Miami Living Magazine

Harry Connick Jr

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is, so she was pleasantly surprised that Baby Daddy ended up being "the happiest place to work." The cast, who are like a second family to her, spend a lot of time together off set as well. "No one's immediate family is there, so we spend a lot of holidays together —any hard times are spent at each other's houses and we get each other through everything." (Baby Daddy is set in New York City, but films in Los Angeles.) They have trivia nights, The Bachelor viewing parties, sleepovers –they even have a cast- and-crew band. When they're on hiatus, Chelsea often sleeps over at Melissa Peterman's (who plays Bonnie Wheeler) house, and Tahj keeps an extra pair of pajamas at Chelsea's place. "There's so much love and warmth and safety and fun." Simply peek at her Instagram and you'll find a number of heartwarming photos of the tightknit bunch. While you're there, you'll also notice Chelsea's affinity for traveling. Two summers ago, the adventurous actress went backpacking through Europe —Ireland, England and France— with costar Jean-Luc. "We stayed in hostels, usually all-boys hostels, so it was definitely a smelly learning curve for me," she laughs. The Phoenix native also likes going on hiking trips, and has done the Grand Canyon and the 26-mile Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with her cousins and two aunts in Peru. "As an actor working on a series like this, to know you have work to come back to is a rare gift, so the last couple of seasons I really took advantage knowing I can spend a little money without working, and come back and not be totally screwed." She laughs. Though Chelsea subscribes to the philosophy of trying everything once, don't expect her to go skydiving or hot-air-ballooning —she's afraid of heights. "That was one of the hardest things for me when we were hiking up Machu Picchu. You climb up to some of these ruins and you're standing on a tiny, little ledge or the Grand Canyon. So, there were a few mini panic attacks. Other than that, I'll eat anything… My backpack usually sounds like a maraca though, 'cause I bring all of the nausea pills and everything to keep me going." With the holidays behind us and spring here, she's getting that itch to take off to someplace, though she doesn't know where just yet. One might surmise –from social media— that Chelsea is always flitting from one exotic, exciting place to the next, which is why she thinks fans would be surprised to find out how much time she actually spends alone in sweats. "Outside of traveling, I'm really a homebody. I'm an only child and did homeschooling and everything… I go to the movies by myself. I go to dinner by myself. I very much like my alone time. Going to events or anything like that, that's a blast or going to work. But at the end of the night, to come home and watch Forensic Files by my lonesome is one of my favorite hobbies." Recently, she adopted another somewhat-surprising hobby while visiting her parents in Sedona, Arizona (who live on a little pecan orchard!) over the holidays: puzzles. "My mom put a puzzle in my stocking and I got obsessed. I did like four of them when I was home. I would just bake a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies and do another puzzle. It's kinda like my meditation —chilling out with a puzzle." With the weather warming up, this "desert- dweller" loves to be outdoors, especially for alfresco meals with friends. "It's fun to go to friend's houses, do those twinkle-light-dinners outside, that perfect temperature at sunset. I love spring." Are you hosting these get-togethers or are you the one who's going? "I'm the one who's going. I think you would want to invite me more than have me host." She laughs. Chelsea confesses that up until a year ago, visitors would think she had just moved in — when she'd already been there for three years. She handled it and has gotten rid of the boxes being used as bedside tables. Even though her house is company-friendly now, she was a little hesitant about hosting one of their Bachelor viewing parties. "It was so funny. I don't know if I'm a good hostess. I find myself fluffing [she smacks a pillow on the couch to show me] pillows behind people after they leave, which I think makes everyone uncomfortable. So, I gotta work on just chilling and letting it happen," she says with a smile. Chilling is something that Chelsea can do a lot of, since she's currently on hiatus. So, what's next? "If Baby Daddy is over, it's back to the drawing board or a lot of possibilities of what could come next, because I was pretty much all-consumed by the show for the last couple of years." Ideally, she'd love to stay in comedy and continue following in her idols' –the Mary Tyler Moores— footsteps. "I love working on a soundstage and multi-cam situation and driving onto the lot like, 'Good Morning, Bob! [she waves] Good Morning, Bill!' I love that." Plus, Chelsea is a natural at the

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