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Not all divorce stories are the same.

After their split, Kristin Cavallari and Jay Culter tried dating again. It didn’t work out.

That doesn’t mean that they don’t still spend time together, despite their inherently awkward situation.

In fact, the exes are planning on spending the holidays together … even though they’re not, you know, together.

Kristin Cavallari and Jay in 2011
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Kristin Cavallari spoke to Us Weekly this week, explaining why she and Jay are rubbing elbows when most exes would be glaring daggers.

“For me, it’s just about putting the kids first,” she reasoned.

Kristin emphasized: “The kids are the only thing that matters and what’s best for them."

Photo via Instagram

"That’s how I look at it," Kristin continued.

She commented: You’ve just got to make the most of it. …"

Kristin added: "Luckily, we are able to spend it together, and I’m really grateful for that.”

Photo via Getty

Kristin and Jay share three children: 9-year-old Camden, 7-year-old Jaxon, and 5-year-old Saylor.

Apparently they have a lot of favorite, over-the-top traditions.

“We have the elves come," Kristin dished. "We did this long before Elf on the Shelf."

Photo via Instagram

“The elves come a week before Christmas and if you’re good, they put a little something in your stocking," Kristin described.

"If you’re bad, you get coal," she added, a reference to a tradition borrowed from the older Krampus traditions.

Kristin detailed: "I always do an Italian meal on Christmas Eve, which is really fun.”

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This holiday reunion won’t be unprecedented.

Kristin and Jay announced their split more than a year and a half ago, in April of 2020.

Just seven months later, they were together for Thanksgiving — something that Kristin confirmed at the time.

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“I’m actually gonna be spending it just with my kids and [my estranged husband] Jay Cutler as a family," Kristin revealed over a year ago.

"So, I’m looking forward to that,” she said at the time of her Thanksgiving 2020 plans.

“I’m happy that we’re able to spend it together and have these conversations," Kristin also added, "even though we’re in the middle of getting a divorce."

KC and JC
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"So, I’m thankful for where we’re currently at," Kristin said last year.

Clearly, she was already in the holiday spirit when she gave that interview, even though it was still October of 2020.

Even now, Kristin says, she and Jay are still having tough talks and "real parenting" as exes.

Photo via Instagram

“[We have] real conversations about things, real life lessons,” Kristin assured.

“I actually love this phase that we’re in more than any phase we’ve been in," she expressed.

Kristin added: "There is a part of me that sometimes misses those newborn snuggles and the cute little toddlers, mushy babies."

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"But where we’re at is really nice," Kristin shared, "because I have real conversations with my kids."

She pointed out: "They are their own people."

Kristin observed: "They’re really forming their identity and that’s really exciting.”

Photo via Instagram

For example, Saylor is currently getting into jewelry.

Jaxon, in the meantime, is "into clothes and shoes" Kristin shared.

She of course used the opportunity to plug her brand just in time for the holiday season, but we can’t fault her for that.

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“I feel like this year more than ever, everyone is really excited to get back and holiday parties," Kristin shared, though the deadly pandemic is not over.

"And I feel like we’re going to be dressing up even more than maybe we normally would," she suggested.

"So," Kristin shared, "we have a little glitz and glam that we don’t always have.”