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Have youth sports gotten out of control? | Spawned Episode 107
With 13-year olds getting recruited to play sports in college and a New Jersey lawmaker warning parents to not get physical at youth sports for fear of jail time, we had to tackle the topic of youth sports and whether they've gotten out of control. Not to mention,...
Should you quit Facebook? Spawned Episode 106
With the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal and Zuckerberg testifying, we're seeing lots of talk about Facebook privacy issues these days. Especially in our Facebook feeds. Very meta! From sticking around and tightening up your security settings to hitting the road...
Is it okay to say “autistic?” And other things people need to know about Autism | Ep 105
With World Autism Day fast approaching, for many of us who don't have children with Autism in our family, we might let this important day slip off our radar. However, given the number of children on the Spectrum, there's a good chance that even though your child might...
Spring 2018 fashion trends: The good, the bad, and the OMGWTF
We're lightening up the mood this week on the Spawned podcast, as we take a look at this year's hottest spring/summer fashion trends and...well, we laugh. And gasp. And covet -- just a bit. Take a listen this very fun episode of Spawned, and get our takes on some of...
Kids and activism: 10 smart ways they can put their passion to good use.
With the strong, courageous teens of Parkland Florida's Majory Stoneman Douglas High inspiring so many of us over the past two weeks (jeez, has it only been two weeks?) Kristen and I been thinking so much about kids and activism. In part, because we're already seeing...
So much coolness. Where to start…
The only pram that’s fit for a royal baby. Know any?
With the announcement of Prince William and Kate Middleton's new royal baby -- an 8lb 7oz baby brother to Prince George and Princess Charlotte -- we had to honor them with a baby gift fit for a prince. And so today, we bequeath the happy parents with a...
6 stretchy, comfy work pants for women that give you that lovely yoga pants feeling.
Like many of you, I've spent years working in offices that required tailored clothes — clothes that looked good, but pinched and rubbed and inspired myriad fantasies about burning them all in a bonfire by the end of the day. But the days of pinchy pants are gone!...
4 must-read books about the environment to read with your kids on Earth Day, and any other day
Today is Earth Day, and my kids love the Earth Day challenge to turn off all electricity for one hour. So we're planning to turn off the lights, cuddle up by our battery-powered lanterns -- or the fireplace, if this cold weather doesn't move on! For entertainment,...
8 easy Earth-inspired Earth Day crafts for kids
We try to emphasize how important it is to love our planet every day with our kids, but Earth Day presents a chance to really dig in. One of the funnest, most effective ways of doing that: Earth Day crafts for kids! So here are a few awesome — and awesomely easy —...
It’s back! All the details on how to save big with Target’s car seat trade-in program.
If your toddler's car seat is anything like mine, it's full of crushed Cheerios and covered in juice box stains. And my dust buster can only do so much to remedy the situation. So I'll be taking advantage of Target's car seat trade-in program, which starts Sunday. CMP...
Is The Ordinary skincare and makeup good considering it’s so cheap? We tried it to see. | Damn You, Facebook Ads
Last month, I turned forty. Of course, because the Internet knows everything, it's no surprise that my Facebook feed is full of skin care ads that seem to want me to look like I'm in my twenties again. Which, for the record, I do not want to be. But, my crow's feet --...
Why Little Guides to Great Lives is the next cool biography series to buy your kids
I'm nearly finished reading Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls to my kids at bedtime, and they've become so fascinated by these biographies that I've been trying to find even more more for them to read when we're done. So when I received a copy of the new Little Guides...
The new TOMS x Disney shoe collection is what happens when you think beyond glass slippers.
Ooh, it's always exciting when TOMS releases new shoe designs — remember those glow-in-the-dark holiday beauties? The gorgeous spring TOMS? The (yes!) politically-themed shoes? But the new TOMS x Disney shoe collection just might be worth getting more excited about...
These 5 social justice themed board games can help you (and your kids) be the change you want to see in the world
These are tough times, which is why now, more than ever, we need to remind ourselves – and teach our kids – to keep up the good fight about all the things we care about. But it can be exhausting getting inspired if you’re on a steady diet (by choice or not) of 24/7...
The non-lecturey, totally realistic book about self care that I wish I’d had as a new mom.
There are tons of books -- not to mention unsolicited opinions from strangers (my favorite!) -- on how to raise a healthy kid, but when you think about it, there's not much out there on how to cultivate healthy moms. Which is why social worker, writer, and personal...
Should you quit Facebook? Spawned Episode 106
With the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal and Zuckerberg testifying, we're seeing lots of talk about Facebook privacy issues these days. Especially in our Facebook feeds. Very meta! From sticking around and tightening up your security settings to hitting the road...
Looking for kids’ Crocs alternatives? We’ve found 6 sturdy sandals that are ready for adventure.
Wanna talk Crocs alternatives for kids? I am here for you! As someone who wore Crocs once upon a time, I know that despite some of the benefits, they're not the most durable or supportive kids' shoes, let alone safe -- plenty of camps and schools have banned children...
8 books that teach kids about the Holocaust. Because we haven’t forgotten, and neither will they.
This week was Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, and we were all shocked to see the results of a new survey about Holocaust awareness in the United States: The atrocities of the Holocaust are fading from the public's memory, so much so that the...
4 fantastic, creative journals to get kids drawing, reflecting, or plotting to save the world.
Wow, journals have come a long way since I was a kid and I had a choice between a plain lined composition book or some cutesy diary with an easily pickable lock. Now, journals are so creative, with so many different kinds of approaches and prompts, making them far...
Our favorite Keith Haring X Coach handbags to let you wear your pop art love every day
What happens when designer Coach bags meet the designs of pop art icon Keith Haring? Some show-stoppingly chic handbags, it turns out. And even though some of these Keith Haring X Coach handbags seem like they might cost as much as a Keith Haring original -- they...
Raising teens and tweens? We’ve got 7 simple ways to connect, using the time you already have together.
As my daughter edges closer to 14 with high school starting this fall, it's admittedly become more challenging for me to stay connected to her. Don't get me wrong -- she's lovely -- but she'd much rather spend her time locked in her art studio or bedroom, versus...
This illustrator makes the most perfect Mother’s Day gifts for strong moms.
With Mother's Day around the corner (whoo!) I've been looking at Mother's Day gifts my own strong, progressive mom would love -- and frankly, that I'd love from my own kids. Not that I don't adore the handmade cards and hand-painted jewelry boxes most of all, but...
Why this innovative baby bed could be an exhausted parent’s life saver
My son basically lived in an Ergobaby carrier for the first 6 months of his life, especially during the daytime. While he slept decently at night, he totally refused to go down in his big crib during the day (hence the Ergobaby). So as we start thinking about having a...
8 simple ways to make parents’ crazy weeknights a whole lot more enjoyable.
If your weeknights are anything like mine, it can feel like weathering a hurricane just to make it to your kids' bedtime every night. Between homework, activities, and pleas for screen time, it's easy to start feeling like your weeknights are just the gauntlet to get...
A fresh bouquet of free printable spring coloring pages from a favorite children’s book illustrator
If spring's taking its sweet time to arrive in your part of the country, these charming free printable spring coloring pages from children's book illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg may help perk things up. Because if the pastels haven't arrived outside, hey, let the...
You obviously need a boat-sized rainbow unicorn pool float this summer. And now, they’re back in stock!
As you're going about making your family's summer plans, you're probably thinking to yourself: "Self, you know what this summer really needs? A giant pool float that looks like a rainbow unicorn and can easily fit six people." What, you don't talk to yourself that...