Days of Our Lives Star Alison Sweeney Shares Swimsuit Photo of “Sweetest Couple”

1. Ready To Work Out

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Sweeney is used to incredibly busy days, and has learned to fit in a workout whenever she can. “My days are packed; there’s always something going on,” she says. “Often, I’m at work at 6 a.m. on the set of Days of our Lives until 1 or 2 p.m., pick up my kids from school, get a workout in, then head over to The Biggest Loser in the afternoon and shoot until midnight. The best tip I can give busy moms is to plan ahead, even if that means bringing your gym bag with you in the car, so when you drop your kid off you can go for a run in a nearby park on your way to work!”

2. LA Marathon

Sweeney is proud to have run the Los Angeles Marathon. "I definitely wasn't a runner naturally,” she says. “It came to me over time because I really wanted to run the [Los Angeles] marathon as a bucket-list thing. And I just sort of made it happen. I'm so proud of what I did. It's one of those achievements where I'm like, Yeah, I ran a marathon. Can I bring it up?' "

3. Fun Workouts

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Sweeney learned the best way to stick to a workout regimen is to find something that’s fun. “I’d been through all of the fad diets and was still unhappy with how I looked,” she says. “But instead of being negative, I decided that I needed to go after positive things. I changed my eating habits and learned more about nutrition, including the importance of portion control and making healthier choices. Going to the gym used to be torture for me; I hated every minute I was there. So I found workouts that I like to do, like spinning, yoga, and CrossFit. I also do a Filipino stick fighting called escrima, which is like a street version of fencing—it’s really fun and a challenge, and I like learning the skill.”

4. Home Cooking

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Sweeney enjoys cooking at home with her family. "I'm sort of an at-home would-be chef,” she says. “I'll make a stir-fry. I make chicken using mashed up almonds as a crust instead of breading. It's really delicious. I put a Dijon mustard coating on it and then a little bit of honey or a tiny bit of agave just to create a sweet/savory thing, and then you crust it with the mashed up almonds as a coating and bake it. It's supereasy."

5. Almonds All Day

Sweeney loves delicious, nutritious almonds. “One of my all-time favorite snacks is almonds,” she says. “I keep them on my counter, and I put some in my purse so I always have a healthy snack with me when I’m on the go. I’ll also use crushed almonds as a crust for chicken or fish—it gives it a flavorful, satisfying texture.”

1. Growing Up On TV

Kenney grew up on TV thanks to her role on Shameless. “Growing up on TV the way I did is something I never expected,” she says. “Nobody knew we would go on and on and on for over a decade! I definitely didn’t think that when I was so young and booked the job. It’s a special feeling to have a lot of people be able to connect and relate to you, even though I don’t know them personally.”

2. Dog Mom

Kenney kept busy during the pandemic lockdowns by taking care of her dogs, and doing other things that make her happy. “I have 4 rescue dogs, so I’m constantly on dog mom duty, which I thrive from,” she says. “So a lot of dog adventures, road trips, I started cooking, baking bread like so many of us, and tons of random crafts and FaceTime with my friends.”

3. Proud of The Conners

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Kenney is thrilled to be a part of The Connors after all these years. “I think that all of us are very professional,” she says. “And there’s just so many more stories that need to be told through the Conner family and so many other different aspects of life that we’re going to get to tell, and I’m really excited and grateful for that.”

4. Reality TV Fan

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Kenney likes to relax in the evenings, focusing on her skincare routine and watching reality TV with her family. “I never go to sleep with my makeup on (I also rarely wear makeup), moisturize and always use sunscreen,” she says. “I love La Mer and use it almost exclusively. Reality shows are my guilty pleasure. I just binge-watched Making of a Model with my mom.”

5. Self-Love and Her Future Plans

Kenney is all about being down to earth when it comes to self-care. “Self-love, to me, kind of goes hand in hand with the best acting advice I have received, which is to not judge yourself or take yourself too seriously!” she says. Kenney has big plans for the future. “I definitely want to further pursue directing. I haven’t in a long time since pre-Shameless! I was young. But my biggest passion is photography, and that’s something I am really enjoying lately. I strictly shoot on film.”

Ekin-Su Culculoglu found true love on Love Island: Davide Sanclimenti. And despite their ups and downs since the show, the duo have confirmed to be reunited. Meanwhile, Culculoglu is also seeking good-looking things in all kinds of places. “There’s beauty to be found in the unknown,” she captioned a new swimsuit photo. What’s her take on her time on the show? Here’s what she says.

