many have this idea that i’m all put together, well here’s the deal: it’s easy, i’m on speed, a.d.d. meds, anti-depressants, have perfect children with a nanny and my house never gets used, i have a personal trainer and a gourmet cook and a personal stylist…oh no wait that’s hollywood. you may think that i have it all put together but let me give you a little heads up. i’m frazzled half the time i’m awake, i wish drugs that enhanced your performance as a mom would be legal and not addictive because i would be one of the first in line to get it, i apparently fake my way through a clean house look, because i prioritize exactly everything i absolutely have to do in order for it to look decent no matter what. so i have read many many many books that say the same darn thing, if your house is organized then it hides the dirtiness, cause a house that has clean floors and counters but there’s a lot of crap all over the place hides the fact that you just worked your butt off cleaning the areas that are without clutter. ANYWAYS, have a home where there is a place for everything makes cleaning so much easier, and it looks clean EVEN WHEN ITS NOT! get this if you have everything where it goes people are too mesmerized that they don’t notice the yucky floors, and with four kids and loved one gone for a year, trust me sometimes the floors don’t get clean, OH unless you have a dog, those things are AWESOME for cleaning up after dinner! highly recommend that! as for the cute outfits and such i don’t have much of a wardrobe due to my minimalist idea of if i’m not wearing it then why should it be in my closet? so if you see me on a regular basis you would start to see that i wear a lot of the same thing over and over, but i LOVE everything that is in my wardrobe. the hair and makeup secret is get an easy haircut i currently am sporting a cross between posh and katie holmes look, and the big secret is with makeup, i always forget to take it off at night sooooo, presto! instant makeup every day, just make sure you apply after showers. oh and showers, yeah i like those but sometimes i have to wear a hat to hide the greasy look. hmm lets see any other secrets on how to fake looking all together?…oh yeah when people ask how you are doing as you are at the grocery line (even when you have all kids with you and they are tearing up the joint) you answer “good, thanks” now all this will only fake people out who don’t really know you, but it’s okay, the people that really know you and know the truth about you (that you are just like everyone else and have really hard days that make you cry and eat a lot of chocolate, or that you wish you could take back that nasty remark that came out so quickly without thinking when you were just trying to figure out your finances online and your child just wanted to ask you for something to drink) and after knowing all those things they still like you (and maybe more?), you can call them a true friend! and as to how to raise yiour kids, i’ve come to the conclusion that through prayer we can be guided and it’s been the same every time i get on my knees “just love them” now if you don’t mind i have to get back to my kids who are currently having a crisis over where their dinosaur poster is going to go in their room, everyone is in tears and screaming, oh well so much for faking it all the time!