By Lisa Miller
As moms, fitting everything into the day and looking good is a challenge. There is always something to clean, cook, mend, prepare, etc. Remember, taking at least five minutes for you is important for your mental health and physical stamina. Ever notice how you feel better, stronger when you look your best? Ever notice how run down and tired you feel when you are still in your pajamas or sweats at three in the afternoon? What a difference!

Today, I’m going to share my 5 minutes and out the door secrets with Cinderella and the rest. My ideas are revolutionary, sit down and get your pen and paper. It may just be the solution you need to feel your best.

Dear Mommy Stylist,

While the kids are at school, I often find myself in sweats, with no makeup, cleaning the house. Time gets away from me when I’m cleaning- there is so much to do and so little time. I always end up rushing out the door last-minute to pick up the kids from school. I’m tired of looking harried, dirty, and run down. When I see the other parents at the pick-up location, I’m embarrassed. How do they all have time to look so good! My question is: How do I go from scrubbing the floor to presentable and out the door in about 5 minutes time?

Desperate Cinderella

One of my favorite on-the-go looks is jeans, a tee, and a blazer. You look casual yet put-together at the same time. The look works with all sorts of shoes – flats, heels, boots, tennis, dressy sandals. Add a necklace or a scarf, bangles, and a bag. You’re ready to go.

As for make-up, identifying the bare minimum you need to look complete and feel good is the key. I find that a little eyeliner, tinted lip balm, and perfume are all that I need to feel like I’m set to face the day. If you can narrow your routine down to 3-5 necessary steps, you’ll be all set. Adding a touch of color to my lips, highlighting my eyes, clean-looking hair, and smelling nice are my essentials. Following this simple routine helps me to get ready and out the door in record time.

Lisa’s Tips for Looking Fabulous in a Hurry:

1. Set up a beauty center in your foyer.

Hanging on the wall in my entrance hall is a mirror with a little shelf and hooks. On the shelf sits a pretty bottle containing dry shampoo (read our post about dry shampoo, here). Next to that is a decorative bowl containing a small roller perfume, Burt’s Bees Hibiscus tinted lip balm, an eyeliner pencil, and my favorite, everyday jewelry. From the hooks hang my house keys, work keys, and car keys.

2. Invest in some sturdy hangers and hang a few outfits.

Like to wear those jeans with that tee, this blazer, and this necklace? Or, that skirt with those tights, this jacket, that chain, and these bangles? Hang them all together. Grab the hanger and you’re set. No more digging around and panicking trying to put together an outfit in five minutes time. If you know that these situations arise often, keep a couple of ready-to-go outfits on hand in your coat closet. No one outside your door will know that you prepared to meet the world from your foyer.

3. Keep your shoes, keys, and purse by the front door.

In my front closet, I keep a pair each of flats, boots, and heels. These are my three most versatile pairs. They are all comfortable and work with most of my wardrobe. Also in this closet are hooks to hang my purses on. I have my wallet (which also has a little strap and enough space for a phone, lip balm, and keys), my everyday cross-carry bag, my dressier shoulder bag, and my diaper bag. I merely grab my wallet and, depending on where I’m going, either head out the door or toss it into one of my other bags. Keeping your essentials in one bag and transferring that between purses is an easy way to switch in a jiffy. See Kristin’s post on this topic, here. As I mentioned before, my keys are hooked to the underside of my “beauty center,” but it is easy to add a hook just inside your front door.

That’s it. Simple.

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