Jennifer Garner Details Holiday Plans with Her 3 Kids — and How Each Has Their Own Cooking 'Specialty' (Exclusive)
The actress is mom to children Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12
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Jennifer Garner in April 2023.Jennifer Garner and her family are big fans of the holiday season!
In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the actress, 52, opens up about how she and her three children — Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12 — mark end of the year celebrations.
First speaking about Thanksgiving specifically, Garner, who has released a 2024 gift guide with KitchenAid, says her kids are now at an age where they can each prepare their own dishes as part of the family's larger meal.
"I have one kid who specializes in mashed potatoes, that's their specialty, I have one kid who is all about making an apple pie, that's their specialty, and then I have one who goodness only knows what she will make," the proud mom says with a laugh.
As for her part on Thanksgiving, Garner says she makes a 10-grain bread from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. "I love this recipe," she explains. "I don't know how it got so entrenched in my family's Thanksgiving menu, but everyone is going to be ready for me to make this 10-grain bread."
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Jennifer Garner in July 2024.Related: Jennifer Garner Jokes 'If I Could Marry Coffee I Would' — Here's How She Likes It (Exclusive)
And while Thanksgiving is big in her family's household, Garner points out, however, that one of her kids was eager beforehand to skip ahead a month to celebrate Christmas.
"The other night I got home from work, and my son had Christmas music playing full blast through the whole house, and he was wearing an apron and he was making ginger snaps," she says of her preteen.
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"And it was just like, 'That's what I'm looking for. That is the energy that I want to see brought to our house right now,' " continues Garner.
As for other Christmas traditions she and her three kids, who she shares with ex Ben Affleck, plan to take part in this year, the Deadpool & Wolverine star says, "We'll definitely go see The Nutcracker, because that is a huge part of Christmas for me and for my kids — thank goodness I've drilled it into them — and just being together with family."
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Jennifer Garner.Related: Jennifer Garner Says She Never Ate Processed Food Growing: 'We Had Only What' My Mom 'Could Make'
When it comes to gift-giving this holiday season, Garner says she plans to utilize items part of her KitchenAid gift guide — something she has already done throughout the year.
"I've been giving these gifts straight through the year, honestly, for birthdays and for any reason I can think of, because each one of them is a total true, complete winner, and that is the God's honest truth," she says.
Among the items featured this year are the KitchenAid KF8 Fully-Automatic Espresso Machine, the 2024 Design Series Evergreen Stand Mixer, the Grain & Rice Cooker and the KitchenAid Go Kitchen Vacuum.
Garner says that she knows others will wholeheartedly love these gifts, given that they are exactly what she would want to receive come Dec. 25.
"If I opened [these] on Christmas morning under the tree and as a mom ... I'm telling you, I would be thrilled to bits," she tells PEOPLE.
