Gwen Stefani Calls Past 4 Years With Blake Shelton ‘One of the Greatest Gifts’

As Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton approach their four-year anniversary, the No Doubt frontwoman opened up to SHAPE about her and Shelton’s “healing” relationship. Ever since the two fell for each other on the set of The Voice in 2015 following both of their respective divorces (Shelton from Miranda Lambert and Stefani from Bush rocker Gavin Rossdale), Stefani admits she feels as if the last few years of been a blessing in every way.

“I feel as if I spent the last four years healing — you know, trying to build my life again,” she told the magazine. “Having a best friend like Blake to help me do that has been one of the greatest gifts.”

Stefani, 50, said that splitting her time between Los Angeles and Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch is something she never expected.

“I’m an unusual product of an ordinary California family,” she said. “My parents met in high school, my mom never worked, and we went to church on Sundays. Now I get to travel the world. And spending time in the middle of America [on Blake’s ranch] — that’s something I didn’t expect. The way we live at the ranch is really simple. There are watermelons that Blake planted and all my wildflowers. It’s a nice contrast to L.A., although I do keep 20 chickens in the backyard here at home too.”

Stefani, who is coaching on Season 17 of The Voice and performing her Las Vegas residency shows through November and parts of next year, also explained how she balances her busy lifestyle. “I love having projects. But I also love to be in my bed and have downtime,” she said. “I love to know that I don’t have the guilt of being so busy that I miss out on taking my kids to school.”

“Balance is the hardest thing, but it’s also the most important — being with my family, having time with Blake where we just watch movies,” she added. “It seems like, with your career, you have to keep swimming, keep moving, or else you’re going to look back and go, ‘Shoot, it’s over.’ I don’t like feeling like that. I want to do creative things when I want, and I want to stop chasing all the time. It’s hard, but I’m really enjoying being in the moment.”

She said raising her three boys — Kingston, 13, Zuma, 11, and Apollo, 5 — has taught her a lot over the years.

“One thing the kids have taught me is how to be more organized,” she said. “I lived at home until I was 26, then I had a tour manager, then a manger, then an assistant. On tour, you even have somebody who has the key to your hotel room. But as a mom, you have to be the one in charge.”

Stefani has yet to speak out on the news that Nick Jonas will be replacing her as a coach on Season 18 of The Voice in the spring. She re-joined the show this year for Season 17 (after appearing on Seasons 7, 9 and 12) when longtime coach Adam Levine announced his exit.