Timeless Holiday Memories from the McConnell Marketing Team

This season, McConnell Marketing is taking time to reflect on years’ worth of nostalgic memories that help us feel connected to the Holiday season. From sled riding as a child to blasting “All I Want for Christmas Is You” until New Year’s, our team is sharing some of our favorite Holiday-themed memories.

What was the best gift you have given?

Katie: I’d say the gifts we buy every year to create traditions for our family are the best—like Legos to build after opening packages and new soft jammies (from Hanz & Franz, our elves).

Megan: I’ll somewhat take credit for this, but I helped my mom get a new puppy for my dad for Christmas. We got him before Christmas and this will be his first holiday in the house.

Carson: I think my favorite gift(s) I’ve given are these ceramic Santa Clauses I painted in high school for my parents. They were each themed to fit things my parents both liked; my mom’s wore a beach outfit with a bag full of seashells, and my dad’s was Nascar-themed.

Bailey: Last year, my sister and I bought my grandma a necklace with her late sisters in the locket. It was a priceless reaction.

Deanna: A few years ago, I hand painted ornaments for family members. They were little snowy scenes of their homes. It was fun to do and a unique little memory that can hang on the tree every year.

Favorite memory involving snow?

Katie: It snowed more than three feet when the twins were about four. I bundled them up and took them out to play, they couldn’t even walk through the snow. We managed to get to the neighbor’s trampoline and hop on for a ridiculous bounce and fall-around in the snow.

Megan: A funny story from Christmas Eve: A couple of years ago, it was snowing and icy and a friend of ours came to celebrate with us at my parents’ house. Her car slid down the driveway and into the snow. Everyone was safe and laughed a lot.

Carson: There was one year it had snowed about 2 feet in a couple of hours and my husband and I took our dogs outside to play. Our greyhound had never seen snow before this and she had an absolute blast sprinting around in circles trying to catch snowballs we threw for her. She got very confused when the snowballs disappeared into the snow where they landed.

Bailey: In my hometown, they closed off the main road and let all the kids go sled riding and handed out hot chocolate. It was like a real-life Disney movie!

Deanna: A family ski trip when I was a kid to Lake Tahoe. It was so beautiful and fun to be with my entire extended family.

Holiday song you play on repeat?

Katie: “What Child Is This” (from The Chosen Christmas Special), One Voice Children’s Choir.

Megan: Anything from the Christmas album by Straight No Chaser. They are a fun a cappella group and we took our parents to see them in concert a couple of years ago and it was super fun.

Carson: “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This song brings back so many memories of times we went to see them in concert as a family, something we looked forward to every year. We’re all suckers for some good rock music.

Bailey: “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” but specifically Ariana Grande and Mac Miller’s version. Its sound keeps the classic charm but includes a modern edge with young love infused.

Deanna: Tchaikovsky, “The Nutcracker Suite,” I could listen to that in the background all December, but no modern Christmas music for me.

Christmas cookie you eat too many of?

Katie: My mom’s ribbon cookies. They’re a family favorite and if we have them, it usually means mom is in town too, which makes them taste better somehow.

Megan: My mom’s frosted cutout cookies. They are so simple but are so good with coffee on Christmas morning.

Carson: Hershey Kiss Cookies and my dad makes the best ones! They’re actually the only cookies he makes this time of year.

Bailey: Peanut butter blossoms. I can eat those every month of the year and taste the holiday spirit.

Deanna: I love a good home made sugar cookie. I look forward to making them with my daughter this year.

Let us know your favorite Holiday memories on our social platforms. Stay up to date on our monthly newsletters, and have a happy and safe Holiday season!