Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
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...
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...
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...
More coolness from recent weeks…
8 thoughtful tips if you’re hosting kids with special needs for the holidays
Nothing gets me emotional quite like the Folger's coffee holiday commercial, with the sentimental mother-son reunion at 5:30 AM over a cup of coffee. (I'm not joking, I cry every time.) But that's not quite most people's reality when we travel to visit family --...
Yes, real Christmas trees are better for the environment than artificial trees. Here are the facts.
Lately, I've seen a lot of well-meaning posts from people around my social networks, with comments like, "well I want to protect the environment....that's why we're getting a fake Christmas tree this year." Suddenly I was like crap, should I be feeling super guilty...
Expert answers to your top questions about parenting teens | Spawned Episode 181
Like you, we've got lots of questions when it comes to parenting teens, which is why it was such a pleasure chatting with Dr. Ken Ginsburg, someone who knows an awful lot about parenting them. Along with being a parent himself, Dr. Ginsburg has years of experience...
9 creative, healing, self-care gift ideas that go beyond bath salts and chocolates
Kristen and Liz have talked a lot about self-care and how important it is for parents on their Spawned parenting podcast. I know it's a big issue for me, and for lots of us. Parenting culture seems to push and push us to do more and more, until sometimes...well, let's...
The science behind baby bedtime routines. (Yes, there’s really a science to it.)
Babies and sleep may be the one issue that strikes the most fear in the hearts of new parents. But when you think about it, a bedtime routine is actually one of the most lovely, beautiful bonding experiences between babies, parents, and all caregivers. There's even...
Zenmed’s cult-favorite skin care products: I tried, I tested, I have some thoughts…
I love trying out beauty products. So when I had a chance to try three of Zenmed's natural skincare products that seem to have a cult-y following with beauty editors, influencers, and regular folks, I thought sure, why not! They're known for being 100%...
Make a gratitude garland: a simple craft to help our kids be more thankful (and thoughtful) this holiday season
Being thankful and expressing gratitude always shifts our own mindset in a positive direction, especially over the holidays, so my family came up with a new tradition we're excited about: a gratitude garland! I was inspired by my neighbor's beautiful paper snowflake...
15 cool gifts for the guy who has everything. Except…well, these.
Oh, men. We love them, we love shopping for them, but we hate when they seem to already have everything they need -- maybe because we're all such amazing gift givers? Ha. Fret not! Over the years, we've put together a lot of fabulous guides to cool gift ideas for men...
Your kid’s craziest story ideas could win the Roald Dahl’s Imaginormous Challenge. Here’s how.
As a mom of three, I have loved few things as much as hearing the crazy stories my kids have dreamt up, or reading the creative things they choose to write on paper. And so I am super psyched to hear about a contest that rewards kids for their most imaginative story...
A special needs mom shares 4 great toys for kids with cognitive disabilities.
With the holidays coming up, grandparents and friends are naturally asking for ideas for gifts for the kids, but when you are shopping for toys for kids with cognitive disabilities, it can make the gifting a little more challenging. For my daughter, play time is also...
A brilliantly easy way to donate your kids’ plastic toys to children who will really love them.
If the picture up top makes you think, Ack! That's every room of my house, then you're going to be so happy to learn about Second Chance Toys, an organization that will help you get those no-longer-wanted toys into the hands of kids who really do want them instead of...
Holiday gift guide picks: The coolest gifts from our favorite small businesses
It's our annual holiday gift guide Spawned episode, where we share some of our favorite cool picks that we think make fabulous holiday gift ideas. This year, we're highlighting small makers, indie businesses, many of which are owned and run by women. Yay! If you need...
Save big on this popular smartphone alternative for kids, now 50% off! | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message for Relay If you've been wanting your child to have the safety and security of a phone, but know they aren't quite ready for the responsibility and distraction of one, you need Relay, a smartphone alternative that's totally screen-free. And...
Baby Yoda Funko POP! The stocking stuffer we desperately want will be here…not by Christmas.
The good news: I finally found the one affordable little gift I know will please every one of my kids. Baby Yoda: The Child Funko POP! figurine, fresh off his Mandalorian boost into meme-of-the-year status, complete with a Lin Manuel approved viral Baby Yoda Hamilton...
Our own best tips, secrets, and tricks to save you money on your holiday shopping | Spawned 179
We love sharing tips for saving money when it comes to holiday shopping. Maybe because we love saving money ourselves? So this week on the Spawned Parenting Podcast with Kristen and Liz we are hooking you up, big time. We're rerunning a favorite show that includes...
24 gifts that give back beautifully to everyone on your list. Because any day can be #GivingTuesday if you make it.
Each year, we love putting together some of our favorite gifts that give back in substantial and specific ways -- not just some undetermined percentage of your purchase going to "charities." While we definitely share these kinds of gifts that give back year round, it...
7 homemade mason jar spa gifts all made with safe, edible ingredients.
I think these DIY mason jar spa gift ideas are just so incredibly perfect for the holidays, Mother's Day, anniversaries...you name it. I mean, is there anyone among us who could not use a little pampering right now? The way I see it, if you can't afford to gift...
The Best Black Friday Deals 2019 online: From the big brands to the small businesses we love.
If you’re looking for the very best 2019 Black Friday shopping deals and discounts around the web, you've come to the right place. Because our thing is, stay home! Be with your family! Shop in your PJs! You too? Got you covered. Here are some of the deals and...
Holiday tech gifts: 11 of the coolest STEM toys and gifts for big kids and tweens
STEM toys and gifts are definitely high on lots of holiday wish lists this season, so we're rounding up some of the coolest options for big kids and tweens. From cool STEM building sets to STEM subscription boxes, in every single price range (hey, we know that...
How writing thank you letters could totally change your life
You can probably hear your mom's voice right now. "Did you write a thank-you note, dear?" I can't be the only one whose mom was a stickler about thank-you notes. Well, as I learned from our recent Spawned podcast guest, author Nancy Davis Kho, there are more reasons...
2 smart baby gadgets to help make new parenting easier | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message for SunvalleyTek Technology has helped make parenting so much easier that it's often at the top of many baby registries and baby shower wish lists. That's where you'll find the VAVA Baby Monitor and the TaoTronics Humidifier, both of which...