AllYou's Back to School Special Issue

Me posing with my AllYou Magazine

I am a relatively new fan of AllYou, but it has quickly become one of my favorite resources for bargain shopping, product samples, and DIY projects.  I received a copy of their Back to School Special Issue to read and review - so here it goes . . . 

As the wife of a college professor, going back to school is something that I am very familiar with, but this is the first year that I have been a mother sending her child to school.  My son started kindergarten this fall, and honestly I have been quite overwhelmed throughout the whole process.  What back to school supplies are necessities? How do I manage my time with one child in school and one child at home? What can I do to help my son be the best student he can be  without being a helicopter parent?  These are just some of the concerns that I've been facing over the past couple of months.  AllYou's Back to School Special Issue has helped answer a few of these questions and hopefully has helped reduce my stress as my son has started school this fall.

Angel Hair with Shrimp and Peas

The magazine has many articles that I have enjoyed reading, and some yummy looking recipes.  This issue has been broken up into four sections that have articles that address the following concerns for parents and children: Be Prepared, Living Healthy, Eating Well, and Learn Together.  From the section on being prepared my favorite article is "Your shopping and saving syllabus." School supplies can be expensive and I always hate having to pay full price for anything.  Although I had already purchased school supplies before I read this article, it's advice matches some of my already established saving habits and has ideas that will be help me save for years to come.

Mini Chocolate-Chip Cupcakes

Whenever I have a child that is acting sick I always wonder whether I should keep them home or if it is okay for them to go about their normal daily activities.  The "Know when to keep your sick child home" chart from the the Living Healthy section of this issue of AllYou is a wonderful set of guidelines to help me answer these questions (especially since this is the first time I've had a child in public school). I wish that my pediatrician had thought of giving me guidelines like this years ago.

My son with his illustrated shopping list

The Eating Well section of AllYou's Back to School Special Issue is currently my family's favorite section.  When my husband saw the magazine sitting on the table the first thing he did was turn to the recipes and see if there was anything that he wanted me to make (see the picture of Angel Hair with Shrimp and Peas - he loved it).  My son enjoyed the tips from the "Turn the grocery store into your classroom" article (see him here with the shopping list he helped me create). My daughter has enjoyed the Mini Chocolate-Chip Cupcakes that I made for snack times.  I've enjoyed being able to try out new recipes and getting my family more involved with the process. It's made meals and snacks more enjoyable for the whole family.

As a parent I want to be involved in my child's life, but I don't want to be a helicopter parent who doesn't let her children be themselves or learn on their own.  The article "Homework for parents: The dos and don'ts of raising competent, confident kids" in the Learn Together section has really good ideas and suggestions on how I can develop parenting habits that can keep me involved in my children's lives without overdoing it.

This whole magazine is chock-full of good ideas and tips on how to help parents and kids adjust to going back to school.  The advertising targets reading and healthy eating, and there are coupons to help save on back to school type foods.  I really enjoyed reviewing it, and I look forward to keeping it around as a good resource for recipes and advice as the school year progresses.  I've also started following AllYou on Facebook and I enjoy reading their online articles and following their daily posts and tips. Thanks AllYou for helping make my back to school season more enjoyable!

**Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and AllYou.**