Eva Amurri Cover Story Eva Amurri, Happily Eva After, Holidays, Co-Parenting

f you're looking for a photoshoot-ready Christmas tree with perfectly curated ornaments and a matching color scheme, you won't find it in Eva Amurri's home. The designer, actress, and lifestyle influencer is not "one of those people," she says (but no shade to anyone who is, she's quick to add). Instead, her tree contains a hodgepodge of

the HOLIDAY issue 2024

written by rita templeton | photographs by george chinsee

Eva Amurri's Modern Family

Home Is the Heart Of It All

The actress, lifestyle influencer, and mom of three talks about creating happy holiday memories with her blended family.

When Amurri says hers is the house where everything happens, it isn't an exaggeration — and it’s not only during the holidays. She and her ex-husband, sports analyst and former pro soccer player Kyle Martino, still spend a lot of time together in one place with their kids. They’re practically the poster children for a healthy and thriving co-parenting relationship. Their divorce came at a very precarious time: when Amurri was eight months pregnant with their youngest son, Mateo, who was born the day the pandemic lockdown began.

Because Amurri was breastfeeding Mateo, he wasn't able to spend much time away from her — so Martino just came to him. In fact, Martino ended up moving into Amurri's guest house for about four months during the height of the pandemic; an unconventional setup, to be sure, but one that Amurri credits for making a big difference in their post-divorce relationship. "Mateo was like this bond that brought us together in a really productive way," she reflects. "We had this new little human to co-parent together, and obviously two others also. But I think having to co-parent a newborn is much more delicate." As overwhelming as this scenario theoretically could have been, their atypical situation worked to their advantage.

"It's like we did a year of therapy in those four months because you're forced to really work through things," she says. "It seemed so wild at the time." Even more wild? She was just beginning to date her now-husband, chef Ian Hock ... during a pandemic ... with a newborn ... and an ex-husband living on the same property. It's the stuff rom-coms are made of (or maybe sitcoms, depending on how you look at it!), but Amurri says "remarkable" Hock took it all in stride. "It was not an easy scenario to walk into," she admits. "It was challenging on so many levels ... you're dealing with somebody who just got divorced, who's coming with a lot of baggage and feelings and fears and insecurities and all of these things." She knew he was "the one" when he was undeterred by the challenge, and the two were married this past June in a small, intimate ceremony in New York’s Hudson Valley.

A Great Accomplishment

Amurri is herself a child of divorce who grew up in a blended family. Her parents, Sarandon and Italian film director Franco Amurri, split when she was 3; her mother went on to have two sons with fellow actor Tim Robbins (the pair had a decades-long partnership before their split in 2009). Meanwhile, her father gave her four more siblings: sisters Tallulah, Ruby, and Augusta and brother Leone, making Amurri the oldest of seven. Because of this, she knows firsthand how important it is to have a strong co-parenting relationship — and she considers the one she has with Martino among her greatest accomplishments.

"It's always really been about the kids," she says. "We wanted them to normalize and see a healthy, happy relationship where both of their parents were happy and the best versions of themselves, and so they've always been at the forefront of all of it for me. Keeping them top of mind through the process has, for sure, been the beacon that has guided our co-parenting experience."

"It's a powerful thing when you come from a place of pain or disappointment, and you can channel that into creating something better for your own kids."

The approach has helped what could have easily been a bitter and strained relationship blossom into one that sets a shining example for their kids. "It's a powerful thing when you come from a place of pain or disappointment, and you can channel that into creating something better for your own kids," Amurri says introspectively. "That's how you break the cycle." This isn't to say there weren’t rough patches along the way. Divorce, no matter how amicable, is always hard. And Amurri noticed a profound lack of "good" examples to lean on when it came to the dissolution of her marriage.

"When I was getting divorced, there was absolutely nobody. There were people who got divorced, made one announcement and then you literally never heard about it again, right? Or the alternative, all of the toxic, horrifically scary divorces happening in the press," she says. "And I was like, 'This is so unsettling and lonely.' It didn't feel like there was any model out there. There were no options of people to look to who were really talking about it — all sides of it, and how heartbreaking it is, but how hopeful it is, and just that many things can exist at the same time." With that in mind, Amurri felt committed to offering that perspective to people, which is why divorce and co-parenting are topics she discusses regularly — and candidly — on the lifestyle site she founded in 2015, Happily Eva After. But that only scratches the surface of the subjects she discusses just as openly, from lighter topics like beauty, fashion, and home décor (she created a

clothing line, The Happily Eva After Collection, and recently designed a collection of family-friendly furniture with BenchMade Modern) to emotional posts about things like letting go of toxic relationships and the hardest parts of parenting. Amurri is also open about making time for herself as a mom (skincare is a "personal obsession," she writes in one post) and, despite the gorgeous, influencer-level images that populate her site, doesn’t feel the need to present a perfect parenting front at all times — online or IRL. In fact, during the video interview at her SheKnows photoshoot, she confessed that her kids have McDonald’s probably once a week (relatable!) and described her approach to junk food as a total 180 from her own upbringing.

