Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Moms are wondering, “What’s next for me in life?” Here’s one way to figure it out. | Spawned 272
If you've hit a point where you're asking yourself, "what's next for me? Should I keep this career? Should I dump this side hustle? And where should my efforts go when my kids are getting older?" you're definitely not alone. And this is the podcast episode that may...
How to talk to kids about war and Ukraine: Expert tips from Melinda Wenner-Moyer | Spawned 271
After science journalist and author Melinda Wenner Moyer published the NY Times article, How to Talk to Your Kids About Ukraine, I knew we had to have her back on Spawned to elaborate on her 5 expert tips. You may remember Melinda from our recent interview on raising...
Why our parenting stories matter, with author Zibby Owens | Spawned Episode 270
Liz and I have a special place in our hearts for storytelling, because that's how we first met online almost 17 years ago. That can't be right, can it? We connected through our personal blogs—Mom 101 and Motherhood Uncensored—and the rest is Cool Mom Picks history....
More coolness from recent weeks…
17 Gen Z gifts that give back to the incredible causes they care about | Holiday Gift Guide
For this year's holiday gift guide, we really wanted to share some creative, irreverent, sassy and smart Gen Z gifts that give back to causes that our teens and young adults care about. We have Gen Z kids ourselves, and we know first hand how passionate they can...
17 personalized holiday gifts you can still get in time for Christmas (and Hanukkah too!) | Holiday Gifts 2022
Personalized gifts have always been among our favorites, but finding affordable personalized holiday gifts -- well, we really love a challenge. So we've found more than a dozen for you all, to help you select something extra-thoughtful for anyone on your list. Of...
21 great gift ideas for college students | Holiday Gifts 2022
The span between shopping for a preschooler and finding a holiday gift for a college student seems impossibly short, now that many of us have hit that stage of parenting. But what remains is the desire to make the holidays really special for our kids. And since even...
Why our teens are so darn tired, with author Lisa L. Lewis | Spawned Episode 286
Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive and I realized there was so much I...
5 tips for flying with toddlers, from a mom who has flown many times, with many toddlers
If you're looking for tips for flying with toddlers, you've come to the right place. Even though my four kids are now teens, they were once toddlers, and we used to travel a lot. That means there was a time when I was on a plane with toddlers and babies, all by...
Cyber Monday Deal: 40% off this cult-favorite root concealer spray
This is a sponsored message from Style Edit These days, it's hard to find the time, money and energy to hit the salon and touch up your color -- or maybe you're waiting until your roots grow in just a teeny bit more. Enter the cult-favorite, beauty...
The 10 coolest Ted Lasso gifts for fans who can’t wait for Season 3.
The AFC Richmond fans say it's the hope that kills you, but we're here to say that it's really the anticipation -- of Ted Lasso Season 3, of course. Luckily, it will be appearing on our screens in 2023, and we can almost taste the homemade biscuits. So to tide us...
15 gift ideas for the guy who’s hard to shop for. | Holiday Gift Guide
Every year, we put together our favorite gift ideas for the man who has everything and while last year's picks are still pretty awesome, we thought we'd share some new ideas too. I get it -- it's hard! But I hope this list helps you pick the perfect gift ideas for...
10 of my favorite holiday gifts from Oprah’s favorite things list 2022
Last year I browsed Oprah's Favorite Things List of holiday gifts so thoroughly that I thought -- whoa, what if I share my favorites from her favorites? So I did. And you liked them! So much so, it was hard to even get your hands on some of them. Like those headlight...
These personalized, virtual holiday cards may have changed e-cards forever
This is a sponsored message from American Greetings If you love sending real holiday cards but hate the hassle of printing, finding postage and mailing -- basically all of us -- you're going to love Creatacard from AmericanGreetings.com. It's one of the easiest ways...
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 alone, this...
200+ of the best gifts for kids by age: The ultimate guide for birthdays and holidays!
Every year, it's our joy to put together our guide to the best gifts for kids by age, from one-year-olds to those picky tweens and teens. To be sure, this is a (long, long) labor of love! Christina and I spend literally months combing the corners of the web to create...
Over 20 of the best Advent calendars for 2022: From the magical to the luxurious, to… goofy dad jokes?
I'm just about ready to think about all things Thanksgiving, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that NOW is the time to order an amazing Advent calendar so you can start the countdown to Christmas on December 1st. The best ones goes fast! Which is why we've rounded...
25 wonderful Hanukkah gifts for toddlers to teens 2022 | Holiday Gift Guide
With Hanukkah coming up December 18, it's time to share some of the best Hanukkah gifts for kids in 2022 -- that actually are Hanukkah gifts. Because this year, more than previous years, a lot of us are really thinking about what it means to be Jewish and to celebrate...
Voting help and Election Day resources 2022: How to find your voting place, watch the polls, report voter intimidation and more.
You might have heard, but there's a super important midterm election this Tuesday, November 8 in the US. There's a lot on the line that impacts our lives, including bodily autonomy for women and girls, the cost of prescription drugs, maintaining social security, and...
Download this free printable gratitude coloring page to make your Thanksgiving table extra special
One of our readers' favorite posts over the past few years has been Kate's roundup of 5 beautiful gratitude journal printables for kids -- and frankly, for us adults too. Related: 8 gratitude activities to practice with your kids this Thanksgiving Click over and...
What you need to know about perimenopause, with Dr. Makeba Williams | Spawned Episode 284
If you're like me, you got to your mid-40s and suddenly started to get weird period symptoms and sort-of hot flashes and night sweats and asked yourself, "Wait, is this perimenopause?" Well, we're not the only ones. Even though perimenopause happens to all of us women...
What to do with leftover Halloween candy: 11 creative ideas besides you know, just eating it.
We're always happy to offer up parents ideas for what to do with all that leftover Halloween candy you'll surely end up with. Well, at least after the small gorge-fest that your trick-or-treaters may be entitled to after all their hard work. So we've put together some...
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...
12 fantastic no-carve pumpkin ideas for kids of all ages.
Who here is a fan of no-carve pumpkins for Halloween? As someone with a toddler who definitely shouldn't be anywhere near sharp objects, I've become a staunch convert. And as someone who doesn't always get to my Halloween pumpkin until the last-minute, it beats the...
9 fun free printable Halloween coloring pages to help keep little fingers out of the candy stash
I've been looking around the web for some great free printable Halloween coloring pages (did I mention free?) to help keep the kiddos occupied while the adults polish off that first bag of peanut butter cups. If your kids are anything like ours, your cobwebs are up,...