The latest from Spawned: Our award-winning parenting podcast
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Humor, struggles, and clown sex with Tova Leigh | Spawned Ep 198
Tova Leigh is the exact person we needed to talk to this week. At least if these days, your dream social life would include time with a few friends for some real talk, real laughs, some needed venting, and a random reference to clown sex. No wonder this episode was...
Finding small joys in crazy times: How we’re making memories with our kids | Spawned Ep 197
Real parenting talk: Emotions are up and down in the age of Covid, times are stressful -- in fact we both just got the "school is cancelled for the whole year" notices. Sigh. We definitely are not trying to "win" quarantine with 800 millions Instagrammable family...
Feeding your kids during a quarantine with author and food editor, Stacie Billis | Spawned Ep 196
You've braved the grocery store or you've had your groceries delivered. Your kids are home 24-7. And you've got to feed them. So, why is it so hard? Well, it doesn't have to be difficult, in fact, feeding your kids during a quarantine (and cooking during one) can...
More coolness from recent weeks…
5 simple laundry tips for families. Because if they can work a smartphone, they can work a washing machine.
We know that it can be a lot easier to just do the laundry yourself. No whining, no complaining. Everyone’s happy! Except, tough love, parents: everyone in your family (especially if you've got young adults heading off to college) needs to be able to do their own...
Resell your used Ergobaby carriers with this cool new program that keeps more baby gear out of landfills
When I read that you can now resell your Ergobaby carrier through Ergobaby's new baby carrier buyback program, I got excited. I've tried to be more intentional about making environmentally conscious purchasing decisions lately, whether I'm reducing single-use plastics...
7 outstanding, important Black History month Twitter threads to read right now.
We've honored Black History Month in various ways here over the years, and in particular, we've shared lots of children's and YA books -- even the tough ones -- that help us teach our kids, and inspire important conversations at home. But this year, I want to...
Valentine’s Day crafts and activities you can do with your kids | Spawned Ep 188
With Valentine's Day around the corner, we've got fun craft ideas and activities on the brain. Because if you're like us, the lingerie and dinner out just isn't in the cards, which to be honest, is perfectly fine with us. So on this episode of Spawned with Kristen and...
5 sexy Valentine’s gifts for couples in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and up. Why should the younguns get all the fun?
When I was in my pre-kids, pre-underwire-bra-all-the-time years, I admit that 40 seemed old. As in, sex would be over, done, and...weird. Well here's me shaking some damn sense into my 2005 self. Research shows that women over 40 are having wildly satisfying sex...
Peggy Orenstein on Boys and Sex… and hookups and love and masculinity and consent and yes, porn | Spawned 187
When our sound engineer writes to us and says that this podcast interview with Peggy Orenstein is "easily top 5...maybe top 3" of all our interviews, well that's saying something. And we agree. Whether you are raising sons or raising daughters, we think you'll be...
Valentine’s hack to help make all those preschool classroom cards easier. For both of you.
If you've got a child who's excited to hand out Valentine's cards to the classroom in preschool or daycare, but isn't so great yet with the name signing -- especially when it has to be done 18 or so times -- here's a clever idea. Mabel's Labels just came out with some...
A weekend away with your teen or tween: 5 ways to make the most of your time alone together.
Over this past year, I've been fortunate enough to be able to take a few of my kids away alone, which is an extra special treat as a mom of four. But really, we parents know that it's a special treat no matter how many kids you have. As my kids (and I) get older, our...
Tackling one of the trickiest parts of parenting: Discipline | Spawned Ep 186
Parenting is hard. We know that's an obvious statement. But some parts are decidedly harder than others, and one of them is discipline. That's why we're happy to be chatting with school psychologist Lynn Burrell, who's also the co-founder of our sponsor Weldon. She...
This brilliant classroom activity for Valentine’s Day makes everyone feel the love.
Trying to find classroom activities for Valentine's Day parties that are fun enough, cool enough, easy enough, and affordable enough isn't a simple task. Plus, not every kid is comfortable with the "tell every kid in your class you love them" kind of thing, especially...
Smart, surprising ways to foster real connections with your kids, with Dr. Sheryl Ziegler | Spawned Ep 185
We know many parents made resolutions and goals to spend more quality time with family in 2020. And well, we’re hitting that point in January when even our best laid plans get a little side tracked. It's okay, we're right there with you. That's why we were so excited...
Web Coolness: What Kristen is reading this week
I'm excited to bring back our old school (or skool?) web coolness, and share some of the articles I've been reading this past week. Consider this all stuff I'd share on my own personal Facebook and Twitter feeds. And if you're already following me, then my apologies...
A collection of shirts for girls that bring herstory to life.
This week, I spotted these cool women trailblazer tees for kids at Piccolina, celebrating all kinds of women through history who are smart, courageous, and creative. I knew I had to share them with you all because you'd want them for your girls. And your boys. Now,...
What to see and do (and eat!) with teens in Boston…in the winter. Yes, the winter.
Winter in Boston with the family may sound...well, cold. It 's true that the sun sets earlier, and you have to bundle up when you go out, because, New England! Even so, Boston an excellent city for a getaway with teens any time, and that includes winter. There are...
These no-carb dumplings on Etsy are perfect for your Valentine.
Happy year of the Rat everyone! With the Lunar New Year upon us, I'm so happy to find this adorable new Etsy shop, which celebrates all things dumplings. Only, not the edible kind, so if you're low-carbing right now, you're in luck. Christine Jee has...
Cool Galentine’s Day gift ideas for your BFF, Leslie Knope style
Galentine's Day is February 13, and if you don't know about it yet, prepare to become a fan. It was created by Amy Poehler's Parks & Recreation character, Leslie Knope, to celebrate strong female friendships. In Leslie's own words: Oh, it's the best day of the...
The right way to bathe a baby: Step by step, drip by drip, smile by smile
We've recently shared the scientific research behind a baby bedtime routine, and one of the biggest of that is giving your baby a bath. While it may end up being one of the most enjoyable parts of your evenings (with the best memories and the best photos to prove it!)...
Penguin Minis are the coolest, tiniest way to read your favorite YA books.
As a life-long bookworm, I am always looking for ways to get my three teens to put down their phones and read more books. Sound familiar? Then check out the coolest, new-to-me concept in book publishing: Penguin Minis. These novels for teens and tweens are turning the...
Insider tips for your Nickelodeon Resort Punta Cana vacation: How to get the most out of your trip
Last year, I was invited to visit the Nickelodeon all-inclusive Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana on a press junket. The truth is, I hesitated a bit. I tend to be a more intrepid traveler, though I do love the convenience of all-inclusive beach resorts for family...
Web coolness: What Liz is reading this week.
Oh hey! It's been a while since we brought you Web Coolness, our roundup of the stuff we're reading and liking around the web. Well, we're bringing it back to life, only different. (Kind of like a Pet Semetery thing, ha.) It's going to be more personal. Think of it a...
How to save your children’s lives from real threats. Like werewolves. And woolly mammoths. | Spawned ep 184
On this week's Spawned parenting podcast, we are tackling a VERY SERIOUS SUBJECT. So profoundly serious, it could literally save lives. And it will. Because sure, you've covered your light sockets and put the Tide Pods on a high shelf, but do you know every danger out...