"My mom was a tried and true 'almond mom," she says with a laugh. "She actually used to walk down to the Village to, like, the only organic grocery store that existed in New York City in the early '80s and would get everything there. My mom thought Cheerios was, like, a junk food — that is how almond mom she was." (Fun fact: Sarandon still sends Amurri’s kids "disgusting cereal" that they refuse to eat. "I had to stop being nice about it," so she wouldn’t send more, Amurri says.) She attributes her more relaxed attitude to her kids’ healthy relationship with food; since it isn’t forbidden, they don’t see it as something to gorge on every time they get the chance. "My 4-year-old will eat, like, half of an ice cream, and he'll be like, 'I think I'm done,' you know?" she says. "He won’t eat past what he wants, I think because I'm just so nonchalant about it." More than anything, the site is a place to be her truest self and keep things real. "I feel like there's so much out there — you can basically search any topic on there and like, you'll find what I think or feel about that, or there's a blog post for that," she says. "Because now it's 10 years that I've had this blog."

Of course, with the holiday season upon us, she’s ready to lean into all things Christmas — both on the blog and in her personal life. It's time to decorate the tree, get out the advent calendar, and write letters to Santa. But while her kids may have wish lists, Amurri's preferred approach to gifting comes from her childhood Christmases in Italy, where she spent time with her father's family. "Italian culture is so much more curated," she muses. "People don't have 20 pairs of jeans, right? They have one pair of jeans that they love, or they have a few pairs of beautiful shoes or things like that." It's a mindset that spills over into her holiday celebrations, where she says everything feels more precious and special because there's not an overwhelming abundance of stuff.

"My kids get only a few presents. They get a present from Santa — one. They get one present from Ian and I, and then they get to each pick out presents for their siblings." Her kids, she says, could tell you what they've gotten every single Christmas since they were toddlers: "It meant so much because there weren't 20 presents. It's really just a few things, and I think that has been super special." This minimalistic tradition has been beneficial in another, very unexpected way, too: it has helped bolster her kids' belief in Santa. "Someone tried to tell my daughter recently that Santa wasn't real," Amurri recounts with amusement. "So she fought back ... and one of the things she said, which I thought was so funny, was, 'You know how else I know Santa's real? Because my mother is not the type of person who would get me two big presents.'" Amurri’s family festivities begin on Christmas Eve day, with family and friends coming over for a big lunch that always includes a Honeybaked Ham (another nostalgic nod to Amurri’s own childhood). "We play lots of fun games — almost like a mini version of what we do for Thanksgiving when we host," she says. "Then we make a plate of cookies for Santa and pour him a cocktail, and set it out by the tree. We all cozy up on the couch and I read The Night Before Christmas to the kids."

On Christmas morning, she readies the camera to capture the kids’ joy every year, with the goal of having a sweet gift for them to reminisce over in the years to come. "I always take video footage of them racing down the stairs," she tells us. "I can't wait to compile it all one day when they're older." It should come as no surprise that the whole family — Martino included — spends the day celebrating together. "We started that tradition the first Christmas we were separated, and we just keep it going," says Amurri. "It's great for the kids to still be able to celebrate all together, and it's nice for all of the parents to be a part of that excitement of Christmas morning. We really get so few years with them as small kids."

Parenting is not a job for the faint of heart, but as every parent can attest, it takes on a different hue when you see the holiday excitement through the eyes of your own kids as they do the activities that help build up a giddy anticipation of the "big day."

"There's a lot about raising small kids that's overwhelming… but the holidays really bring out a time in your life as a family when it's all about those core memories and those magical moments…"

"It's these little things that make the holiday season so special again when you're raising small kids," Amurri enthuses, suddenly sentimental. "There's a lot about raising small kids that's overwhelming and frustrating and exhausting, but the holidays really bring out a time in your life as a family when it's all about those core memories and those magical moments that you think about before you ever become a parent. Like, 'I can't wait until this one day when I get to do this with my kids.' And I'm so lucky ... because I'm living that right now."

