Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
How to raise media-savvy kids and help them BS-proof their brains: Dr. Seema Yasmin | Spawned Ep 282
According to Dr. Seema Yasmin, we're living through a misinformationdemic. I've always thought that media literacy should be a mandatory subject for kids, but it's never been more evident than today -- so I'm incredibly grateful for Seema's wonderfully helpful,...
Developing healthy eating habits and positive food relationships with our tweens and teens | Spawned Episode 281
We're back with Season 6 of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, launching our new season with an incredibly helpful episode about developing healthy eating habits and positive food relationships with tweens and teens. But, our guest, Nicole Cruz, a registered dietician...
The world needs funny women! A chat with award-winning humorist Wendi Aarons | Spawned Ep 280
Let's be honest, the world sucks a whole lot these days. So I thought this would be a good week for a light, fun episode of Spawned just to take your mind off the world -- something my guest Wendi Aarons happens to be very good at. Which is why I invited her back! The...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Acne Studio scarves alternatives: Get the “It Scarf” or just get the look for less
I feel like my entire social feed of fashionistas have been consumed with Acne Studio scarves as of late, with commenters wondering where to get them, why they're so expensive, and then of course, where to get them for less. Or at least how to reasonably steal the...
Protecting trans kids: We can do better. We must do better.
Reading about this week's tragic death of Nex Benedict has been simply devastating. Nex was a perfectly normal, happy, loving and loved 16-year-old child, who was beaten to death by three older students in their Oklahoma high school bathroom. This, after months of...
Black History Month for Kids: The best new Black history picture books they’ll love all year
We invite you to celebrate Black History Month for kids -- yours or any others! -- with our picks for the top books for kids that showcase the diverse and inspiring stories of African American heroes and leaders. Black history has never been a topic we discuss just...
Easy Last Minute Valentine’s Day Crafts That Kids Can Make
Even if Valentine's Day is coming up quick, there's still time for kids to make these last-minute craft ideas and printables to make anyone's February 14 extra special. (Even if their sweetheart is just Dad or Mom.) While a full school week left until Valentine's Day...
40 of the Best Gifts for Girlfriends: Stylish, Sexy, Soulful + Smart
Finding the right gifts for girlfriends – romantic or otherwise – is so important. It's a way to say "I get you and you matter to me," whether you sleep in the same bed, or she’s your BFF from college who you catch up with once a year. What makes these particular...
Cool Valentine’s gifts for teens on Etsy … that they might actually like!
If you’re looking for cool Valentine's gifts for teens, we're happy to present a whole bunch of the best gift finds, all supporting the real makers we love on Etsy. I mean we've always been the place to find unique Valentine’s gifts for everyone on your list, but this...
Our favorite Valentine’s gifts for kids on Etsy this year, no cap
Sure Valentine’s Day is traditionally for our sweethearts, but we love giving adorable Valentine’s gifts for kids we find on Etsy. (Almost as much as we love embarrassing them by saying "no cap.) So I searched like crazy to find some Valentine's gifts for kids I can...
We found the best Valentine’s gifts on Etsy for boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses and partners. All made with love.
You don't have spend hours to find the best Valentine's gifts on Etsy for your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, partner, or sweetheart. Because we did it for you! We get it: searching for creative Valentine's gifts is hard in general, let alone finding actual makers on...
These Valentine’s Day gift ideas are perfect for boys who aren’t so into the hearts and romance stuff
Valentine's Day has a tendency to skew all lace and hearts and sweetness, so as moms of boys, we wanted to find some cool gifts they would appreciate too. Of course these gifts are not just for boys, because cool Valentine's gift ideas know no gender -- but it is hard...
These tips from experts and research studies will help get your kids excited about reading.
Not every kid comes out of the womb loving reading. (Or, even comes out of preschool loving reading.) No matter how much you read to your kids or encourage reading, sometimes it just doesn't click right away. And that's okay! fter years of writing about this -- let...
A college guidance expert and former admissions officer helps de-stress the application process. Phew! | Spawned Ep 301
Navigating the college search and admission process is rough -- emotionally, practically, financially. (Eep!) It completely stressed me out, and I'm a pretty Type B mom. So learn from my mistakes! Make it easier on yourself by listening to all the helpful advice...
Here are the auto-subscriptions that have been saving me time, money, and a ton of hassle
One of the things that I've started doing over the past few years is signing up for practical subscriptions that get delivered to me every few months or so. It's saving me time, saving me money (a lot!), and saving me a whole lot of hassle when I'm like "oh crap, I'm...
Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech in its entirety: Where to watch, and what to talk about with your kids
Today we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's life and legacy, as we have every year since we started this site. Over the years, we've shared plenty of excellent books, videos, resources, and websites to help kids understand the reason for MLK Day. And they are all...
Oversized handbags are back! Go big or go home!
Oversized handbags are trending again and well, hallelujah, the world is once again feeling New York City! See, we don't have cars (or trunks or gloves compartments) in which to stash our daily lives, so we just carry our entire lives with with us at all times in...
A printable rewards chart to get kids to do anything. Almost.
We started a rewards chart with my daughter a month ago, and -- although I'm scared to say it out loud -- it's working to keep her in her bed at night. So, consider me a brand new fan of rewards charts, whether you're starting potty training or well past it; and allow...
Discover the Deliciousness of Organic Snacking with Skout Organic: Perfect for Every Health-Consicous Mother and Family
As a mother, finding a snack that is convenient, tasty, and nutritious for your family can be challenging. Enter Skout Organic, an excellent option for health-conscious mothers who don't want to compromise on taste or nutritional value when it comes to feeding their...
These gorgeous printable 2024 calendars will modernize your wall in seconds
There are a lot of printable 2024 calendars out there, but (no offense!) most of them look like someone's having a good time playing with Canva templates. I'd rather recommend something for you that's a little more artful. So after a good long search around Etsy, I...
How to Make a Burn List: My New Year’s tradition helps me manifest good things for next year – and get rid of a little petty. (Okay, a lot.)
When Ibi shared her New Year's Eve tradition with me, I was like...this is genius. How have I never done this? I need to do this! Whatever I can do to be out with the old and focusing on better things in the year to come sounds good to me. I'm sure I'm not alone, so I...
New Year’s Eve home with the kids: 12 ideas to make it fun for adults too!
New Year's Eve at home with the kids isn't exactly like New Year's Eve home without them. New Year's Eve parties for parents are more about trying our very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 p.m. is more like it) and drinking fun cocktails with our kids as we...
Our big list of more than 200+ homemade holiday gift ideas: DIY gifts for moms, dads, kids, grandparents, neighbors, teachers…
While of course our holiday gift guide is always full of wonderful gifts you can buy, we adore homemade holiday gifts of all kinds. It's not just that homemade gifts allow us to save some money (well, depending on the gift of course!), but they allow us to give an...
8 of the coolest modern nativity sets that belong on your own mantel, not your grandma’s.
I love nativity sets, but I've never really gone for the Jesus-as-a-Precious-Moments-cherub style. So I've rounded up 8 modern nativity sets that skip the uber-traditional but still deliver on all the festive Christmas vibes. If you're looking for cool graphic design,...