Reese Witherspoon Reveals the Holiday Tradition She Tried That Was ‘an Epic Disaster’ (Exclusive)

Reese Witherspoon always planned to write a book for kids for the holidays.

The Morning Show star, 48, whose third book in her children’s series, Busy Betty & the Perfect Christmas Present, is out now, “wanted to do a Christmas one because my little boy was even saying to me last night, ‘I don’t know what to get everybody,'” says the actress, who’s mom to her three kids, Ava, 25, Deacon, 21, and Tennessee, 12. “I said, ‘Understand anything you make me, I will love more than anything you buy.’ Hopefully the book kind of reinforces that homemade gifts are the best.”

As for her own childhood memories of the holidays, Witherspoon was all about crafting presents for loved ones. “I would make watercolors, or cards with markers, or Rice Krispies treats or chocolate chip cookies,” she says. “I still do to this day.”

Her most coveted toy under the tree? “I was obsessed with Teddy Ruxpin,” she recalls. “My dad found the last one at some store, and I played with it every single day. It was basically a big glorified tape player, so I put all my music in it. I just loved it.”

When it comes to holiday traditions with her kids, the actress, producer and entrepreneur relishes activities together like ice skating, decorating and making gingerbread houses. “We like to decorate the porch with poinsettias and ribbons and garlands, and take family photos at Thanksgiving so that hopefully we get it together to have a Christmas card,” she allows.

These days, her two adult children get a pass. “It’s harder when kids are in college, they don’t want to be in the Christmas card so I told them once they were over 20, they don’t have to,” she says. “It’s sad but I still have one little 12-year-old, so he gets dressed up and it’s cute.”

The family does go all out making their gingerbread houses — with one exception. “We use a kit,” Witherspoon explains. “Back when I was a ‘Do anything that Martha Stewart says’ woman, I tried to make my own house and it was an epic disaster. My engineering was not up to par. It just collapsed.”

Her most memorable presents from her kids come from the heart. “When one of my kids were little, they gave me a jar filled with very specific memories and compliments,” she says. “It’s everything from, ‘I love when you hug me after school’ to ‘I love when we sing this song in the car.’ To this day it makes me want to cry.”

Another was “five letters they wrote for me to open at different times, and I slowly opened them over a year and it was such a lovely, lovely gift,” Witherspoon adds. “We’re a very sentimental family.”

Busy Betty & the Perfect Christmas Present, illustrated by Xindi Yan, is now available wherever books are sold.