Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Our own best tips to save you money on holiday shopping and Black Friday | Spawned 95
We love sharing tips for saving money when it comes to Black Friday and holiday shopping! Maybe because we love saving money ourselves? So this week on Spawned with Kristen and Liz we are hooking you up. These are some of the tips we've shared with national magazines,...
Can’t we all just get Along? Brutally honest answers to Thanksgiving questions | Spawned ep 93
This week on Spawned with Kristen and Liz is one of our very favorite annual episodes: Answering all of our listeners' and readers' burning Thanksgiving questions! Wondering how to get the men to actually do dishes this year? Trying to feed 12 people with 14 different...
Rock n Roll Parenting: Would you take your kid to a rock concert? | Spawned ep 93
This week on Spawned with Kristen and Liz, with Kristen just back from an Imagine Dragons show, we've got kids and concerts on the brain. Join us for a lively discussion about the joy of tweens and big kids, safety concerns, tips and tricks -- we even share our own...
More coolness from recent weeks…
The non-lecturey, totally realistic book about self care that I wish I’d had as a new mom.
There are tons of books -- not to mention unsolicited opinions from strangers (my favorite!) -- on how to raise a healthy kid, but when you think about it, there's not much out there on how to cultivate healthy moms. Which is why social worker, writer, and personal...
Should you quit Facebook? Spawned Episode 106
With the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal and Zuckerberg testifying, we're seeing lots of talk about Facebook privacy issues these days. Especially in our Facebook feeds. Very meta! From sticking around and tightening up your security settings to hitting the road...
Looking for kids’ Crocs alternatives? We’ve found 6 sturdy sandals that are ready for adventure.
Wanna talk Crocs alternatives for kids? I am here for you! As someone who wore Crocs once upon a time, I know that despite some of the benefits, they're not the most durable or supportive kids' shoes, let alone safe -- plenty of camps and schools have banned children...
7 books that teach kids about the Holocaust. Because we haven’t forgotten, and neither will they.
Holocaust books for kids? Absolutely. Without a doubt. There's no room for "but we have to keep our kids innocent!" -- this is important. This week was Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, and we were all shocked to see the results of a new survey...
4 fantastic, creative journals to get kids drawing, reflecting, or plotting to save the world.
Wow, journals have come a long way since I was a kid and I had a choice between a plain lined composition book or some cutesy diary with an easily pickable lock. Now, journals are so creative, with so many different kinds of approaches and prompts, making them far...
Our favorite Keith Haring X Coach handbags to let you wear your pop art love every day
What happens when designer Coach bags meet the designs of pop art icon Keith Haring? Some show-stoppingly chic handbags, it turns out. And even though some of these Keith Haring X Coach handbags seem like they might cost as much as a Keith Haring original -- they...
Raising teens and tweens? We’ve got 7 simple ways to connect, using the time you already have together.
As my daughter edges closer to 14 with high school starting this fall, it's admittedly become more challenging for me to stay connected to her. Don't get me wrong -- she's lovely -- but she'd much rather spend her time locked in her art studio or bedroom, versus...
This illustrator makes the most perfect Mother’s Day gifts for strong moms.
With Mother's Day around the corner (whoo!) I've been looking at Mother's Day gifts my own strong, progressive mom would love -- and frankly, that I'd love from my own kids. Not that I don't adore the handmade cards and hand-painted jewelry boxes most of all, but...
Why this innovative baby bed could be an exhausted parent’s life saver
My son basically lived in an Ergobaby carrier for the first 6 months of his life, especially during the daytime. While he slept decently at night, he totally refused to go down in his big crib during the day (hence the Ergobaby). So as we start thinking about having a...
8 simple ways to make parents’ crazy weeknights a whole lot more enjoyable.
If your weeknights are anything like mine, it can feel like weathering a hurricane just to make it to your kids' bedtime every night. Between homework, activities, and pleas for screen time, it's easy to start feeling like your weeknights are just the gauntlet to get...
A fresh bouquet of free printable spring coloring pages from a favorite children’s book illustrator
If spring's taking its sweet time to arrive in your part of the country, these charming free printable spring coloring pages from children's book illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg may help perk things up. Because if the pastels haven't arrived outside, hey, let the...
You obviously need a boat-sized rainbow unicorn pool float this summer. And now, they’re back in stock!
As you're going about making your family's summer plans, you're probably thinking to yourself: "Self, you know what this summer really needs? A giant pool float that looks like a rainbow unicorn and can easily fit six people." What, you don't talk to yourself that...
Porgicorns = Porgs + Unicorns. Because, of course!
We've seen purrmaids. We've seen caticorns. So of course the next logical magical creature hybrid would be a porg unicorn, right? Friends: Meet the porgicorn. The brainchild of mega Star Wars fan cum designer who goes by Leiawars at her Etsy shop, the adorable...
Something that will actually get our kids excited to take a shower? Yes, please!
Let's talk about our kids' hygiene for a second, mmkay? Because all four of my kids still prefer baths over showers, and it's kind of driving me crazy; four long consecutive children's bubble baths are simply not practical every night. So when I saw the new wild,...
5 surprising health benefits of standing desks that you might not know
If you're like lots of Americans, including us, you spend a whole lot of time sitting at a desk during your work day. (Hey, we're busy!) And while many people have heard of standing desks, when you start to check out all the health and wellness benefits they offer,...
Sales! Sales Sales! Here’s what to buy your kids right now because, ZOMG.
Just a friendly public service announcement here that OMG, you guys (that's like my favorite expression, don't judge) right now is the time to load up on kids' snow gear on sale for next year. I was actually shopping around for some good deals on rain boots and spring...
7 wonderful benefits of STEM for kids. It’s not just about coding!
Brought to you by our amazing sponsor, Play-Well TEKnologies, which has offered LEGO-inspired STEM camps for kids for the past twenty years. Wow. More than 100,000 kids each year have benefited from their terrific summer program -- maybe yours will be one of them this...
A thorough comparison of the 6 top online consignment and resale shops: Who will give you the most for that NWT handbag?
Who here has wanted to consign or resale clothes but just didn't know which service was the best, who would make it easiest, or even where to start? The Real Real? Vestiaire? Poshmark? Tradesy? threadUp? I don't know either! But it's time. Soon after reading...
The craft kit that’ll make you nostalgic for your misspent youth
If you’re like me, this DIY Pin & Flair Kit from Yellow Owl Workshop will transport you back to the carefree days of your youth. That is, the good parts, not the parts with the retainer and the bad hair. Because the pins are made with Shrinky Dinks! (Or at least...
Ayesha Curry designed your kids’ new favorite dishes to do great things for kids in need, too.
I already thought Ayesha Curry was one cool mom. Now it's doubly confirmed, since seeing the latest from the wonderful company she co-founded, Cheeky Kids. CMP is an rstyle affiliate. Starting this week at Target (online and in stores), you'll find a super cute...
These 11 free Easter printables will make your egg hunt happier, your brunch table prettier, your hair shinier. (Well, the first two for sure.)
My family loves coloring eggs, egg hunts, Easter baskets, and brunch — so do I! — but I wouldn't be sad if doing all that was about 50% easier. That's where free Easter printables can be a huge help. Anything that can eliminate another trip to the store, cut down on...