Color me disinterested, but only until I read this story did I remember that Kate Hudson put out a wellness and body image book, Pretty Happy, last year. Well she did and it looks like she’s branching out from her go-to topic, health and fitness, to party planning. Her new book, Pretty Fun, is about throwing parties for friends on the spur of the moment without stressing about it. In the crowded celebrity lifestyle field, Kate isn’t an unwelcome addition. Her subscription workout gear company may be scammy but she’s a chill live and let live person and she’s not trying to tell anyone how to run their lives. So this book may have some decent tips that don’t seem pushy. Here’s a preview from People:
“Anyone who knows me knows that there’s pretty much an open-door policy at my house,” Hudson, 38, tells PEOPLE exclusively for a first look at the cover of her new book below. “I love that my home is a place where people love to come together and it rarely requires too much planning….
“For me, family and friendship in general are a huge part of my overall well-being, because celebrating moments big and small—whether large holiday gatherings or taco night on a Monday just brings me joy,” she says.
As a “real food lover”, Hudson favors events throughout the year like Thanksgiving and the upcoming football season for their focus on family meals. During the holidays, the actress makes six or seven different kinds of pies (“homemade crust and all!” she says) and pairs them with ice cream flavors she churns herself.
Ideas for formal parties with themes and costumes are less likely to find their way into the book simply because “I don’t throw them very often,” says Hudson. “Usually my approach is a lot more casual, so I leave a lot of room for the reader’s personal interpretation. My goal is to spark ideas and inspiration for the reader to individualize.”
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But no matter the type of party she’s throwing, Hudson has one entertaining philosophy she always tries to stick to.
“The #1 most important rule is that the host should always be having the most fun,” she says. “It’s the only way to create a relaxed party atmosphere that puts all of your guests at ease and challenges them to try to have just as much fun as you’re having.”
Kaiser and I were talking about this, and we like the fact that Kate is neither preachy about her incredible figure, like Gwyneth “pay $500 for a branded colon cleanse” Paltrow, nor is she fake humble about it, like the “oh me, I only run after my kids and I eat pizza every day” type. Kate will tell you what she does to stay fit and she’s not saying her way is the only way. Surely her approach to having parties and small get togethers is similar. I need more of this type of advice because when I throw a party I clean every inch of my house, I plan the food, drinks and music and I make sure I know what’s happening ahead of time. This is generally my approach to life, hyper management, and it’s not particularly effective for social activities (or life in general) because you definitely don’t have as much fun when you’re concerned with specific details. I don’t think I’ll ever have an open door policy though. Make a damn date and time and stick to it or we’re not going to be close friends.
This is Kate out at Nobu Wednesday night with her boyfriend, Danny Fujikawa, and on the set of Sister earlier this week. I forgot that she buzzed her head for that role!
photos credit: Backgrid and Instagram/Kate Hudson
Eye roll followed with lol. She is a joke
Yup.
This is pretty much Pippa Tips territory.
When someone says something like “The host should be having the most fun!”, you just KNOW they’ve never planned/executed a reasonably sized event at home on their own.
I love hosting, from smaller dinner parties to big backyard garden parties, and even though I love it, it’s stressful hard work. I plan like a f*cking military operation and there are still ways for things to go wrong. You smile, panic inside, enjoy the rest of it, and make sure your guests are okay.
Perhaps when someone else is cleaning and catering, planning drinks, etc., then the host has the most fun. But why do you need a book to tell you that?
People are so different.. Ive hosted plenty of parties (big and small) and Ive never once panicked if something went wrong (I am like that in life too). I have an “it’ll be aaaalllright” outlook.
It’s less OMG PANIC PANIC than “Sh*t, okay, if we don’t have enough ice because of x/y/z/ reason, how can I get more?” and then I go from there. But like I said, I like things to be over the top amazing, and I don’t hire staff to do it for me.
Either way, seems selfish to think the host(ess) should be having the most fun. That’s what I want my guests to do.
Oh goodie. Hoping she’s got a bigger fan base than Pips though there was a lot more hype about Pips failing book. I hope Kate’s book will not do a Pips.
I hope her tips are more meaningful than fill the ice trays.
with water
Guys guys you can’t even get it right, no wonder Pips needed to write a book.
It’s
– fill the trays
– make sure it’s with water, and not lemon soda or caustic acid
– freeze
I’m not a Kate Hudson fan — think she’s vastly overrated in almost every regard — but her attitude seems chill and her book looks like, well, fun. Alas, I’m one of those people who considers their home a refuge AWAY from people, so I won’t be buying it.
Man, this Sister’s movie is gonna have Leslie Odom looking sloppy. I do not know how I feel about that.
She hustles, I’ll give her that, because her acting career isn’t exactly thriving.
No, her acting career isn’t doing much now. But she does hustle.
I agree with her, the host(ess) should have fun, relaxes everyone. I entertain a lot, both for the husband/work related and socially, casual events for friends, and I always have a damn good time. I don’t plan it to the last detail, I make sure there is more than enough food and drink and always let the rest of the cards fall where they may. Everyone always has a fantastic time.
Throwing parties is stressful only if you make it that way, that being said, this approach works for me, and I understand it might not work for someone else.
I feel such a disconnect with magazine and full menu with drinks planning. There are like one or two friends and family we have that provide all. We all do bring a dish or bottle to share. Like a couple throw in protein, other salads and sides. It took a long time to post here because I just have so little in common lol
I like the sound of her book. I find hosting a bit stressful but I do think it’s the pressure I put on myself, like to have the place spotless and want everything to be ‘perfect’. I recently went to a house warming at my friend’s house where she was stressed the WHOLE night, kept running around, washing up, definitely didn’t have a good night, and it just kind of put me on edge. Enough food and drink and the rest will follow, I agree!
I am just trying to imagine Kate Hudson churning her own ice cream. LOL. I don’t really have strong feelings one way or another about Kate Hudson (is it possible to?) but this reminds me of nothing so much as that bit in Gone Girl about Cool Girls. Could be that Kate is a true Cool Girl on account of her good looks and bank account which make it easy to be pretty chill about everything. I’d go to one of her parties!
That script font is so overused. I
I can hardly wait to compare her recipe for ice to Pippa’s.
Yes, I have that book. It was a gift; don’t judge.
Kate seems like a chill and fun person, and I admire her “open-door policy” and her casual attitude to welcoming people into her home whenever they feel like popping in. But I have to roll my eyes at the idea of someone with her breezy lifestyle writing a book about how “easy” it is to entertain on the spur of the moment. It’s just *not* that easy for the average person, who works long hours everyday, and has to squeeze exercise, grocery shopping, laundry, housework, kids’ activities, and volunteer work into our “off” time. I just don’t think Kate has to struggle to figure out how to get everything done in a week and still have time to happily greet friends who drop by for dinner unannounced!
She seems as deep as the title of her books.
The only thing I can imagine her churning is some space cookies, really. I get that she is hustling but girl is out of her league.
Can totally see her doing a marihuana cookbook though.