Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
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More coolness from recent weeks…
Zen and the Art of the Sleeping Baby
I often wondered, night after sleepless night, as my daughter lay snuggled in my bed, what it was about her crib she hated so much? Was it the color? The wood? The discount price?
Lights Out, Pardner
Great nurseries and kids rooms are often made in the details–and they don’t have to be expensive. I’ve found a funky old 25 cent postcard leaning on a bookshelf can make more of an impression than that $800 crib.
Remedy for the Cold Shoulder
I’m generally pretty good about remembering a little sweater or jacket for my kids for those cool summer nights, but me? Well you know moms. We come last.
Book Snob Heaven
My family and I are serious book lovers. Okay, we’re full-on snobs. I admit it. We only have eyes for the worthwhile page-turners and even my toddler has learned to resist the call of the flashy but content-lite pages in the bargain bins and head straight for the award winners. That’s my girl!
Life-Saving Baubles
It might be cool to wear your "peanut-free" backpack patch when you’re running with the elementary crowd, but not so much when the hormones start kicking in.
Buh-Bye Mom Shoes
Mom jeans definitely get more than their fair share of negative press. But hit the playground and you’ll see that mothers can be just as big fashion offenders in the shoe department. Comfort is one thing, but running shoes? Really? Like, all the time?
The Only Thing They Can’t Do is Push the Kid Out for You
It took me all of 20 minutes to run screaming out of Babies R Us while attempting to put together my registry. If only I had a bit ofguidance–and a trust fund–to help me navigate my way through baby preparations. I would have surely relied on one off the two amazing if indulgent mom services we’ve recently uncovered.
Mine!
Thanks to the terrible threes, possessiveness has risen to a new level in our home. So, in order to keep my son’s clothing from turning into my daughter’s dress-up wardrobe, I’ve turned to Mabel’s Labels new Tag-mates for help.
Diapers Are So Last Year. Literally.
When my daughter started potty training, I was introduced to the world of toddler underpants that come smothered in the 2-D world of licensed characters. While I can sort of see the incentive of wearing your favorite talking animal on your bum, I’d like to think that there are other options.
Playing Like it’s 1899
Kids today, they’ve got it so good. Back in my day, toys were made of plastic. We played with their semisynthetic choloride polymer parts, and no one complained. But now we’ve grown up and want something completely better for our offspring, something like our great-grandparents might have owned.
Who Has Time to Scrapbook?
Don’t ask me why exactly I still have the ribbons off the generic going-home gift the hospital gave us, but I do. I save and document everything, which is all well and good when you’ve got a first year baby journal to fill up, but after that you’re pretty much to your own devices. Can you say "shoeboxes?"
Your Kid the TV Star
The consensus at Cool Mom Picks headquarters is that we don’t love licensed character products as a first choice for gifts. The only problem is, our kids generally do. So being the lovingparentsthat we are, we’ll occasionally cross the line to make our kids happy — or in this case, totally indebted to us for life.
It’s All in the Cards
There are a few things in life that you don’t realize you need until someone gives you it to you. And then you can’t believe you ever lived without them. Like that battery operated "massager." Thin Mints in the freezer. And personalized note cards.
There’s a Rocket in My Pocketbook
I’m embarrassed to say it took me a long time to learn mommy lesson #416: No matter how much of a rush you are in, never throw a bottle or sippy cup into your purse. The learning curve cost me a new cell phone battery and way too many hours getting orange juice pulp out my lovely bag.
Can’t We Just Name Her Jane and Call it a Day?
When I cracked open a review copy of The Complete Book of Baby Names by Leslie Bolton in search for a name for my yet unnamed fetus, I was expecting the same old same old.
Welcome to the World. Love Your Outfit.
The way I see it, the poor little gestating fetus has been naked for a full nine months. It’s only fair that once he or she starts breathing oxygen that you swap that hospital-issue swaddling blanket and cap for something a bit more worthy.
Touch My Tummy. No, Really.
Now that I’m pregnant the second time around, I had forgotten about the insane, intrusive, totally bizarre need for strangers to accost you on the street and touch your stomach. On the other hand, I have no qualms about letting friends grab the belly. And if it’s in fact your shower, it’s practically required.
A “Save the Date” Announcement Worth Saving
The curse of a kid with a summer birthday: With vacation schedules and everything else that gets crammed into those few glorious months, I’m looking for an extra special announcement to make sure no one forgets my daughter’s big day.
Eeny Meanie Miney…Oh Forget It, I’ll Take Them All
While it’s fun dressing kids in woolly sweaters and cute snow hats, I must say that flowy, breezy summer clothes for kids really hold the key to my heart. And Eeny Meanie is one of those labels that makes me remember exactly why.
Invitations from Simpler Times
We at CMP are sooooo over the over-the-top birthday parties for kids. While yes, we all want something that’s creative and different and memorable, maybe blinging out your kids’ invites with real diamonds and a voice chip that plays a birthday message recorded personally for you by Bono isn’t so appropriate for a second birthday.
Because Kids Need Another Excuse to Lie Around This Summer
Nothing to me says summer quite like lazing in a hammock. That is, after I’ve awkwardly attempted to climb in, fallen off twice, exposed my arse to the world, and settled into a pseudo-comfortable position having left one shoe on the ground and my dignity shattered to bits. Perhaps hammocks should be left to those who really adore them – the kids.