Adding An Additional Title To My Bio

Well it's official! This week I will be adding an additional title to my bio... TWIN MOM!

As a kid I always dreamed of being a talk show host, yet also had the desire to one day be a mother. I am so thankful we live in a time, where I can do both! Having started my show at 23 years old, I feel most of my viewers have grown up with me. You've seen me through going from online to prime time, getting married, our first Emmy Nomination and now twins! I could not be more thankful for my support group... YOU!

This blog is an exclusive look at my journey to motherhood and the questions I've been asked along the way.

Photo: Andrea Plecko, Chicago Andrea Creative/ Hair: Kristen LaMorte, Robert Jeffrey Salon Wicker Park/ Makeup: Lillian Toma, Starlight.

FAQ-

• Twins, do they run in your family? YES- my maternal grandfather's mother was a twin, my maternal grandmother was a twin and my paternal grandmother had twins. #DESTINED
• Fraternal or Identical? We are having fraternal boy/girl twins

• Biggest Struggle With Pregnancy? The first trimester you just hope and pray all is well. Pregnancy is a true test of faith.
• When did you know you were pregnant? Right before the holidays. We found out with twins, after the New Year.
• City or Burb family? We are staying in the city! Last year we bought a house in Lakeview and decided to plant our roots in the city.
• Twin Names? Boy- David Acheson Heiner III "Acher" and Marlowe McKinley Heiner.

• Maternity Leave? I will be taking a few months off in between seasons.
• Nursery Theme? Noah's Ark "And Two By Two They Came."

• Biggest Craving? Starbucks Bacon Gouda! I've had it every morning for 9 months
• Best Parenting Advice? It will all be okay!
• Mommy Van or SUV? I guess you could say a mix... The Volvo V60, Station Wagon

These last nine months have grown me immensely (In more ways than one LOL) and I look forward to what this week brings. Thank you again for all the encouragement and support. The best is truly yet to come.

To stay up to date with our journey follow us: TWITTER- @WhitneyReynolds/ INSTAGRAM- @Whitney_Reynolds/ FACEBOOK @Whitney Reynolds- The Whitney Reynolds Show on PBS.

A Good Excuse (TWO) Relax

Well I've held the title "Talk Show Host" for the last 7 years and in January I found out I'll be adding an addition title to my bio... TWIN MOM! Becoming a mother has been an amazing journey, the last 9 months have brought new challenges, joys and adventures to my days. Owning my talk show and pushing it to more markets, while carrying twins has made me the ultimate balanc(ER)ina! Creating a work/ life balance is something you hear entrepreneurs struggle with and in my case, I am constantly working on. Work is something that becomes routine and once we find our groove it is like second nature. For me life happens when I take time to slow down and appreciate all the blessings that surround us. So when choosing a babymoon destination (our last getaway before the twins come)... I wanted a place where we could unplug, be surrounded by beauty and enjoy each other.

 WELCOME TO CATALINA ISLAND!!!!

Catalina Island (Avalon) is officially one of the most beautiful places I've seen.  You can only get there by water or air. It's been the backdrop to many movies and a getaway spot for decades for celebrities. It's just over an hour boat ride from L.A., yet feels like you are in one of the most tropical places. This island has darling shops, delicious restaurants & beautiful beaches.

Catalina Express

We started our venture on a Thursday, taking The Catalina Express from Dana Point to the island. We spent a few days prior with family prior in San Diego and this was the closest port. It was fun boarding the boat, seeing all the sun dresses, fishing poles and smiles from visitors just like us. On the ride over we saw dolphins, enjoyed coffee and talked with other passengers about the island.

Pulling into the island was a scene I will remember forever. The landscape of Catalina Island is truly beautiful with the houses tucked away on the hills, surrounded by the ocean. Once we arrived we checked into our hotel and got ready for stop #1- The Glass Bottom Boat Tour.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour

This boat tour is exactly what it's name says... A glass bottom boat. We departed from the central pier and then went out to sea and saw everything below. This was such a nice tour because you didn't worry about dropping your phone in the water while trying to take pictures. It was around 45 minutes in total and midway through the Captain stopped and explained some history of the island and what we were seeing below.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour

After the tour we walked over to the Casino (the island's main historic theater building) and went to The Catalina Island Museum. This was actually the last weekend the museum was located in the Casino, because it is moving into a much bigger space. I'd recommend stopping by the museum on the first day like we did, because you will learn so much about the island. It was fun to see who's been there, how it was founded and special memories the island holds. I personally loved discovering that Catalina is owned by The Wrigley Family who formerly owned the Cubs. Being from Chicago, I love my Cubbies and felt extra at home.

Before dinner we went back to the hotel to relax. We had a fireplace in our room which was perfect because at night the temps dropped down to the mid 60's. For dinner we went to Blue Water Grill- Avalon, a newly constructed restaurant in the center of town and right on the water. This was my favorite night out because we saw the most amazing sunset, while eating local bites.

Blue Water Grill Avalon

I'd recommend the scallops and as you and can see from the picture above, we tried a little bit of everything (IT WAS TASTY)!  That evening was so special because while we eating, we had a chance to talk about our twins and the adventure ahead, including choosing godparents. This setting really helped me unplug and enjoy the moment.

