Credit: Shutterstock/Ron Adar
Andy Cohen is gearing up for The Holidays and New Year’s Eve in only the way he knows how: booze, a cozy fireplace, and baking with his kids Ben and Lucy. Plus, he reveals the Housewife who is on his “naughty or nice” list when it comes to gift-giving along with some of his favorite gifts he loves to give family and friends
“[The holiday season] is just a month of excuses to hang out with friends, eat well, have a cocktail, and really gear up for New Year’s Eve,” And told TODAY. “New Year’s Eve, for me, is my Super Bowl of the holidays.”
Andy’s love for New Year’s Eve is very well-known and last year’s festivities were one for the books. Andy and co-host, Anderson Cooper, got a little too tipsy during their New Year’s Eve live broadcast on CNN, to the delight of viewers and chagrin to network executives who advised Andy to tone it down this year. According to Andy, don’t bet on it as he says this year “will be a party.”
Until then, Andy’s looking forward to “laying” low in NYC and spending time with his kids while instilling in them his family’s holiday traditions and memories.
“We’ll bake cookies, we light a lot of fires,” he told the news outlet. “I’m happy to say I have a wood-burning fireplace in New York City, and we light a lot of fires, and listen to Mariah Carey, light the menorah. We definitely are a big Hanukkah family, at least understanding what that is now. And I just love that it’s so festive. It’s not really a religious month for me, but it’s a very festive month.”
The Watch What Happens Live host also lets fans in on who the best gift-giver among the many Housewives Andy has befriended over the years.
“I would say the housewife that gives the best gift is Kyle Richards,” Andy revealed. “She just, she overdoes it, as you can imagine — Beverly Hills, what can I say? And I have to say, all the Beverly Hills housewives, all the housewives in general, they love labels. And they’ve given some really wild labels to Ben and Lucy. I mean, they have more labels than I do!”
As for what the dad of two is getting his children, Andy said he’s not going too crazy. After all, they’re still so young and more than likely won’t remember it anyways, he explained jokingly.
“I have a little pro tip for everyone with a baby: They don’t know it’s the holidays! You can hand them a piece of paper, and they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s a piece of paper!’ So, the answer is, I mean, I’ll give [Lucy] a couple of things. But I don’t go crazy on a baby that doesn’t know what’s going on. Is that wrong?”
However, for those in your life who will most definitely remember your gift-giving skills, Andy shared his go-to Christmas gifts this season.
- Amazon Echo Dot
“I’m kind of a perfectionist, and I like everything the way I like it, especially at the holidays, when I’m entertaining a lot, and I have a lot of friends stopping by. So, Alexa really helps me get to a place that I need to get to, get to the vibe that I need to get to.” Andy says he has all his devices connected to his Echo.
- Personalized Custom Notepad
“I have a lot of gifts that I need to buy for my staff or for all the housewives,” Andy said. “Everybody loves to have their name on things, but people don’t usually buy it for themselves, and it’s really very cool to have a big set of pads.”
- “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” By Dr. Suess
For the kiddos in your life or the nostalgic child in yourself, Andy loves the classic and timeless Dr. Seuss story. “[Ben] loves the Grinch book. And I’ve been reading him the Grinch book some mornings.”
- Doona Infant Car Seat to Stroller
Andy says this car seat that transforms into a stroller is a “lifesaver” and was recommended and sent to him by Khloe Kardashian.
“I think for any new parent, or a parent with a baby, a parent expecting a baby the gift that they absolutely must get is called a Doona. It’s a car seat that transitions into a stroller. And it is a lifesaver for airplanes or malls when you’re driving, and you need to take the baby … but you can put baby in the Doona in the car, and then you make it into a stroller.”