Gwyneth Paltrow: Holiday AMA

0:02Thanks for tuning in to today's podcast made possible by our friends at Cartier. I've always loved the way that jewelry can tell a story across time. With Cartier, that story often begins with the panther. First appearing as a spotted motif on a watch in 1914, it's become one of the maison's most endured symbols. It was reimagined in 1935 by Cartier's visionary creative director, Jeanne Toussaint, who brought the panther to life in three dimensions for the first time. Bold, magnetic, powerful, she turned it into something iconic. The newest Pontère du Cartier creations continue that lineage. Two panthers, face to face, sculptural yet flexible, channel an alluring intensity.

0:53They feel timeless, and yet alive in the present moment. That's the magic of Cartier. The craftsmanship, the history, and the way these pieces invite you to imagine your own story within them. Shop the latest Ponterre creations on Cartier.com.

1:19When you are pioneering anything or introducing new ideas to the culture, you get criticized. You do? Yeah. Did you hear about that? I didn't find the one. I found someone I respected and we made it the one. In a sort of longing kind of view of love, people understand each other as if by magic. Nothing in itself is addictive on the one hand. And on the other hand, everything could be addictive if there's an emptiness in that person that needs to be filled. I now know that nobody changes until they change their energy. And when you change your energy, you change your life. I'm Gwyneth Paltrow. This is the Goop Podcast.

1:57Bringing together thought leaders, culture changers, creatives, founders, and CEOs, scientists, doctors, healers, and seekers. Here to start conversations, because simply asking questions and listening has the power to change the way we see the world. Here we go. Hi, I'm Gwyneth Paltrow. Welcome to the Goop Podcast. Today we're doing a special holiday AMA, so thank you for your questions. I have not yet seen what they are, so I'm going to be surprised, and let's get to it. Okay. What stresses you out most during the holidays, and how do you manage it? What stresses me out most during the holidays is kind of the volume of things that have to get accomplished before the end of the year.

2:46So organizing food and going to the market and gifts and trying to deliver on the quarter at Goop and this year I have a movie coming out on top of it all so I think it's just like the sheer volume of things that I have to do and what I do to sort of manage it I mean I do try to I do try to do the gifting thing as ahead of time as I can I like to just you know make sure I'm organized with my lists and who's coming when and what are we going to eat and and then make sure that I build in a lot of sleep and downtime over the holidays. Building off of that, how do you create space to slow down and avoid holiday burnout?

3:34I usually am crawling to the finish line by the holidays, and this year is no different. How am I going to manage burnout? I'm already burnout. I'm so freaking burnt out right now. I can't barely see straight. So I think just really early bedtimes, no alcohol until I clock off. That's my plan. Best tip for actually enjoying the season instead of rushing through it. I love the holidays. I love it when everybody's together. And I try to really savor the moments and, like, build in time to take long walks or to cook things together. Like, I just really appreciate that time being at home with nothing to do and no meetings to take and really just letting time slow down.

4:24Advice for handling holiday gatherings when family dynamics may be complicated. I mean, I think all families have dynamics that are complicated at one point or another. The holidays can obviously exacerbate that. I think also because there's a sort of pressure to really feel happy and sometimes relationships, existing stuff and stuff in the past, you know, make things feel fraught for certain people. I think for me, I just try to, like, avoid my old triggers as much as possible. and I try to talk to myself like if something happens that makes me feel frustrated or annoyed I literally just will talk to myself through it and just be like Gwyneth just breathe it's not a big deal like don't be triggered I kind of that's sort of my best trick and then I always remember try to, you know, to see the whole person.

5:30Like sometimes we get stuck seeing people in these dynamics because we've been in them with that dynamic with the person for so long. But if you can see somebody who's, you know, tough, like as how they were as a kid and sort of feel them as a whole person and cultivate empathy, that also helps too. How do you stay present with family and friends while also running the show? It's hard to stay totally present with family and friends when you're running the show. But I think prep work is great for that, like before people arrive to get a lot of stuff done. And then, you know, I mean, look, it's hard to host and be totally chill and present.

