The latest from Spawned: Our award-winning parenting podcast
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Who can be called a single mom? | Rachel Sklar, Spawned ep. 168
I think our listeners will find this is a slightly different kind of Spawned episode than usual. It's a lot more personal for me than most of our interviews. It was a little tough in some ways. And above all, it was inspired by a listener. A few episodes, ago I joked...
How to survive and thrive as a new working mother | Spawned Ep 167
As working mothers ourselves, we've seen the climate change dramatically over the years since our kids were babies. And then, we've also seen things stay exactly the same. To give us some perspective on this topic, we're chatting with Amy Nelson, CEO of The Riveter,...
How to deal with sanctimommies (and tame the one inside you) | Spawned Episode 166
When Jessica Simpson was recently mommy shamed on social media for letting her oldest daughter get her hair dyed, Kristen clapped back with her own Instagram post. And then, we decided it might be time to talk about the sanctimommy again. On this episode of Spawned...
More coolness from recent weeks…
How to enjoy, not endure, your kids with Casey O’Roarty | Spawned Episode 155
Parenting isn't something that's happening to us. It's something that's happening for us. But we know first hand how difficult it can be to remember that. It's easy to get stressed and overwhelmed, which is why we need someone like Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage in...
My go-to shops for the best camp basics for kids. Hurry: Big sales now!
It's that time of year: Camp clothes shopping! Or more accurately, the time I look at the kids' camp clothing checklist and realize we have outgrown everything and gah, where am I going to get those non-itchy navy shorts again? If you're like me, I wanted to share the...
Want a Harriet Tubman $20 bill? Here’s how to make your own, legally.
Artist Dano Wall is blowing up the internet with his 3-D printed Harriet Tubman $20 bill stamp. It's designed to fit perfectly where her portrait was slated to replace Andrew Jackson's portrait in 2020, as decided in part by popular vote - and possibly thanks to a...
The most adorable ice packs for those summer boo-boos and ouchies.
I always have responded to my kids' bruises and scraped needs with, "good! That shows that you're being a kid!" And it's true. They've become proud of their playground battle scars -- but that doesn't necessarily make the initial pain go away faster. Ice packs help do...
The National Parks Junior Ranger Program is a brilliant and easy way to get kids excited about your next family vacation
If you're planning a family trip to one of our amazing national parks this summer, I want to recommend that you schedule some time to let your kids take part in the National Parks Junior Ranger program. This is a wonderful educational program that helps kids learn...
How to survive the last month of school. You’ve got this, parents | Spawned Ep 154
The countdown to summer has begun, and if your schedules are anything like ours, things get a whole lot crazier this last month (or couple of weeks, depending on where you live). On this episode of Spawned Parenting Podcast, we're sharing our tried and true tips for...
Radical Kindness, by Angela Santomero: Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection 2
We are thrilled to announce the second selection in our Low-Commitment Cool Mom Picks Book Club with a topic that's near and dear to me: Radical Kindness: The Life-Changing Power of Giving and Receiving, from best-selling author, children's TV creator, and Fred Rogers...
Here are our favorite mineral sunscreens: 3 splurges and 3 saves, all safer than chemical sunscreens
If you've seen the new report from the FDA concluding that chemical sunscreens are not as safe as we thought -- for you or the environment -- you may be looking for the best mineral sunscreens out there to replace your former go-to. I started using a mineral-based...
Coding with Kids: The online summer camp that blends fun and real world STEM skills. | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Coding With Kids If you're trying to balance fun and educational activities for your kids this summer, Coding With Kids is a fabulous solution offering both! Coding With Kids offers live, week-long online coding camps for kids -- they...
FACTS: Illegal abortions kill women. Alabama will kill women. Here’s what you can do about it.
In light of the inhumane, outrageous, regressive, and entirely cruel Alabama anti-abortion law signed yesterday, Kristen and I knew we couldn't be silent today. Let's be perfectly clear: Making abortion illegal does not eliminate abortion. It kills women. Taylor M...
7 important reasons that children need baby dolls — both girls AND boys
For years, we've written about the joy and beauty and specialness of baby dolls as gifts for our kids, from newborns to toddlers, even our school-aged kids. A doll can be a cherished best friend, a bedtime comfort, a travel companion, a tea party guest, and these...
I found the best drugstore waterproof eyeliner. Affordable, and it works!
I was on the mad lookout for the best drugstore waterproof eyeliner or eye pencil last week. As in...I was frantic. Knowing I was heading to a beach-y press trip last week, and knowing full well that I'd end up with eyeliner down my face in the 99-degree humidity, I...
Maternal mental health: What we can do to spread the word about this important issue | Spawned Ep 153
Did you know that one out of seven women will be affected by maternal mental health? That's a staggering number and yet, women experience judgment and misdiagnosis of their maternal mental health disorder every single day. On the episode of the Spawned Parenting...
I turned off my binge shows (eek!) and tried going to bed earlier for one month. Here are 7 things that happened.
I am tired all the time. Like, I'm a parent. You are probably a parent. You get it. And yet, entertainment junkie that I am, I found myself staying up until midnight (or later!) catching up on every darn MA-rated show and movie each night, after the kids were in bed....
Lulla dolls mimic Mom’s breathing for a better night sleep for all
The first few weeks of my son's life, he refused to sleep without being cuddled up next to a parent. Since I know this is a problem for many newborns, and older babies too, I was excited to learn about the Lulla doll, which plays the sound of a mom's heartbeat and...
Here’s the allowance system that has worked for my family.
I've tried many different allowance systems and allowance apps over the years with my four kids, but it wasn't until I tried this new approach at the beginning of 2019 that I was able to stick with something for longer than a month. If you're looking to start giving...
Virago Fitness: Yoga pants for an amazing cause.
When Brittney Hogan's husband was killed in action in Afghanistan, she found herself coping in not so healthy ways. That was until a friend convinced her to go for a run and everything changed. From that experience, her 503(c) non-profit Virago Fitness was born, where...
6 fantastic new children’s and YA books to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which is a great excuse to dive into some fantastic new children's books that teach kids about this rich culture -- or cultures, I should say. Because Asia and the Pacific Islands cover a lot of territory, as...
10 brilliant subscription gifts for Mother’s Day that shower her with love all year long | Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2019
Remember when book-of-the-month-club and Columbia House were pretty much the only subscription gifts around? OMG, we've come a long way. Now there are subscription gifts for pretty much any hobby or interest, and they make a wonderful gift idea for Mother's Day. Not...
Tips for travel with tweens and teens: More fun, fewer eyerolls | Spawned ep 152
We are big advocates of travel with tweens and teens as you know. And now that we have older kids of our own -- and have a new travel contributor focusing on teen travel -- we thought we'd cover some great tips for parents who travel with older kids, on this...
7 Printable teacher appreciation notes to help our kids show their love and, well, appreciation
Lately I've been sleuthing around the interwebs for great printable teacher appreciation notes for kids. After all, Teacher Appreciation Week starts today! And ever since my son started preschool, I've been been struck anew by how much educators do to shape our...