“I just knew when I met him that I was going to know him forever. It was weird; He instantly felt like family,” the actress, 31, says in InStyle‘s February issue.

“I’d never felt like that with anyone. We got each other. We’re kindred spirits.”

Following their “very, very, very short” run as friends, the couple began dating and eventually tied the knot in 2008 before welcoming daughters Honor Marie, 4½, and Haven Garner, 16 months.

The spark between the sweethearts is still going strong, although Alba admits their idea of romance has certainly undergone changes over the years.

“On a weekend Cash might say, ‘Go get your nails done with a girlfriend. Haven is down for a nap and Honor and I will play. I know you work hard. You deserve some time for yourself,’” she says.

“That, to me, is romantic. He’s saying, ‘You matter,’ and that I’m more than just the mother of the kids or the wife who goes out to events with him.”

Blending their ethnically diverse backgrounds under one roof, the parents have made their home a true family affair, highlighting — and celebrating! — their ancestral roots.

“When Cash and I moved into our family house, we collected hundreds of pictures of our aunties, great aunties, moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, and sisters and brothers,” Alba shares. “Then we mounted them in the foyer of our home, covering the wall from top to bottom. Our daughters are continually reminded of where they come from.”

Life’s not all play for the mom-of-two; In addition to her acting career and taking care of her girls, the multi-talented mama is also the mastermind behind The Honest Company, her eco-friendly line of home goods she cofounded with Christopher Gavigan.

With such a full plate to balance, the actress has been known to take on a bit more than she can handle.

“Sometimes I can take multitasking to a level of insanity,” Alba explains. “Then all of a sudden the bath is too high and I’ve forgotten to give my daughter the thing she needs for school.”

Fortunately, her family of four has taught Alba how to worry less about the mess-making and more about making the memories.

“Before I had kids, I was very responsible and serious. I used to be all about controlling my environment; Everything had to be just so,” she says. ”Now my idea of perfection is different. You can label bins and have a place for stuff, but when the kids go into the playroom, you’re not going to say, ‘We can’t paint because how are we going to clean it up?’”

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