6:20Like, I have not mastered how to do that yet, but I do, like, once, especially once we sit down for the meal, then, like, I try to really get sinking in my chair and really enjoy the company and the food. What does the holiday season look like now that your kids are older, and are there traditions that you've kept from since they were children to now? So, even though my kids are older, we still do the same thing every year. We're always together. We do Christmas and Hanukkah. We have a really fun Christmas morning. We usually take a long time to open presents and then have a long walk on the beach and, you know, eat and stay in pajamas.

7:06And then we also do kind of Boxing Day, which is a holdover from our days in the UK, where we just, you know, have another day of like glorious gluttony and total relaxation and board games and stuff like that. What's a wellness routine that you keep despite the chaos of the season and why it's so important to you? You know, I really like my routine of exercise and sauna. It keeps me very grounded. I feel like when I'm doing my workout, it's a way to move any frustrations through the body and out. I really like the practice of sitting in the sauna and just taking some time and chilling out. So those are the two things that I make sure that I do.

7:57Even if it's just like a long walk, it's really important for me to move. What are some small ways to contribute as a 20-year-old daughter going back home for the holidays since moving out? That's a very sweet question. I think, you know, making something is really nice. Like making a little side dish is nice. Or, you know, bringing a baked goods, something like that, that feels like you're adding to the bounty. I think just anything that's simple and kind of the more homemade, the better. The other thing that would be fun to do is maybe to bring, like, one of those great decks of cards that ask questions and everybody can go around taking turns and asking questions.

8:45I really, I can't remember the name of the cards that I like. The And, is that what they're called? Yeah. I think The And. And they have a great family addition, and I think it's like$20, and it really makes the family sitting around a fun experience. What traditions do you enjoy most from your Jewish and Christian heritage? I'm so lucky to have Jewish and Christian heritage. I love Hanukkah. I love the symbolism. I love the spirituality of it. And, you know, just, and then, of course, my kids love the eight nights of presents. Who wouldn't? But I really enjoy lighting the candles. We always do a big group hug and light the candles, and it's a really special moment.

9:32And I love Christmas. My husband is a little bit of a Grinch, so he's the opposite. But I love the decorations. I love the Frank Sinatra Christmas album. I really get into the holiday spirit. I love decorating. And we have a traditional menu that we do every year. I always make Martha Stewart's recipe for perfect roast turkey. And we have our stuffing recipe and our sweet potatoes and all the things. So we never really deviate that much. One year we added fried chicken to the mix, which I thought was weird. But Brad really was into the idea. But this year I think we're going traditional. Do you put up a tree?

10:15Yes. Oh, my God. How early? A couple people asked when's too early to put up a tree. When's too early to put up a tree? I mean, I know people that do it after Thanksgiving. Like, I think that's pretty acceptable. I think before Thanksgiving, then you're dealing with a dead tree. But I think we're doing it, you know, I usually do it, like, the first week in December, I would say. My grandmother used to keep the Christmas tree up until Easter. So talk about a dead tree. But by New Year's, I think that first week in January. It's time to take it down. Yeah, exactly. How do you navigate the holidays with your kids post-divorce?

10:53There were a few people that asked advice for how to navigate the holidays after a divorce with kids. Yeah. I mean, look, I think, you know, if the inclination is to do it together as a family and whatever permutation that family is currently in, I think it's a really nice thing to do, but also not at the expense of one's feeling of, you know, comfort and boundaries. And I've been thinking about this idea a lot of like, you know, I was talking about this with a friend who was saying that she really wants to have the holidays with her ex-husband for the kids, but she's sort of real, if she's really honest with herself, she's not that comfortable.

11:42and so you know we were sort of talking through this the other day like what is the right thing to do there and I just think it's very individual and you have to really think about is it going to cost you a sense of integrity to do it or are you okay you know being a little uncomfortable and sort of pushing yourself into a new area and focusing on kind of love and forgiveness and togetherness. You know, I remember back in the day thinking, I'm just going to remember all the best qualities about my ex, like, you know, when we first got divorced. And that was really helpful to not focus on the reasons why you're not together, but the reasons why you love the person and why you love them.

12:33But I do think it's also important to stay in integrity. So it's, you know, I think close your eyes and ask yourself the real question. Do you have any traditions that you've picked up from Brad that he brought to the relationship that you love? Are you kidding? Brad is the worst. Brad is like, he hates Christmas music. He hates Christmas decorations. He hates roast turkey. Like, he hates the traditional dinner. Anything he looks forward to? No, he looks forward to it being over. I think that's a lot of people, though. Really? I love it, but I think a lot of people just think of stress. I feel very alone in my house and my love for Christmas, although all the kids love it, so they're on my side.

