Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
How to raise creative, imaginative kids in a digital world with Peter McNerney and Beth Newell | Spawned Ep 142
We're always looking for ways to foster imagination and creativity in our kids, and who better than to help us with that than Peter McNerney from Story Pirates, and his wife Beth Newell, co-host of the We Knows Parenting podcast, both of whom are popular improvisers...
The 5 biggest sleep-training mistakes that parents make and how to fix them | Spawned episode 141
Is there anything new parent topic that generates more controversy than sleep training? Arguably...no way. But can we finally stop fighting about what's right and wrong? Yes! Maybe? Certified sleep training expert Tamiko Kelly, owner of Sleep Well Wake Happy, has...
Activism 101: How to get involved with issues you care about when you don’t see yourself as the activist type | Spawned 140
We talk a lot about being the change you want to see in the world, but how do you do that? How do you get started? What if you're like us, crazy-busy parents who are already juggling a lot of stuff? What if the word "activist" doesn't seem to really apply to you? On...
More coolness from recent weeks…
The Barbie same-sex wedding set: Why it needs to happen | Thinking: Parent
Could Mattel be developing a Barbie same sex wedding set? Well, yeah. They could. And they might. And I am here for it. We've been writing for so long that in all things -- especially for our kids -- diversity matters. Inclusiveness matters. Representation matters....
Last-minute holiday shipping deadlines for all the big stores this season
We're scrambling to track down the last-minute holiday shipping deadlines too right now! After all, most of us busy parents are doing more and more of our shopping for the holidays online -- usually late at night, after the kids are in bed, right? I'm sure you've...
Last-minute holiday shopping help: We’ve got you covered, parents! | Spawned Ep 136
Every year, we do an entire show dedicated to help you with your last-minute holiday shopping. Lucky for you, we've got an entire holiday gift guide full of awesome gift ideas, many of which are from handmade artists, indie artisans, and small businesses. So, on this...
50 cool but still practical stocking stuffers, for people who just can’t with the plastic crap.
The truth is, I've looked at a lot of lists of practical stocking stuffers around the web and... I never like them much. Because no, chocolate bars are not "practical" gifts, as much as I like getting them. And no, deodorant is not a cool gift, even if it's practical....
3 popular YouTube channels for kids that educate and entertain | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message on behalf of WildBrain There's no shortage of YouTube channels aimed at kids these days, and as parents know, not all YouTube programming for kids is created equal. That's why you'll want to have these 3 popular WildBrain Network channels...
Succulent of the month: An adorable and affordable gift idea for the person who has everything
Need a creative gift that doesn't cost a fortune and will have the recipient saying, you got me WHAT?! in a happy, not horrified, way? You've got to check out the Succulent-of-the-Month subscription club from Succulent Studios. When I saw the company pop up in an...
How to make the most of the holiday (and not lose your mind) | Spawned Ep 135
We know that the holidays can be a busy, stressful time for lots of families, which is why we thought it might be helpful to discuss ways we try to make the most out of the holidays (and not lose our minds) with our own families on our latest Spawned podcast. In this...
History nerd alert: Famous Family Trees is the book your kids will disappear into
We've shared a lot of books lately that are really resonating with our history-geek kids. Books like Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, Little Guides to Great Lives, and HERstory, each tell the stories of important figures, past and present, in a compelling way for...
Yip Yips stockings! Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yip yip yip.
We've seen Seuss stockings. We've seen Mermaid stockings but I don't know if I've ever laughed as hard at a stocking as I did when Kristen shared these knit Yip Yips Muppet stockings with me. With the help of a free knitting or crochet pattern offered by Carissa...
11 thoughtful gifts that help support first responders, in California and beyond
After putting together a list of ways to help the first responders and victims in the California Camp and Woolsey wildfires, we knew right away that we wanted to start collecting gift ideas that help support and give back to first responders. I for one have been...
The white elephant gift that everyone will end up fighting over.
We know a white elephant gift exchange is not a competition, but let's be honest here. We all know that deep down, everyone wants to give the gift that everyone else ends up fighting over. And that is what we predict will happen with this hilarious shower wine glass...
A beautiful custom gift for the holidays. Tissues sold separately.
Some of our favorite gifts to give (and receive) are custom gifts because they feel so personal. And really, what's more personal than a loved one's handwriting? That's why we fell instantly in love with these custom handwriting cuff bracelets by Emily J. Design,...
How to be a bare minimum parent with James Breakwell | Spawned Episode 134
If you've heard of helicopter parenting, well, sorry to say, we're not talking about that today. We're actually talking about the polar opposite (or well, close enough) with the hilarious social media sensation and author James Breakwell (aka Xploding Unicorn on...
17 feminist gifts that honor our activist women friends after a long, hard year
While our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide is up and running with hundreds of gift ideas, there are still a few very specific types of people on our lists that you might be shopping for. In my case, I'm thinking of all the incredible, engaged, active, activist women who worked...
5 things parents need to know about administering over-the-counter medicine to kids | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message on behalf of KnowYourOTCs.org With cold and flu season officially here, parents are doing their best to help their kids when they're not feeling well, which often means giving them over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to help relieve their...
How not to make yourself crazy this holiday season.
I always start the holiday season with good intentions, like this will be the year that we have lots of fun and don't stress about the cookies not getting baked and the tree not getting up until the week before Christmas. But then I'm not sure if it's the egg nog or...
4 cool black sneakers for people who would rather be wearing anything but sneakers
As anyone who knows me knows, I'm not a sneaker person. I mean I love the comfort, I've just always felt more...dressed, when I'm in boots or booties or basically anything but sneakers. But recently I've discovered a few pairs that are striking the right balance...
This baby and toddler subscription is like a 3-year Montessori education | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Monti Kids Kids learn through play. And this is the season so many parents, grandparents, and caregivers have play on our minds. Enter Monti Kids, the only at-home Montessori learning toy subscription program that's designed and safely...
Introducing our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide! Whoo!
It’s true! Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide is here! Can you believe it's our 13th annual holiday gift guide? We're a teenager! This year, we've scoured the web to find literally hundreds of gifts for everyone on your list. And when we say everyone, we really mean...
3 favorite under eye concealers that could actually help you look well-rested this winter.
Anyone else needing a fantastic under eye concealer to help them through these shorter days and a busy holiday schedule? I know that my own dark circles have turned a decidedly eggplant shade (not a good look) since since fall started. So while I'm normally just a...
10 things we wish we had spent way less time on when our kids were babies
Now that our kids are older, it’s easy to look back and ask ourselves why we spent so much time thinking about things that didn’t really matter that much in the long run. Oh to have all of that time back! One thing we know parents spend a lot of time thinking about:...