Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Angela Santomero’s tips for raising smart, inspired, and engaged kids in a screen-filled world | Spawned ep 116
Whatever age your kids may be, we know that managing screen time and finding the benefits (and boundaries) is a huge issue with parents. Like, a non-stop concern. So we're thrilled to chat with Angela Santomero, the successful creator of educational programs like...
Can couples work together without killing each other? Try these tips, tricks, and a lot of humor | Spawned ep 115
Have you ever looked at those always happy husband-wife work teams and think, how the bleep do they do it? Well, now we know! This week on Spawned, we have an absolutely hilarious, engaging, mildly explicit (sorry, little ones) and truly informative conversation with...
Sleepaway camp: The pros, the cons, and the tears (mostly ours)| Spawned Episode 114
With summer pretty much here, that means Liz and I are about to say good-bye to a few of our kids as they head off to summer camp, some close by, and one well, to Japan! We get asked all the time about sleepaway camp, from wanting to know how to decide when a kid is...
More coolness from recent weeks…
The best things to do in Nashville with kids, according to locals. (Hint: It ain’t the honkey-tonks.)
Nashville is of course the home of country music, but when you're traveling here and looking for the best things to do in Nashville with the kids, visiting the honkey-tonks downtown probably isn't your best bet. So as a native Nashvillian, I'm going to give you the...
The stores with the best discounts on back-to-school supplies right this second | Back to School Guide 2018
Whether your kids still have a month left before school starts or head go back to school in a hot second, buying those back-to-school supplies now is a pretty great idea when you see the big discounts on school supplies that we've tracked down from top retailers. So...
Personalized keychains and backpack charms to send kids back to school with a smile
It's an annual tradition for us that when it's back-to-school season, each kid gets to pick out one charm or backpack charm to hang on their backpacks. In a desperate attempt to steer my youngest from a poop emoji squishie (sigh), I may point her towards the lovely...
30+ cool backpacks for tweens, teens and older kids from minimalist to outrageous | Back to School Guide 2018
Our back to school 2018 shopping guide continues, with our picks for super cool backpacks for tweens, teens and older kids. Whether they want to make a style statement or stand out with a backpack that's minimally chic, we've got an incredible assortment of backpacks...
5 best car seats for older kids, once you’re ready to ditch the infant seat
I've spent time doing a ton of research and reading reviews on the newest car seats for older kids, and have landed on these five as the best car seats for older kids right now. Hey, car seat safety is no joke, but you moms and dads already know that. It's why you're...
25 way cool backpacks for preschool, kindergarten, or any young kid who wants to stand out | Back to School Guide 2018
We can't believe it's already back-to-school shopping time, but indeed it is! And since cool preschool backpacks for back-to-school are one of the top priorities of parents with kids heading off to school for the first time (sniff), we thought that would be a great...
5 fabulous fall handbags on sale at Nordstrom right now, if you hurry
First it was the stylish fall shoes on sale at Nordstrom that we shared (and you bought! Because, SHOES! ON SALE!), and then we hit up the collection of summer handbags on sale. Now we're turning attention to the amazing collection of fall handbags on sale that are...
Be More Chill: Your teen’s favorite musical that you’ve never heard of
This post has been updated with new information and photos 80's kids had Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Breakfast Club. 90's kids had Clueless. Millennials had Mean Girls and She's All That. Now, today's teens have Be More Chill. If you haven't yet heard of this...
5 of the top back-to-school fashion trends, and where to find them for less.
I happen to love back-to-school shopping, but I know not everyone does. Especially when it comes to kids and fashion trends. Because it can be a little torturous to figure out: A) ...what your kids like that they used to not like but now suddenly do like. B) ...what...
Pajamas that pay it forward.
While it's still a billion degrees around here, soon enough our kids are going to be needing long-sleeve pajamas and extra bedding before we tuck them in each night. So before you grab a new pair on your next trip to the mall, please check out the adorable new Project...
3 clever new puzzle and activity books for kids, to keep hands busy and minds sharp
For some kids, picking up a book is pure torture in the summer. For others, well..it's not totally out of the question, provided it's a puzzle or activity book. So if you're looking for some new screen-free, paperback fun for the kids, here are a few extra-cool new...
A guide to the top video games kids are playing and watching, that parents should know about
We know it's so hard to keep up with your kids' tech when you're a parent -- there are social channels, apps of all kinds, and so many games! On Out Tech Your Kids, our private Facebook community for tech questions and answers from parents, every single day we field...
The organic kids’ mattress-in-a-box that can actually help them sleep better
A couple years ago we took an in-depth look at some of the top mattress-in-a-box companies that had blown up the market. Since then, we've had a lot of companies reach out and ask us to take a look at their products and add them to our list. To be honest, none of them...
10 things you should do before you leave for vacation, that you might be forgetting.
Whether you're hitting the road for a quick weekend getaway, or are heading out for a family vacation, getting out the door can be pretty overwhelming. Between packing lists and all those last-minute to-do-before-we-leave lists, it's so easy to get sucked into the...
6 of the best tips and tricks for cleaning kids’ sneakers. Because summer shoes stink.
My kids' shoes never smell quite as bad as they do in summer. It's the downside to me telling them to get outside and get active everyday. Muddy, sweaty, grass-stained shoes aren't easy to clean, but I'll take it over bored and inside all day long. In the meantime,...
7 great new family board games that take 30 minutes or less to play
Raise your hand if you've ever "accidentally" bumped your kid's Candyland piece toward the finish to speed up the game? Hey, I get it. I often like (or need) family board games that are fast to play, too. And it doesn't change as your kids get older; some of the games...
A Funko Marvel Collector Corps box subscription: Comic geeks rejoice!
If you're looking for the gift for the wonderfully geeky, Marvel-loving fan in your life who has everything, I found just the thing: The Funko Marvel Collector Corps box subscription, available exclusively from Amazon, looks amazing. CMP is an Amazon and rstyle...
Gorgeous feminist shirts from a woman-owned company supporting causes we love? Trifecta!
Ever since turning into the kind of a woman who wears slogan t-shirts with abandon (thanks, state of the world!) I have tried to work hard to know who the company is, and not just what the t-shirt says. That's why I adore companies like Brave New World Designs, Free...
Why we need libraries: Twitter claps back against a truly stupid op-ed
It was only a week or so ago that I was reading Carolines article about 20 free summer activities for kids, and thinking how wonderful that there were so many mentions of various events at local libraries. And then this morning, I laughed as I stumbled upon a a poorly...
The best affordable drugstore beauty products for the softest, summeriest, not-dry-at-all summer skin.
As a Black woman with darker skin, I’m constantly fighting The Ash Monster. More skin is exposed in the summer, so I take a few extra steps, and a few extra products, to make sure my skin is healthy, moisturized, and gleaming. And it doesn't have to be expensive! In...
How to put together a first aid kit for travel: Everything you need. Just in case.
Do you have a travel first aid kit to take along on all of your summer trips? As I type these words, I realized...I don’t have one! And I should. Luckily, we have the internet, online shopping, and 24-hour drugstores that make it easy for me to put a travel first aid...