Blake Lively isn’t the kind of person fans think she is, based on her red carpet appearances and media interviews. Sure, she always looks glamorous. Yes, she knows how to work a movie premiere like no one else in the business. And yes, fans are super jealous of her incredible style, the clothes in her closet and her gorgeous hair. She’s always been a huge symbol of strength and someone that other women look up to, especially when it comes to speaking her mind and inspiring those around to be the best versions of themselves.

With that being said, there are so many things that people simply don’t know about Blake Lively, especially when it comes to how she and her husband Ryan Reynolds run their family at home. Yes, we do know that they are both gorgeous and that their daughters are cuties but at the same time, they are a family that is also very grounded, and above all, normal. Blake has always said that she wants her kids to have the same childhood she had. That’s why we’ve got a list of 20 things that fans probably were not aware of about Blake and what kind of mom she is.

20 She Wants Her Kids To Experience What She Had

Blake Lively is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and a household name all around the world. But even with that kept in mind, the actress does her best to stay grounded at home with her family. As a matter of fact, she’s often said that she wants her children to have the same, normal experiences she had during her own childhood.

"My mom liked to infuse my life with a lot of magic. When she read my fortune cookies, the predictions were full of princesses and castles and pirates. When I got old enough to read them, I was shocked to find out how boring they really were," the star explained, according to Marie Claire Australia.

19 She’s A Stay At Home Kind Of Mama

Sure, Blake Lively is someone who absolutely stuns whenever she’s on the red carpet. And when you see her on the big screen, you can’t help but feel mesmerized by her performances. But with that being said, she’s not the glamorous, fashionable Hollywood star you’d think she would be at home. Instead, it’s quite the opposite.

All she wants to do is relax in her pajamas, hang out on the couch with her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds and of course, spend as much quality time with her two daughters as she can. It doesn’t sound more perfect than that, right?

18 She Loves To Bake With Her Girls

Here’s something else that a lot of people probably didn’t know about Blake Lively: she loves to bake! In fact, the one place that she spends the most time in at home is her kitchen. She also loves to bake and teach her two little cooking interns all there is to know about making a good meal fit for the entire family. After all, a lot of people like to agree that the best way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, right? It’s no wonder that so many people love Blake Lively. Who knew she was such a celebrity foodie!

17 She Likes To Be In Control

Blake Lively might appear to be a fun loving, all-American California girl who likes to spend most of her time in the sun, but behind closed doors she’s a different person. She’s responsible, she’s disciplined, and she also likes to get the job done. Blake also is a very creative person who is focused on getting the job done.

She once told WWD, “In my job I get to be creative, but it’s over a period of time and so many other people are involved, whereas this is a beginning, middle and end, and I get to be creative and there’s an end date in the near future. It’s the same reason why I like doing my friends’ hair and makeup or cooking – you get to be creative and finish it. Whereas with my job you do it and then two years later it’s finished. It probably goes back to the control issues; it’s like, ‘Ok I did it, I completed it, it’s done!’”

16 She Wants To Raise Tough And Spunky Daughters

Blake Lively is all about women empowering other women. While a lot of Hollywood actresses love to talk about feminism, Blake is the kind of person who not only talks the talk, but she also walks the walk. She’s mentioned several times that one of her parenting goals is to raise fearless daughters who will take on the world one day. And according to Blake, it all begins at home. She and Ryan Reynolds want to set good examples for their kids."Nobody’s going to fight for you as much as you fight for yourself," she said of fighting her way to the top of the entertainment industry.

15 Who’s The Boss?

Blake admits that things have definitely changed ever since she became a mother. She does things and even speaks differently these days, especially whenever she’s around her kids. "I'm much more conscious of language," she notes. "My husband was like, 'Why do I always say he?' And I said, 'That’s what we’re taught.' So he’ll pick up, like a caterpillar, and instead of saying, 'What’s his name?' he’ll say, 'What’s her name?' Or we’ve joked that my daughter is bossy. But my husband said, 'I don’t ever want to use that word again. You’ve never heard a man called bossy.'"

14 She Wants To Raise Her Kids In A Laughter-Filled Home

When you are married to someone like Ryan Reynolds, it’s without a doubt that there is going to be plenty of laughter at home. After all, he’s one of the funniest men in Hollywood (everyone has seen his Twitter account, right?). Apparently, the entire family loves to tickle each other’s funny bones, including the kids. Blake also loves to share cute family stories, too.

"I had to explain to my daughter what an anniversary is," she said (via People Magazine). "She's like, 'What is it, does it mean you’re having another baby today?' and I was like, 'Dear God, no. It doesn't, it means it's our wedding's birthday.'"

13 She Doesn’t Show Off Her Kids On Social Media

Blake Lively is the kind of person who always makes headlines, no matter what she does or where she goes. And because she’s a Hollywood celebrity who is always in the spotlight, she knows that being a part of the social media world is all a part of the package. These days, many celebs have very few reasons not to reach out to their fans. And while Blake likes to post the odd photo here and there of her life behind the scenes, if there is one thing she will never do, it’s post photos of her daughters. That is one line that she will never cross.

12 She Wants To Empower Other Moms

Blake Lively knows that she doesn’t have the typical life that many other average working or stay-at-home moms have. She and Ryan Reynolds are a Hollywood couple who can afford to best kind of help and household staff that money can buy. But with keeping that in mind, Blake is also on a mission to empower other moms. She wants every mother to know that they have one of the most valuable and important jobs in the world. After all, we are raising a generation of little people who will be making decisions about our futures, right? That’s why Blake wants to make sure we are doing the job right.

