Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
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...
Bingewatch Nation! Why you should give yourself permission, and what to watch these days. And nights. | Spawned 195
We are safe-distance podcasting today! We have wine! And we are punchy! With all the time we have (no, we don't entirely have a lot of time) we are watching ALL THE SERIES and laughing through this conversation today about our binge watching recos -- what to watch as...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Beyond canned foods and toilet paper: A family guide to unexpected items to stock up on in case of a quarantine
Let's be honest: We don't each need 600 rolls of toilet paper on hand right now. Not that that's stopping some people! But after a really stressful week of a COVID-19 scare involving a quarantined relative in D.C., it did put the situation in stark perspective. I...
How to talk so your dogs will listen, and other awesome pet tips from Victoria Schade | Spawned Ep 192
After five years of doing our Spawned Parenting podcast, we figured it was about time to do an episode about pets, and who better than my friend, Victoria Schade, who happens to be a sought-after dog trainer and author. She imparts her infinite wisdom about our furry...
InfantSEE provides no-cost eye assessments for babies, no insurance required. | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message on behalf of InfantSEE When it comes to your baby's eyesight, it's important to start eye exams early. In fact, the American Optometric Association recommends babies have their first around 6 months of age, which is when their eyes undergo...
The shirt you need for every girl you know
When my friend Dara sent me the link to the Electable kids' shirts, dresses and baby rompers at our friends from Free to Be Kids, I was like YES YES YES. Seconds later, I was holding back tears. The fact that we even need to remind people that yes, women are electable...
Think before you make your own hand sanitizer. (And we have a resource for finding some without the price gouging)
As COVID-19 / Coronavirus anxiety ramps up, the store shelves are picked fairly clean of hand sanitizer and so many of my friends are talking about making their own hand sanitizer. While we still caution against panic, hand sanitizer is a good thing to have on hand....
Where to find the iconic Eric Carle + Magna-tiles sets that just launched today.
We love some Magna-tiles around our house. My kids like to build cool structures with them, and I love how easily we clean them up (thanks to those magnets). So when we heard about the new Eric Carle + Magna-tiles collab, we got excited. Yes, cool art on awesome toys...
Joy Cho on encouraging creativity in kids, even if you’re not creative yourself. | Spawned 191
I have wanted to talk to Joy Cho, the founder and creative director of Oh Joy! for oh...about forever. When I think of creativity, style, and design, she's one of the people who pops into mind first -- and with a half-million Instagram followers and 13 million (!!)...
Pregnant? How to score high-end maternity clothes at huge discounts right now. | Sponsored Message
We all know how expensive maternity clothes can be, but we also know how great-fitting, smart, stylish clothes make us feel so much better when we're pregnant or postpartum. Well here's one way to score lots of fashionable, high-end maternity clothes that you'll love...
5 must-read new children’s books about Black history this year so you can keep learning all year long
With the coverage of Black History Month winding down in the news, we actually think this is the perfect time to share some of the new children's books about Black history that we've discovered over the past month. Because all children's history books are worth adding...
How to teach your kids how to wash their hands. Yes, there is a right and wrong way.
Even though we're nearing the end of cold and flu season (hooray!), we parents, in particular, are surrounded by a whole lot of bugs on a regular basis, regardless of what season it is. And if you've been watching the news, then you've probably got coronavirus on your...
These are the most trusted Coronavirus resources and websites we’ve found: No panicking, just preparing.
Coronavirus (COVID-19), is on the minds of basically everyone worldwide right now, and that goes double for parents. Especially with spring break coming up, and lots of family travel plans in the works -- and brand new warnings to prepare to plan for our lives to be...
Does bakuchiol really work? An honest review of this Pinterest-favorite beauty product.
I've seen "bakuchiol" explode in my Pinterest searches over the past few months, with #retinolalternative trending everywhere. Bakuchiol, an all-natural option to Retinol, is supposed to work just as well on wrinkles and aging skin (ahem), without the risk of...
Relationships, romance, and a little hope for the whole world, with Robert Wilder | Spawned Episode 190
Even though Valentine's Day is over, we can all use a little more romance, relationship advice, and hope, don't you agree? That's why we think you'll enjoy our almost completely live (yes live!) Spawned Parenting podcast episode we recorded on Valentine's Day. Along...
How do you know when it’s time to move? And how do you make it easier when you’re ready? | Spawned 189
We never thought that a book about moving would be so enjoyable. Just thought thought of moving gives lots of us cold sweats! And yet, Ali Wenzke, who's been called the Marie Kondo of Moving has authored the extremely helpful, calming, and yes, enjoyable book, The Art...
We tried The Earthling Co.’s bar shampoo. Here’s what we thought. | Damn you, Social Media Ads series
Last year I tried Hairstory's New Wash Shampoo after seeing some Facebook ads for it, and whoa, our review really resonated with our readers! So when I saw ads for The Earthling Co. bar shampoo, I knew I wanted to buy it and give it a try too. Note: The Earthling Co...
We love these printable bilingual Valentine’s cards in Spanish, French, Chinese, Swahili and more.
I really love the idea of kids handing out printable bilingual Valentine's cards to their classmates. These days, knowing a second language is de rigeuer. (See what I did there?) Lots of our kids are growing up in bilingual households, they have grandparents or aunts...
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...