The modern mom wants to appear she has it all together – even when she doesn’t. Whether it is your appearance, your home or your sanity – we can teach you how to pull it all together.

As they say, ‘you never have to let them see you sweat.’

There are generally three areas moms need to take note of – their physical appearance, their organizational appearance and their home’s appearance. There’s one thing to remember – first impressions set the tone. And, there is one rule– my husband calls it “kiss” or in this case “kis” – keep it simple.

Physical Appearance

Want people to think you have it all together – you have to first look like you do. Ok, you don’t have time to primp, you’re lucky you have time to go to the bathroom in between combing your daughter’s hair, picking your son’s clothes out for school and making it into the car in time for the carpool. If it takes you too long to shower, do your hair and put on make-up in the morning – do some of it at night. You might even find that a hot shower at night works wonders in washing away not only the day’s dirt – but the day’s stress as well. Dry your hair as straight as possible so that you can start the next day with “a fresh canvas.”

Get up 20 minutes before the kids, start the coffee pot. Develop a routine that works for you. If you are going to curl or straighten your hair, plug in your iron and go get dressed while it heats (it helps if you picked out your clothes the night before). Wash your face, brush your teeth and put on your make-up. If you keep make-up light and simple, you will look fresh and awake. A few curls, or a quick straighten and you are off to wake the kids – and to have a cup of coffee (you earned it).

Organizational Appearance

Appearing organized is a lot easier than it looks. You just have to make sure you are organized in the key areas. First and one of the most important areas is the calendar. Nothing screams disorganized more than coming late or missing appointments. Have a family calendar placed in a place everyone can see and get to easily, says Beth Randall of Joe Organizer in Plainfield. Get everyone in the habit of adding their own “events.”

Use the family calendar to its full potential. Every night before bed, family members should check the calendar to see the itinerary for the next day. You and your husband should decide who will take who where, and your kids should collect the necessary equipment needed and place it in a designated spot. This includes sporting equipment, backpacks, dance bags, etc. If special uniforms are needed, they should be pulled out of the closet.

If you are like me, always late, try going by “leave by” times rather than appointment times. And take advantage of that kitchen timer. Give yourself (and the kids) a certain amount of time to dress, eat breakfast, etc. Turn getting ready for school into a game of beat the clock – the kids love it.

Nothing screams “I’m disorganized” more than forgetting things. Heather Radzinski, a Family Manager Coach from Oak Park, says to keep a clear bin or tote bag kept at the door for library books, mail to go out, etc. And, keep it where you will see it on the way out.

Home appearance

You don’t need a maid or have to spend hours scrubbing your house to make it look like it is clean, all you need is one day a week to clean and to locate and tackle the hot spots in your house. Hot spots are those places that scream “I’m clean” or “I’m dirty” within the first few seconds you walk into a room. They are the ones that make the first impression when you walk into a room. When walking from one room to get to the next, no one is going to notice how clean it is behind the refrigerator or stove – or even under the table. But, they will notice the stacks of papers on the kitchen counter and the sink full of dishes. Clear off those kitchen counters and the kitchen table, make them knick-knack free and only keep on them what must stay.

Get your family in the habit of putting dirty dishes right into the dishwasher. Not only will this make your kitchen neater, it will be easier to do a quick wipe. The same strategy should be used throughout your house – keep coffee tables, end tables and dressers as clear as possible. And, I hate to say it because I’m on the “frugal” side – sometimes it pays to buy for convenience. For those in-between cleans, stock up on wipes that have the cleaners already in them. And if you can go for the multipurpose multi-purpose ones, some can be used for counters, mirrors and windows! Don’t forget wipes for dusting and mopping – nothing makes the house seem and smell fresher than a quick once over in the high traffic areas.

What about the kid’s clutter? To help with keeping things clean and orderly, Radzinski suggests that every night before bed, families do a Seven Minute Sprint. A timer is set and for seven minutes everyone races to clean up as much as they can. Radzinski suggests that at the end of seven minutes, anything left goes into the Clutter Jail and kids have to do extra chores to retrieve any lost items. “I also suggest a dust pan and hand held broom to sweep up little toys such as Legos,” says Radzinski.

One of the best ways to keep things together is to teach your family how to work together. The easiest way to do this is to make your house conform to your lifestyle rather than the other way around, says Kathy Peel. Peel is the author of 18 books on home and family organization and has been the guest family make-over expert for shows like Oprah. Peel says that people should be realistic and think about their family’s habits. Make sure your hampers are conveniently located where the kids will be inclined to actually use them. Do your kids shove things under the bed? Give them a bin to toss everything in instead and have them put the lid on it so they can look organized, too.