This holiday season, Hoda Kotb<\/a> is starting a fun new tradition with her daughters<\/a> Haley, 8, and Hope, 6.<\/p>\n The former Today<\/a><\/em> host opened up about how she\u2019s creating a stress-free holiday in the Tuesday, December 2, edition of her newsletter. \u201cWhen it comes to the holidays, I find it\u2019s helpful to kick perfection to the snowy curb. It\u2019s not happening!\u201d she wrote. \u201cCookies will burn, ornaments will break, and our Elf on the Shelf will never be an overachiever.\u201d<\/p>\n As for her new holiday tradition? \u201cThis is the first year we\u2019re doing Elf on the Shelf, and my daughters can\u2019t wait to see where he ends up each morning after visiting Santa,\u201d Kotb revealed. \u201cSo far, he\u2019s returned to a shelf. I think Haley and Hope imagine more inventive scenarios because they regale me with stories of where their friends\u2019 elves have been spotted: He was zip-lining across the kitchen! He was making snow angels! He was at a tea party with marshmallows!\u201d<\/p>\n Kotb, for her part, is taking a more relaxed approach to her kids\u2019 Elf on the Shelf. \u201cOur elf is a shelf guy. Maybe a window sill,\u201d she quipped. \u201cIt\u2019s the anticipation, not the location, that\u2019s driving the girls\u2019 excitement, so we\u2019ll stick with keeping things simple. While I marvel at the creativity and commitment of other Elf handlers, I know myself. One day, one shelf at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoda Kotb\/Instagram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kotb wrapped up her newsletter by offering some advice on how to manage this time of year\u2019s more stressful moments. \u201cAs December unfolds, give yourself a quiet moment to breathe and think about what you can gently let go of this season,\u201d she wrote. \u201cHere\u2019s a little journaling prompt to guide you: What\u2019s one simple way I can ease the pressure this holiday so I can feel more joy? Write it down and carry it with you. Let\u2019s get ahead of maintaining the merry this season!\u201d<\/p>\n Kotb started her email newsletter with the launch of her wellness company, Joy 101, earlier this year. Joy 101 is one of several projects Kotb has worked on since leaving<\/a> her Today<\/em> hosting role earlier this year, including her latest book, Jump and Find Joy<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n When Kotb announced<\/a> her Today<\/em> exit in September 2024, she cited wanting to spend more time with her daughters as a big reason behind her decision. \u201cObviously, I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time, that pie that I have,\u201d she explained on the show<\/a> at the time. \u201cI feel like we only have a finite amount of time.\u201d (Kotb shared her daughters with her ex-fianc\u00e9<\/a>, Joel Schiffman.)<\/p>\n Kotb kicked off the 2025 holiday season by reuniting with Today<\/em>\u2018s Savannah Guthrie<\/a> and Al Roker<\/a> to cohost the Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade<\/a> on Thursday, November 27. Her daughters and more family members cheered her on along the parade route. \u201cUptown girls!\u201d she captioned a Friday, November 28, Instagram<\/a> post featuring snaps of Haley and Hope watching the parade.<\/p>\n That same day. Kotb shared more pics of her family\u2019s Thanksgiving festivities<\/a> \u2014 which also double as a birthday celebration for her brother, Adel. \u201cHappy thanksgiving xoxoxo,\u201d she captioned the Instagram<\/a> slideshow, the first slide of which featured a group selfie of her family at the dinner table.<\/p>\n More Headlines:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n