Author: Julie Meyers Pron

A few weeks ago, we took a day off to play in downtown Philadelphia with the kids. By 4 pm, everyone was exhausted and dragged their feet back to the car. Instantly, the boys fell asleep, and when we hit major traffic on the way home, Little overheard my husband and I discussing plans for later that night. “Get a pizza and watch the Phillies game?” I proposed. “Phillies?” our three-year-old fan asked. “I want to go to the Phillies game!” And then our little fan started begging, holding up her brand new Phillies t-shirt. I looked at my husband;…

This week’s Julieverse Reads post was written by Jessica Tom, who gets huge kudos and congratulations for debuting her first novel, Food Whore, today. (Yay, Jessica!) A food lover herself, and former restaurant critic for the Yale Daily News Magazine, Jessica is sharing a list of books for food lovers. These books may be great for you or someone on your holiday gift list. What a great time to learn about the restaurant world. You have TV shows, chef memoirs, splashy magazine spreads, up-to-the-minute blogs, behind-the-scenes Instagram feeds — even movies starring some of the biggest actors and actresses on…

I love gifting books for every occasion. They’ve even become my favorite house-warming and hostess-gifts. I’ve found the easiest way to gift the hostess is to stick with the theme of the evening, like Hanukkah, Christmas, or Thanksgiving. And for the holidays, try to gift new books so that there’s little chance that the child already has the book. Great holiday books for gifting this season Hanukkah Bear Perfect for a family with young children, a bear, wakes to a wonderful smell of latkes and follows that scent to the home of the best latkes in town. There, he befriends the…

There are books that you enjoy, and there are books that make a difference in your life. Wonder, written by RJ Palacio, is a moving book that opens the eyes to the feelings of someone who is different. By addressing the perspectives of not just the main character but many characters who interact with the child with a facial deformity, we learn about bullying, fairness, kindness, and strength… making the readers more open-minded and giving them a stronger look at themselves. As a parent and as a teacher, I highly recommend Wonder to all fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students, as well as…

Yesterday, while completing a survey for work, I asked my 9-year-old what teen stars he looks up to? Tell me, I said, which teen stars do you think are amazing? Without pause, he replied, “Molly Moon, Percy Jackson, and Harry Potter.” I smiled. I smiled a really, really big smile. I know that at nine, he’s still naive to the pressure of keeping up with the stars and looking to them as the ones he most wants to be like. But to hear a nine-year-old boy immediately think of the teens he reads as those he idolizes, that’s pretty amazing. True, all…

American women entrepreneurs rank their well-being as twice as high as non-entrepreneurs and non-business owners, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor U.S. Report from Babson College and Baruch College. The report also shows that one out of every 10 women in the U.S. are starting or running their own business. Despite the happiness quotient and rising numbers of female entrepreneurs, business can still be a struggle. Babson College’s Women Entrepreneurs 2014: Bridging the Gender Gap in Venture Capital found that less than 3 percent of venture capital-funded companies have a female at the helm as CEO. Although a lack of funding can add an…

We all go through tough times. Times when we give of ourselves so much that it hurts. Times that we give of ourselves and don’t even realize how much we’ve forgotten ourselves in the process. Times that we need hugs. Times that we need love and support from other moms. And, so often, we don’t know where to turn. For times like those, I’ve asked bloggers to share words of encouragement in hopes that these words will stick with us now and will guide us later. Encouragement for moms on parenting … do not ever let someone make you feel…

With so many well-known museums to visit in Philadelphia, it’s easy to skip over some of our tiny gems. But if you’re spending the day in the Old City/Society Hill area (which is known for not only Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Constitution Center, and so many homes of historically-relevant Americans, but also top-notch dining), then be sure to stop by Fireman’s Hall Museum. Housed in a restored firehouse, this small museum holds firetrucks that date back centuries, allowing visitors to get up close to the detail. The goal of the museum is to preserve the history of fire fighting…

April sure did sneak upon us! Here it is, the long-awaited meal plan for the month of April–keeping your family healthy and happy and helping to make your life well-planned and, therefore, easier! Use the plan below, shuffling as necessary to make them work best for your family’s busy spring schedule. You’ll find a mix of grilling dinners, make-ahead dinners, and dinners using fresh items. The April Meal Plan will be reposted each Monday through the month. Want to know more about meal planning? Read my basic tips for meal planning post. And to get meal plans in your email inbox,…

As I worked to match bloggers with a Splash Creative Media campaign recently, I found myself rolling my eyes with frustration at some blogs I found that were unattractive, not user friendly, or provided poor navigation, all the while having excellent content. Rather than venting to my husband, who absolutely couldn’t care less, I began making a list. Then I chatted it up with a few successful bloggers and marketers and asked them to participate and add to the list. What followed was an excellent list of suggestions for bloggers who want to be read, enjoyed, considered professional, and work with marketers.…