Author: Julie Meyers Pron

Like many parents, I love everything about storytime. Cuddling with my children and reading books to and with them is a treasured part of parenting. As they grew older, my reading to them became reading with them, and then, in the blink of an eye, my oldest couldn’t wait for me to read the next chapter and began taking the books and reading ahead. As interests have grown, so have discussions about our books. With the older kids, I now look forward to reading books next to each other and sharing our thoughts. My older son is an over-achreader. Yes, we…

There are many things to be concerned with when selecting a book for your child to read, especially for children who haven’t become devoted to a specific genre or author. Usually, kids around 2nd to 3rd grades are still “playing the field,” trying to determine the books of most interest. Or, they’ll get hooked on one topic or one author, and you’ll want to see your child reach out and try new things. It’s a great idea to have a reading book your child loves tucked into her backpack on the first day of school. Some kids are a bit…

There’s always this big, scary fear for parents at this time of year. It’s the OMG; what if my kid forgets everything he learned over the past 9 months?! What if he goes back to school in the fall, and he’s at the bottom of the class? What if he’s one of the kids that is the cause of the curriculum re-teaching the whole last year in the first month of school? Well, let’s hit reality, folks. The summer slide exists. But it’s pretty rare that a family that cares enough to worry about it will suffer it. You know…

Julie from Julieverse is a former teacher and discusses whether parents should be concerned about “The Summer Slide” and forgetting what was learned during the school year. She then features ways to keep kids educated the fun way during the summer. I remember pulling out of my high school parking lot blasting the GoGo’s Vacation. Finals were over, and summer had begun. A time for play. Sprinklers, swimming pools, popsicles, and country fairs. Road trips, camps, beaches, and baseball games. School? Toss those notebooks in the trash. Forget everything we learned. Right? Well, not really. Sure, it’s nice as a tween…

Monday, I posted that my calendar is back up on my fridge and was reminded, in a few emails and tweets, that not everyone knows my organization system. It’s the new year. Raise your hand if “getting organized” is on your resolution list. It was certainly one of my goals a few years ago. It took a while, but I now have a system that works. It’s not fail-free. No plan is. And because we all have different styles and schedules, no one can adapt my organization plan exactly. We all need to work hard to create the one that…

Every Monday, Julieverse.com reposts the monthly meal plan, and, as we finish up September, we’re already working hard to pull together a month of chilies, stews, fresh vegetables, and more for a healthy-family-friendly month of October meals. Below, you’ll find a meal plan for September: 4 weeks of balanced, healthy meals for your family, taking the stress of planning out of your busy schedule. The monthly meal plan usually floats on the right sidebar of the site, so it’s easy for you to find anytime you need a recipe for the night. If you’re new to Meal Planning, click here for…

This is one of my favorite dinners for our family, and it’s a salad. Yes, that’s right, salad and family and favorite are all in the same sentence. I’ve found the secrets to serving salads to my family: they love raw vegetables, they love fruit mixed in, they love meats and cheeses mixed in, they like to choose their own dressings, and some like their salads dry. With that, here is the recipe for BBQ Chicken Salad (which is amazingly similar to the chopped barbecue chicken salad at California Pizza Kitchen): BBQ Chicken Salad Ingredients 1/3-1/2 cup BBQ Sauce1 Tablespoon…

As I worked on updated last year’s October Menu Plan from last year to make sure all the recipes were up to date, I reflected on how much I love this menu. It’s definitely one of my favorites because it includes the right mix of meal types–chicken, beef, seafood, pork, and veggie meals, mixes in seasonal foods, and includes a good mix of last-minute meals, slow cooker meals, and dinners that require a little extra prep time. Enjoy the October meal plan for your family dinners! Bring on November! View the November Meal Plan here. If you’re new to meal…

Now that we’ve been back in school for about a month (and many of you more), you’re finally getting to the point of a routine… or maybe close to one. Or, perhaps, you’re dying to get there and need a little guidance. To help, I pulled out some of my most popular menu and meal planning strategy, as well as family organization posts. Many of the posts listed below use momAgenda products. If you’re already set and comfortable with your calendar system, it’s easy to mesh with the tips below. But if you’re looking for a new system, MomAgenda fits so very…

There was a large butternut squash sitting on my counter for a few weeks, taunting me. So, Sunday, as I prepared Sweet Potato Casserole for Thanksgiving Dinner, I decided to create a soup. Because I made baby food when the kids were babies, pureeing it was something I’ve done before. All you need to do is cut a squash in half lengthwise, spoon out the seeds and strings, and place it in a baking dish, skin side down, filled about a 1/4 way with cold water. Bake your squash for about an hour at 350. When finished baking, spoon the…