In May, it was announced that Cougar Town actress Busy Philipps would be teaming up with BACARDI to launch Classic Cocktails Light, a new line of of low-calorie, ready-to-serve beverages.

Now, with summer now officially underway, Philipps — who celebrated her 33rd birthday on Monday — is here to give Celebuzz the rundown on how readers can plan the perfect summer soiree, whether it be for a birthday or, as is the case next Wednesday, the Fourth of July.

Of course, in light of news that Cougar Town will live on for another season (thank you, TBS!), Celebuzz also saved room to quiz Philipps on what fans can expect from the big move from ABC to cable, and what she’d like to see happen to her character, Laurie, next season. (Hint: Her answer was, um, very revealing.)

Have you always played the role of hostess?
I’ve always loved throwing parties; I’ve always been known for my kind of epic parties. A lot of people who maybe follow me on Twitter, or know my online personality or my real-life personality, know that I’m really into cake decorating and baking elaborate cakes. I just like the details that go into parties. I have always fancied myself [as being] a cool, young Martha Stewart in my head. [Laughs] Whether or not that’s actually true, that’s what I like to think.

But one of the things that’s so great about the summer is, BACARDI Classic Cocktails came out with their new light version and they asked me if I wanted to partner up with them and spread the word. It was such a good fit for me, because in the summertime, I have my wedding anniversary, my birthday, my husband’s [Marc Silverstein] birthday, my daughter’s [Birdie] birthday — not to mention Fourth of July, Labor Day and Memorial Day. So, I’m constantly throwing parties at my house all summer long. [Laughs] It really feels like the perfect fit for me.

I did just read on Twitter that you celebrated your birthday yesterday by eating a sub from Jersey Mike’s.
[Laughs] Well, truthfully, what happened was, yesterday, I had like a little bit of work to do in the morning. I’m lady who — I have to watch what I put into my body or else it will immediately add five or 10 pounds to myself. [Laughs] But on my birthday, I get a free pass. So, I thought, I have not had a sandwich in so long — like a traditional proper sub sandwich. Jersey Mike’s was something I used to eat when I was on Dawson’s Creek all the time. No wonder I was chubby on that show. [Laughs] And I just had to do it. I went and got my turkey and cheese sandwich. I was so excited about it. My daughter — It was really funny, because I brought it home and she was like, “Momma, that’s weird that you’re eating that!” And I was like, “I know. God. Did I already give you an eating disorder?” [Laughs]

Well, speaking of the Fourth of July and parties, are you going to throw one next week?
For sure! We have the best house in the world. We live in the Hollywood Hills. We have these huge balconies and we can literally can see almost from Santa Monica all the way to downtown. So, we the Dodgers Stadium fireworks; we’re right by the Hollywood Bowl [fireworks]; we see The Grove’s [fireworks]. We can see all these different fireworks. So, people, like, congregate in our yard and we watch them. We’ll be serving our chips, salsa, my homemade guacamole that I love so much. Do you want to know what my secret ingredient is for my homemade guacamole?

Yes!
It’s Cholula Hot Sauce; you put it in the guacamole. People will flip out. It’s the craziest thing. You do chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion. Cilantro is controversial. I personally am pro-cilantro, but some people hate it. So, sometimes what I do is, chop it up and put it on the side and people can mix it in themselves. Whatever. But the Cholula hot sauce — you just put it in and mix it up and people freak out. It makes the best guacamole.

But the other thing that is sort of imperative is to make things as easy as possible on yourself. Part of the reason I love the BACARDI Classic Cocktails Light is because they are ready to pour; you just put them over ice, and you don’t have to spend any time [adding] sugar, or mint or lime. You don’t even have to buy mint. It’s all there and it tastes delicious. I’m going to get one of those shaved iced machines. I just saw one at Bed Bath and Beyond. I’m going to pretend that it’s a gift for my daughter for her birthday, but it’s really for me. I’m going to pour the Pina Colada Light over it for me. [Laughs]

Will you have time to actually throw a big birthday party for yourself?
Well, I have to be honest with you: It’s one of our good friends 30th birthdays. I’m deferring to her, because my birthday is not monumental this year at all; it’s really boring. So, I’m deferring to her and she’s having her big party and I’m helping her plan it. And by the way: You’d better believe that everyone is getting BACARDI Class Cocktails Light in their gift bag. I am not kidding. I called them up, and I’m like, “So I’m helping my friend throw this party and I need Class Cocktails Light [for everyone].”

Are you planning any big summer vacations?
Yeah! We’re kind of doing the best of both worlds, because my husband and I are going to the East Coast and we are joining our friends at a house they have off the coast of Nantucket, for grown-ups-only time. And my daughter is going to be staying with her grandparents. in D.C., for the first time. She’s really excited. So we’re going to do that for a couple days and then Birdie, Marc and I are going to go to Anguilla, to The Viceroy. I am so excited, I cant even tell you.

You’re already having the best summer ever.
I always kind of have the best summer ever. One of the perks of being on a television show is, it’s like school hours. You work from, like, August to May, and then you have your summer off to go to The Viceroy, in Anguilla. Whatever. No big deal. And drink BACARDI! It’s awesome! [Laughs]

So, ‘Cougar Town’ is moving to TBS; will the show be any different now that it’s on cable?
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m going to show my boobs every episode. [Laughs] No, it’s not going to be different. I think it would be weird if all of a sudden, because we’re on cable, we change the whole tone of the show, where we’re, like, all of a sudden we’re doing NYPD Blue [Laughs] … No, I think they’re going to try to tonally keep the show in line with the way it’s always been. I think we have a really good thing going on with that show. I’m excited to just have a network that seems so gung-ho about promoting it and getting us out there. Hopefully we will get some more viewers and people can find out why all of the critics and the loyal fans love the show so much.

You also have a new showrunner, Ric Swartzlander; how is that going to affect the show?
Well, it’s interesting, because it [would seem] like it has something to do with with the TBS move. But we always knew that [series creator] Bill Lawrence, because of his deal — he has some other development deal — he was always going leave for this fourth and fifth season and on and beyond. So we were always going to get a new showrunner. But [Swartzlander] is great. I think that he’s seamlessly blending in. He’s got the sensibility. We won’t really, fully know until we start shooting, but so far I feel really confident in his abilities.

Besides showing your boobs in every episode, have you pitched anything to the writers about what you want to see happen to Laurie next season?
I want some more of her family to stop by. That was the idea that I pitched. And we’re going to have to see what’s going to happen with this Travis-Laurie-Wade triangle that we’ve set up. So, we’ll see.

Maybe that’s how you can sneak Michelle Williams in there. She can play your sister or something.
I pitched it! I pitched it! We’ll see.

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