You can't do it all, all of the time - 3 life hacks to save your sanity

photo: Jesse Volk

I knew when that crown was placed on my head in July, that I was in for a whirlwind year of crazy. I'd just become a Big for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolina, had accepted an Officer role with the Charlotte Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta, and started working a few local non-profits. 

Since July 22, I've made 12 appearances supporting North Carolina non-profits, businesses and events. Add that to a full-time job, several photoshoots and a devotion to Gamecock football games and you end up with more things on the schedule than there are hours in the day. 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and not too far behind that is Christmas. Deep breaths, friends. We are going to make it. Here are my top 3 secrets for keeping my sanity, a relatively clean house and happy boyfriend and content kitty cat:

1) Family Calendars from Apple absolutely save the day. Period. 

Between work events, Miss NC USI appearances, workouts with Pure Barre and my trainer and trying to maintain a social life, there's a whole lot going on, all of the time. I put everything on my iCal, so my boyfriend can see what I have planned and things that might involve him. Our rule is "if it's not on the calendar, it's not happening." While not as rigid as it sounds, we both know that if it's not a already on the calendar, we aren't obligated to attend. Use this handy guide to set up family calendars across your household's Apple devices. Sanity saver - schedule in mental health days. You can't pour from an empty cup. 

2) if you hate it, outsource it. Hux.com saves the day!

Clarke in all of her sassy glory

We forgo date night and have a professional clean the apartment (743 sq ft) for only $66. This is perfect because I loathe bathroom cleaning, and Corby has a strange obsession with vacuum lines in the carpet. The pricing structure is totally up-front and comes with checklists. You pick your cleaner, schedule and level of clean all from the website. Hux.com background checks and interviews every person, so you can feel good about having a stranger in your home. We've been using Jante for months now and she's incredible and great working around Clarke, the rescue cat with a big personality. She changes the sheets, throws the old sheets into the washer and starts it, loads and unloads the dishwasher and does all of the regular cleaning stuff like mopping, vacuuming, dusting, etc. If you use my code 98EMILY, you'll get $10 off your first cleaning. 

3) Need a hand? TaskRabbit is on the way!

TaskRabbit is a fabulous app for those times when you need help moving, assembling furniture, mounting televisions, minor repairs and more. I'd purchased black out curtains and just couldn't find the time, and didn't have the tools, to hang them in my bedroom. TaskRabbit to the rescue. I was able to easily find Glenn S., who was on time, professional and fast. You pay by the hour, and they bring their own equipment. He had the curtains up in no time and even offered to steam the wrinkles out! He didn't have a problem when he encountered a metal stud in the wall like I would have. Each Tasker sets their own rate, Glenn S. was $26/hr and I used a $10 off promo code. Click here to get $20 off your first task. 

Bonus: No is a complete sentence.

Don't stretch yourself too thin. Leave room in your schedule for self-care and quality time with friends and family. Only schedule things that you're committed to attending. Get friendly with the phrase, 'I'm sorry, but I'm going to sit this one out.' Let's face it, not every networking event is fun or worth your time. Order a pizza, skip the grocery shopping and get to bed early.