This week marks American Thanksgiving, which means that the kick-off to the holidays has officially begun! It’s important for me to maintain traditions, but as a tech aficionado, I like to integrate them with new technologies. Here are my favorite tips for using your BlackBerry ® device during the holidays. Just don’t get it too close to the mashed potatoes and gravy!

Master the Gift Exchange by Handing-Down Old Devices and Accessories: Do you have any accessories you’re no longer using? Chances are there’s someone in your big family or social network that could use them, so bring them along to your holiday gatherings! (It’s technically not a “re-gift.”)

The Festive Dinner – Establish Phone Etiquette: For our parents and grandparents, having a mobile device at the dinner table is a major ‘no no.’ Yet in my family, we use our mobile devices during meals to take photos, send updates to our social networks, and to send inside jokes to one another via BlackBerry ® Messenger (BBM ™). Enable the ‘Silent’ or ‘Vibrate’ profile on your smartphone during meals, and if you’d like, customize your ringtones, notifications or alerts.

Deck the Halls with a Charging Station: When you’re entertaining, preparing a charging station in advance will allow you to sit back and relax. Diminish holiday stress by allowing your guests to charge their BlackBerry devices beside the boughs of holly.

Organize a Video Chat Using Your BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet: We’ve come a long way from pictures with Santa at the mall. Now, video reigns supreme. Since many of my friends and family members live far away, I love using the Video Chat app on my BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet to send good wishes during the holidays. Simply use your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to capture the magic of presents being opening on your device.

Be an Airport Pick-Up Pro: I’m always driving back and forth between the airport, fetching or dropping off visitors. To make sure I never miss flight delay or cancellation notifications, I use the BlackBerry® Travel™ app. It keeps all trip information in one place! If you’re the one doing the travelling, you can take full advantage when planning your holiday adventure.

Tell us: what are your holiday traditions? Share some stories with us in the comment section below.

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Are you a parent that uses their BlackBerry device in an innovative way? Got any secrets or tips for others? Let us know and share your advice in the comments below.