Make The Season Bright With Paige DeSorbo & Hannah Berner's Favorite Holiday Events

Hippos can open their mouths 150 degrees, according to Snapple Real Fact #398. Hannah Berner hopped on a FaceTime call with me while kicking off Snapple’s Roadsip tour in New York City. “I don't have time to read a book. I can barely read a caption. So reading a Snapple fact is perfect for me,” she says over the noisy crowd. Any fun “animal” Snapple facts are the ones that stuck in Berner’s brain as a kid, just like the aforementioned Hippo fact.

The comedian is getting ready for her Fall tour, which is set to take off in early September until late November. “This is my first theater tour — so I started doing basements, restaurants, clubs, and now I'm at the theater level, which is super exciting,” Berner says. “It makes me feel like a little Broadway star, except it's just you on stage.”

What are her go-to road trip essentials, you ask? Snapple (obviously), Supergoop sunscreen, and Summer Friday’s Lip Butter Balm. “I'm always talking and I want to make sure that my lips look good while I'm talking and making silly jokes at people,” she adds. As a girl with a current fascination for lip glosses and lip stains, I couldn’t agree more.

Image via Snapple

Berner is a feminist, so she is specifically excited to see “the community of women” coming out to see her shows, laugh with friends, and just “having the best time.” The social media sensation is known for her TikTok videos featuring street interviews, where men and women discuss relationship (and notably sexual😂) questions and phrases. Berner comments that she is “definitely going to have crowd work at the shows” for her audience on and offline — similar to Hannah’s street interviews that pop up on your For You Page.

The Giggly Squad podcast host says laughing, “A lot of girls bring their boyfriends — make fun of them — and I think it's humbling and it's really good for feminism.” With Barbie, the Eras tour, and Girl dinners taking over the internet, I’d say it’s a year for the girls. Berner has interviewed some famous female faces recently, such as Jennifer Lawrence and Kesha — but her dream interview may take you by surprise.

“I actually really want to interview Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal].” She continues, “I feel like he'd make me laugh, but he'd also give me good insight and he'd be, like, crazy tall. I'd be, like, talking to his belly button.” The basketball star is 7’ 1” (for reference, that’s like really tall).

Image via Snapple

Berner is also a huge fan of Amy Schumer, including that “working with her would be a dream.” There’s something about Hannah and Amy’s humor styles that I think would be an epically hilarious collab (so if someone from Schumer’s team is reading this, please make it happen...Shaq’s team too, while we're asking for favors.)

In addition to Berner’s much-anticipated tour, the television personality has “a really exciting project coming up in the spring” and is expected to announce it in the “next couple of months.” So make sure to keep an eye out! In the meantime, you can listen to her latest podcast with her hubby named, Burner Phone. I feel like this FaceTime interview was basically a Burner Phone episode already — at least, the fangirl side of me will classify it as one!

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Header image by Afrik Armando

In the hustle and bustle of holiday parties at work and road trips home to spend time with family, it’s easy to let other relationships slip through the cracks. Setting aside time to celebrate your favorite special occasions with your besties is a fun way to keep the holiday spirit alive throughout the season — and to create great memories with the most important people in your life. Looking for something a little more creative than Friendsgiving and Secret Santa? Here are a few ideas for starting your own holiday traditions with friends, starting this year.

1. Do some good in your community.

Whether you serve meals side by side at a soup kitchen on Christmas or donate gifts to a local homeless shelter, volunteering together is an amazing way to give back and point your friendship in a positive direction. Not sure where to get started? Think about the causes you and your friends are the most passionate about. A quick Google search for opportunities in your area should yield plenty of results.

2. Host a “Favorite Things” celebration.

Instead of the typical Secret Santa, try something a little different. A Favorite Things party is simple: Everyone comes with something they love within a certain price range — say, your absolute favorite mascara or your fave bottle of red wine — then guests draw numbers for their gifts. Everyone will leave with a fun and useful present, and you’ll get to learn more about your pals and the things they love.

3. Invite your bestie home with you.

We all know how hard it is to celebrate the holidays alone. Do you have any friends who don’t have family nearby? If your relatives are cool with it, invite your friends home for the holidays with yours. Your friends will feel super loved by your inclusive gesture, and you will have the chance to introduce your fam to the friends who make your life special. (Just make sure to tell your parents ahead of time if you don’t want them telling embarrassing stories about your childhood.)

If you’re the one with long-distance family, don’t be afraid to ask your friend if you can join in on her family traditions — she’ll probably be more than happy to include you.

4. Have a holiday movie fest.

Cozy up with some blankets, brew up some hot chocolate, and turn on your favorite holiday movies to ring in the season. Whether you knock them all out in one fell swoop or dedicate several Saturday afternoons to movie-watching throughout the winter months, you won’t regret stirring up some nostalgia with your BFFs in the comfort of your own living room.

5. Plan a post-holiday staycation.

Is there a local boutique hotel or a quaint bed and breakfast in a nearby town you’ve always wanted to check out? Now you have a perfect excuse. Carve out a weekend and book an overnight stay with your pals (who can help shoulder the cost!). Hotel rooms are typically cheaper after the holiday rush — especially when things slow down in early January — which is the perfect time to relax and share hilarious stories from family gatherings.

6. Go holiday shopping together.

You have to get your shopping done anyway, so why not knock out two birds with one stone and hang out with your besties while you’re at it? This year, team up with a friend (or a group of them) and brave the mall or Target the day after Christmas. Just don’t forget the Starbucks.

Learn how to Light It Upwith our tips and DIYs that create new spins on old traditions. We keep the best but tweak the rest so you can have a memorable experience that’s uniquely you.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate the holidays with your friends? Share your traditions @BritandCo.

This post has been updated.

What is it about family sagas that seem to make book clubs more interesting? Maybe it's because we know interpersonal relationships can be a little dysfunctional. It could be that we still don't know how to communicate with the people we love the most. Even if we love our parents and siblings, reading about other families' fictional twists and turns gives us a rush of adrenaline.

So it's no wonder Jenna Bush Hager's January book club pick feels like something we can read without putting down. It's full of complicated relationship dynamics, love, and reconciling one's identity with their past. You can say it's the perfect read to kick off your 2025 reading goals!

Amazon

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

Penn should be excited about advancing her education at the University of Edinburgh, but she can't stop thinking about the secret her parents have been keeping from her. For some reason, she believes she'll uncover it while she's in Scotland because Lord Lennox — her father's friend — is in the area.

Her hunger for the truth leads her to Lord Lennox's estate where she she starts mingling with his family and even discovers love in this moving novel.

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Jenna Bush Hager's Thoughts About The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

Jenna Bush Hager thinks readers will love The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus because "it's a rich novel" with themes of "friendship and motherhood" (via Instagram). It's so good, she's sure "it will sweep you off your feet (via Instagram).

We hope you enjoy reading about Penn's journey in The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus and encourage you to check out Reese Witherspoon's January book club pick next!