The impact of Covid on kids: Anya Kamenetz on what we know and what we don’t yet | Spawned Ep 285
This week on Spawned, I have the honor of welcoming back the wonderful Anya Kamenetz, NPR Education reporter and author, to talk about her new book, The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Kids’ Lives…and Where We Go Now. I will tell you this: From the title...
The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care, by Rina Raphael | Spawned Ep 283
I will never think of yoga, supplements, activated charcoal or bath salts the same again. Today Show producer turned health/wellness journalist, Rina Raphael, joined me to talk about her absolutely fascinating, fairly funny, and very smart new book The Gospel of...
What Liz is reading this week: Links to check out, from dream analysis to shocking truths about “maternal instinct”
There is so much good reporting these days, so many good op-eds, so many independent journalists and bloggers and substacks worth reading these days and I thought I’d share a few of the articles I’ve really found fascinating lately. I tend to read a lot...
5 random cool things I’m loving this week: Women-owned small business edition
We first started this site with the mission of discovering cool things — particularly from small businesses and women-run companies — and share them with you all. While we’ve become popular for our gift guides to suit every budget, our tech tips, our...
Donate to an abortion fund. You’ll save a life.
To say that I am furious about an activist Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade (held up in 1992 in Planned Parenthood vs Casey) and thereby overturning 50 years of constitutionally protected rights to reproductive healthcare — well, that would be the...
How to talk to your children about mass shootings, bombings, and other tragedies in the news: Helpful resources
Another day, another mass shooting. And I’m not being flip. This week it’s the unfathomably awful shooting at Robb Roy Elementary in Uvalde Texas. Just last week it was a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. This just adds to the already unconscionable list...
Are moms going to be okay? Terrific insight from NY Times Parenting Editor Jessica Grose | Spawned 275
Are moms okay right now? I really want to know. So I called on the one guest I knew would have a terrific birds-eye view: Jessica Grose, author and The New York Times Parenting Editor. If you’ve ever had a must-read parenting article sent to you by a friend,...
20 of our favorite self-care gifts for moms and grandmas | Mother’s Day gift guide
Among the hottest Mother’s Day gifts now and forever: self-care gifts for moms. And grandmas, of course. We all know that these days, moms are working harder and longer than ever before, often juggling paid work — at home or not — family...
These gorgeous bracelets can help you manage anxiety and OCD with a little help from cognitive therapy techniques.
There’s a lot of inspirational quote jewelry out here. And it’s lovely — but this is definitely not that. Instead, Presently has created a truly meaningful collection of bracelets, each engraved with mantras derived from actual cognitive behavioral...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz!
We started Cool Mom Picks in 2006 to help make life cooler, more meaningful, and more fun for parents of all kinds.
Trivia: It was called Cool Mom Sh*t for the first two days. (Yeah, we rethought that.)
We had no idea our site would grow to become a major lifestyle network, that we'd end up sharing our finds with the TODAY Show and Martha Stewart, that we'd be able to make a real difference for so many small businesses and women-run companies, or that we'd end up with an incredible community of the coolest readers on the planet. (If we do say so ourselves).
We still love what we do every single day. And we're so glad you're here.
Our Favorite Valentine’s Crafts, Activities + Gift Ideas
150+ Valentine’s Treat Ideas for the Kids
The Ultimate Kids’ Gift Guide: Our favorites of the year sorted by age
Tech Tips for Parents
Our Award-Winning Podcast
Support for Ukraine