A Curated Christmas

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Photographs: George Chinsee Styling: Kara Erwin Styling Assistant: Gisela Badel Creative Direction: Sasha Purdy Hair: Josue Perez Makeup: Karuna Chani Senior Video Editor: Allie O'Connell Video Editor: Sarah Wallace Videographer: Patrick Phillips

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sentimental memorabilia; a heartwarming testament to holidays past — and her most cherished tradition every year. "Decorating the Christmas tree has been my favorite since I was growing up, and it's something now that my kids love. We always do it as a family," Amurri tells SheKnows. "We'll go and get our tree, usually the day after Thanksgiving, and then we'll decorate it." She turns on the Christmas music, pours a glass of wine, gathers the family — including 10-year-old Marlowe, 8-year-old Major, and 4-year-old Mateo — and unboxes the nostalgia piece by piece. "I have ornaments that we've collected over time, ornaments that were on my own Christmas tree growing up, things that we collect from our travels," Amurri says. "So it's super special to talk about the memories while we're decorating. My older kids in particular have favorites now, and it's just a really sweet way to connect." Amurri credits her mom, award-winning actress Susan Sarandon, for helping to instill the deep love of the holiday season that Amurri now passes to her own kids. "My mom was always so good at making holidays and experiences special. That's kind of her superpower," she says. "I think that really invigorated her a lot. And I can relate to that completely. I love being the house where everything happens, and I love giving my kids these magical memories that surround the holidays."

"My mom was always so good at making holidays and experiences special. That's kind of her superpower. … And I can relate to that completely."

Amurri believes that the way she, Martino, and Hock approached the situation made a huge difference. "We just went into it really mindfully," she says. "And I truly believe that doing so set the tone for the entire thing." She acknowledges that when you're in a brand-new "love bubble," it can be difficult not to jump in with both feet. "It's so tempting when you're crazy about someone and you want them to meet your kids who you're obsessed with, and you just want them to share in that," she admits. "But it's so important to really look at it from all sides and be super thoughtful, and to take that extra time and energy to invest in that — because you really do get it back on the other end." So what exactly is the recipe for this mindful approach?

"First of all, I actually had Kyle and Ian meet each other," Amurri says, explaining that because Hock would be around their kids, she wanted Martino to feel comfortable with him. "Not that he could tell me yes or no," she clarifies, "but just out of respect. So we did that. We had that meeting, and then would have dinners, just the three of us, at home. Because it was pandemic time, we would cook and just hang out." Amurri also talked to a therapist about the best way to introduce Hock to the kids, but took it one step further and went to a few therapy sessions with Hock. "When people don't have kids themselves, it's like they don't know yet that being close to children, whether you're their biological parent or not, brings up so much in you," she says. "So I wanted to make sure he was prepared for that, because it can be quite overwhelming emotionally."

murri's

modern family

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The actress, lifestyle influencer, and mom of three talks about creating happy holiday memories with her blended family.

written by rita templeton | photographs by george chinsee

aís Ribeiro is apologizing — and it’s completely unnecessary. The Brazilian supermodel logged on to Zoom for her SheKnows interview sporting a black workout tank top and a slicked-back ponytail — but she worries it’s not the glamorous look people expect. She is a Victoria’s Secret Angel, after all. From the very start of our conversation, back in February, it’s clear that these days, Ribeiro has a long list of priorities that take precedence over primping for a Zoom call. In fact, if she had time on her hands, maybe she wouldn’t be Zooming in for this interview from her home in Miami and would be back in her native Brazil, partying in carnival. Alas, “to want is not to be able to,” she says in Portuguese about the celebration. “There’s so much to do.” Since becoming a mom and a model at the age of 18, Ribeiro, who grew up in the small town of Miguel Alves, Piauí, has been all business. In addition to maintaining a thriving career and parenting her now-15-year-old son Alexandre, Ribeiro married former NBA basketball player Joakim Noah in 2022 and became a stepmom to his kids, 7-year-old Leia and 5-year-old Emaan. And while all these commitments are certainly enough to keep the 33-year-old busy, Ribeiro recently embarked on yet another adventure: Br_dge, a non-profit that she co-founded with her agent and business partner Carl Navarro in 2023. Br_dge organizes large activations to raise awareness and funding for meaningful projects in agroforestry, brain health, financial education, and ocean preservation in Brazil, Miami, and beyond.

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Home Is the Heart Of It All

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Cucculelli Shaheen TOP, HER CIPHER PANTS, ANNELE EARRINGS

A Curated Christmas

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