Celebrity mom of the year: JENNIFER GARNER

We are happy to announce our Celebrity Mom of the Year, 2012...JENNIFER GARNER. She was selected based on your votes, and it was pretty much a landslide. You LOVE her. And so do we.

Click through this gallery to find out why we've enjoyed her so much this year. And see who this year's four runners-up are.

Pssst! Did you know I actually sat down with Jennifer Garner last summer? Read the interview here>

Jennifer, 40, became such a hot topic this year when she and hubby Ben Affleck, also 40, welcomed a baby boy.

Because Jennifer and Ben already had two daughters — Violet, 7, and Seraphina, 3.5 — there was some fun suspense leading up to the birth. Would Ben get his boy? Did he and Jennifer care about the baby's sex either way?

When baby Samuel finally arrived, we were SO excited to share the news because, you know, we heart her!

Most of us love Jennifer because she's so relatable. She's gorgeous and put-together — glam when she needs to be, but not so glam that we can't live vicariously through her, like when she and Ben went to Paris alone together recently....

...and like when she shared a public kiss with him...

...and like when she shared this sweet moment with him while...getting into the car. *Swoon!*

We also love the way Jennifer dresses. When we asked who you thought was the best-dressed celebrity mom, so many of you chimed in to say JENNIFER GARNER — you love her casual looks most of all, and her fabulous scarves!

We love Jennifer's focus on healthy, whole foods for her family. She's often seen shopping for fruits and veggies at the Farmers' Market with her kids, and even tasting the public food samples off shelves — what other A-list celeb do you see doing that?

Jen gives the late-30-somethings among us a lot to look forward to because she is truly fabulous at 40.

While many other celebs hide out until they lose the baby weight, Jennifer was out and about just two weeks after Samuel was born (left). We love that she just lives her life, whether the public's watching or not.

Though she makes it look like a breeze, Jennifer's been honest about her challenges as a parent. She's admitted to being overwhelmed and exhausted as a mom of three, and has said she's so done having kids.

Jennifer stopped working for a long time — during her pregnancy and after Samuel was born — to focus on her family.

In her acceptance speech for the Female Star of the Year Award, which she won earlier this year, Jennifer quoted her mother as saying, "Every time I talk to you, you are breastfeeding, you are running car pool, you are on the library committee — you are not acting!"

Still, Jennifer's been at the top of her game with several hit movies this year. We loved her in Butter and The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and we can't wait to see her in Dallas Buyers Club with Matthew McConaughey.

The woman loves her Starbucks. Many, many of us exhausted parents relate to that!

Jennifer is often spotted doing creative activities with the kids. She's photo'd here at a ceramic store with Violet — buying supplies to make Daddy's Father's Day gift.

She loves her Mama! Here they are making their way to the car after a pre-Mother's-Day mani-pedi session.

Jennifer's also been spotted spending time with Ben's parents and the kids quite a bit. We love that she's such a family girl.

She just does it all! Indeed, her own hubby recently said, "My wife's very patient. She does everything."

Ultimately, we love her because we relate to her — in her jeans and sneakers, at the park, the soccer field, the market or on her way to the office. She's everywhere (the paparazzi love her, too...), but she remains elegant and understated.

Love, love, love!

Congrats to our first runner-up, Reese Witherspoon!

The 36-year-old actress/mom of three won us over this year with her stunning maternity looks and that amazing smile. She's photo'd here with hubby Jim Toth on the sidelines of yet another one of her son Deacon's soccer games.

As loyal Celebrity Candy readers, you already know that Reese is now the proud new mom of three-month-old Tennessee James Toth!

Love!

Congrats to our second runner-up, Beyoncé Knowles!

With the birth of her baby, Blue Ivy, early this year, we can't seem to get enough of the multiple Grammy award-winning singer. Her hubby, Jay-Z, isn't so bad himself.

Congrats to our third runner-up, Jessica Simpson!

It seems Jessica's been such a hit with you this year because she was pregnant for what seemed like ever and, well, gained a lot of weight in the process. Many of us related to the major weight gain and sympathized with the 32-year-old singer/reality TV star's struggle with it under the media's very critical, weight-shaming watchful eye.

Jessica gave birth to her daughter, Maxwell Drew, back in May. And rumour has it she's got another one on the way already!

And congrats to our fourth runner-up, Jessica Alba!

Moms all over North America have been applauding Jessica Alba for her company, The Honest Company, and its commitment to wholesome family products and helping other moms. We also love seeing Jessica, 31, out and about with her beautiful kids — Honor, 4, and Haven, 1.5.

Psssst! I chatted with Jessica last summer. Read the interview here>