Tarek El Moussa Reveals Exactly Why Christina Hall Left Him

When Christina Hall needs something from her husband, she tells him.

Simple as that, you ask?

Well…yeah.

"Being communicative" was what came to mind when the Christina on the Coast star paused to consider what exactly bolsters the strong foundation she and her spouse of two years, Josh Hall, have built together.

"Keep communication open," she told E! News in an exclusive interview, explaining the practical secret to their successful dynamic, "and then having alone time when we can, whether it's date night, going on little trips—just things like that."

And if that all sounds pretty reasonable and decidedly uncomplicated, then the desired effect has been achieved.

Speaking to E! ahead of her July 9 birthday, the now-41-year-old mother of three said she didn't have a big bash planned for the non-milestone ("Back to usual until I'm 50," she quipped, "so this year, just dinner"), but she had plenty of good fortune to celebrate.

photosChristina Haack and Josh Hall: Romance Rewind

"I love where I live," she said, referring to more than just the couple's 7,000-square-foot home in Newport Beach. "I love my family, I love doing these shows. So I feel like everything's going really well."

Josh Hall/Instagram

And with that in mind, her main goal for the next chapter of her life is peace.

"I need things to be more peaceful and calm," explained Christina, noting that she would like to be more present. "And just overall, less chaos, less drama." 

All modes the twice-divorced Flip or Flop alum has experienced. 

Her 30s were her "workhorse years," she continued, "really grinding, trying a lot of different things, having that energy to do so. And now it's picking things that I love, and honing in on those and being less all over the place."

photosInside Christina Haack and Josh Hall's New Home

Not that anyone would think Christina was all over the place by looking at her—or her house.

"I went on a rampage last week, stayed up late and cleared out the kids' closet, got rid of their old clothes that don't fit, gave away all those things," shared the mom of "mini-adult" daughter Taylor, 13, and son Brayden, 8, with ex-husband Tarek El Moussa and son Hudson, 4, with former spouse Ant Anstead. 

Christina also went through her own closet, "tidied up, made my bathing suits all matching in different boxes," she said. "That just makes me feel so good. And Hudson is very organized, so he helped me do the pantry and we got rid of the expired stuff and went through the vitamins. Honestly, organization makes everything better."

Christina Hall/Instagram

That approach also extends to her day-to-day—an admittedly tall task with three kids—but everything goes into the calendar, including Christina's decompression time.

"I try to super-organize," she said. "When they need to be where, and on days that I have off I try to do things that I like." For her me-time, it's the "little things," like going to Pilates, getting a massage ("every other week, that really relaxes me"), having her nails done or just taking a walk.

And having weathered her share of home renovations and all the, er, exciting surprises they can entail, the telegenic real estate investor tries to focus on what she can control.

photos25 Surprising Secrets About HGTV Revealed

"I'm used to chaos," she noted. So when it comes to delays, mixed-up deliveries, etc., "I don't get stressed. Most of those things are out of my hands."

She always feels bad for the homeowners, who may be bleeding money renting a place to stay while their house is transformed—or worse, trying to gut it out in the house while it's under construction—"but as the designer, I just try to keep them calm, tell them it's part of the process and that ultimately it'll be worth it."

And, she added, "It always is. It literally is always worth it."

Was that advice she gave to her own parents when it was her childhood home going under the sledgehammer for the July 11 fifth-season premiere of HGTV's Christina on the Coast?

"We have very different tastes, and we're very different individuals in general," Christina said, "so I was a little bit nervous. But it went really, really well and so I'm grateful for that. They didn't necessarily always listen to me, but in the end, it is their house and I gave them a product that they love. My mom literally texts me all the time, like, 'I love my kitchen so much. Thank you!'"

And while back at the house she shares with Josh and her kids she's been busily weeding out items that no longer serve her family, Christina isn't feeling the need for any big changes on her homefront.

"We're in a good rhythm right now," she said, "and I want it to stay that way. Just peace, calm, fun and as little chaos as possible."

And in the spirit of avoiding chaos, we took the liberty of organizing Christina and ex Tarek's sprawling family tree:

—Reporting by Nikaline McCarley