The latest from Spawned: Our award-winning parenting podcast
Incredible advice for better parent-child communication: An interview with William Stixrud Ph.D. and Ned Johnson
If you've ever struggled to connect with your kids, help them solve problems, open up to you, or just give you more than a one-word answer when you ask how school was today...well, help is here! We have had a lot of favorite Spawned podcast guests over the years, and...
Pandemic fails, data-driven parenting, and how to make better decisions for your family, with author Emily Oster | Spawned Podcast episode 262
In the course of our parenting lives, we make a whole lot of decisions, so when I read Emily Oster's most recent book The Family Firm, which offers a very smart, data-driven method to decision making, I really wanted to chat with her on our Spawned podcast. But then I...
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...
It’s okay to say vagina: Tips for raising sexually healthy kids and making it less awkward…for both of you. | Spawned ep 182
On this week's Spawned parenting podcast, we're focusing on about raising sexually healthy kids. i.e. How to have the sex talk, what to say, and how it's changed over the years. I don't use the term "brilliant" lightly, but that's how I feel about these ideas from our...
How to create more positive thinking to manifest success this year: 7 great tips | Spawned ep 182
While we know that positive thinking doesn't cure every problem in life, we do know that positive thinking has proven, science-based effects that impact your life for the better. It helps with lowering stress, keeping you healthier, and providing better coping skills...
More coolness from recent weeks…
New LEGO Replay lets you donate your used bricks to kids in need. And it’s so easy!
I think you're going to be as excited about LEGO Replay as I am. Because if your kids are like mine, they've accumulated a whoooole lot of LEGO bricks over the years. And there comes a point where maybe they don't need them. Or at least all of them. (Seriously, I'm...
How can we prioritize what we love when we’re so damn busy? | Spawned Ep 172
Back in January, we spoke with Jake Knapp about making time for the things we love. In other words, prioritizing.(Way better word than "balance," don't you think?) Jake offered outstanding tips for making sure your days and weeks and years are spent on more of the...
Our favorites from the new Harry Potter x Mini Boden collection: Magic for your muggles
I'm kind of yearning for the days that my kids were still Harry Potter obsessed, because I know that they would have totally loved the new Harry Potter collection for kids at Boden. CMP is an rstyle affiliate. It's a sizable collection for kids newborn through 16 --...
The absolute best wagon for families, from infant to big kid. And I’ve tried a lot of them.
I currently have...oh, probably 5 wagons in my garage. It's overkill, for sure. I have the awkward and bulky molded plastic wagons that don't fit easily in your car (sorry, sentimental Radio Flyer). I have the fold-down fabric wagons from the athletic store to carry...
2 great books about raising activist kids: Cool Mom Picks Book Club selection 10
This go round, we're going to change things up a bit in the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club, because I'm going to be talking about two selections that I know are relevant to so many parents these days. In light of the recent Climate Strike marches around the world...
These new PLAE x Jasper Wong glow-in-the-dark sneakers are lit (ha)
Fall nights means it gets dark before our kids are done playing, but I may have found the most fashionable possible way to keep them going—and glowing—all night long. PLAE is already one of our favorite shoe brands for kids and adults. My husband wears his every...
New Johnson’s Hair Care: How to pick the one right for your child | Sponsored message
Before we agreed to partner with Johnson's on this series, we did our own research about their growth and evolution in terms of ingredients, practice, and transparency. As parents ourselves, we are incredibly conscientious about the brands we work with and we felt...
The new UNO Braille deck lets sighted and visually impaired families play together
Seems like Mattel is having a heck of a month in terms of innovation in inclusivity. Because they've just announced the release of UNO Braille, an UNO deck developed in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind that's going to allow more families to have...
Fur-trimmed booties for fall and winter: 5 of my favorite ways to get your tootsies up to trend
Fur trimmed booties are so hot right now (faux fur too, whatever works for you) and I'm so in love. It's the kind of look that comes back every few years are so, so you may already have something fab in the back of your closet Or if you're getting excited for fall and...
Should we be banning kids from restaurants? Spawned Episode 171
Just last week we read an article that said Japan Airlines would soon to be letting their customers know where children would be sitting on the plane. So what's next? Kid sections in restaurants? With Kristen's husband and Liz's ex in the restaurant industry (along...
My newest jewelry obsession: Amber Poitier
Browsing the Atlantic Antic yesterday, the beloved annual Brooklyn street fair, I stumbled across some amazing leather jewelry and accessories amidst the beer gardens and belly dancers and homemade spanakopitas. I was drawn. in by Amber Poitier's sculptural 3-D...
Ireland with kids: Great tips and secret spots from our 4-day adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way
This past summer, we spent four days of our British family vacation in Ireland. Because our trip was centered around a trip to London, we still wanted to experience all the green beauty and nature of Ireland that we could in a few days. So instead of heading to...
How to play Crokinole: The best game you’ve never played
After someone I follow on Instagram mentioned that her family had a blast playing the game Crokinole, I decided to Google it, having never heard of it myself. What kind of board game buff am I? Not a good one, apparently. Well, as I've learned over the last couple of...
Introducing Cool Mom Fit, a different kind of fitness community
A few weeks ago, I decided I really needed to start working out again. As a 40-something-year old mom of four kids, I know how important fitness is to my health and wellness. But, I'm also a busy working 40-something-year old mom of four kids, and most of the fitness...
Mattel launches the first gender-neutral dolls for kids and everything about this is beautiful.
When I read the news last night that Mattel is launching Creatable World, the first gender neutral doll and accessories to put kids in charge of their own play experience I teared up. In part because of the tag line, "All Welcome." In part because I know how...
London with teens: 12 things to see and do with your older kids
This summer, I spent 4 glorious days in London with my teens (and tweens). I was so excited to share one of my favorite cities with my kids. But traveling as an adult to London is way different than bringing kids, which is why I did a ton of research and a whole lot...
Presenting our ultimate baby shower gift guide, newly updated for 2019-20!
You have asked (and asked and asked!) and finally...we are so happy to present our all new, totally fresh, Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Guide! If we do say so ourselves, we think you'll find it to be one of the most carefully curated, wonderful list of baby shower gift...
Can we please stop freaking out about kids and social media? : How to raise responsible digital kids | Spawned Ep 170
After seeing so many discussions in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook community filled with parents who seem panicked -- or at least very concerned -- about kids and texting and social media, we thought it would be helpful to devote this week's episode to that very...
5 wonderful new books for kids celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. You’ll love reading along too!
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 – October 15 each year, and our favorite way to honor the occasion is by sharing some of our very favorite children’s books honoring Hispanic heritage. So this year. I've picked five brand new books that celebrate this...
Decluttering solutions: Hang these 8 things to free up floor space!
As a small-space apartment dweller, I'm always thinking about ways to declutter. Not that I always achieve it, but I try! A lot of the trick, as I've learned, is about getting stuff off the floor that we just assume goes...on the floor. So we all know about hooks for...
You are a f*cking awesome mom with author Leslie Bruce
Here's an obvious statement: motherhood is hard. It's so hard, in fact, that it can often feel like you're not doing a great job. It's actually why I started my blog Motherhood Uncensored, and why author Leslie Bruce wrote her newest book, You Are a F*cking Awesome...