Some people may think the sound of a crying baby is the worst sound in the world, but for me there's nothing worse than the morning alarm clock. My husband tries to soften the blow by using the least objectionable alarm sound on his iPhone so that helps. I had a digital alarm clock in my 20s - you know the one with the horrible electronic beeping - which still makes me jump when I hear that sound.

Now that I've committed to exercising early in the morning I'm going to be in charge of the alarm. To be honest, early morning workouts are not as hard as the late-afternoon crash. Some days I just run out of steam. It's especially difficult because some days my son runs out of steam as well and it's prime time for short fuses and tantrums - not just him but me too.

One thing that's helped me the past few weeks is having a cup of green tea. Green tea does have caffeine, but less than a cola drink and much less than coffee. Plus there are health benefits to green tea that almost (but not quite!) make me wish I was strong enough to kick coffee in favor of green tea in the morning.

Citrus is another energizing food. Just smelling an orange slice will give you an instant boost. Winter brings more citrus varieties to the grocery store so try an heirloom tangerine and get an extra dose of vitamin C at the same time.

If the weather isn't too soggy or cold, I bundle up Kellan and we head outdoors. This takes serious motivation on my part, but it's worth it. It wakes me up and gives Kellan an opportunity to be outside. Sometimes we go for a walk and other times we just draw pictures in our driveway with sidewalk chalk. I always feel less sleepy once we are back inside.

If I feel desperately tired, I lie down and close my eyes for 15 or 20 minutes. Kellan doesn't nap anymore, but he will usually play quietly for up to a half hour if I lie down on the couch. I've napped in his bed while he plays in his room. Heck, I've even fallen asleep on his floor while reading books together! If I'm that tired, I let myself take a breather. I'm not advocating leaving your child to his own devices while you take a power nap if you think he will get into things he shouldn't, but I do think it is okay to rest when the opportunity is there and your child can safely play on his own for a short time.