How Cate Blanchett Stays Grounded

Cate Blanchett doesn't let Hollywood get to her: she stays grounded through family life with her husband, Andrew Upton, and as a mom to three boys: Dasheill (7), Roman (5), and Ignatius (19 months).

"I enjoy vacuuming," Blanchett told PEOPLE at the Giorgio Armani/Ristorante dinner party in New York City this week... "It's a very satisfying noise when you hear all that grit sucked up from the floor and into the machine."

Adds the Oscar winner: "Vacuuming is a big one for me and it's those simple things that keep my life grounded. It can be quite therapeutic!"

Raising three boys keeps her occupied, too.

"Having boys is great. It's a neat position to be in and I love the high energy that comes along in raising boys. It's fun."

She's having to juggle her parenting duties with her current role, which is acting in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' on Broadway.;

"Theater is an evening event so you can't put your kids to bed as often as you like but we seem to find a way to manage," she says. "The kids have been to New York before and they love it. We have lots of friends who've got kids and that helps. But they will come visit me at work.

She adds, "We did a show earlier in the year in Sydney and our little child actually watched the show backstage, which is a really interesting and exciting place with people putting on makeup and costumes and so they love it."

Cate seems to be managing well!

Photos by INF