More coolness from recent weeks…
Fab free Father’s Day printables for fans of great design. And making him cry.
We just keep finding more and more fun, free Father's Day printables for you all. Which is good news whether you're looking for a token that's sweet but not spendy, or even if you already have some big splurgy gift, but really want something a little personal to go...
7 great new beach toys for kids to make sand play even more fun
Before you pack up the kids and head to the beach (yay summer!), take my advice and do a quick inventory of last year's beach toys. Between missing shovels, broken pails, and maybe some toys that are no longer in the best shape, it may be time to add a few new sand...
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....
7 Father’s Day photo shoot ideas of the kids that you can totally do.
If you missed the boat on photo gifts...no, wait! You didn't! We all live in the land of the Smartphone Camera, after all, and if you've got a camera and a place to print a photo, you've got the makings of a wonderful surprise Father's Day gift. Here are just a few...
11 of our favorite classic shows now streaming on Hulu. Got about 200 free hours?
This post is brought to you by Hulu. So by now, you all may know that we are pop culture junkies to varying degrees around here. We are also unabashedly nostalgic. Which is why our newest sponsor Hulu (yay, Hulu!) is pretty much making our days right now -- or late...
A personalized gift for dad you can actually still get in time.
As we get ready to start sharing our favorite last minute Father's Day gifts for all you busy (let's not say procrastinating) moms and kids out there, it's definitely late to order one of the cool personalized Father's Day gifts we shared a few weeks back. So I was...
11 beautiful pop-up books to bring reading to life in 3D, no technology required
Now that my kids are finally all old enough to know better than to rip out the cut-art from a pop-up book as I flip the pages for them, I've been looking around to find some new pop-up books to read to them. And wow, there are some really, really beautiful pop-up...
25 hilarious Father’s Day cards without a single reference to lawnmowers or golf.
It's that time of year when we dig deep, get picky, and track down funny Father's Day cards that really do make us laugh. And hey, that's harder than it looks! I don't know about you, but when I think of my dad, I don't think about mowing the lawn, hogging the remote,...
Bystander Revolution: The anti-bullying site every parent should know
There's not one of us who didn't grow up facing some sort of bullying. Did I ever tell you about the girls who called my number in high school and hung up every half hour, for hours and hours into the night? (That was before caller ID.) Then there was the girl at...
8 tips for bringing even more imagination and creativity to store-bought toys.
We talk a lot about toys that inspire creativity and imagination, and the thing is, in a kid's world, pretty much everything is a source of creativity and imagination. (See also: Pillow forts, scarves that become hula skirts, and monsters under the bed.) So as much as...
Ergobaby launches a nursing pillow which could be a game-changer for achy backs everywhere.
It's probably going to get me kicked out of the state of California where breastfeeding is a religion, but I'm just going to say it: Breastfeeding can sometimes suck. Literally and figuratively. Obviously, it's rewarding in countless ways, which is why nursing moms...
14 smart ways to get your young kids excited about reading this summer
As big-time book lovers here, we've learned that a love of reading is acquired and not something kids are necessarily born with, like the color of their eyes or their uncanny inability to sleep past 6 AM on a Saturday. So we love putting together tips for parents on...
Taking that tried and true way to a man’s heart once again
While I am totally enamoured of Stacie's picks for Father's Day gourmet gifts for the foodie dad on Cool Mom Eats (consider if you can handle clicking over on an empty stomach) there's one more I wish had made the list: Our friends at Mantry, makers of the most...
17 very, very cool Father’s Day gifts under $25 | 2015 Father’s Day Gift Guide
We all know, of course, that the amount of money you spend on a Father's Day gift has no correlation with love whatsoever. Not that there's anything wrong with splurges. But if you're on a tight budget, if you're not a spendy gift kind of a family, or if you have the...
9 messy projects for tweens and teens that let you be The Fun Parent
We may look at our tweens and teens and think, How did they get so big so fast? But you only have to scratch the surface to find a playful kid hiding in there, and ready to come out. So, it wasn't hard to come up with a whole bunch of messy projects for our older...
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....
Zuzii shoes: Handmade baby shoes we’re swooning over, because they make them for us too.
I've been admiring the stylish oxfords, loafers, and sandals for kids from Zuzii shoes ever since I saw them on Joy Cho's Instagram feed, which is one of my favorites. Joy's style is so bright and cheerful, and these shoes fit that vibe perfectly. So of course I...
Handmade baby gifts with an Australian accent. (But no, they don’t talk.)
It's not often I discover a new Etsy shop and automatically think okay, every single thing in there is adorable. But that's the case with Babee and Me, which I can forgive for being based in Byron Bay, Australia, considering what beautiful work is coming out of the...
Turn your kids into toymakers this summer
Wow, is our email box and social media feed getting packed with parents stressing out about what to do with kids during downtime this summer. Seeing as how we can't let kids play in the park by themselves without 8 "concerned" neighbors calling 911 (grrr...but that's...
Ever wished you could build a life-sized LEGO world? Meet EverBlock.
If you have a kid (or kid at heart) who's wild for LEGO, you have to check out EverBlock. As in, right now. Because if you've ever thought about what it would be like to be a Minifig in one of those cool creations, this is pretty much your chance. EveryBlock offers a...
A clever, very simple reward system to keep kids reading this summer.
We just finished putting together a ton of great educational activities for kids to keep them sharp over the summer, and now of course I find one more I'd love to add to the list. This free printable paper chain reading log from Eighteen25 is so brilliant! It combines...