Yahoo Lifestyle JoAnna Garcia Swisher Is Looking Forward to Quality Time and Competitive Fun During the Holidays: 'Big Game Family' (Exclusive)
The mom of two tells PEOPLE about her holiday plans
HoneyBaked
JoAnna Garcia SwisherJoAnna Garcia Swisher is gearing up for a low-key, fun holiday season with her family.
Speaking with PEOPLE about her partnership with HoneyBaked to celebrate exclusive holiday offers, the actress and mom of two, 45, shares her upcoming holiday plans.
"We try to mostly just be all together for the holidays. This year, we're going to have a little family trip with my brother and his kids. So we won't be home in Florida but we've rented a home and we're going to do it up to make it feel like home," she tells PEOPLE.
When it comes to that quality family time, Garcia Swisher and husband Nick Swisher enjoy playing games and sharing laughs with daughters Sailor Stevie, 8, and Emerson Jay, 11.
"We're a big game family. Our games have evolved, though. We used to play a big family kickball game but as you know grandparents started getting older and stuff, we got into a lull for a little there," she shares.
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"We might get back after it, but for now we do a big like Minute to Win It Night on Christmas Eve where we split into teams. I'd say that's our biggest tradition."
This time of year also makes Garcia Swisher nostalgic. She often looks back to some of her previous roles, many of which were on "shows with a real strong family feel."
"I think about my time on Reba or Sweet Magnolias because those shows are very much about family. So this time of year is always nice because I'm very close with the casts of both of those shows. The family that we've created is something that has endured in both cases. I'm so grateful for it."
Like many other families, Garcia Swisher says a lot of traditions center around "eating, drinking, and being merry."
"HoneyBaked ham is a must-have. I always have to figure out the exact right time to take it out because my kids will nibble on it. And now I know how my mom felt because she would always take it out a little early, get the table set and my brother and I would start picking at the ham and my kids do the same thing," she laughs.
"It's really sweet. There's nothing like that sweet and crunchy glaze on that ham. And then that ham sandwich the next day, or even that evening! It's the gift that keeps on giving. I'm all about keeping things simple. It's one of those pieces that you can put on your table and know it's going to taste amazing and be a crowd please, but it's one less step that I have to do myself in my kitchen."
"HoneyBaked ham has literally been part of my family holiday traditions for my whole life. It's very heartwarming to partner with them and feels super organic because we get a HoneyBaked ham for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's nice to spread the love and talk to others about family holiday traditions and delicious HoneyBaked ham and all the wonderful things at this time of year."
“HoneyBaked is proud to be a part of cherished holiday traditions, both classic and new,” Tripp McLaughlin, CMO of The Honey Baked Ham Company, tells PEOPLE. "We are excited to partner with hosting expert Joanna Garcia Swisher as she shares the meaningful traditions that have defined her holidays over the years, featuring our signature ham as the centerpiece."
Garcia Swisher is excited for a "really wild" 2025 after some downtime with her loved ones.
"We love staying together. Holidays were always really cozy in our family, so most all of our favorite memories are centered around enjoying a meal together and just really spending time unplugging and being together."
In 2025, "Sweet Magnolias will be coming back to Netflix for season 4, which I'm so excited for people to enjoy."
"Until then, I'm looking forward to getting a little time to be with my family, reflect, and take a deep breath before things get even crazier," she says.
