Touches Of Home On 'CSI: NY' Set

Melina Kanakaredes Tells Hannah Storm How She Works Them In

(CBS)  When you're the star of a hit TV show, it's not always easy to fit in time you’re your family amid the heavy demands of filming.

Melina Kanakaredes of "CSI: New York" does it by thinking outside the box.

Kanakaredes, who plays tough-as-nails detective Stella Bonasera, was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two young daughters.

On Wednesday, during "CSI Week" on The Early Show, Kanakaredes told co-anchor Hannah Storm how she manages to get quality time with them on the set.

"It's tough," Kanakaredes admitted. "But you know, it's about personal choice and how you make it happen for yourself. Everybody has a different method.

"Ours is — sort of, in the midst of the madness, we have dinner at 6 in my trailer. We just try to stick together.

"They come after school, or my little one comes every day, and it just makes a difference. You know, there's a light that needs to be fixed, so I go over there and have a tea party.

"You balance as much as you can. And then, on the days that mommy's doing unusual things, (the kids) just stay at home."

Kanakaredes said there have been some awfully long stretches on the set lately.

"One day, we had about an 18-hour day. Not just me; the entire crew just doing something that really shakes things up a bit. We were all like hugging each other, saying, 'Wow, that was so fun.' We are like a big family, so it was such an enjoyable time."