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How to support small business and your own community this holiday | Spawned Podcast Ep 222
Today we're talking about one of our very favorite subjects, how to support small businesses this holiday, during a year that needs it more than ever. After nearly 15 years, we've become quite the experts (if we do say so ourselves!) and so we're sharing some of our...
Making peace with A Very Pandemic Holiday ™ | Spawned Ep 221
Liz has cancelled Thanksgiving. Kristen is staying in her bubble. We've worried, we've cried, we've reconciled with it, and then sometimes we're not quite so reconciled. We're being honest about what we're missing and what sucks and what the problems are and who we're...
What we can do to support our teens through a school year like no other. | Spawned ep 216
After reading author and psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour's NY Times article, The 2020 Back to School List for Teens' Emotional Well-Being we just knew we had to talk to her about it. Her premise: kids need some emotional "supplies" that have nothing to do with backpacks...
Election Fact Check: Absentee ballots and voting by mail | Spawned ep 215
Whether you're pinned to election coverage right now, or avoiding it as much as possible, we think every American should listen to this interview with Amber McReynolds, former Director of Elections for Denver, and now the CEO of the bipartisan National Vote at Home...
What we get wrong about kids and tech: The interview that blew our minds | Spawned ep 214
While we love all of our Spawned guests, there are some interviews that truly reshape our views on parenting. That's just how we feel about this chat with global education expert Jordan Shapiro, author of the acclaimed international best-seller, The New Childhood:...
So much coolness. Where to start…
11 of our favorite new Advent calendars for kids to help countdown to Christmas
Every year (since 2008!) we've scoured the internet to find the coolest Advent calendars to help you -- and your excited kids -- count down to Christmas. In spite of all the hardships this year has thrown our way, or maybe because of them, I am determined to squeeze...
My favorite essential oil for all your de-stressing needs. And mine.
I tweeted this week that I've become the person who carries essential oils in my bag for stress and anxiety, and wow, it turns out I'm not alone! A lot of people asked what I like, the best essential oils I've found so far, hail from Aura Cacia. I've been sent a lot...
Who’s actually getting dressed these days? Or wearing makeup? Well… | Spawned Ep 220
Yes, yes we know what's going on in the world. But if you need a little break from watching the news, we've got a new Spawned podcast episode just for you, that all started from a post in our Spawned podcast community. (Yes, we are consistent with naming things, if...
Voting help and Election Day resources: All the help you need to find your voting place, watch the polls, report voter intimidation and more.
You might have heard, but there's this election coming up in the US on Tuesday, November 3 and it's kind of a big deal. Not just because we'll be electing the next president, but a lot of Senators, Members of Congress, and important local and state candidates that...
75+ last-minute Halloween costume ideas for kids and parents. Because what’s *not* last-minute this year?
It's not too late to make this Halloween awesome, even if you're doing everything last-minute. And that includes last-minute costumes. Liz recently some incredible ideas for alternate ways to celebrate Halloween besides trick or treating this year, and we even came up...
Roald Dahl’s The Witches is great campy fun, and don’t believe anyone who says differently.
As a movie buff, I tend to be skeptical of reboots. Especially reboots of movies like Roald Dahl's The Witches which became an instant Halloween classic in the 90s. But the 2020 version, now on HBO Max, is more of a reimagining than a reboot. And a needed one, at...
The best mascaras for short lashes. Because it’s a mask mask mask mask world.
I've myself spending a lot of time lately searching for terms like the best mascara for short lashes, the best mascara for thin lashes, the best mascara for volume...you get the deal. Partly it has to do with hitting the other side of 40 (and beyond). Partly it has to...
Tim Burton and diaper bag: Two phrases we never thought we’d hear together.
For some of us fans, the Tim Burton cult favorite The Nightmare Before Christmas is not just a movie you watch around Halloween. And then some of those people grow up to become moms. And when they do, now at last they will have access to the very diaper bag they never...
9 creepy, spooky, and scary board games for Halloween. IF YOU DARE.
The truth is, I don't need an excuse to play scary board games for Halloween with my. kids. We're full-fledged board game geeks at my house, and all games are an option for us, any time at all. But with so many families looking for safe trick-or-treat...
How to throw a Mandalorian watch party with your family that still feels like a party
I'm throwing everything into a Mandalorian watch party when season two launches on October 30th (whoo!). because to 2020, we haven't had many reasons to celebrate. Of course, I'm using the word "party" loosely here -- I'll be streaming the show with my immediate...
Safe trick-or-treat alternatives for a very 2020 Halloween. It can still be fun, promise!
It's official: I'm writing about safe trick-or-treat alternatives after weeks of putting it off. The CDC has even officially recommended against trick-or-treating during COVID-19, at least in the traditional way, and oof. I need some safe trick-or-treat alternatives...
Ways to get kids excited about reading: 8 expert, research-backed tips
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! After years of writing about this -- let...
If you’re smart, you’ll stock up on these things for winter before they run out. Again.
With winter around the corner, I know so many of us are in full prep mode. Or at least as close to full prep mode as we can be while also managing work, online school, and preventing a household COVID outbreak. Oof. So I've tried to take some of the leg work out of...
Voting activities for elementary students: 9 fun, meaningful, and non-partisan ideas to get young kids involved.
It's encouraging to see how many parents have asked us for voting activities for elementary students or any kids too young to vote this year. With the election just a few weeks away, our kids have surely heard us talking about different candidates, issues, and ballot...
How to trick or treat for UNICEF virtually this year
Raising money for UNICEF at Halloween has become a tradition for many of our readers and their kids, and it's a cause we've supported since the very beginning of our site. That's a long time! So we're thrilled to announce that this year, even with all lots of...
Free childcare on Election Day to help parents get to the polls. Here’s how to register.
Are you a parent or caregiver who plans to vote in person on Election Day? We have good news! Care.com and the Armed Services YMCA are teaming up to bring free childcare for parents who need to get to the polls on November 3rd. So brilliant. And considering all that...
Helping kids with reading: What we don’t know | Spawned ep 219
Parents have always played a huge part in kids' reading skills, but that's never been more true than it is now. It's not just our toddlers and preschoolers either. Yay, virtual school. (/scarcasm) So we were so happy to chat with ah absolutely fascinating guest, Dr....
The best 2020 Prime Day deals…while they last. Only good ones though, promise. (UPDATED)
Just can't quit Amazon? Especially on Prime Day? We get it. Here are some of the best Prime Day deals, as in not the stuff that looks like it was salvaged from your Great Grandma's tag sale. (Not like we wouldn't still look though.) And not the stuff that's 1% off...
7 wonderful I Voted stickers for those not voting at the polls this year
One of the proudest badges of participation in our democracy that we can wear is the little I Voted sticker after we walk away from the polls on Election Day. But this year, so many more of us are casting absentee ballots, voting by mail (which is safe!) or dropping...
Presenting the Dr. Fauci action figure. Because, 2020.
Stronger than an off-the-record anonymous White House source. More powerful than a mask worn under your nose. Able to get more Americans believing in science in a single press conference. It's epidemiologist Dr.Anthony S Fauci! And soon, he'll be available as your...
We found 5 great trick-or-treat signs for candy, for a safe and socially distant 2020 Halloween
We've had quite a few readers ask for some trick-or-treat-signs for candy this Halloween, at a time that we may want to hand out candy but uh, maybe in a no-contact way. And hey, we found some great ones, most of them affordable printables. The good news: Halloween is...