Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
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More coolness from recent weeks…
6 fun, easy ideas for making a custom photo memory game a more memorable gift.
Our kids are usually pretty clear about what they want for their big gifts for Christmas, so I often have the most fun thinking about those smaller gifts that are total surprises for our kids. So, we wanted to share one of our favorite affordable gifts our kids...
Tegu blocks, now customizable. And adorable. And possibly covered in pink dinosaurs.
Since their launch, we've been huge fans of Tegu, makers of the smart, high quality, sustainable wood and magnetic block sets that have just blown up over the years. While their collection of choices has gotten bigger, now Tegu has a wonderful new offering that's...
15 of the coolest Advent calendars to make waiting for Christmas more fun.
Even though I'm still finding Halloween candy wrappers hidden under the couch (kids!), I'm keenly aware that December isn't that far away. Which means that it's time to start thinking about which Advent calendar we want in our home to help us count down the days to...
How to talk to your children about tragedy and terrorism: Excellent resources to help parents, teachers and other caregivers, because we sure need it right now.
(This post has been updated, August 2017) It's been a somber mood around here lately, as it surely been for many of you. When I first wrote this post, our hearts were going out to the people of Paris. We each have been hoping and praying for peace for humanity in our...
The coolest travel books for kids of all ages. Because no, we’re not there yet.
We're getting close to the holidays, which for many families means road trips with the kids. And there's nothing more fun, right? Hahahahha. I recently did 16 hours in the car with my three kids -- each way -- and lived to tell the tale. If there's one thing I learned...
A great new reason to support Friends of Maddie
If you're a fan of great parenting blogs, you may be familiar with the difficult story of our friends Mike and Heather Spohr, of the popular site The Spohrs are Multiplying. They experienced the unimaginable after the death of their daughter Maddie in 2009, and yet...
The GB Evoq Travel System: Making us rethink the need to own multiple strollers
It sometimes seems like there's a new stroller on the market every week. Great for new parents looking for lots of choices, not so great when you have to make a decision about which one to get. For some families, though, there's an easy way to pare down the...
Peace, Joy, Color: Cool Christmas coloring pages for adults in a book of tear-out postcards
As we get closer to the launch of our big holiday gift guide (next week, you guys!) we've been keeping our eyes out in particular for lots of affordable gifts. You know, the stuff for people on your list who deserve more than a stocking stuffer, but aren't gong to get...
The perfect modern keepsake baby gift for photo-happy new parents. Hi, that’s all of us, right?
In this photo-obsessed world we're living in, we've seen all kinds of ways to document and share a baby's first year in pictures -- some of which are sweet, some of which are wow, you really had time to do all that? Striking the perfect balance in the middle: The new...
9 smart ways to organize video game controllers and reclaim your home at last!
It's about this time every year that we need to ramp up our efforts to get our homes organized and looking awesome for holiday guests. It's like, what the heck happened to all that spring cleaning I did six months ago? Yeah, well, welcome to parenthood. And one of the...
This Bridge Will Not Be Gray by Dave Eggers: Why can’t all history lessons for kids be like this?
I admit I'm a sucker for fantastic adult authors who turn their talents towards children's books -- and succeed. See also, Neil Gaiman. It's not an easy task for sure; it's hard to strike a balance between child-appropriate and childish, and a lot of authors just...
Pop culture peg dolls, for fans of The Penguin, Harry Potter, pirates, princesses, or Percy Jackson.
Though there are sure to be many awesome high-tech toys out there this holiday season, our latest obsession is the adorably low-tech wooden peg dolls by Wooly Llama on Etsy. I mean, what could be better than hearing your kids playing their own imaginary game of Star...
YOXO: Affordable gifts that build imagination. Oh, and maybe a pegasus.
With holidays coming up, we're seeing a lot more interest in building toys and maker toys, a trend we've loved since, well, before it was a trend. And earlier this year at Toy Fair, when I saw the new 5-in-1 pegasus kit from YOXO I thought whoa, that's going to be one...
Hot trend alert: 12 adorable food printed leggings from candy canes to…kale.
The next big fashion trend is here, and it's food. Considering my kids' favorite shows are Master Chef and The Great British Bake Off, it only makes sense that they'd take their love of cooking to their...leggings? Yep, we're seeing food prints all over our kids legs...
You never forget your first unicorn.
As we're browsing the web for our huge annual holiday gift guide (it's coming readers, sit tight!) I just had to stop to share this amazing find: A plush unicorn rocking horse. Or, I guess, a rocking unicorn would be more apt. While we've shared lots of amazing modern...
20 awesome stocking stuffer ideas under $20 all from The Container Store. Convenience FTW!
As the holiday season gets kicking into high gear, we're reminding ourselves to simplify as much as possible so that we can really enjoy the holidays with our families. That means cutting down the time we spend running -- or clicking -- from store to store to get...
Sponsored message: Find unique, handcrafted items for less at Etsy on Sale — and possibly win them, free!
This is a sponsored message from Etsy on Sale. What's better than finding that perfect gift for someone special over the holidays? How about finding it on sale, all without the need to search for a parking space or stand in long lines of holiday shoppers. The huge new...
Fresh Prince nail decals? Parents just don’t understand.
The team at Cool Mom Picks always makes fun of me because of my strange aversion to nail art. (Seriously, do you see any nail art on our Pinterest boards? Exactly.) The way some people hate feet, I'm a little weird about close-up photos of nails. And yet I've finally...
Simple tips for staying healthy if you sit at a desk all day long
If you spend many hours of the day sitting at a desk or working in front of a computer like we do, then you know how tough it can be on your back, your neck, and uh...even your waistline. But there are actually things -- really easy things -- that you can do to make...
The Mountain Buggy Juno baby carrier: From the high-end stroller company, comes a high-end baby carrier that’s really worth a look. And a carry.
When one of our favorite rugged, stylish stroller brands, Mountain Buggy, announced they were getting into the baby carrier business, I was definitely intrigued. I knew that keeping up with a baby and a six-year-old of my own was going to require some kind of super...
Awesome holiday cards from Minted: You pick them, they address them. Actually, they may pay for them, too.
If thinking about your holiday card photos already is stressing you out, take a deep breath. Because we're about to make it easier for you in a whole lot of ways. First off, our amazing sponsor Minted (yay, Minted!) is back with a brand new indie...