Eva Longoria Knows How to Make a Well-Loved Home: ‘You Can Buy a House, and You Need to Make It a Home' (Exclusive)
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Eva Longoria is known as a lot of things: beloved actress, talented producer and director, as well as a gifted businesswoman and author. At home, she’s an adored wife and mother, sister, aunt, and more; and with such a big family comes big messes, all of which she handles with ease.
In a recent partnership with BISSELL for their PowerClean DualBrush, Longoria sat down with SheKnows to speak about the power of having a well-loved home, and how a well-loved (and clean) home can truly make family life a dream.
Back in 2015, the Desperate Housewives alum and businessman José Antonio “Pepe” Bastón Patiño announced their engagement after being set up by a mutual friend. They married around a year later, in May 2016. The lovebirds later welcomed their first child together: a son named Santiago “Santi” Enrique, born in 2018.
When chatting with the Golden Globe-nominated actress, you know she’s truthful when she talks about her well-loved home. While many actors and A-listers ensure a squeaky clean background with no distractions, we started with a sweet moment where Santi had a huge grasshopper on a frisbee, showing everyone in the chat. We then had an appearance from her welcoming husband José, followed by moments of laughter and genuine joy.
Longoria is exactly who she shows she is: dedicated to her home and her family, and now she’s spilling some of her go-to secrets for a happy home!
Below, see what Longoria said about Spring cleaning, what family values she hopes Santi picks up, and more.
SheKnows: Can you tell me a bit about why you partnered with Bissell?
Eva Longoria: I think they were stocking my algorithm because I love cleaning, and I’m a connoisseur. I am always searching, always on the hunt for the best vacuum because I have a lot of multi-surface floors. I love vacuuming; I find it very therapeutic. And so, when BISSELL called and said, ‘Hey, we wanna send you the PowerClean DualBrush,’ I was so excited about the technology. It’s kind of an all-in-one machine, built to handle the big messes and the tiny fires. I have a chaotic home, and I love that it’s built for pet-friendly homes, everyday messes, and it just makes life a lot easier. So I’m always looking for that life, but specifically in a vacuum.
SK: I know you were saying that you have a very chaotic home and saying you have a busy life is an understatement. And as many moms say, the concept of balance is just nonexistent. But what are some things that you do or maybe sayings that you say to yourself to help you stay grounded amid the chaos?
EL: Cleaning. Honestly, cleaning is so therapeutic. Cleaning and cooking. Cooking and cleaning for me is so therapeutic because it makes me feel like I have control of the household and control of my life. Whether I’m cleaning the closets, organizing my closet, organizing [Santi’s] games, his toys, the clothes he’s outgrown, and cooking and cleaning the kitchen. Like I really am grounded in my home when I’m home with my family, and I feel like I’m providing a great space for them. That’s when I feel most grounded.
SK: That’s really wonderful. And I get that. I really do. That’s what does a well-loved home mean to you?
EL: Yeah, it’s interesting ’cause in Spanish, there are two different words for a home. One is casa and the other one’s hogar. So one means house and one means home. And so there’s a very big difference between the two. You can buy a house, and you need to make it a home. So I’ve always grown up with that kind of value system with my mom, with my sisters, with my aunts. I really believe that, whether it’s making sure we have curtains in every room or putting up art or picture frames. I don’t like a cold home. I like a very friendly, lived-in home, and I love a functional home.
SK: I feel like that concept is not as much heard of nowadays. And I love that you’re like, ‘It needs to actually be a home.’
EL: When I met my husband, he had an apartment in Miami, outside of his Mexico home, but he had like this Italian kitchen, and it was so dysfunctional, like I couldn’t turn on the stove. I was like, ‘This is the worst kitchen. This is the worst kitchen ever designed.’ And he goes, ‘But it’s Italian!’
SK: Oh, that’s so funny! Speaking of a well-loved home, can you tell me a bit about how you, your husband, and Santi’s version of a perfect family night may look like?
EL: A perfect night is just staying in, cooking, and then bath time, books, and crawling into bed. That is just like heaven to me. You know, every time people go, ‘Oh, I have to get home and make dinner,’ and ‘Oh, I have to do bath time.’ I always switch it, and I go, ‘I get to make dinner for my family tonight. I get to put Santi to bed tonight.’ I think changing how you talk to yourself and the mentality really changes how you feel about the effort.
SK: And what’s something you say often in your home that you hope sticks with Santi when he grows older?
EL: That’s a good question. I hope he sees family values and what’s important: just being together and being with family downstairs. All those cousins are here. My sisters are always with us. My mother’s always with us. And so I hope he sees the example of the importance of family, like being around family and being with your family. It’s a gift not everybody has. We’re a very big family, but we’re all very, very close. He’s super close with his cousins, his aunts and uncles. I think that’s a gift. I can see it already, he had mentioned the other day if somebody could come over because they didn’t have an uncle. [Santi was] like, ‘I have so many uncles!’
SK: I know your son is very young, but has he picked up on any of your habits, too? Does he have that too, or not yet?
EL: He’s picked up my cooking. He makes his own eggs in the morning. He loves baking. He’s like, ‘Mom, let’s pick a cake mom, let’s make this!’ I’ve done that since he was like two years old to get in there, make a mess, feel the texture of food. And when kids make their food, they eat the food. So, if you want them to eat Brussels sprouts, have them make, prepare, peel, fry, bake them, you know. So that’s one thing he’s really picked up, which is the love of cooking.
SK: I love that. And my last question is, back in SXSW, Robin Arzon told our EIC, Kat, about the parenting advice that you gave her that you wish people had told you before having your son. Is there any other piece of advice you want people to keep in mind when interacting with expecting parents or parents in general?
EL: I think I gave everybody grace. Everybody’s trying their best. I’m not a fan of judging moms even on social media. Like, don’t comment, hold that to yourself if you’re not gonna be helpful. There’s a fine line between being helpful and being critical. I think especially with overwhelmed moms, we’re all overwhelmed every day, so just assume that mom is overwhelmed and doing her best, give her some grace. And take what’s useful. I’ve had great advice as a mom and I take what’s useful and throw out what I don’t think applies.
Before you go, check out these natural cleaning brands that are safe for families in the gallery below: