Singer, actress and former co-host of The Real spills the tea on motherhood, holiday traditions and her big goals for 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Adrienne Bailon-Houghton on Wellness & Motherhood: “Learning How to Say No Has Been a Gift”
Published on Dec. 19, 2024
“Amigas, cheetahs, friends for life!” Being part of an iconic girl group like The Cheetah Girls is no small feat—and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton made it look effortless. But before rocking cheetah spots, Bailon-Houghton was already making waves in music as a member of the girl group 3LW. Fast forward to today, the 41-year-old is a powerhouse actress, singer, mom, entrepreneur and Daytime Emmy Award winner for co-hosting on The Real.Â
Reader’s Digest caught up with this multifaceted star to chat about her favorite holiday traditions, wellness secrets and her partnership with laundry detergent brand Dreft to celebrate the messy joys of motherhood.
If you’re a fan of Bailon-Houghton or a mom looking for heartfelt parenting advice, you’re in for a treat! Keep reading as she shares sweet family moments, her holiday must-haves and some exciting plans for 2025.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Reader’s Digest: You’ve partnered with Dreft to highlight the messy moments of motherhood. What inspired you to embrace and celebrate the realness of being a mother?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: I just made arepas with my son, and this is what my clothing looks like [shows stained shirt]. This is what being a work-from-home Mom looks like. I wake up. We cook together. We do all the dishes together. This can get messy, and instead of being so worried that I can’t get dirty, I actually get to have these really cool memories, fun moments and teachable moments with my son. I’m trying to walk away from perfection and walk being present in the moment cause man, it’s going by so freaking fast.Â
Funny enough, we started using Dreft before Ever [Bailon-Houghton’s son] was born. They tell you to wash all of their clothes before they wear them because their skin is so sensitive. I started washing all of our clothes—our immediate family—with Dreft and literally everyone was like, why would we use anything else? It’s for the whole household, not just for the baby.
Reader’s Digest: With the holidays in full swing, what are your go-to tips for making the season special while also managing the chaos that might come with parenting, being an entrepreneur and an overall multi-talented woman?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: Honestly, I am the queen of lists. Using your list to help you prepare so that you’re not rushing—so that you’re not overwhelmed—is so key.
I’m the crazy person who lays out my clothes before I go to bed at night. I lay out my son’s outfits. Even now I leave like hair products or a small makeup bag in his room so that he can play and I can get ready using one of the small mirrors in his room. Just mapping out the day, you’ll feel less overwhelmed.
Reader’s Digest: Are there any holiday traditions that you’ve carried over from your childhood or created for your family?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: Oh my gosh, there are so many holiday traditions. I now host Christmas Eve, which to Latinos, we call it Nochebuena. This will be my third year hosting it, and it’s so much fun. At midnight, we do something called Parrandas, where we take out all these instruments—tambourines, drums, claves—and everybody just dances and sings in the kitchen with music. We do a gingerbread decorating contest and we judge in a very serious way who had the best gingerbread house.
I just started something super cool this year, which we’re calling our inaugural Christmas tree lighting. I was like, if Rockefeller Center can do the lighting of the tree, so can we. I am such a big fan of Thanksgiving, and I feel like it definitely gets jumped over, but I saw a meme that said: ‘Having the Christmas tree up doesn’t make your Turkey taste any worse.’ So we got started on Nov. 1st. I put up the Christmas lights all around my property, invited my family over and we literally did a countdown, pulled the lever and lit up the whole house.
Reader’s Digest: Â What would you say is one piece of advice you would give to moms who are trying to embrace their authentic selves while navigating the challenges of parenting?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: Number one, show yourself some grace. You’re doing the best you can. Be kind to yourself. Number two is to remember that our moms weren’t perfect. I had a great mom, and I know that she had bad days, and I’ve got to say, I don’t remember those days. If you got a good mom and she did her best, you’re not looking back at that one time when you were two years old, and she possibly forgot to make the food on time and maybe bought you pizza instead of some wholesome, great food. I adore my mother. I love her and yet I’m pretty sure she wasn’t perfect all the time. The things that I’m killing myself over, I’m sure she had those few mistakes.
The third thing is to take time for you. Ask for help it. There’s a reason why they say it takes a village when somebody’s like, ‘Hey, do you need anything?’ If you don’t have a spouse or a significant other, ask a friend.
Reader’s Digest: Â What’s next for you in 2025?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: Like every year, health and fitness goals are always at the top of my list. I’m going to be a part of a musical, which I’m really excited about called Take the Lead. It’s based on the Antonio Banderas film, so I’m super excited about this. It’s myy first time doing musical theater.
Reader’s Digest: If you were to create the ultimate holiday playlist, what song would absolutely make the cut?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: I actually have a Christmas album called “New Tradiciones.” We released it on Thanksgiving. It’s me singing with my nieces. My son is on the intro. My dad is on the outro. The number one song would be “Mi Burrito Sabanero.”
Rapid response with Adrienne Bailon-Houghton
Reader’s Digest: Aisle seat or window?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: A window for sure. I need to lean on something so I’m not leaning on the person next to me if I don’t know them. If it’s my husband, I’m good either way. If it’s just me, I need that window.
Reader’s Digest: Dogs or cats?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: Dogs for sure.
Reader’s Digest: Mornings or nights?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton:Â Mornings, which has completely changed since I’ve gotten older. I definitely used to be a more of a night owl. Now I’m like, the quicker I get my day started then I don’t feel overwhelmed by the middle of the day.
Reader’s Digest: Would you rather time travel to the past or the future?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: Oh, the hard one. I would time travel to the future. I would want to see if there’s anything I could fix in the present if the future looks crazy.
Reader’s Digest: What advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton: I would say, learn that no is your friend and not your enemy. I think it took me a really long time and I’m still in my 40s learning how to get comfortable with saying no. When I was younger I was OK with me feeling uncomfortable just to make other people feel comfortable, and that wasn’t fair to me. Learning how to say no has been a gift.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this interview with actress, singer and TV personality Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Reader’s Digest‘s Associate Editor Mariah Thomas tapped her experiences as a celebrity interviewer, lifestyle writer and editor of more than five years, to ask engaging and exclusive questions to share with readers. This video interview took place on Dec. 13, 2024. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
