Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, and with it comes the annual ritual of entering grocery stores so crowded they should hand out helmets at the door. You circle the parking lot at your local supermarket (maybe a Market Basket in New England) like a hawk, stalking anyone who looks like they might be leaving.

Inside, it’s chaos. Carts everywhere. Aisles blocked by full-family conferences. People wrestling over the last can of cranberry sauce. You fight for stuffing mix, you fight for sanity, and somehow you still forget at least one thing on the list.

All this hard work just so you can cook all day for people who mysteriously only show up on holidays and leave with three days of leftovers like it’s part of their birthright.

But the moment the dishes from Thanksgiving are rinsed, stacked, and soaking “until tomorrow” (which may or may not mean three days from now)… a new battle begins.

The Annual Christmas Tree Expedition

Every year, without fail, we voluntarily go outside into arctic temperatures to hunt for a Christmas tree like frontier settlers.

You freeze your butt off walking around a tree farm, pretending to compare height, fullness, and symmetry like you’re buying real estate. Meanwhile, your face is so cold you can’t even tell if you’re still smiling.

Then you pick one — always the one that somehow looks a little crooked when you get it home — strap it to the roof with twine thinner than dental floss, and pray it doesn’t go airborne on the highway.

Bringing It Indoors: The Real Nightmare

Once you finally get it inside, it’s like unleashing nature into your living room.

• Pine needles everywhere.
• Sap on your clothes.
• Your dog sniffing it like it’s a new relative.
• You yelling, “STOP DRINKING THE TREE WATER!” at least 47 times a day.

And don’t forget the daily maintenance:

• Fill the stand with water.
• Refill it an hour later because the tree chugged a gallon like it just ran a marathon.
• Vacuum around the base.
• Vacuum again.
• Light the Yankee Candle balsam scent because even though you have a real tree, you want that smell so strong it almost knocks people over when they walk in.

And Then… The Elf Arrives

Ah yes. The biggest tattle-tale of the North Pole.

Elf on the Shelf — the tiny spy sent by Santa to keep your kids in line.

Your youngest ones straighten right up when they see him. Honestly, even the adults stand a little taller walking past that dude. One look at his plastic little face and suddenly you’re rethinking your life choices.

Of course, the Elf also means work for the parents:

• Moving him every night.
• Coming up with new places and scenarios.
• Panicking at 5 AM because someone forgot to move him.
• Explaining, “He didn’t move last night because he was tired. Long commute to the North Pole. Union rules.”

Your Vehicle: The Official Holiday Escape Plan

Between Thanksgiving gatherings, Christmas tree expeditions, last-minute shopping, and keeping the Elf alive and believable, you need one thing to be rock solid:

Your car has to start the moment you decide it’s time to bail.

Nothing is worse than wanting to leave a tense family gathering and discovering your battery has the lifespan of a holiday fruitcake. So before you hit the road for turkey, trees, or toys, give your vehicle a little pre-holiday love.

1. Battery: Your “Get Me Out of Here” Button

Cold weather is brutal on weak batteries. If yours is getting up there in age, have it tested before the real winter hits. At Ron’s Toy Shop, we’ll let you know if it’s strong enough for another season or if it’s time to replace it before it leaves you stranded instead of safely heading home.

If you ever do find yourself stuck in a driveway or parking lot, roadside programs like AAA’s mobile battery help can be a backup safety net—but our goal is to keep you from needing that call in the first place.

2. Antifreeze: Freeze Protection Matters

New England doesn’t play around with winter temps. Make sure your coolant has proper freeze protection so your engine doesn’t turn into an expensive ice sculpture. If you’re not sure what’s in there or how strong it is, we can test it and top it off correctly.

For more safe-winter-driving tips, resources like AAA’s winter driving guide are worth a read before the first big storm hits.

3. Tire Tread: For When You Need to Leave… Quickly

Whether you’re:

• Driving to Grandma’s on snowy back roads,
• Navigating a slushy shopping plaza, or
• Quietly peeling out of a driveway before someone brings up politics…

You want good tread and proper tire pressure. We can inspect your tires and let you know if they’re still good, need rotation, or if it’s time to upgrade before winter really settles in.

4. Don’t Forget the Stuffing Tray

Every car should have the basics: registration, insurance, an emergency kit… and a big, sturdy tray in the back seat or cargo area for transporting stuffing, pies, and casseroles without launching them into the carpet.

And if you’re the turkey person this year, it never hurts to have backup info. Brands like Butterball have hotlines, how-tos, and thawing guides to keep the main event from becoming a main disaster.

The Heart of It All

Yes, the holidays are chaotic.

Yes, they’re stressful.

Yes, someone’s going to burn something, spill something, argue about something, and bring up things that absolutely did not need to be mentioned at the dinner table.

But they’re also the moments we remember: the laughter in the kitchen, the lopsided Christmas tree, the kids whispering about the Elf, the late-night drive home in a quiet car with full bellies and tired smiles.

Through all the chaos, one thing you can control is how ready your vehicle is for the season.

From all of us at Ron’s Toy Shop, we hope your holidays are full of good food, safe travels, strong batteries, reliable tires, and a car that starts every time you need to make a strategic holiday escape.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas Season Kickoff from Ron’s Toy Shop in Manchester, NH!