Hoda Kotb & Daughters Decorate for First Christmas After Her ‘Today’ Exit
What To Know
- Hoda Kotb shared gave fans a glimpse into her holiday decorating with her daughters, Haley and Hope.
- Kotb left the NBC morning show to spend more time with her children and has since focused on family life, writing a new book, launching a wellness company, and adopting a dog.
- This holiday season marks Kotb’s second Christmas in the suburbs, as she moved outside of New York City last year.
Hoda Kotb‘s first Christmas since leaving Today is shaping up to be a memorable one.
The former NBC morning show host gave fans a glimpse inside how she and her daughters — Haley, 8, and Hope, 6 — are getting into the holiday spirit via Instagram. “It’s all happening!! 🎄❤️,” she captioned a Sunday, December 7, post featuring photos of her kids decorating their Christmas tree.
With the lights on the tree, Kotb’s kids got started on decorating the tree by hanging several candy canes. They followed up the sweet treats by placing ornaments on the tree. Some ornaments spotted on Kotb’s family tree include festive red bulbs, a ballerina, a stack of books, the letter “B” from the Barbie movie logo, and a “Swiftie” ornament, a nod to her and her daughters’ love of Taylor Swift.
To top things off, Kotb lifted Haley on her shoulders so that she could place a gold star on top of the tree.
“The magic! 🎄🎄❤️❤️,” Deborah Roberts commented underneath the post, while Today’s Dylan Dreyer added, “A perfect evening!!”
Fans also shared their love for Kotb’s family photos. “Such great memories to make! Also, those ceilings are GORGEOUS!” one person said of Kotb’s home. Another user added, “One lucky momma and her two little elves transforming the house with Christmas 🎄 tree magic ❤️❤️❤️.”
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“I love it! Happy Holidays! 🎄🎄❄️❤️,” someone else shared. A different person posted, “Happy Holidays to you and your beautiful family 🎄⛄️❄️☃️.”
Kotb previously cited wanting to spend more time with her kids as one of her reasons for leaving Today back in January. In addition to enjoying more family time, Kotb has kept herself busy with the release of her latest book, Jump and Find Joy, the launch of her wellness company, Joy 101, and the adoption of her family dog, Waffles.
While 2025 may mark her first holiday season post-Today, she celebrated her first Christmas in the suburbs last year after deciding to move her family outside of New York City. “I want my kids to feel grass on their feet, and play in the yard, and ride bikes down the street, and run up and down the stairs,” she told People of the move in August 2024. “I just see that life for them in this perfect house in this beautiful little town where I know they’ll be able to blossom into beautiful, independent, strong women.”
Kotb’s first Christmas outside of the city saw her reunite with her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman, who is the father of her two girls. (The exes adopted Haley and Hope in 2017 and 2019, respectively.)
“Merry Christmas🎄🎄,” Kotb captioned Instagram pics of herself, Schiffman, their kids, her sister, Hala, and her mother, Sameha, dressed in matching holiday pajamas
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