Melanie Ronning
Meet Melanie!
Melanie is a mom of 2 adorable kids living in the Western suburbs of Chicago. With a rich history connecting her family to New Orleans, she is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Mardi Gras and celebrating with gusto! We hope you leave inspired by some of her family traditions.
Why is celebrating Mardi Gras special to you and your family?
Every family has the holiday they go all out for, whether it’s doing it up big for the fourth of July or throwing the NYE party of the century. In my family that over-the-top holiday happens to be Mardi Gras. Since my dad grew up in New Orleans, Mardi Gras holds a very special place in my heart because its our yearly tradition to travel back there and bring together family and friends from all over the country to celebrate. Every year we gather with my dads grade school friends, and as the years have gone by the celebrations have extended to include their children and grandchildren. These are generational connections that will last forever.
Mardi gras has been a very fluid celebration in our household, evolving with each stage of life we entered. As kids, we ran around porch parties with our light up swords. In college, we would bring friends and go bar hopping in the quarter and dance on my parents kitchen table. Now we’re back to our kids running around with light up swords. It’s come full circle. Mardi gras is also for all generations! At our celebration, this year especially, the age range of guests varies from 75 year olds to a 2 week old!
What traditions do you have celebrating the holiday?
The holiday traditions actually begin way before the parades start rolling. Carnival season starts the 12th night after Christmas with a number of Mardi Gras Balls held throughout the city at numerous social clubs. These have a history dating back to the 1850s which is pretty cool. I have been fortunate to make my debut as a Queen my Junior year of college, and hope that my daughter Elsie will partake in these one day too! One of my favorite traditions is watching my dad (and now brother and husband) ride in the Krewe d'Etat parade. I love watching my kids see all their favorite men in costume partaking in the parade; its magical! FUN FACT: My dad and his friends threw the very first blinky bead in 1996 making mardi gras history and awarding their parade as "Best of Carnival" by critics. Now the parade route is flooded with light up throws from headbands and scrunchies to capes and shoelaces. Dressing up in the wildest gear you can find is always a must! From glitter and fringe, to my daughter and I 's matching majorette boots! We watch the parade from front porches, balconys, and ladders!
Holidays aren’t complete without special recipes and every year I look forward to my dads Milk punch (that makes for a dangerous 9am start) and my moms Jambalaya! Every local has their favorite king cake but my personal favorite is Haydels and Gambinos! Every cake has a little baby hidden inside and tradition has it that if you cut yourself a slice and find the baby, you are to bring a king cake to the next party to keep the celebration rolling! Another favorite tradition is a good old fashioned crawfish boil that my parents host every saturday before fat tuesday. Crawfish season is the first 6months of the year, so Mardi gras always kicks off the first crawfish boil for many locals.
What does a weekend in New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras look like?
Overeating, overdrinking and over-celebrating! It is the best free show on earth!!
What are your top 3 things you must see, do or eat if you find yourself visiting New Orleans?
Eat a beignet from Cafe du Monde and eat all the amazing seafood dishes the city has to offer. Take a street car ride to the garden district or the french quarter to view the city and get lost in quarter! Whether you find yourself drinking a hurricane at Pat O'Brien’s or the most delicious lunch at Brennan’s, wherever you wander in is an adventure you won't regret!
How do you get your kids excited about the holiday? Any special ways you get them involved?
It is not hard to get my kids excited about the holiday! Leading up to the holiday we craft and bake anything and everything in purple, green and gold. We have many Mardi Gras children books that we read leading up to the weekend. Once we get to NOLA my kids are on cloud nine. They get to eat beignets and king cake for breakfast, watch a parade that throws them free toys, and stay up past bedtime with all their friends and cousins! What’s not to love. In the garden district where my parents live, the parade route is lined with ladders with wooden seats built on top for the kids to catch a good view of the parade. Some of my daughter’s Mardi gras favorites include spending time with family, dressing up, dancing to the marching bands and parade music, catching free stuff, watching her favorite men ride, watching the enormous Clydesdale horses pass by, and bringing king cake and goodies back to her friends in Chicago!
For those that can't travel to , what are some of your favorite vendors that bring Mardi Gras to your home?Most bakeries will deliver king cakes! I like to order from Haydel’s! Fluerty Girl is a super cute store that has an online shop carrying anything from festive outfits and accessories to baby gear!
A local secret? Mardispot.com is plush appeal, the vendor where all the riders order their throws from. If you really want to bring the mardi gras magic to your home this place has the magic!
I also like ordering from botique stores like homemalone!
Any tips for taking the stress off hosting and setting the perfect party atmosphere? YOU set the tone! If you are stressed or not enjoying yourself, your guests feel it too! Be organized and prepared. Build a timeline, especially when serving dinner, and stick to it.
"Le bon temps roule"
XX Melanie
