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Why the sex talk with your kids is more important than ever | Spawned Ep 287
It's not the first time we've talked about the sex talk on Spawned, but if your school district is like mine (and many across the country), they are making sex education an optional, home-taught module. That means, we need to be more invested than ever in ensuring our...
Why our teens are so darn tired, with author Lisa L. Lewis | Spawned Episode 286
Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive and I realized there was so much I...
Our favorite skincare products: Let’s talk about a self-care skin routine
If you're like us, then you're always quite curious about everyone else's self-care skin routine. So when author and podcaster Kate Spencer (you know her from Forever 35!) was a guest on Spawned a few weeks ago, we had to ask. Especially since she (along with co-host...
Moms are wondering, “What’s next for me in life?” Here’s one way to figure it out. | Spawned 272
If you've hit a point where you're asking yourself, "what's next for me? Should I keep this career? Should I dump this side hustle? And where should my efforts go when my kids are getting older?" you're definitely not alone. And this is the podcast episode that may...
How to talk to kids about Ukraine: Expert tips from Melinda Wenner-Moyer | Spawned 271
After science journalist and author Melinda Wenner Moyer published the NY Times article, How to Talk to Your Kids About Ukraine, I knew we had to have her back on Spawned to elaborate on her 5 expert tips. You may remember Melinda from our recent interview on raising...
So much coolness. Where to start…
Wordle nation, we found a Wordle t-shirt that’s as clever as you are!
I instantly knew this super clever Wordle t-shirt from the funny folks at RAYGUN was going to be a hit with so many people I know. I mean, anyone else wake up to a flurry of Wordle scores from their friends slash competitors every morning on Twitter? Yes? Me too. So I...
How to talk to kids about Ukraine: Expert tips from Melinda Wenner-Moyer | Spawned 271
After science journalist and author Melinda Wenner Moyer published the NY Times article, How to Talk to Your Kids About Ukraine, I knew we had to have her back on Spawned to elaborate on her 5 expert tips. You may remember Melinda from our recent interview on raising...
Beautiful, authentic Ukrainian Easter egg coloring pages that help support Ukrainian artists
As Easter gets closer, sitting down with Ukrainian Easter egg coloring pages and crayons or markers opens the door to talk to our kids about what they’re coloring — just as we mentioned in our roundup of 21 fabulous, famous International Women’s History Month coloring...
This absolutely wonderful preschool program lets kids learn right from home
This is a sponsored message from New Sphere Not every preschool-aged child is currently enrolled in preschool, for all kinds of reasons -- maybe the ones near you are expensive, there are no seats available, or maybe your kids are just learning at home with parents....
Gifts supporting Ukraine: 11 wonderful ideas with 100% of proceeds giving back to Ukrainian causes
As the war intensifies in Ukraine, so does the worldwide support, and that includes gifts supporting Ukraine like the ones I'm sharing here. We love that there are so many organizations helping Ukraine right now, and while we encourage donating generously to your...
Why our parenting stories matter, with author Zibby Owens | Spawned Episode 270
Liz and I have a special place in our hearts for storytelling, because that's how we first met online almost 17 years ago. That can't be right, can it? We connected through our personal blogs—Mom 101 and Motherhood Uncensored—and the rest is Cool Mom Picks history....
10 simple ways to find more time in a busy day. No magic required.
We would probably all love an extra hour in the day. Or two. Or six. Especially with the busy holiday season upon us right now. But since we're not magicians and we don't own a time machine (yet), the only way we'll be able to find extra time is if we take a good look...
Sunflower earrings for Ukraine: A sweet purchase for a great cause.
This spring, we hope to see sunflowers everywhere, and that includes sunflower earrings. Especially when they're giving back to Ukraine like the ones we've just found. Indie jewelry designer, mom and art director Farah Brigante of Naaz Design Co has created a...
Affordable music lessons from Grammy winners and Juilliard musicians, all from the comfort of your home
This is a sponsored message on behalf of Virtu.Academy Instilling a love of music and supporting your child's passion for the arts just got a whole lot easier and more affordable, thanks to Virtu.Academy, a convenient online platform that offers private music lessons...
This quick tip can make your donations go further for your favorite causes
Over the past few years, I've committed to my favorite charities and causes by changing my donations from end-of-year or once-in-a-while to an automated recurring monthly contribution. I've learned that it's a really solid, easy way to help organizations and...
21 fabulous, famous women coloring pages celebrating some of our favorite American women
One of the great ways to get our kids excited to learn about anything at all is through crafts and coloring pages. So for National Women's History Month this year, we searched the web to find some of the very best printable coloring pages featuring groundbreaking...
How we can protect transgender kids in Texas and throughout the U.S.
If you are as outraged as we are by last week's directive out of Texas that equates gender-affirming medical care to child abuse and calls on licensed professionals and members of the general public to report transgender parents of minors to the authorities, keep...
What we can do to help Ukraine right now: Donate, share, call
I know I'm not the only one worrying nonstop about citizens in Ukraine the past few days. Despite claims to the contrary, President Putin invaded Ukraine at multiple points on the Ukraine border this past week and seems to be targeting Ukrainian troops defending their...
Gen Z: They’re not snowflakes, they’re warriors. Here’s the data to prove it. | Spawned Ep 269
The world feels like a pretty awful place right now. I've seen a lot of people in my social feeds say things like, "it must be hard to have kids and have to explain things like the Russian aggression against Ukraine to them." I always think that yes, sure it is --...
Our kids are sharing memes about WWIII. Here’s how to talk to kids about the fear of war and unrest.
This article was originally written in 2020 about the increase in tension between the US, Iran and Iraq. It was updated in 2021, with the riots in DC and violent insurrection at the US Capitol -- and now, February 2022 as we watch the invasion of Ukraine live on TV,...
Liz’s favorite puffy, textured, and braided sandals for spring/summer 2022: The shoe trend that has me ready for pedicures!
A few months back, a colleague with an "in" in the designer shoe world tipped me off that puffy textured sandals, woven textures and braided straps were going to be hot again for spring 2022. I blink and whoa -- now here they are, flooding the "new arrivals" category...
Where to stream the 2022 Oscar-nominated movies, and which ones to watch with your kids
If you're looking for where to stream the Oscar-nominated movies -- both the ones you can watch with kids and the ones you can watch alone after they're bed -- I get it. Parent usually struggle to catch up on all our movies this time of year. Â Or hey, maybe you've...
8 wonderful children’s books about neurodiversity that we—and our special needs kids—love
And as the mom of a daughter with autism and as a children's book lover, I've wanted to highlight some incredible children's books about neurodiversity that represent kids just like her. If you're a frequent reader here, you know it's always been important for us to...
Exceptional chocolates from Black-owned chocolate companies. For Valentine’s Day and beyond!
I may have just written about 20 of the most delicious Valentine’s food gifts that go beyond a box of chocolates, but that doesn't mean I don't also want my own box of beautiful and delicious chocolates for Valentine's Day. But not just any box of chocolates. We...
“There’s nothing romantic about depression” | Spawned Ep 268
This week, I was really happy to get to sit down and chat with Amy Koppelman, director, writer, and producer of the recent film A Mouthful of Air starring Amanda Seyfried and Finn Wittrock. It's based on on Amy's critically acclaimed novel inspired by her own...
Power outages preparedness checklist: 35 tips for how to prepare for storms, and what to do if you do lose power.
Snow days can be hard enough on parents, but if that snow day, storm, or other weather event also brings a power outage, like so many of us have experienced this past year? It's an even trickier situation. So in an effort to keep my home running as smoothly as...