13:18Do you have any vegan or gluten-free friendly holiday dishes that you love? Yeah, absolutely. So what I love about the holidays is how adaptable all the food is and how you can make all the sides vegan. So you can make like a delicious baked sweet potato with maple syrup and pecans, you know, and with a little coconut oil. You can make all kinds of greens with crispy garlic, for example. You can make, you know, a cornbread stuffing that's gluten-free with lots of onions and celery sautéed in olive oil with lots of herbs and seasoning and make like a delicious stuffing. So you don't have to put eggs or milk in stuffing.

14:04And I think it's great to sort of lean into the vegetables. And I think, too, like a nice, beautiful rice dish, especially if it has some clove and some raisins, like some holiday spice in it, that's another good kind of vegan, gluten-free option. And lately I've been asking AI, various AI platforms for help with that kind of thing. And it's incredible the recipes that you get. So I would also, like you could put in what I just said, but ask them for an exact recipe and you'll get something great.

14:50I've always loved the way that jewelry can tell a story across time. With Cartier, that story often begins with the panther. First appearing as a spotted motif on a watch in 1914, It's become one of the Maison's most endured symbols. It was reimagined in 1935 by Cartier's visionary creative director Jeanne Toussaint who brought the panther to life in three dimensions for the first time. Bold, magnetic, powerful, she turned it into something iconic. The newest Pontère du Cartier creations continue that lineage. Two Panthers face-to-face, sculptural yet flexible, channel an alluring intensity. They feel timeless and yet alive in the present moment.

15:40That's the magic of Cartier. The craftsmanship, the history, and the way these pieces invite you to imagine your own story within them. Shop the latest Ponterre creations on Cartier.com.

16:01I know you mentioned the Martha Stewart recipe, but what's your favorite thing to cook during the holidays? Stuffing is my favorite food. I love stuffing. I'm very specific about it. It can't be sourdough bread. It has to be stale white bread with tons of onions and celery. I do it with butter, and I do it with poultry seasoning and lots of herbs. And I love it leftover. Some, the next day, like I, I like to do this thing where I take, take some leftover stuffing, mix it with a beaten egg and then put it in a waffle iron. Yum. My God. It's so good. And you get all the crispy edges and then put a poached egg on top.

16:47So good. Do you use a recipe for your stuffing or is it just from memory? I don't use a recipe for my stuffing anymore, really. I have it on the Goop website, the one that I use, yeah. What's your least favorite thing about holiday hosting? I mean, I guess it just can be stressful that you want the food to turn out right, and it's like a lot of dishes cooking at the same time. And I think that's the most stressful, like timing everything out. Yep. What is your family's favorite thing that you cook this time of year? Probably latkes. I make really good latkes with, there's the applesauce, and then there's creme fraiche with a little caviar.

17:31I love a latke. You're going to do a holiday-themed boyfriend breakfast? I should. Those waffles. Stuffing waffles. Should I do that? You should. Okay. Advice on what to wear for a holiday work party. It's cocktail attire. Well, funny you should ask. We just kind of released a Gwynne collection for this exact thing. We have a couple of really nice black dresses, one that just launched and one that's coming the first week of December with our holiday capsule. I think just like nice, chic. The one that's coming in December is really nice because it has a higher neck and a bow in the back. It's not too sexy, but it's not, you know, it is nicely.

18:15It's just, it's feminine. It's really pretty. Favorite traditions around the holidays in New York City? Well, when my kids were little, we always used to go to the Nutcracker in New York City, which was so much fun. I thank God they're over the stage of wanting to go to Rockefeller Center and see the tree, because that is the worst. The traffic is so intense and the people, the volume of people on the sidewalk. But we like to go to the theater. We like to go. We're usually in New York City before Thanksgiving, and we usually go and see a play. Your ideal Christmas morning? My ideal Christmas morning would be to sleep in.

