From balancing her career as one of Hollywoodโs leading ladies with her business pursuits โ including cofounding Once Upon a Farm organic cold-pressed baby food โ to her role as an artist ambassador to Save the Children, Jennifer Garner is more than deserving to grace the cover of this yearโs The Beautiful Issue.
But itโs nothing compared to the beauty she finds in being a mom to her three kids, Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, 7, with ex-husband Ben Affleck.
โIโm starting to get to the point where I realize this job is not going to be forever,โ the gorgeous star, 47, tells PEOPLE in this weekโs cover story. โNot in the all-encompassing every meal, every moment, every day way that I have loved for the last thirteen years. Itโs going to shift. But thereโs beauty in how it works in episodes.โ
When she doesnโt need to be red-carpet ready, Garner admits her โuniformโ more often than not is workout clothes. โI try so hard to get out of [them],โ she says. โBut sometimes the day just doesnโt give you a break to shower and put on my other uniform, which is jeans, a sweater and sneakers.โ
Which is just fine with her three kiddos. Arriving home after a glam photo shoot, โIโll feel like the best possible version of myself,โ Garner adds. โTheyโll look at me and say, โCan you wash your face? Can you put your hair in a ponytail and put your glasses and sweats on?'โ she says, smiling. โAnd I see the compliment in that. They just want me to look like Mom.โ