Nadine Toren
Nadine Toren, CBS 5 personality and AZFoothills.com contributor, is looking forward to the holidays with her fiancé, Nate, and her growing family, sharing traditions, embracing the warmth of the season and planning extravagant and intimate holiday dinners.
What makes the holiday season so special for you?
Family. I instantly gained brothers, sisters, a niece, a nephew and a mother-in-law-to-be now that I'm engaged. It's wonderful to witness my family grow, and create new traditions with my fiancé.
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without my mom's sweet potato pie—even if I'm not able to celebrate the holiday with her, I make sure to make it. And speaking of Thanksgiving, last year my fiancé and I declared T-day to be about football and decorating—our house becomes a winter wonderland. We utilize a handful of my fiancé's childhood décor; you know, those Annalee characters. (We have Santa and his reindeers.) I've also taken on a festive twist of my own: stocking up on our holiday decorations we can use every year. Our dining room table has accents of Rudolph, and our tree sports 'N' ornaments (both our names begin with the letter). I place bows along our staircase, and even get in touch with my creative side, creating an annual wreath to hang above our fireplace. It's wonderful having people over, playing music, and sipping on tasty treats like White Russians.
What are you planning for this year?
Thanksgiving will be small and intimate. We'll probably host a little dinner at our house. My fiancé's mom will definitely contribute her twice-baked potatoes, and I'm sure his sister (and her new hubby) will bring the vino. During the day we'll decorate the house, so by night, it will feel like Christmas. This December, I'll actually live out a childhood dream: ice-skating at Rockefeller Center! Yep, we're spending Christmas day in an airplane, arriving to Hoboken, N.J., just in time for a fabulous dinner with my fiancé's brother's family. We'll sightsee around New York City that week, ringing in 2012 (the year we tie the knot!) with my fiancé's East Coast fam and my Manhattan cousin and her husband.
What's your favorite holiday memory?
My sister singing 'Winter Wonderland.' Because of her entertaining performance, she would literally make my other sister laugh until she cried. This was many years ago—my parents were still married, and we'd often host Thanksgiving and holiday dinners with family friends. I can close my eyes and see our fireplace lit up, my mom playing the piano, and my dad serenading everyone to Frank Sinatra. It was truly a happy time full of good food, a lot of fun, and festive spirits—memories I now keep dear to my heart.
If you could have any holiday wish come true, what might that be?
That one day my soon-to-be-husband and I can host Thanksgiving dinner for our entire family.
