Kristen Bell Shares the Best Gift She’s Ever Given (and Received)

As we head into the final stretch of the year, we spoke with Kristen Bell about how she prioritizes her time and the best gift she’s ever given and received. We also got the scoop on her latest launch for Happy Dance (her skincare line): a sumptuous hand cream that somehow manages to be keyboard and touchscreen friendly.

PureWow: You’re involved in so many different projects. From Happy Dance to Hello Bello, This Saves Lives, and of course, acting, singing, podcasting and producing, how do you decide what to invest your time and energy in?

Kristen: “Usually, it’s a gut feeling. Then, I ask myself a series of questions: Will this be worthwhile for me to spend my time on? More importantly, will it have a ripple effect for good? When deciding to take on a project, I try to look at it through a utilitarian or philosophical lens.”

PureWow: The holidays are here and many of us are in the thick of Christmas shopping, which makes us wonder, what is the best gift you’ve ever given in your life?

Kristen: “Oh, this is hard. I get so much joy out of giving gifts and am always trying to one up myself. But if I had to choose just one gift I'm really proud of, I’d say it’s a book I gave my friend, Jebediah, for his 30^th birthday. His favorite book is ‘East of Eden,’ so I got him a first edition copy from Spain and sent it around to all of his closest friends and family members to fill it with love notes just before he left for an epic bike ride from Oregon to Patagonia. The book was so stuffed with notes and photos, that it had to be rebound halfway through. That was definitely the best gift I’ve ever given.”

PureWow: What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

Kristen: “I mean, I have to say it’s the sloth that Dax surprised me with. It was just so unexpected and if you knew how much work goes into getting a sloth cleared...there’s so much prep and paperwork. And a wild animal insurance policy!”