Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Is raising unplugged kids a terrible idea? Spawned Ep 146
Let's face it, parents: screens are here to stay. So why are we still so ambivalent about them? Maybe being unplugged isn't actually the best way to help our kids thrive in this digital world. On this week's Spawned podcast, we're chatting with speaker and author...
Completely mind-shifting tips for treasuring the teen years instead of “surviving” them | Spawned Ep 145
Did you know that when you Google "how to talk to my teen" the number one word that comes up with it is "survive?" Have you ever thought about how that language is impacting your kids as they grow into teens? What if, as a society, we were able to reframe our mindset...
What the heck is a Spinal CSF Leak? with author Andi Buchanan | Spawned Episode 144
So, imagine this: You've had the flu but you're feeling much better, so you leave your house to go grab some food, but suddenly start coughing. You think nothing of it until you suddenly get the worst headache you've ever had in your life, one that will take over nine...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Here’s to Colleen Ballinger who shares the truth about new motherhood on Twitter. (It’s sticky and smells like baby pee and mold.)
Every time I hear someone complain about social media, or how they're quitting this platform or that because of "all the negativity," I can't help but think about all the ways that social platforms have literally saved moms. From blogs that share true, difficult...
Yoga mats with more personality than your average yoga mat
I've been trying to re-kickstart my yoga habit, and there's nothing like a fresh new yoga mat to get me motivated. So when we saw that yoga mats in tons of fantastic designs from independent artists are now available as limited editions from Society 6, I kind of...
3 inspirational art prints to celebrate Mary Oliver’s wild and precious life
I was so sad to find out that one of my favorite poets, the bestselling and Pulitzer prize winning Mary Oliver, passed away earlier today. Her poetry collections were some of my all-time favorites: Wild Geese helped me slow down and appreciate the natural world; Dog...
A creative way to take baby milestone photos for more cuteness, less fuss
We didn't have Instagram when my kids were babies, so I wasn't exactly all over the "photograph every baby milestone" thing the way new parents are now. But if I had found this creative Monthly Milestone Play Mat made just for photographing those many baby milestones,...
Love your city? Put a ring on it.
I don't see a lot of jewelry that grabs me right away, but when I do? Well, here I am to share it with you. Right now, it's the remarkable cityscape rings by jewelry artist Ola Shekhtman that caught my attention on Uncommon Goods and...wow. I'm smitten. CMP is an...
Boo-boo packs just got about a zillion percent more cuddly
I was so charmed to learn about the Thermal Aid Teddy Bear that delivers comforting heat -- or cold -- in the form of a cute stuffed animal. If your kid has muscle aches from a growth spurt during those "wonder weeks," or from a particularly tough game of soccer, you...
Get outraged about the Puerto Rico response. Then read these ways to help.
I have been carefully watching the news out of Puerto Rico for the past week, amplifying news stories and encouraging support. But over the past 24 hours in particular, as I watched San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz's emotional pleas for help with tears streaming down...
Cute coral earrings: An easy, affordable way to wear Pantone’s color of the year
When I first heard about the Pantone color of the year being coral, I was uh...not thrilled. Unlike Caroline who can totally wear coral and look gorgeous, I'm a winter (remember that?) and orangey-pinky-brown colors are not generally the best for me. That said, coral...
8 gorgeous Pantone coral accessories to get on trend with the 2019 Pantone color of the year
In the past couple of weeks, I've become more than a little obsessed with Living Coral, the 2019 Pantone color of the year, which is why I've had so much fun rounding up these cool coral accessories. Pantone says Living Coral "embraces us with warmth and nourishment,"...
The cutest Year of the Pig baby gifts for all the 2019 little piggies
On Tuesday, February 5, we celebrate Chinese New Year and ring in the Year of the Pig. We've always loved Chinese New Year animal gifts as thoughtful baby gifts -- and I'm kind of amazed realizing we've now come full Chinese Zodiac circle, having first shared Year of...
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo review: Does the new Neflix series spark joy?
if you have ever "tidied" your home, said thank you to a book before putting it into the donate pile, or wondered whether that shirt you're wearing still "sparks joy," chances are you've been introduced to the Konmari method. And you surely already know about her new...
Why this first bra for girls has a 7,000 person waitlist
I've written quite a bit about the genius of Yellowberry bras for girls, the "mom-approved" first (or second) bras created by a teen herself who was not having it with the I wanna look like a Victoria Secret Model style of lacy underthings for 13 and 14-year olds. I...
The #CaptainMarvelChallenge: Can you help send girls to see a badass female superhero on the big screen?
I am so excited about the upcoming Captain Marvel release. Like, crazy excited. Believe it or not, it's the first woman-lead superhero film from Marvel. (Yep, Wonder Woman was from DC Comics, fun as it was, my non-geeky friends.) Not only that, but Brie Larson's Carol...
The new Oliver Jeffers space tattoos by Tattly let kids wear the moon and stars
We've been fans of Oliver Jeffers for years, and now kids (or young at heart parents) can wear his dreamy illustrations right on their arms, ankles and foreheads with the new Tattly collection of Oliver Jeffers space-themed temporary tattoos. The designs come from a...
All the best children’s books of 2018 from all the best best-of 2018 lists. Perfect place to kickstart your 2019 reading list
One New Year's resolution my family all agreed on was to read more books in 2019.(A resolution that seems to be going around amongst our staff!) So, in my favorite annual Cool Mom Picks post, I'm sharing all the best children's books on 2018 lists from our favorite...
Handmade baby blankets to inspire dreams. Hopefully the sleeping kind, too.
When we first started this site, at the dawn of Etsy, I feel like we were sharing cute handmade baby blankets every other day. Well it's been a while since I found a new one that caught my attention, until I discovered Elegant Infant Co. Mom-of-three Hope makes...
I read 39 books in 2018 in Goodreads’ Annual Reading Challenge. Here are my 10 favorites.
Now that my kids are teens (sniff) and need less handholding to get through every second of the day, I'm trying to read more books instead of spending all my "down time" reading Facebook updates or watching Netflix. So at the start of 2018, I joined Goodreads' Annual...
Garmentory: One-stop shopping for stunning indie boutiques and emerging designers
I'm not sure if it was an Instagram ad or something else that made me click over to Garmentory, but I did, and I'm in love. We're always looking for new designers or indie brands, and what a delight to find this site that's kind of like the best of Etsy meets Barney's...
8 fun, free printable 2019 calendars to keep you organized
A new year means a new calendar, like these 8 free printable 2019 calendars from minimalist to cheery, all of which are free. So, clear a little desk or wall space and fire up your printer. Consider them our New Year's gift to you. Top image: Confetti 2019 printable...
The diversity of movie heroes and movie makers | Editors’ Top 10 of the Year
Welcome to our annual editors top 10 of the year! Through the rest of the year, we'll be sharing 10 of our favorite things (no offense, Oprah) of this past year and we hope you love them too. Of course we love everything we've shared, but these things are all extra...
5 New Year’s resolutions for new moms…that new moms can actually keep. Maybe. Hopefully.
The December before my son was born, I wrote a long list of New Year's resolutions that included finishing my novel, getting my house organized, and learning Spanish in my free time Hilarious, right? Needless to say I don't habla español or have a particularly...