Kristen Bell's Secret to a Stress-Free Christmas: Give Up on 'Perfection'

From Woman's Day

One look at Kristen Bell’s résumé from the past year makes you wonder when she sleeps. Over the past 365 days, the 39-year-old Bell, along with husband and fellow actor Dax Shepard, launched Hello Bello, a company that makes affordable premium plant-based baby products. Bell starred in Hulu’s reboot of the teen television hit Veronica Mars. And to the delight of kids (and their parents) everywhere, she is reprising her role as the fearless Anna in Disney’s Frozen II, which opens November 22.

With such a busy schedule, it’s no surprise that the actress and mother of two takes a laid-back approach to the holidays—but that doesn’t mean she skimps on tradition. Her favorite? Recreating with her own family the buckeye cookie she made growing up. Here, Bell shares the secret to creating holiday magic at home. — Leah Rocketto

My family is from Ohio, the Buckeye State, and the no-bake buckeye was always the easiest and most delicious treat to make when we were kids. As a teenager, I started assembling them on my own, and my friends would come over to eat cookies and watch TV.

My daughters [Lincoln, 6, and Delta, 4] are just getting to the age where they can cook and bake with me more often. They can mix the ingredients with their hands now, which adds an element of sensory, tactile excitement for them. In terms of other traditions, Dax introduced the idea of opening gifts on Christmas morning from youngest to oldest, which I really like. I’m able to talk my daughters through who gave them each gift. I try to reiterate that these presents don’t just fall from the sky; they came from a thoughtful individual whom we need to thank.

Another habit I want to pass down to them is to not get stressed out about the holidays. It’s tempting to think that everything has to be perfect. But if we decide at 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve to order takeout instead of cook, I will have a smile on my face.

I’m a lot like Anna in that way—and in a lot of other ways too. She’s one of the closest characters to me I’ve ever played. She leads with her heart, has a passion for life, and believes in the people around her more than anything. That’s my take on life too. Plus, she’s a klutz and talks way too fast—just like me.

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