Rebecca Romijn's Recipes for Success

The best way I can think to describe Rebecca Romijn, really, is that she's a walking smile. Arriving at her favorite café, she's in wide-mouth glee, greeting everyone on staff—and laughing, on average, about once every three minutes. Why? Life is good! This month, the 39-year-old—who just wrapped her second season of NTSF: SD: SUV on the Adult Swim network—is celebrating five years of marriage to actor Jerry O'Connell. Their twin girls, Charlie and Dolly, are three-and-a-half and bringing out her best. And she looks amazing. What's her secret to losing the baby weight—and staying fit and full of energy? We asked and she arrived armed with notes ("I'm an interview nerd," she laughs). Here, her recipes for the good life.

6 Tips for a Happy Life

• Splurge a little. "I'm really not about deprivation. If I want a piece of pie, I mean, come on—you have to enjoy life! Especially if you have kids. I usually keep Sunday for whatever-you-want-to-eat day."
• Work out. "Especially cardio and yoga. It's a big part of my recipe for happiness."
• Dance it off. "My mom used that as a tool to work herself out of a bad mood. I remember dancing around the house to 'We Are Family.' I'm introducing the girls to the Beatles and Stevie Wonder. We have a little disco ball in our living room; we love our dance parties."
• Live like you're on vacation. "The Hotel Costes in Paris is the best-smelling hotel. So I just bought their candles. But I have to wait until Jerry is not in the house, because he has a fear of fire—anytime he sees a candle burning in our house, he blows it out! I'm always lighting them, and he's always blowing them out."
• Park it in a sunny spot. "My dad, in his adorable Dutch accent, has always said, 'Sometimes you just have to sit and stare at your belly button.' I think it's an important part of everybody's day. Park it! It's very calming. I do it in a sunny spot. And usually one or more of the two dogs and two cats wants to sit there with me!"
• Don't forget sex. "That's all I'm gonna say!"

Recipe for getting gorgeous in 5 minutes flat
Prep skin: "I just put on eye cream, a bit of moisturizing gel, and sunscreen." Add lip gloss: "I like O-Gloss by Smashbox. It comes out clear, but it turns a shade of pink based on your skin." Play up lashes: "I use two mascaras. You know that Kiss Me stuff [now called Blinc]? It coats your lashes; I use it on the bottom, then MAC on top, and cover with Kiss Me to keep from smudging. That's my recipe for not looking like a raccoon!"

A hydrating summer cocktail: The CocoOco
"Our house cocktail is something that's based on the mocktail I made when I was pregnant. It's the most delicious lemonade ever! And in the heat, it's the best thing you can drink, because it's hydrating you with the electrolytes in the water."

1 glass of coconut water + one-half to 1 full lemon squeezed into it + [optional for parties] 1 shot of vodka