Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
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...
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:...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection 3: Raising Empowered Daughters by Mike Adamick
We're back with our third selection for the Cool Mom Picks Book Club with a brand new book that's perfect for Father's Day: Raising Empowered Daughters: A Dad to Dad Guide, by our friend and author Mike Adamick. Sure, it's for dads, and we're moms, but we're all in...
Cool Pride gifts from 15 brands that are supporting LGBTQ causes and orgs
This year, Pride Month is a particularly big deal. It's the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which is a sobering reminder how far the world has come in terms of LGBTQ acceptance and inclusion. But at the same time, rights of LGBTQ individuals, families, and...
21 really, really funny Father’s Day cards. No golfing or lawnmower jokes, promise | Father’s Day Gifts
We always love searching for funny Father's Day cards -- and especially the challenge of finding funny Father's Day cards that don't involve cliché jokes about grilling, golf, lawnmowers, or hogging the remote control. It's harder than you think! And yet, I've found...
How to answer all your daughter’s questions about menstruation and periods. (That goes for you too, dads!)
The stigma that still exists around periods and talking about the menstrual cycle is ridiculous -- but getting better. No judgment, by the way. It's ingrained in much of our culture not to talk about this stuff which (surprise!) makes it hard to talk about. This is a...
Why it might be time for you to break up with your phone | Spawned Episode 156
Is your phone ruling your life? Does your brain need a break? During our recent conversation with Catherine Price, science journalist and author of How To Break Up With Your Phone, we learned the science behind why our phones are so enticing, and how we can...
The Father of All Dad Guides: An A to Z of OMG they totally know my dad
To be sure, The Father of All Dad Guides: From (A)doring to (Z)addy by Madeline Davies and Tara Jacoby will never be found in that proverbial Hallmark aisle of faux calligraphy Father's Day cards and sentimental trinkets. This book offers an irreverent, somewhat...
30 amazing Father’s Day gifts under $15: For when the thought counts, but so does the gift | Father’s Day Gift Guide
Each year we scour the web for the coolest Father's Day gifts to fit any budget, and one of our most popular posts is always gifts for dad under $20. But this year I thought I'd challenge myself and try to compile some really cool Father's Day gifts under...$15. Yes,...
19 incredibly cool gifts for dads who love the outdoors | Father’s Day Gift Guide 2019
This Father's Day, if you're shopping for a dad who loves the outdoors -- and struggling a little -- I feel you! My husband would rather take my kids hiking and camping than pretty much anything else, and I love that so much. And yet it can be expensive. And tastes...
These very funny award ribbons honor all your dubious achievements
It's become a cliché that everyone today wants a trophy. Not true at all. Some of us are perfectly happy with a first-place ribbon. And so you have to check out the very funny award ribbons at Frankie and Claude, honoring all kinds of everyday achievements. There are...
6 wonderful Father’s Day picture books that celebrate Dad | Father’s Day Gift Guide
Every year we round up some of the best Father's Day picture books, and the new 2019 Father's Day book releases do not disappoint. They're heartfelt, beautifully illustrated, and wonderfully diverse. Oh yeah, and highly conducive to bedtime snuggles. I think these...
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...
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...