1. Being on the Show was “Overwhelming” and Wonderful

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“It's been absolutely overwhelming. I'm just so grateful that I even went on a show,” she told Lorraine. “It is such a successful show. I didn't think I'd find the love of my life and ended up finding the perfect man, not just the perfect body, but just didn't realize, hey, when you leave the villa that you have no idea what's going on. I had no idea. I had this love and this support and I just want to be thankful to everyone. Even my haters, I love them as well. Even if there is that, I'm just over the moon. It's been really busy. Just all these projects lined up…It's just all surreal. I don't even know what to say. That's how excited and happy I am.”

2. She Says Her Relationship Was Real

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“It was all real though in there,” she said to Lorraine. “It was. And that's why I was shocked when we won because we forgot it was a show at one point. We were like, if this relationship isn't working, I felt like walking at one point and I felt like if it's not going to work, I don't want anyone else. And he felt the same. And then when we were towards the final, we were like, wait, this is a show. What? There's a final, what's going on? And we were so grateful to even be fourth, third, whatever it was. Everyone we thought were winners. So yeah, I still can't believe that.”

3. Take a Deep Breath and Relax

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She felt comfortable on screen because the cameras, “they're so hidden. These cameras, you don't know where they are. You can't pretend or act on there. If you were to act, it would happen for two days and your mask would fall off. Then you're yourself. And in Casa Moore, obviously there was a moment, I dunno, I'm going to say this. Medics came. I had a mini panic attack, I was thinking, oh no, what's Davide doing in Cass Amor? Is he with someone else? And the medics were like, it's fine. Just relax.” She took deep breaths.

4. She Really Was in Shock

When she won, she really was “shocked. When I say my heart, my heart was beating. It was coming out of my chest. I genuinely thought everyone's winners. I didn't really expect anything. And then when our names were called, I was like, is this a dream,” she said on Loose Women.

5. ”In Relationships, You Make Mistakes”

“In relationships, you got to make mistakes,” she said on Loose Women. “You got to know it's right. You have to have these tests, and in real life, whether you have a normal job day-to-day walking on the street, you have to trust your partner and there's going to be people who are going to try it on you. And I feel like Casa Amor was that big test and the fact that whether Davide came back alone or not, that was a test for him.”

1. Soap Opera Beginnings

Sibbett is proud of what her soap opera beginnings (she starred on Santa Barbara) taught her about the industry and her own capabilities. “I loved my soap opera beginnings. It taught me the power of hard work, learning lines and how to hit my marks quickly,” she says. “Was I good? No, but it was the best training grounds for a happy career of hard work. No regrets, only gratitude for being so lucky to work with such lovely people everywhere.”

2. Barefoot Beauty

Sibbett is a proponent of grounding, and tries to go without shoes as often as possible. “Barefoot is still my favorite way to travel,” she says. “It makes sense, doesn’t it? Anyone who has danced with me in the last eight years knows how key the elemental energies of the Pura Vida were in firing up this gift running through me with Source Energy. If we are bringing heaven on earth here, together, wouldn’t earthing always be a necessary or helpful part of grounding Source’s gifts to share more profoundly?”

3. Into the Woods

Sibbett is very in tune with nature, and loves going into the woods for peace and meditation. “The world is wild now. Where do you go to rebalance an unruly spirit and hardworking heart? Breathing into it all, but roots like these ancient ones ground me. #peace #world #now #love,” she captioned an Instagram post.

4. Practicing Compassion

Sibbett is a deeply compassionate person, and encourages her friends and followers to practice it too. “My heart is everywhere right now. It is in Maine. It is in the Middle East. It is in Ukraine. It is with all those who are suffering at the hands of senseless violence. It is with those who have lost friends and family, and those whose lives will never be the same again. More than ever, the world needs kindness, compassion, and empathy if we are to return to peace,” she says.

5. Love In the Journey

Sibbett is proud of everything she has achieved, and what is yet to come. “I am much, much older since 1987,” she says. “I've had 3 children, a 20 year marriage, so many stories, so many incarnations of life and career, and now this new path I'm on of producing Braco's tours in America... now one of healing and helping the world feel better a new way.... I'm still the beginning. I'm still hungry to learn and grow and spread light. I'm still young at heart and as vulnerable as I ever was, but I have a deeper appreciation for the beauty of this life. There are soooo many options for us to enjoy and I am grateful that I've already had the chance to love so fully many of them with many more to come.”