More coolness from recent weeks…
The world’s cutest baby playmats: We found a contender!
When you've got a baby who's tummy-timing all over the house, it's nice to have something for her floor exercises that goes beyond a slippity blanket or boring bath towel. We've BTDT and what we wanted for our little ones? Something cushioned, soft, portable, and --...
#MyYoungerSelf campaign puts kids’ mental health first with videos from celebrities who have suffered from anxiety and depression.
Would you believe me if I told you that out of 74 million US kids, 17.1 million of them have or have had a mental health disorder? That's a huge percentage! So huge, in fact, that the Child Mind Institute (CMI) has noted that more kids are dealing with mental health...
5 cool one-piece bathing suits for girls with all the benefits of a two-piece
It's finally getting to pool and beach season (yippee!), which means time to shop for bathing suits for kids. Like many parents, we like that one-piece bathing suits keep our littlest ones covered up...although we also appreciate that a two-piece swimsuit makes...
15 of the funniest Father’s Day cards that will have him laughing til he cries
Father's Day is coming up, which means we've been busy searching for the coolest, most unique and fun gifts for dads. And one of our favorite roundups we do every year is finding the funniest Father's Day cards, because we're suckers for a good laugh. If the dads in...
After Manchester: Essential safety tips to discuss with your kids about crowds and separation
The second I saw those big pink balloons in early images flooding media from the Manchester Arena last night, without knowing a single other thing about the story, I thought, Oh my God...whatever happened, there are children there. It was a rough night for me, as I'm...
You don’t know these 10 favorite household hacks of ours? Prepare for life to change!
As a busy parent, I rely heavily on household hacks. In fact, I would say just about everything I do around the house involves some sort of easy hack or trick or clever time-saver. But some tricks work better than others, and some you wouldn't believe it until you see...
Gwendolyn Brooks’s new children’s book offers a joyous lesson in empathy
Once in awhile, a children's book comes along that's equal parts timely and and classic, and that's just how I'd describe the We are Shining, penned by the late poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, Gwendolyn Brooks. It's filled with exquisite but accessible words...
The cast of Hamilton gets bigger and cuddlier
Of our entire 2016 holiday gift guide, by far one of the most popular gift ideas were the genius handmade Hamilton dolls by Christina of Etsy's Bobeena Shop. What can we say, you all have good taste in artists -- and game-changing Broadway musicals. Now she's out with...
Getting kids excited about science: A chat with NPR Wow in the World hosts Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas | Spawned ep 76
Well, if Spawned with Kristen and Liz haaaaas to be beaten by someone in the Kids + Family podcast category, we're happy it's the new NPR podcast Wow in the World, a weekly science show "for kids and their grownups." Especially because it's hosted by two of our...
How to get started with yoga when you feel like the last person to try it: 6 easy tips to help
If you've never tried yoga, I get it. I was there once too. From the outside, it either looks like a torturous exercise regimen for slender, flexible folks in really expensive stretch pants...or, a hippie-dippy religion that will demand veganism and colon cleansing....
The danger of fidget spinners: Miniature death traps! Or…not.
THE DANGER OF FIDGET SPINNERS is appearing all over our newsfeeds and splashing across subject lines flooding our inboxes. Hm, why are we not shocked? It was inevitable that the number of articles about the fidget spinner craze (hey, our kids are fans too), would be...
8 tips to start now to help your kids avoid the summer slide. It’s coming.
Summer break will be here in just a minute, but there are some things you can start planning now to help make sure your kids don't hit the summer slide on their reading and math skills over the break. Research shows that most kids lose about two months' of learning...
The quick-fix, natural bug bite remedy that really works. Really!
With the weather getting warming and my kids spending the afternoons playing outside, we're starting to see a lot more bug bites on their tender, sensitive skin. Mean ones. The kind that turn bright red, itch like crazy, and keep them up at night. Ugh! But, I've found...
8 surprising rules about flying with children that every parent should know
If you've watched the news recently, you've probably heard a disconcerting story or two about air travel passengers -- which can be all the more troubling when the story involves parents flying with young children who were subject to rules that no one knew, or worse,...
GapKids’ newest clothes collection: When activewear meets the Avengers.
Kids' activewear is kind of a funny phrase, if you think about it, since kids are such constant blurs of motion -- it's like every piece of clothing turns into activewear, purposefully or not. Which is what makes the new GapKids and Marvel collection even more super...
We tried the FLEX disposable tampon alternative, and here’s how it worked for us. In full detail (sorry). | Damn You, Social Media Ads
I'm coming up on my 25thish anniversary of my first visit from Aunt Flo. And over that those 2.5 decades, I've had the same exact routine every month: tampons and pads. I wasn't necessarily looking to spice things up in that department, but when I saw the ads on...
This Is How We Do It: The fabulous new book that teaches kids empathy while celebrating diversity.
One of the best ways our kids can learn empathy and celebrate diversity is to see the myriad of ways different people live their lives all around the world. Which is why I am loving the brand-new children's book, This Is How We Do It, by Matt Lamothe. My kids get to...
A fun summer fashion trend anyone can pull off. Seriously, we’re obsessed.
We've been keeping our eyes on hot shoe trends lately (it's hard work, but someone has to do it) and we've noticed a new look coming out of the Mediterranean that we're completely obsessed with: tassel, lace-up, blinged-out boho sandals. These shoes are so fun, and...
The one small spring cleaning task that makes a big difference
Spring cleaning can be a beast. Just the thought of getting everything tidier and cleaner -- whatever shape your home is in now -- can be so overwhelming, it can be hard to know where to start. So we reached out to household cleaning expert Dana K. White for some...
Should your kids be watching 13 Reasons Why? 15 must-read articles to help you figure it out.
Okay, parents. Let's talk 13 Reasons Why and whether your kids should be watching it. Because, no doubt, your kids are doing just that. And now that it's been picked up for a second season on Netflix, the question about whether your kids should watch it won't be going...
Work after baby: Lauren Smith Brody’s tips for surviving with sanity and style | Spawned ep 75
How do you get back to work after having a baby without losing your mind? How in the world can you start looking -- and feeling -- human again when you feel anything but? How do you carve out me-time when it seems least likely? And the big one: Is it possible to ever...