18:57What's sleeping in for you? Sleeping in for me would be like 7.30. That would be really nice. And then just, you know, coffee and presents and food and just very chill. Do you have a favorite holiday memory over the years? Well, last year we went to Italy for Christmas, and it was really special to be over there. You know, these Catholic countries do Christmas so beautifully, you know, candlelit processions and beautiful music, and that was really special. Vegetable side dish that isn't boring? I mean, I always love really crispy Brussels sprouts. If you're feeling really adventurous, you could deep fry them and then toss them with some sriracha and a little bit of fish sauce for something really zingy and unexpected.

19:56Eggnog, yes or no? I love eggnog, especially spiked eggnog with brandy in it. I love it. Go to olive oil. You know, I just really make sure that it doesn't have to be a special brand or anything, but I think just high-quality olive oil that is olive oil and not a blend of oils is really important. I like that. What's that brand, the squeezing one? It's like Grazza. I like Grazza. That's nice. I also like Costa Rina. That's a really good one. There's a ton of great artisanal olive oils out there. You kind of answered this one, but leftovers, yes, no, maybe. I love leftovers. I love a turkey sandwich.

20:42I love a hot turkey sandwich the next day on good bread with cranberry and with stuffing and gravy on it. Oh, my gosh. I feel like you've answered this one in the past, but canned or homemade cranberry sauce? I like canned cranberry sauce. I know it's not Goop approved, but I love the ocean spray jelly cranberry thing. I grew up on it and I'm never not eating that. I also do like the whole cranberry sort of sauce that when I, you know, you do it with like orange and clove and stuff like that, that's good. But nothing replaces that bob of ocean spray deliciousness. most memorable gift you've ever received oh that's so tough I don't know my husband always gives me really thoughtful gifts for Christmas I can't think of the best gift I've ever received but just something that makes you feel understood you know yeah all about the thought yeah like I got a great meat thermometer one year I was very happy with it what are you reading right now Right now, I'm not, I have, what is the book that I'm finishing that I started?

22:02Well, I just read Scott Galloway's book, which was really interesting about manhood in America. But I'm reading a novel, too, that's excellent. And for some reason, I'm having a real menopause moment where I can't remember the name of it. Home or away for the holidays? Home. I love being home for the holidays. I don't want to get on a plane and, like, schlep and be in a weird bed. I just want to be home. Do you prefer to get dressed up or stay in pajamas on Christmas Day? I would say pajamas till the afternoon, and then a nice walk, and then dinner in real clothes. Apple really likes when we dress for the holidays, too, so it's a tradition.

22:47Yeah. Would you rather host or be a guest? I would rather host. I mean, being a guest is lovely too, but I guess I'm just so used to hosting, and I think I would feel like a fish out of water. What's your hosting philosophy, simple or all out? I think it's somewhere in the middle. Like, I love things to look beautiful, and I love a lovely place setting and decorations, but I also like it to feel homey and home style and sort of like, you know, family style service or like a buffet, something comfortable. One hosting rule that you swear by? In bed by nine. Always. Always. Do people know it by this point?

23:37Like, do they start to see themselves out? Oh, my gosh. Or do you have to be like, no, it's time to leave? No, sometimes people are like, wait, it's 855. Finish the story quickly because she's going to kick us out. Favorite holiday cocktail? Spiked eggnog. Eggnog with brandy. I like mulled wine, too. It's very cozy. Yeah. Yeah. Top gift for your gal pals? I like to do, you know, I like to do personalized things. I always love to send a Gwynn sweater because my friends love them. Also, we did this really awesome Metier travel bag this year, which is so beautiful. It's like it actually if you want it to it can come with all the products already inside which is so cool But it's this beautiful yellow leather and they made an extra long handle for me.

24:26So this is this is really nice too. What is Advice for a gift for a friend that has great taste So we have this kind of secret page on goop.com called the find which if you put it in search, it'll come up. And it's a really special curation of unusual things, hard to find things. That's where I always send my friends who say, I have somebody to shop for that's really difficult. Best gift for coworkers? I like to sort of think about the person as opposed to sort of like a blanket gift. So, I don't know, I try to make, think of something that I know that the person won't actually like. It could be one time I did like a personalized mug, one time I did like somebody on my team really loved my boots, so I got them boots, just things like that.

