Chef Giada De Laurentiis On Christmas: My Daughter Still Believes In Santa

Fans of the Food Network can’t escape the infections smile of Giada De Laurentiis, who teaches family style Italian meals. The chef became a mom a few years back, and opened up about her holiday traditions with her daughter, Jade, and husband Todd Thompson. “Christmas Eve is the big tradition in an Italian family. It’s when my entire family gets together. This year, for the first time, it will be held at my house … so Jade and I and my husband are very excited.” Giada described the family party in an exclusive interview with People Magazine.

“My daughter loves to cook,” she tells. “We have a lot of laughs together. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and she loves hanging out with me. The reason she loves it so much is because she can stick her finger in everything and taste it as she goes along.” But the holiday wouldn’t be complete without a visit from the guy in the red suit. Giada and family love Santa Clause, and Jade is no exception. “She leaves him little treats — for the reindeer and for him too — and she’s very much a believer in Santa. I hope she’ll be a believer for a long time, I think it’s really fun for kids to be able to do that.”

So what’s on the 4-year-old’s Christmas list? “The one thing she keeps asking me for over and over again is clip-on earrings. She must have seen them on somebody else, but she has asked me for clip-on earrings for the past month. I am on a mission to find clip-on earrings for her because I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me if I don’t.” Giada tends to be so glamours and put together that it isn’t very surprising to learn Jade wants that too!

“She’s opened up her own little salon in her playroom. She gives free makeovers, she curls people’s hair and gives them little manicures as well. I’ve always been a girly girl my whole life — maybe she will, maybe she won’t — but it’s a lot of fun to play with her right now.” It sounds adorable! We know Giada is a hard working mom, making regular appearances on the Today Show in NYC, filming for Food Network in LA, and raising a daughter–we hope they can enjoy their family time together! What’s your family philosophy on Santa?