Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Spawned Episode 2: There Will Be Blood!
First, we need to thank you all so so much for being so supportive of our new podcast. To see it jump to #1 in the Kids + Family category on iTunes, well...we were floored. And we appreciate every one of the very nice reviews and ratings. Wow, we love our listeners....
Welcome to SPAWNED with Kristen and Liz! Our new podcast on Panoply, and hopefully soon, on your tablet or phone.
You guys! We're so excited to announce the launch of our new parenting podcast, SPAWNED with Kristen and Liz. We're honored to be the newest addition to Slate's truly fantastic Panoply network,which you can find on iTunes, Stitcher, and playing on a loop in our homes....
More coolness from recent weeks…
Thinking about adopting? Here’s how to get started, from a parent who’s been through the journey.
If your family has been thinking about adopting, I'm here as a BTDT mom to help. This year, my family grew by one more child when my husband and I adopted our daughter, a spunky 2-year-old from South Korea. It feels like we're experts on adoption at this point, having...
Keeping little hands busy without a screen in sight
While you're getting those Easter basket toy ideas together for the kids, we've shared a ton of fabulous ideas, including plenty of non-candy Easter basket gifts if you're trying to go easy on the jellybeans. And now we've got one more: This fab little French Woody...
20+ magical unicorn birthday party ideas that are truly one of a kind. Just like the birthday kid.
They're sparkly, mysterious, and gorgeous... is it any wonder then that kids (and, um, the rest of us too) find unicorns so entrancing? It's why I searched the web to find the most magical unicorn birthday party ideas out there, which was so much fun because you can...
Lunch-shaming stories from children who can’t afford school lunch will disgust you.
Yes, lunch shaming is a thing, as I just learned from this New York Times article from Bettina Elias Siegel that is so disturbing, I had to stop physically shaking after reading it before I could come here and write this. Evidently in a number of states, children in...
9 of the prettiest floral Easter egg decorating ideas. Lovely!
My kids are huge fans of the fun pop culture Easter eggs we've featured at Cool Mom Picks and the cool ice cream cone eggs over at Cool Mom Eats. Plus, these galaxy eggs are geeking them out too. But I have to say, I love pretty floral Easter eggs in springtime. So I...
A penny for your thoughts? This new card game helps kids process those hard emotions.
When I look back at some of my biggest parenting fails, most of them have occurred when I haven't taken the time to consider my kids' emotions or help them process their worry, anger, fear, or whatever else it is they are experiencing right in that very moment. That's...
Your new favorite make-ahead brunch recipes: A foolproof Easter brunch menu.
While we love sharing lots of recipes on Cool Mom Eats -- from sticky buns perfect for Easter brunch to easy Easter treats that you can make with kids -- there is something to be said for having a go-to menu for whenever you're entertaining over brunch. This one is my...
How to help the Syrian victims: A comprehensive list of 20+ outstanding organizations.
If you've taken some time to watch the atrocious results of the chemical gas attack on Syrian citizens in the village of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib this week, I'm sure you've spent some time feeling as outraged and helpless and heartbroken as I have and wondering how to...
The panicky mom’s guide to removing ticks from kids — yikes!
You may be wondering just how to remove ticks from your kids, should the need arise. And we don't blame you one bit. With the warmer weather comes longer days spent outdoors and kids running barefoot in the yard. Also, increased warning about ticks and Lyme disease...
10 fun and easy Easter crafts using everyday, regular old household objects. Yay!
I am especially egg-cited about these egg-ceptionally (ha!) fun and easy Easter crafts made entirely with household objects. No schlepping to the store, no waiting in line, no expensive price tags...just good old-fashioned crafting with what we have laying around at...
Move over Kim: 10 awesome celebrity parents on Instagram who aren’t afraid to get real
Not all of us moms are so genetically blessed as to fit into our skinny jeans two weeks postpartum -- let alone thick-skinned enough to "love ourselves as we are" all the time. #NOnomakeupselfie #sorrynotsorry So bless those awesome celebrity moms -- and dads! -- who...
Mom Up to let your representatives know Equal Pay Day needs to be every day.
Yesterday was Equal Pay Day which feels kind of empowering while it's happening -- and then honestly a little depressing the day after it's over. Like, who's still fighting for us? You may already be aware that the gender pay disparity disproportionately impacts...
7 yummy food-themed Easter egg decorating ideas
These fun food-themed Easter egg decorating ideas may not trick my kids into thinking they're actually eating pineapple or a hamburger, but I still think they're a cool way to switch up our normal egg-dyeing routine. If you want to try your hand at something a little...
Huge EpiPen recall, parents: Check those expiration dates!
If you have a child or family member with food allergies (like I do) , you need to check those EpiPens. Like, right now! Mylan, the company that makes EpiPen, has issued a voluntary EpiPen recall of 13 lots of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr Auto-Injectors distributed in the...
The free Hamilton Haggadah: History is happenin’ at the Passover seder table
How can this family of obsessive Hamilton fans slash-Passover revelers not be totally thrilled to discover a Hamilton Haggadah? Yep, you read that right. How does a Hebrew, poor man, son of a slave and a Bondsman, born to nothing in a Rigged system of...
10 sweet first Easter gifts for the new baby in your life
If the new spring season also means a new baby in your family, don't miss these 10 sweet first Easter gifts we've found at some of our favorite indie shops and makers this year. From keepsake ornaments to baby wraps so cute you won't be able to resist Instagramming...
10 tips to help you finally write that book, from a published author who did it…while nursing a baby.
I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that you can totally write a book. You don't need otherworldly talent (though you do need some talent); you don't need an MFA you promised yourself you'd get but never did; you don't even need somebody else's...
Here’s how you can follow Cool Mom Picks, Cool Mom Tech, Cool Mom Eats. We promise we’ll make it worth your while.
Whichever social media site is your guilty pleasure du jour, we’re there, making sure you don’t miss our favorite posts on parenting, fashion, apps, recipes, deals and discounts, and random awesomeness from around the web. Plus our favorite part: we love hearing from...
30+ fantastic open-ended questions to ask your kids, so you don’t get a yes or no answer.
If you're not getting much more than a "yeah," "nope," or "fine" when you ask about your kid's day at school, it might be time for some new conversations starters. (Trust us, we're right there with you.) So we set out to collect dozens of smart, easy, open-ended...
15 gorgeous Easter egg decorating ideas all about color
Easter Egg decorating these days is not your mama's store-bought kit with hard pellets and a bottle of vinegar. Every year it seems like our favorite craft and mom bloggers are going above and beyond to bring us the brightest and boldest Easter egg decorating ideas....
Calling Cool Mom Picks Readers: Can you spare two minutes?
Every year we ask you, our amazing readers, to tell us a little more about yourselves so that we can keep telling you about the products, services, and other picks, tips and tricks, and advice that matter to you and your families. If you would be so kind as to fill...