I have a lot on my plate. With a toddler, a full time job, a brand new nonprofit, dancing for dance companies, teaching dance, and being a grad student, life can get busy. It could be easy to feel overwhelmed. I make it a point to have an hour of me time every morning before the rest of the house wakes up. I'll check on my Facebook feed, do my workout, and take a relaxing shower, all before the first "mooommmyy" of the day. By the time my toddler gets up, I am refreshed and ready for the day.

Another reason I am able to start my day happy is that my toddler is a morning person, like me. Morning is his happiest time of day. I get him up at 7 and I have a full 1.5 hours before I have to leave for work. This means we get to eat and play together when he's his happiest. While its sometimes hard to leave in the middle of the fun, I always get to leave with a smile on my face and a silly anecdote of what happened that morning. This gives me the energy I need to deal with work and grad classes and any other projects that come my way.