25:26I try to pay attention during the year to what people are saying they want. And then I like to order those really early whenever I think about them. Gift idea for a male fiancé. My God, that's so broad. What kind of guy is this? I mean, I always like to start with what are they fans of, right? Like, does he love a sports team? Is he, you know, like one year I got Brad this great thing they were doing. He's obsessed with the movie Jaws. And then I saw it was Jaws' 50th anniversary. And they issued, like, the watch that the captain wore or whatever. So I got him that. You know, so things that are like meaningful to the guy, you know, like I could get Brad any like Boston sports team, like collectible thing or any Bruce Springsteen thing.

26:17I think those kinds of things are nice, like just so that they feel like seen as well. Ricky hates gifts. So I have to go experiences. So I'll be like a round of golf somewhere that you haven't been. Like he hates gifts. It's very hard. He doesn't like to open gifts? No. And I love giving gifts, so it makes it very challenging. What about something like, you know, like a subscription to something that is sort of, you know what I mean? Like, I don't, like a whiskey thing or then you could make, or a sake thing. Like you could make a meal, it would arrive, so it would be a gift, but it would also be like, you could build an experience around it.

26:55That's a great idea. Okay, I'm writing that one down. All right. Gift ideas for college age kids. I mean, college-age kids really want money, right? I mean, that's kind of what they want. But I try to get my kids something that they've mentioned over the course of the year. Like, I'm trying to find my son, like, one of those Adidas Oasis merch things. It's really hard to find, but I know he wants it, so I'm trying to scour the Internet. Anyone listening? Yeah, if anyone here works at Adidas, please could you help me buy an Oasis Adidas jacket for my son. Thank you.

27:45Favorite health gadget to give as a gift? I love to give the Oura Ring. You know, I think it's great. A lot of people love it, and a lot of people in my life are starting to get more and more health conscious and focused on their sleep and their steps and stuff like that. I think it's a really great gift. A gift for a new daughter-in-law who is hosting us this year. That's nice. I mean, I think it's nice to bring her something to lighten the load, obviously. Like, I don't know. I'm big on like bringing great pies and stuff like that. I also think, you know, anything that makes hostessing feel a little more special, like monogrammed napkins, for example, and anything that, you know, will make her feel kind of proud when she sets the table.

28:41Do you have a go-to gift when you have no idea what to get someone? I do. You know, I go for a monogram. Like, you know what is such a great, inexpensive gift? We probably have to do it right now because of the, is, you know, the L.L. Bean Boat and Totes with a word or the person's name or an initial. I think those are so great. Or a personalized ornament. Like, personalized things are so fun because you don't have to spend a ton of money. But it's like, there's no doubt that you thought about the person weeks before the holidays and then got them something. So I think that's, you can't go wrong with something that's personalized or monogrammed.

29:24Is there a gift you keep on hand for last minute giving? I love the tomato candle from Flamingo Estate. I think that's, anything from Flamingo Estate, you know, is always a great gift. I mean, I think goop gifts are really awesome, but then sometimes I feel like, are people going to think that I'm getting this because I have a company discount? You just have a closet full of goop items for last minute? Which I do and I would want, but sometimes I'm like, well, maybe I won't this time. I'm sure they're still excited. Do you have a gift that you're excited to give this year that you already got or that you have in mind?

30:07Well, I really want to get my son in a deep voice. Ooh, let's see. Yeah, I mean, I don't want to say what it is because I'm going to ruin it, but there's a couple of things I'm really excited to give. So have you already started your shopping? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you crazy? Who are you dealing with? True. Is there anything on your wish list this year? I'm really into that French jewelry designer, Marie Lichtenberg. I mean, it's expensive, but I would not be unhappy to get something. I would also like something experiential, too. You know, I think Ricky's right about that. Like, it's nice to get something that then you're going to go do and look forward to.

30:54And then you have the memory. I feel like if you look back at gifts maybe you got over the years, you don't remember them all, but you remember the things that you maybe did together. It's true. It's true. So I think maybe something like that would be really nice. Do you have a favorite pie? to make or to buy. Either. Do you make pie from scratch? I'm a bad baker. Okay. I wouldn't think that. I just, like, my crust is so fucked up. It always falls apart or it's, like, dry. I'm just not, you know, it's like there are cooks and there are bakers, and I'm a cook. So I really don't. Every time I try to make a pie, it really, the crust is like cardboard.