Giada De Laurentiis December cover photo shoot - SELF Magazine

Jada De Laurentiis is just the perfect December cover for Self Magazine. She just has a glow about her. During the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's the best ever. We all go to my grandfather's house. There's about 45 of us, so it's mayhem. Lots of food, lots of laughs, and we're all very loud. It's my first Christmas with Jade, and I'm so excited. I'm so excited to see how excited she will be. All the food, and all the people, and everybody touching her, and everybody playing with her, and I don't know. I think it's hopefully a memory that she will take on herself and a tradition that she will keep doing long after I'm gone. I love gifts. I love giving gifts. I love receiving gifts. I've given the sage wine many, many times. I think that it's a beautiful gift to bring to somebody's house. You made it. It doesn't take very long to make, but it looks very elegant, and you put a little cellophane and a bow on it, and all of a sudden, it makes it special. And when people think that you have spent the time making them something personal, it makes them smile. It makes them feel really good. That's what the holidays are about. It's all about that color, the beautiful champagne flute. A couple different juices, a little champagne, all three of those combinations together create a beautiful, elegant drink. I think everybody needs a little alone time. I think we can't be around people 24-7. I love sitting back and watching TV and relaxing. Some reality TV. At the end of the day, that's what I watch, just sort of veg in front of the TV. There's nothing better. I think it's sometimes hard because I work all day, and all of us do, and then we come home and we might have children and a husband, and I think it's nice to take a little bit of time out for yourself and just calm down the mind. Some kind of workout every day is the best thing for me, whether it's paddle surfing, doing a little yoga, or just going for a walk. I think just getting up and moving, it just kind of gets your blood going, and it gives me energy for the rest of the day. You can get out early in the morning before work. Getting in the water and seeing the dolphins and all of that beautiful life, it's rejuvenating, and it makes you want to get up every day.