More coolness from recent weeks…
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...
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...
7 of the best free printable 2020 calendars to suit any taste. And yes, we said free!
2020 is already underway., and normally we'd have shared our annual list of our favorite printable calendars with you for the year. But with some of our kids back in school late this year, combined with and some of the recent stories on the news, we may be a little...
How to help the victims of the Australian fires, because you always have the biggest hearts in times of need
When I shared the news about the 12 million acres destroyed (so far) and thousands displaced in the current Australian fires, my always-on-social-media daughter was shocked. Why hadn't she seen this? And what could we do to help? Well, why haven't so many of us seen...
The best children’s books of 2019 to read in 2020: All the lists in one convenient place.
It's time to make your 2020 reading list! This is our fifth year to round up all the year's best-of lists of children's books, all in one convenient place for you, so you can have quick access to dozens of ideas when you're at the bookstore or library. I should add...
The top 10 Cool Mom Picks posts of 2019
We're so thrilled to be entering our 14th year publishing Cool Mom Picks. We know! We can't believe it either. Every year, we share our top 10 most visited posts on Cool Mom Picks. While our gift guides are often quite popular, these represent posts from 2019 that...
Disney+ and the domination of our streaming overlords | Editors’ Best in 2019
We've been streaming media for a few years now (and for some of us, even more), but in 2019, streaming went to a whole new level. And we're not necessarily talking about Disney+ (but we also kind of are). If you've been following award nominations this year, then you...
Baby Yoda | Editors’ Best of 2019
Two words: Baby Yoda. He's adorable and powerful, and exactly how we imagine a Baby Yoda would be if we had imagined it ourselves. (Spoiler: We didn't). He's a singular brilliant reason to become a Disney + subscriber so you get access to The Mandalorian, and is 100%...