For Pamela Anderson, the joy of the holiday season lies in decorating, spoiling her loved ones (dogs included), and, of course, spending time with those who mean the most to her.
In fact, the actress, model and activist says that one of her favorite traditions during the holiday season is "just cooking with the kids." (She is mom to two sons, Brandon Thomas Lee, 29, and Dylan Jagger Lee, 27.) "I mean, the boys are incredible cooks and I like spending time with family ... we’re not always together for the holidays, but we’re always together in spirit, obviously," Anderson tells Shop TODAY.
We hopped on the phone with Anderson to talk all things holiday and to discuss her partnership with Pinterest. She teamed up with the brand to create a “Holiday on the Farm” board, a collection of images and shoppable gifts that are inspired by her love of nature, mindful living and her life on her farm in Vancouver Island, Canada.
As someone without social media apps on her phone, Anderson is a recent Pinterest convert. In fact, her son's fiancée, Paula Bruss, was the one who originally introduced her to the platform.
"She’s the one who showed me how to work it and how to make mood boards and all these interesting, fun, creative depths of pictures and inspiration," Anderson says. "I was just blown away."
While her board is ripe with gifting inspiration, for her, the most memorable gifts have always been something "personal or special," and her sons seem to excel in that category.
“The most wonderful tradition that they started on their own was writing me a letter every Christmas. And they would trade off. Dylan would do one year and Brandon would do another year. And they would write me the most beautiful note. And I have them all over my fridge in my beach house at my ranch. I put a magnet on them, so they’re still up there. A little bit bleached from the sun, but they’re there.”
However, she says, that they also tend to be the hardest to pick out gifts for. "My boys are hard to shop for now that they’re older and have everything they need. I still get the eyes rolled at me when I try and buy them clothes."
Below, we're sharing a handful of giftable picks from her board. To see her full list, you'll want to head to Pinterest's site. While she won't reveal if these are the exact gifts she'll be giving this year ("I don't want to give it away"), she says of her go-to gift: "If it’s not canning or a jar of pickles, it’s going to be something to do with getting outside."
Gift guide: Pamela Anderson
"For a few new moms I know, the full Sonsie line is the perfect gift and is fragrance-free," Anderson says. This duo (which is from Anderson's own beauty brand) comes with the brand's basic balm, which is said to hydrate lips and give them the perfect glossy finish, as well as one in Sugar-Dipped Rhubarb, which has a shimmer and a garden-inspired rhubarb scent.
Anderson loves to give a homemade gift. "Especially over the holidays, canning and pickles or jams, all that kind of stuff, I think, that’s the fun stuff to give away."
While you can easily make your own pickles at home, you can also gift someone Anderson's recipe, thanks to her collaboration with Flamingo Estate. The pickles are based on a recipe passed down to Anderson from her great-aunt Vie and feature a mix of tangy and spicy flavors.
If she's bringing a gift to someone's home, one of her go-tos is a "fresh-baked loaf of my sourdough." (In fact, when we spoke, she was on her way to bring her son a couple of fresh loaves.)
These baskets from Ballerina Farm are perfect for using yourself or gifting to any home chef in your life. According to the brand, they allow your dough to breathe while it proofs and ferments.
"I love gardening," Anderson says. "I can’t have enough gardening tools or any kind of inspiration for the garden."
That's why it wasn't surprising to see a number of picks for gardening on her list, like these pruners. According to the brand, they're easy to use, even with wet hands or muddy gloves.
This scoop is another great pick for any gardeners in your life. According to the brand, it's "a versatile tool that no gardening enthusiast should be without." You can use it for planting in pots or containers, opening bags, scooping seeds and so much more.
Whether you're spending a lot of time outdoors in the garden, are on a farm like Anderson or live in a busy city, everyone could use a pair of rain boots. These tall Hunter boots from her list are a classic choice. They are designed to be 100% waterproof and come in a range of colors to match your personal style.
When it comes to gifts, Anderson says that "you can’t go wrong with a candle." "I feel like everyone loves a candle," she adds.
This one is extra large, so they can be burning it for weeks (or, depending on how often they use it, even years) to come. Each candle is hand-poured in Los Angeles.
