The latest from Spawned: Our award-winning parenting podcast
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
The ultimate guide to parenting teens, with Dr. Ken Ginsburg | Spawned Episode 295
Every single time I've interviewed Dr. Ken Ginsburg, my life has changed for the better. And well, the life of my kids, too. So, you can guess how excited I was to sit down with him and chat about his newest book about parenting teens: Congrats, You're Having a Teen....
The hard talks we need to have with our kids (and how to have them) | Spawned Episode 294
As parents, we know that there are going to be difficult conversations that we need to have — about sex, violence, relationships, substances — but it can be hard to know how to actually talk about them. That's where author Michelle Icard can help. Her book, Fourteen...
Melinda Wenner Moyer’s parenting strategies to raise good kids into great adults | Spawned Episode 293
We often discuss what it takes to raise kind, generous, ambitious, resilient, wonderful kids who will become kind, generous, ambitious, resilient, wonderful adults. Which is why we wanted to bring back one of our favorite interviews -- parenting and science journalist...
More coolness from recent weeks…
The new Etsy Gift Mode: Try it, it’s fun!
Over the past few weeks, Etsy has slowly rolled out a new tool called Etsy Gift Mode. It's essentially a "gift finder" search function that lets you look for gifts for a particular person (teacher, partner, baby, coworker), select the occasion, and then choose 3 or...
The Best End of Season Sales: We found deep discounts on beauty, fashion, tech, kids, home + more
I spent the last few days digging through 5 of the biggest retailers with the best end-of-season deals, just to help you all head right to the good stuff with the best discounts. And wow -- there's a whole lot that's raising my eyebrows right now. Whether you're...
Tween sports journalist Pepper Persley won’t let the bullies win.
"The most meaningful piece of advice...never change who I am because of what others say...know that there are people who will support me for being me." Isn't that a message we want all our kids to grow up with? If it needs a little reinforcement -- which is sometimes...
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...
How to set up the perfect playroom for kids when you don’t have a lot of space: 8 expert tips
We love the idea of setting up a playroom for kids so that our children have their own space. But not all of us have an entire room to spare for play. Still, that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice half your living room or give up your dining room table. There are so...
Tons of creative last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts that won’t seem last minute at all
You’re almost out of time, lover. Good news: We’ve rounded up creative last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts that will remind your honey how much you love them every day. Even if you also have to love them enough to pay a ton for quick shipping or to run out and find a...
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...
12 anti-Valentine’s gifts for people who hate Valentine’s Day (you know who you are!)
Each year, we love putting together Valentine's Day gift ideas, but I admittedly have had a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day throughout my life. Love the opportunity to tell people in my life I love them, hate the pressure. Love helping my kids spread their...
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...
Sweet, easy Valentine’s Day crafts young kids can make their BFFs.
This year we're making sure that friend love doesn't get neglected on Valentine's Day, and so I've rounded up 8 awesome crafts that celebrate your kids' BFFs in the most adorable ways. Because while I can barely tell you the names of my middle school boyfriends (and...
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...