With the new season of NCIS: Hawaiʻi filming already in full swing and Love is Blind season 3 on the horizon, Vanessa Lachey is the definition of a busy working mom. Like many of us, she says she’s just trying to juggle it all this summer—work life, marriage, and three beautiful “Island Kids.” Thankfully, she shares the TV hosting and parenting responsibilities with husband Nick, and when she took a minute to talk to us about her charitable partnership with Dairy Queen and her upcoming projects, she says they still need to plan a family trip with Camden, 9, Brooklyn, 7, and Phoenix, 5 to make sure they have the best summer ever.
The Lachey family made the move to Oahu last year for her breakthrough role in NCIS: Hawaiʻi, where she plays lead badass, special agent Jane Tennant. Vanessa says the kids are thriving and moving to Hawaii it’s the best thing she and Nick have done for their family. Here, the 41-year-old presenter and actress gives us the scoop on life on and off set and the one treatment she loves for self-care from head to toe.
You’ve already started filming season 3 of NCIS: Hawai’i. Do you have to train in advance for the action scenes and stunts?
“We’re already on episode 3 and yes, we do. We train for each episode depending on what it is. I don’t have to train for each episode, but you know, there’s a saying you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready. Obviously being a mother of three and doing other shows for Netflix, as well, it’s hard to constantly stay ready. So, before each sequence in each episode, I get ready for it as it comes. We don’t know what episode four or five through 22 are yet, but when we get the script right before we shoot, like literally a few days before we shoot that episode, they’ll let me know and then sometimes the day of the episode I’m training.”
What do you do in the meantime to stay in shape?
“Oh man, I’m not gonna lie. I’m not, I’m not as steady with it as I would like to be, but what I try to do is anytime I can find a way to be active, as opposed to not, I do. You can walk here somewhere as opposed to drive. Even on set, they’re like you can walk to the location or you can drive if it’s not hot and I’ll choose to walk. Just having three kids also keeps me active, but I should be more active— I’m starting to notice the changes of being in my 40s. I’m 41 and I want to get ahead of it. So, last night I had a bit of time by myself here at the hotel and I was like, what can I do to start getting ahead of it because it’s not just about the aesthetics of my body. It’s about my skin elasticity and just maintaining being fresh and ready.”
Now that you’re in Hawaii, is there an SPF you swear by for you and the kids?
“For my face every day I use a product we use on set called EltaMD, and I even put it on my kids. I find that that offers a lot of sun protection, but it’s also moisturizing and doesn’t break out my skin. So, that’s one that I love from for me and for my kids and for Nick. You know it gets to him to as well because we wear it every day. Everyone, everywhere should put a little sun block on every day during your morning routine. I know you don’t think that, especially people who don’t live in tropical places, but you know there are UV rays everywhere.”
You mentioned being in your 40s feels different. Are there any in office treatments that you’re loving right now?
“Lymphatic massages are something I want to incorporate more into my life for self-care. I got my very first lymphatic massage this year when I came to LA. I haven’t done one in Hawaii yet, but it was my very first one. For me, it’s like I need to be better and stop thinking that self-care is selfish. Getting a massage is nice, but this one is, I don’t want to say medicinal, but it’s draining your lymph nodes. It helps eliminate buildup in your body and it starts from down at your feet, and the massage therapist works her way up and then starts at your head to work your way down towards the central flow of your body. It helps with swelling and circulation. There are so many benefits.”
Are the kids going to have a cooler summer now since they’re in Hawaii? How have they adapted to island life?
“They adapted so quickly; their transition was seamless. They’re so happy to be there. To know that this is where they live, like shoes are optional at the school, it’s kind of crazy. It really is what you would think island life is like, but they’re still getting the best education with the best resources. teachers and faculty. I feel very lucky that this is where we are in our life and when I made this choice with Nick for this job, we made it with the number one priority being our family and will this be good for our family? Will this be good for our kids? Will this be good for our marriage, our relationship with the five of us, and we hoped it would. The answer, after a year of being there, is yes, it is. It’s put an ease to our days, you know your body exhales when you land on the islands. Now for summer, we were just talking about wanting to get away and the vacation used to be the tropical destination. Now that we live in a tropical destination, the vacation is probably going to be somewhere cold or with snow.”
Tell us about your partnership with Dairy Queen’s Miracle Treat Day, it’s such a great cause and the ice cream is a bonus.
“Yes! On July 28 it’s Miracle Treat Day. This is so incredible. I’m partnering with Dairy Queen, who is a sponsor to one of my favorite organizations, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. So, on that day, the 28th, if you go to a participating Dairy Queen, they will donate $1 to a local children’s hospital in your area. It’s great because you’re treating yourself, but you’re also helping the hope of a local child, so it’s doing good for both you and them.”
You just celebrated 11 years of marriage to Nick and 16 years together. What is your secret to lasting love?
“Oh gosh, I wish I like had all these secrets and spread the word, but I think having great communication is something that that Nick and I have decided has helped us. When you can communicate with your partner, whether it’s your spouse or your best friend or your coworker or your kid, you’re going to have a foundation for a lasting relationship. I want to stress it’s both sides of the communication. Not only do you need to communicate about what is bothering you or what isn’t working, but you also need to communicate the good and say ‘thank you for doing the dishes today. Thank you for helping me this morning get the kids out the door, I really appreciate it. Thank you for being awesome and being you.’ Or just ‘I love you still so much these days,’ talk about the good stuff, not just ‘we need to talk.’ You want to make those positive deposits in your love bank, and you can’t just constantly be withdrawing and getting drained.”
Speaking of love, what can you tell us about Love is Blind season three? Are there any details you can share?
“Dallas, it’s in Dallas this year.”
Are we going to have any villains like last year? I mean, I think viewers really come together on the people we don’t like and the memes are endless.
“I honestly never know what transcends in the end and what people gravitate towards, and I think that’s the beauty of how organic this show is. There’s no forced viral moment and things just happen. So, it will be interesting to see how this unfolds. I’m just as curious as you are if I’m being completely honest.”
