Tamera Mowry-Housley Says the Holidays Are All About Creating Traditions With Her Family
The ‘Sister, Sister’ star talks about the busy holiday season and how she makes time to create special memories with her kids.
By Tanay Howard
There is no denying that Tamera Mowry-Housley has made her way into the households and hearts of many. Whether you know her from the ’90s classic Sister, Sister or for her candidness on the Emmy Award-winning talk show The Real, she’s more than a familiar face. But, during the holidays, the mom of two is just like the rest of us—trying to juggle all the chaos that can come with this season.
“I feel like the holidays are the busiest, so it’s definitely more challenging to balance that time,” says Mowry-Housley in an interview with Kindred. “But I make time for the traditions because it’s all about making memories.”
The actor says working together to decorate the Christmas tree, family Christmas cards, and an annual baking night with extended relatives are just some of the traditions on her holiday “can’t miss” list. “One time, we even did it on Zoom. It’s still fun. And this year, at least we’ll be able to cook together and bake, so I’m excited.”
One thing that can be most challenging to find time for is shopping for gifts. That’s why Mowry-Housley teamed up with Amazon this year to share her top picks for the holiday season in hopes of making holiday shopping a little easier for other parents. Some items on her list include a utensil holder set, a sweater dress, and a hydrating face mask. Online shopping, she says, can help families save time and prioritize family during the holidays.
And gift guides can be a great resource for generating ideas for the hard-to-shop-for people in your life. In Mowry-Housley’s family, she says those people are her father and husband. “My husband only likes a couple of things. It’s like baseball hats, sneakers, and shirts,” she laughs. “And we’ve been together for over 17 years, so it’s like I have to be really creative, and also, I want to surprise him.” While shopping for the men in her life takes her just a little longer, Mowry-Housley says she thankfully usually ends up figuring out something special to get them.
Although she didn’t add it on her Amazon list, Mowry-Housley says her recently released tell-all memoir, You Should Sit Down for This, would also make a great holiday buy. (I totally agree; I’ve read it!) The memoir chronicles her life as a child actor and addresses her experiences with race, family, and marriage. “There was a review—and it’s actually very true—that said I put in just enough for people to learn new things about me,” she says about the book. “If I couldn’t sleep at night with me omitting something, I put it back in. Everything that’s in it, I had peace about because I wanted people to learn from it.”
But whatever—and however—families shop for their loved ones, it’s essential they remember the holiday season is about more than gifts. It’s all about making meaningful traditions, Mowry-Housley reminds.
Image Amazon
