Author: Julie Meyers Pron

As parents, we’re all going to face the ups and downs and challenges of our kids. We’re supposed to be here to guide them in making the right choices. We’re supposed to expect them to respect our wishes and demands. We’re supposed to enforce our beliefs. It’s a lot we’re supposed to do. And while I try hard to be consistent and direct with my expectations, I’ve also learned to pick my battles. There are things to expect, and there are things to expect. After battling with Little all winter and, really, since 2011, about what to wear each morning, a few…

Summers ago, my then-rising second grader spent his first-grade year obsessed with Captain Underpants. Obsessed. He found the ol’ cap’n after first exploring the Super Diaper Baby book series at the school book fair. About two weeks later, I received “thank you” emails from classmates’ moms. The boys were finally reading. And reading. And, to be honest, at that time, it didn’t really matter that the graphic novels were written in phonetics and that every other word was “fart” or “poop.” The boys were reading! But after four months of nothing but underpants, diapers, and cavemen (because they eventually moved on the slightest bit…

The fact that I’m all about the shop (that’s a verb) is no surprise to anyone. And while I love the convenience of kicking it back with no-hassle online shopping 360 days a year, there are those 5 or 6 days when I actually enjoy getting out and into the spirit of live shopping in real life. You know. Touching and scanning and perusing. Okay. Fine. I’ll admit it. I go to Barnes & Noble way more than 5 or 6 days a year. My local B&N? They know me. And this time of year, they call my name. Like, I’m sitting in…

After a break from school, students of all ages should look back over the past several months of learning and evaluate their growth. This family opportunity for discussion can easily occur over a shared meal, a drive in the car, or several snack breaks. Guided by parents with the right questions, students will be led to further goals that will increase their effort, eventually helping them to reassess, re-evaluate, feel confident in their growth and success and, finally, develop new goals. As the conversation continues, families will notice a healthy process of self-improvement. This process doesn’t just work for children…

So, you’ve started your mom blog, your parenting blog, your blog blog (perhaps by reading How to Start a Mom Blog), and you’ve invested some time in Social Media Marketing. You know it takes time, but you also recognize there is so much more you can do with your blog to get it moving along, right? Perhaps it’s time to invest in a conference. Of course, with so many blogging and social media conferences, it’s difficult, even for us seasoned bloggers, to know which is right for you. Look at your schedule and consider your location and then take some time to…

Every now and again, I have friends ask me how I got started in blogging. How they can “live the life”, we bloggers live. They want to “pick my brain.” I know a lot of bloggers are shaking their heads right now—first suggestion: don’t use that phrase when you’re talking to a blogger. We don’t really like to have our brains picked. Brains are a vital part of us, and picking brains is just gross. Many of those friends have already created their blog (if you haven’t, read Mom Blogging: How do I start? first). But now they’re stuck. Things aren’t just…

According to Digital Mom, there are over 3.9 million mom blogs on the internet. Add to that the infinite number of blogs, and it makes you wonder how some of my peers haven’t caught the blogging bug yet. I’ve talked to a few friends who ask, “how do I get started blogging? What tips do you have? What do I need to do to start my blog and get it moving?” How do I get started blogging? Um. You start. No really. If you want to blog to share favorite photos and stories of your family with family and friends, if…

A review of Sesame Place, in Langhorne, PA. Sesame Place is an amusement park for children of all ages. Read about day-trip highlights, adventures, and more. This year, I asked a friend, Rachel, to take her family to Sesame Place and report back on her visit. I love her story and how she compares it to Sesame Place of the 80s. Things have changed! (We were provided with four complimentary tickets to opening day at Sesame Place.) Read about the Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place. With the temperature starting to creep up, the kids can feel the end of school…

Fall festivities and sporting events keep every family busy this time of year, so when I couldn’t attend the Sesame Place Spooktacular this weekend, I asked author and blogger Darla DeMorrow to share it with Julieverse readers. Read about Sesame Place in the Spring and Summer. Romney may plan on putting Big Bird out of work, but everyone’s favorite fowl has a steady gig here at Sesame Place. Big Bird and his pals work through Halloween at the Sesame Place Spooktacular. Sesame Place during the holidays is actually an easier trip than during the summer, which we also love. At the Spooktakular, we…

One of the best things about choosing what to wear to a theme park is that you can get more creative and bring multiple outfits, because you can use efficient luggage storage options to help you. For instance, you might choose to bring multiple outfits, so you have something to wear to the theme park, something to wear whilst you’re in the park, and then something to change into afterward. This allows you to look as glamorous as possible. There are a lot of factors that you need to make the most of when it comes to improving this process,…