The next morning was every preggo's dream come true... The Taste of Catalina Food Tour. Six amazing stops around the island and all good food. This gave us a great sample of the cuisines Catalina had to offer. Our guide was perfect and not only knew a lot about food, but also the island's history. It was great because, you are walking in between the stops, so you don't feel guilty about all the outstanding food along the way.

Taste of Catalina Food Tour

My personal favorite was Steve's Steakhouse and the dish they served up (picture above)  This tour gave us a blueprint of the reservations we needed to make for the rest of our trip.

The next day I kicked things off with my first prenatal massage. David and Puffy (our dog) wondered around the island and grabbed coffee, while I was being spoiled. After the massage we went to the Casino for The Island's Annual Silent Film Festival. This is a yearly fundraiser and fun time for all, we were glad to be there that weekend.

Later that afternoon we decided to hit Descanso Beach and just chill.

Descanso Beach- Catalina Island

Talk about a scene from a movie, this beach is a must see/do in Catalina! We sat out, watching the waves roll in and again dreaming about our future family.

The rest of the vaca was full of R&R and soaking in our last trip as a family two! This little island holds a very special place to my family. Now that I am back to the grind in Chicago, I understand the phrase... California Dreaming!

Downtown Avalon, Catalina Island

A Weekend To Remember (TWRS Gala, 3-0 & Gender Reveal)

My Team (Left- Camera Art Cohen, Supervising Producer Sheryl Rosen, Executive Producer/ Host ME-Whitney Reynolds, PR Janiece Noel, Director Gary Brook, Assistant TD Dennis King). PHOTO CREDIT- RAY THOMPSON/ DRESS- Teri Jon Dresses

This past weekend was the first ever "A Night With The Whitney Reynolds Show" Gala! It was extremely special because our family, friends and viewers had a chance to come together and get to know the show better. We featured topics close to heart and also raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Cherry on top- it was my big 3-0 birthday and at 9 PM we found out our twins' genders with everyone who attended.

We had the most amazing food vendors in Chicago bring their favorite dishes. BIG THANKS to- Johnny Van's Smokehouse, Kitty O'Sheas, Heartfelt Catering, Beef and Barley, Kenmare Catering, Rachel Rosenberg Arbonne Treats, Reggies Live, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Goddess and Grocer. Take a look at my 30th birthday cake provided by Windy City Savories and Sweets!

PHOTO CREDIT- RAY THOMPSON

The live piano music was flowing thanks to David Rothstein and the flower arrangements from Stems made the evening complete. On each table we featured topics that have aired on our show over the years. Some of them included Domestic Violence, Fear and Cancer. This whole event was a chance for our 250 guests to understand what we are all about and that is: creating a show that provokes positive change through tough topics.

PHOTO CREDIT- RAY THOMPSON

Since the event fell so close to our 20 week ultrasound (2 days before) we decided not to find out the genders until the gala. At 9 PM we called everyone to the front and unwrapped two boxes with our twins' genders. WATCH- https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyReynoldsW3/videos/vb.9203122/10102604877591313/?type=3&theater

PHOTO CREDIT- RAY THOMPSON

PHOTO CREDIT- ANDREA PLECKO

As you can see from the pictures above we are OVER THE MOON for our little Twin A- Marlowe McKinnley Heiner and Twin B- David Acheson Heiner III "Acher." It was special to share this moment with everyone who attended.

We rounded out the night with raising just shy of $3,000 for LLS and announced our new season coming to Lakeshore PBS April 25th at 6:30 PM.

This was an evening I will cherish forever and it wouldn't have been possible without support from all our sponsors (especially Volvo Of Oak Park), my loving husband and each of YOU.

XOXO,

Whitney

(Don't forget to get your ticket for our next live event on April 30th. Sit in our studio audience by requesting tickets to tickets@thewhitneyreynoldsshow.com).

Adding Two More to The Team!

WE ARE ADDING TO THE TEAM - and this time it's internally. Being a Talk Show Host it's hard for me to keep my mouth shut. We have kept this news on lock down since mid December and I must say this has been a difficult task. Now that we are out of the first trimester we had to share the news - WE ARE PREGNANT.... WITH TWINS!

TWINS - Yes, we were just as shocked. Growing up I was surrounded by twins on both of my parent's sides (3 sets to be exact). We found out we were pregnant pretty early on and according to several blogs this could have been because the hormone level with twins is stronger. Going into our first ultrasound we were just hoping for a strong heartbeat and then we were told, "there's two!" 

DUE DATE - My Twinspirations (follow us on Instagram) are due in early August and WE CAN'T WAIT! Coming up on April 30th we will be taping a live studio audience show on "Parenting." Tickets will be given out for the audience at our April 2nd Gala. We hope to see you at both!

PARENTING 101 - Please give us your parenting tips because trust us, we need your help! TWEET @WhitneyReynolds. Thanks in advance for all your love and support. The best truly is yet to come! Don't forget to hashtag #VolvoFamily.

OUTTAKES- Get the full story in video form HERE! (www.volvooakpark.com)