Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Big family tips for families of any size | Spawned Episode 176
With eight kids between us, Liz and I have come to learn tips, systems, and organizational advice over the years that's help make life a little easier for us. So on this episode of our Spawned Parenting Podcast, we're sharing them with the hopes that they'll simplify...
How to be a tech-positive parent (and why you want to be one) | Spawned Episode 175
When we started Cool Mom Tech almost 10 years ago, there wasn’t a lot of language around digital parenting. But considering we tend to be the non-alarmist type of parents, we approached parenting our own digital-native kids like other difficult parenting topics: with...
Holiday craziness and stress: Let’s sloooooow things down a little, please? | Spawned ep 174
If you feel like the holiday season came sooner this year -- along with the holiday ads, the holiday sales, the Mariah Carey videos, and the holiday pressure, it's not in your head. There are lots of reasons we're feeling it more this year, and social media isn't...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Back-to-school trend alert! 7 tie-dye sneakers we love for kids.
I feel like I've seen a lot of the same-old sneaker trends recently -- floral sneakers and metallic sneakers are still going strong. And we love them! But this year, when we all started to see lots of tie-dye sneakers for our older kids, we got kind of excited. The...
Worldgirls Dolls are here to help girls embrace their inner power. Yes!
If you're like me, you might be struggling to find a meaningful, inspiring doll choice for your kids on the shelves of the toy aisle in your closest big box store. But when I heard about the new collection of Worldgirls dolls, I got excited. This is the kind of doll...
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,...
This inspirational heroine poster supports classrooms in more way than one.
We all fell in love with artist Karen Hallion's "She Series" empowered heroines poster last year, which featured some of our favorite fictional badass ladies (plus Eliza Hamilton). This week, she announced a brand new limited-edition poster in the series, this time...
7 great Kindergarten printables for an awesome first year at school, most of them free | Back to School Guide 2019
Heading to Kindergarten for the first time is a huge milestone, and we've found some great printables that help make things more fun, more organized, and even more safe for our kids. Hope they help you parents out. And maybe save you a few bucks to spend on that cool...
5 smart and easy tips for your first backyard campout with the kids.
We've still got a lot of summer left for camping out with the kids! If you love the idea, but you're not sure you're ready to head out into the wilderness with the family just yet, a backyard campout is a great place to start. If it goes wrong -- and it very well may...
Remembering Toni Morrison: Here’s her complete list of novels. Pick one up today.
The passing of Toni Morrison today at the age of 88 is a serious gut punch to me. I think a lot of writers -- and readers -- are feeling it in a very personal way. I was first introduced to the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize-winning author by my English Lit professor,...
Naruto run to grab these Storm Area 51 meme shirts: The best designs, for all your conspiratorial fashion needs
If you have a teen, surely you know of their great hopes and dreams to storm Area 51 this coming September. The meme has taken hold, and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up one morning with a note from my kids saying, Gone to see them aliens. Took some money. Back soon....
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...
Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection 7: The Yes Brain, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
We are thrilled to announce the seventh selection in our Cool Mom Picks Book Club, The Yes Brain, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. (From our affiliate Amazon or find it at your local book store.) If the title doesn't say enough about the book, their subtitle...
We tried making Amazon returns at Kohl’s (yes, Kohl’s) and here’s how it works.
Returning items purchased from Amazon has never been all that hard, so when I heard you can now make Amazon returns at Kohl's I was kind of thinking, Why? But then I realized, getting to the post office or repackaging a return if you don't have supplies on hand can be...
How to keep a subtle summer glow, without the rays.
I'm less of a lie-out-in-the-sun gal, and more of a how-can-I-look-like-I-like-out-in-the-sun? gal. I haven't really used a bronzer for years, but I found a blush-bronzer combo from NARS (man I love NARS) that's been making me happy for quite a few seasons now. The...
What to say to a grieving parent, and what to never say: Tips from moms who have been there.
Did you know July is National Bereaved Parents Month? Truly, it's an awful kind of a thing to have to recognize, but I'm so glad for it. For parents who have gone through this horrible tragedy, a dedicated time that more people can recognize their pain and loss -- and...
Birthdays with older kids: Isn’t it great when they don’t want a party? | Spawned ep. 165
With the launch of our brand new Ultimate Birthday Gift Guide (you've already browsed around, right? Right? Right?) we've got birthdays on the brain! And we realized that wow, lots of things change with birthday celebrations once your kids get a little older. Pro:...
Set up a lemonade stand this weekend, help support kids in crisis at the border
Kids are born with big hearts. They are full of kindness and compassion. They want to do something when they see awful things in the world, especially impacting other children. I know my own kids have been distraught following what's happening to children separated...
Take a look at the brand new It’s a Small World baby collection. (And sorry for the earworm.)
Even if the song can drive me a little nuts, I've always loved It's a Small World. Disney artist Mary Blair created such iconic concept artwork for the attraction, it still makes my retro-modern heart go all a-flutter. And if I were having babies again today, I'd be...
So we don’t normally get excited about toothbrushes, but…
Is some new toothbrush a thing to get all pumped about? Generally...no. I mean I am a recent devotee of Quip and Quip Kids after reading Kristen's raving reviews, but now I've found a low-tech toothbrush that gets me just as excited about dental hygiene. MamaP...
The best 2019-20 school year planners for every type of parent | Back to School Guide 2019
If you're going to plan for back to school, it makes sense to look for the best 2019-20 school year planner to help you...plan. So next up in our 2019 Back to School Shopping Guide, we've put together our favorites, no matter what kind of planning you need to do and...
How to stop fighting with your kids and create more peace at home | Spawned ep. 164
Could you use a little more calm around the house? Fewer fights? Lower blood pressure? (Mostly yours?) On this week's episode of the Spawned Parenting Podcast, we're going to help you reduce conflict in your family -- also known as screaming and yelling -- thanks to...
27 very cool backpacks for grade school this year | Back to School Guide 2019
We've already shared our favorite backpacks for preschool and kindergarten, so next up in our 2019 Back to School Shopping Guide, we're moving onto cool backpack for grade school! There are so many...honestly we had to stop ourselves from picking even more. We're so...
#SpeaktoStrangers Challenge: 30 days to a kinder world.
When I woke up this morning, I caught this thread on Twitter from Asha Rangappa and was instantly taken. Her premise: Spending just a moment engaging with a stranger in a kind way can create ripples that make the world, quite literally, a better, more enjoyable place....