillar Candle Holder / Lanterns / Mum Arrangement / Wine Glasses / Serving Bowls / Dinnerware Set / Three-Piece Chinoiserie Set / Gold Silverware

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This post was sponsored by Walmart, but all opinions are my own. As always, thank you so, so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!