11 This Is Her Number One Parenting Rule

Blake Lively is a hands-on kind of mother. We know it, we’ve seen it, and we definitely believe it. That’s why she and Ryan have a big parenting rule that they both must abide by at all times. There are simply no exceptions to their rule, either. "We don't allow our film schedules to overlap. We are very conscious of being very present as parents. I come from a big family and so does Blake, and we want to create a very warm and happy environment for our children," Blake’s husband Ryan told PeopleMagazine in an interview late last year.

10 They Don’t Pretend To Be Perfect

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds love to poke fun at each other. Anyone follows them on their social media accounts definitely know this. They also like to be as down-to-earth as possible. Blake once admitted in an interview with Seth Meyers that she follows a blogging mom who always bakes fresh blueberry pie with her kids. Blake said that’s not always the case in her home as her kids “like to play with explosive devices. I don’t know where they found them.” Of course, she was kidding but it’s great to see her keep things real about her parenting style.

9 Blake Is Her Own Biggest Parenting Critic

Just like so many other moms and dads out there, Blake admits to being her own biggest parenting critic. It’s something that we can all relate to, right? "Every good parent I know is hard on themselves, which is beautiful, because it means that you care," the actress once said in an interview (via People Magazine). "I live for my family, so where I might have insecurities about other things in my life, I know I'm giving the best of myself to my family. That's not to say I'm without plenty of mistakes, but I'm confident that everybody knows how loved they are. I sleep easiest at night knowing I'm at least giving it my all."

8 She Wants To Be A Good Role Model

With all of the above being said though, Blake says that she will wants to be a good role model not only for her daughters, but for her fans, too. “It’s so important for young people not to compare themselves with what they see online,” Lively said. “It’s our job as actors and/or models to be in shape. We have access to gyms and trainers and healthy food. And then on top of that, 99.9 percent of the time the images are Photoshopped. I’m guilty myself of being at a photo shoot and saying, ‘That looks [bad] on me.’ And they’re like, ‘We’ll fix it.’ And you’re so relieved.”

7 Ryan Reynolds’ Own Parenting Lessons

Blake is not the only person who is getting on-the-job training when it comes to being a parent. Apparently, her husband Ryan feels the exact same way. Together, they are learning how to raise their kids and be a family. Since becoming a parent, Ryan also admitted his perspective on life has changed.

The actor is not the same person he once was when he first appeared on the Hollywood scene. He said (via People Magazine): "It's so much better. Having a family means that you stop worrying about a lot of stupid things and you start focusing on the present."

6 Ryan’s Twitter Thoughts

Let’s give credit where credit is due: Ryan Reynolds is hands down the funniest father on Twitter. Some of us seriously live for all of those funny parenting tweets. But apparently, they are all made up (which seems rather hard to believe). Unfortunately, those tweets that mommy blogs live for are "never, ever about James or Inez," Blake said in an interview.

Simply put, they are just for a good laugh. "Everything is a completely made-up scenario. He'll run them by me sometimes just to make me laugh. But oh, I’m so in love with him when he writes that stuff."

5 She Tries To Teach Her Children Confidence

Blake Lively also says that she wants to make sure that her daughters grow up self-confident. Working in the industry, she knows just how hard it can sometimes be, especially with so many people judging her on a daily basis."We're all born feeling perfect until somebody tells us we're not," she said. "So there's nothing I can teach my daughter [James]. She already has all of it. The only thing I can do is protect what she already feels... I do know that I have to watch her and listen to her and not project any of my own insecurities or struggles on her."

4 She’s An Advocate For Children

Blake Lively might be one of the most stunning actresses in Hollywood right now, but believe it or not, she was bullied when she was a kid. Apparently, everyone took jabs at her appearance. Little did they know that she would grow up to be the big screen star that she is today.

Several years ago, she had this to say on social media: “Kids used to make fun of me in elementary school by calling me Big Bird (because I was ‘too tall’ and had ‘yellow’ hair). Here’s to making best buddies with the things that once hurt you.”

3 She Wants More Kids

Blake and Ryan might look like they have a complete family right now, but the actress says she’s open to having more children in the future. She’s had plenty of roles in her life, but it’s her role as a mother that gives her the most please. What’s more, she’s totally in love with her children and every aspect of motherhood. She once said (via Brainy Quotes): "They're always so much more fun and interesting to be around than being by myself," Lively says. "So when I do get the time to do nothing, all I want to do is drink them up."

2 She’s Working Less To Be At Home

Blake Lively has been in the prime of her career for several years now. And even though she’s one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry, she would rather stay at home with her kids than be on a movie set for several long days at a time. She knows that her children are young for only so long and that’s why she wants to be there for every milestone, both small and big.

Now, that doesn’t mean that she’s giving up on Hollywood altogether. Instead, she’s just trying to balance her career with her home life, just like the rest of us.

1 Celebrating Motherhood

For Blake Lively, all that matters is that her family is always happy, healthy and together. She doesn’t take anything in her life for granted. And while no one knows what’s in store for her future, one thing is for sure: Blake will continue to celebrate motherhood for as long as she can. She loves what she does and finally feels as though she’s in a good place in her life. “You don’t need to be Victoria’s Secret-ready right away because you just did the most incredible miracle that life has to offer,” Lively said in 2016. “I mean you gave birth to a human being! So, I would really like to see that celebrated.”