More coolness from recent weeks…
We found the perfect athletic tank for girls, and two other fab new essentials from Yellowberry.
When you've got middle and high school aged girls who may be feeling awkward or uncomfortable in their changing bodies, getting into athletic clothes for gym or dance or after school activities that give them a little more confidence is a major major win. And just...
1 in 4 kids have an undetected vision problem. Here’s how to save on their eye care now. | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from VSP Individual Vision Plans A lot of family members offer practical gifts that help support our kids in big ways, like school tuition, summer camp, after school activities, and college savings plan donations. And here's one more that...
Hot trend alert: 9 platform sneakers we love for fall!
While some trends we leave all to the kids, platform sneakers is one that I love and okay, so do my girls. It's a way to get a little style into your comfortable footwear (or vice versa) and, if you're not Kristen (ha), to get a little more height! If you're like me,...
Reading Eggs has helped millions of kids worldwide learn to read. Try it for 4 weeks free. | Sponsored message
This is a sponsored message from Reading Eggs If there's one desire all parents have in common, we want to make sure our kids are doing well in school, learning the skills they need for success, and working to the best of their ability. And there's arguably no more...
How to get your hands on the new Barbie x Star Wars dolls before they cost a schmillion Galactic Credits
The limited edition, totally collectible, geektastic collaboration between Barbie x Star Wars is coming soon, so start saving those Creds. Shipping exclusively from Amazon around November 18, you'll find 3 Barbie figures, including Barbie R2-D2, Barbie Leia, and...
We found 7 great children’s books about Kindergarten to help with the transition
Going to school for the very first time can be a scary thing for a Kindergartener, and we've found that reading books that show them what Kindergarten is really like is a huge help! So we've found these 7 new children's books about Kindergarten that we think your kids...
Never visit the kids’ shoe store again, with Nike Adventure Club
In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve become big fans of clothing subscription services. We’ve tried and reviewed Kidbox, Rockets of Awesome, and Stitch Fix Kids …with more on the way! But we haven’t seen a service devoted to shoes, until now. Just in time for back to...
How much does the tooth fairy pay in your state? Here’s a surprising breakdown.
There's one question universally asked by basically all parents once your kid gets old enough: How much does the tooth fairy pay these days anyway? So I'm fascinated by this chart that breaks down the average price per tooth paid by the tooth fairy in each state. The...
This piggy bank helps put kids on a great track to smarter money management
We're big believers in helping kids to be mindful about how they save and spend their money, and we're so excited to find this beautifully designed Give Spend Save piggy bank to help reinforce what we're all helping teach our children anyway. CMP is an rstyle...
Adoptive parents: These are the forms you need to ensure your adopted child’s US immigration status is safe.
As an adoptive parent, the recent ICE raids have left me more than a little uneasy. Across almost all the adoption boards I'm on, in any social media channel, I'm seeing parents ask what documents they need to ensure their child's adoption status is safe. The fact is...
What to do in San Diego with Teens: Tips for a cool getaway
Teens can be picky, and I don’t have the easiest teenagers myself. So on a recent long weekend getaway in San Diego, I planned out our days carefully with them in mind and hooray, it worked! Planning is the key to a good family vacation with teens. Especially when you...
No More Mean Girls: Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection #8
I'm particularly thrilled to reveal the next selection in the Cool Mom Picks Virtual Book Club, because it's been a book that's been on my own must-read list too. For selection 8, I've chosen No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and...
The new bag collection from JuJuBe x Harry Potter is magical
If you'd rather be heading back to Hogwarts than your actual school this fall, then you'll want to see these magical new bags, totes diaper bags, and accessories from JuJuBe + Harry Potter. We're excited to be one of the first to give you a look at the line that just...
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...
There are so many great reading lists for kids: This one from the Florida DOE is not one of them.
Yesterday, one of my favorite contemporary authors, Angie Thomas, sent out a tweet that's stuck with me all night and into this morning. It was a response to the Florida DOE Commissioner, Edward Corcoran, who launched a recommended reading list of "favorite reads for...
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...