Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
The most brilliant small space solution for kids and homework
This week, I got the most amazing tip for small space organization when it comes to kids, desk space (or lack thereof) and organization, thanks to professional organizer Laurie Palau of Simply B Organized, host of This Organized Life podcast, and author of the...
Hiding in the Bathroom: Tips for coping with a 24/7 world | Spawned ep 82 with guest Morra Aarons Mele
We've got an incredible Spawned podcast episode this week that we think so many of you will find helpful. We're chatting with the incomparable author and strategist Morra Aarons-Mele, founder of Women and Work and author of the brand new Hiding in the Bathroom: An...
Secrets, lies, and Jello shots: Confessions of a class mom | Spawned 81
We're back! After a little summer time off (we missed you all!) we're back with a new Spawned podcast episode, chatting candidly with Laurie Gelman, humor writer, mom of two, former broadcaster, and current author of the hilarious new Class Mom: A Novel. It's...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Let Keith Haring make your kids into the next Keith Haring
Considering this cold weather in the northeast shows no signs of going anywhere (keep it to yourselves, SoCal friends!) I continue to collect collecting plenty of indoor activities to keep the kids busy. We've loved OMY's giant coloring posters for a while now, and...
9 life lessons from Melissa McCarthy that all moms can relate to.
In the upcoming Life of the Party, premiering May 11, my sister from another mister, Melissa McCarthy, plays a mom who goes back to college after getting dumped by her husband. But when she lands at the same school where her daughter is a freshman, she pretty much...
The modern inflatable pools that make you actually want an inflatable pool.
Inflatable pool floats have certainly got a hipster makeover over the past few years. So why not inflatable pools? Aha! Chicago designer Emily Vaca has created a line of Minnidip Inflatable Pools for that very reason. She stayed away from the traditional rainbow...
14 sexy at-home date-night ideas for parents…after the kids have gone to bed
More often than not, our romantic date nights take place at home, with the baby monitor set up and Netflix turned down low so it doesn't wake the kids. Our budget (or the kids' schedules or 100 other things) often keeps us home, and when it comes to Valentine's Day,...
The best crowdsourced ideas for making a guest room feel more welcoming
If you're wondering just what to put in a guest room to make your guests feel more welcome, I can help! Whether you're lucky enough to have an entire room dedicated to guests, or you're just trying to figure out how to turn your kids' bedroom into a welcoming guest...
Let’s drool over TOMS new spring shoes together, if you’re ready to toss your boots out the window too.
It's been a long, cold, snowy -- did I mention cold? -- winter for lots of us and yeah. I'm done with that. So just perusing out the collection of new TOMS spring shoes is giving me joy. Like proof that I only have to bide a few more weeks until the crocuses start...
Stop everything and watch the teaser trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story. A worthwhile use of 82 seconds of your time.
If you're not a Star Wars fan, I'm telling you right now, just move along. Skip this post. Keep your cynicism to yourself. Because for me, and the vast majority of our staff who's also obsessed with the greatest movie franchise of all time, behold! The new Solo: A...
8 Fun Olympics crafts to get kids excited about the winter games.
I'm a total geek for the Olympics, which means I'm a total geek for Olympic crafts for kids every two years. Sitting with my kids, watching the pageantry of the opening ceremonies featuring athletes from countries all over the world, is always such a thrill. I hope...
What are your legal rights as a working parent? Resources and info you need. | Spawned Ep 101
Did you hear the one about the pregnant woman who wasn't allowed to drink a glass of water on the job? If only this were an isolated story. That's why, for all of us working moms, working dads, and working moms-to-be, we're lucky to have someone like Dina Bakst...
This Black Panther collection gives back in a big way. So you can support Wakanda and America all at once.
Marvel's Black Panther hits the big screen on Friday, February 16 and my family is so excited to see it, especially after the wildly positive early reviews, we've joined other fans to help the superhero film hit record-breaking ticket presales. Yeah. We basically...
The cutest best friend jewelry that goes beyond the split heart necklace
Our kids are obsessed with best friend necklaces -- you know, like those traditional split heart charms on a chain that allow you to each wear a half. Whomever came up with that very first split-heart, yours-and-mine necklace...pure genius! But the idea has gotten...
These cool scratch-off Valentine’s Day cards are an instant win.
There's no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to Valentine's Day cards for kids, but I still love to see a fresh angle now and again. So I was totally charmed to find these scratch-off Valentine's Day cards from Inklings Paperie, which are taking a cue from your...
Celebrate World Read Aloud Day! Amazing resources, free printables, author videos, children’s book recos and more
Today is World Read Aloud Day (or for those of us on social media, #WorldReadAloudDay) and there are so many great ways to celebrate with your kids. And not just today, either! When you consider how essential a love of reading is to a child having success and options...
17 truly funny Valentine’s Day cards, from silly to “oh no you didn’t!”
Hooray! It's funny Valentine's Card time at Cool Mom Picks! If you're more silly than sentimental, more snarky than sappy, then each year, we have the best time tracking down the perfect Valentine's Day card for you. I think these 16 are sure to make you giggle. Or...
10 free printable classroom valentines for older kids, from unicorns to vikings to Ziggy Stardust.
This year, we've found so many fun new free printable valentines especially for older kids who have outgrown the cutesie stuff, and I'm sharing some of my favorite printables from previous years too. Thanks to so many amazing, creative makers online, there's no need...
15+ fun, affordable Valentine’s Day gifts for kids all under $15 each
Chocolatiers and florists would have us believe Valentine's Day is all about romance, but we know the truth. It's all about cutting out 8 zillion classroom valentines. (Ha.) The truth is, when you become a parents, any excuse to shower our kids with a little extra...
The online Diverse Book Finder: A must-bookmark resource for families.
As avid advocates of diverse books of all kinds, but especially diverse children's books, we work hard to share carefully curated lists of children's books. Our amazing writers have shared impressive lists of wonderful books about diverse families, notable women...
4.2 million women’s marchers in one glorious 500-piece puzzle
I've always loved the artful, fun kids' toys and gifts from eeBoo, and now I've got one more reason to love them: The 500 piece Women March! puzzle that's coming out in spring of this year. Prolific illustrator Jennifer Orkin Lewis (you may know her as August Wren)...
Meet Scough: The scarf that could protect you and your family from the flu.
Last year, I received an email about the Scough, a scarf with an activated carbon mask that fits inside, and to be honest, I thought it sounded kind of germaphobic. And silly. So I filed the email away and didn't think much about it. But when I kept getting sick after...
Take on 2018 with these 8 pieces of empowering, mood-boosting jewelry
When I saw Etsy editors recommending mood-boosting jewelry for this time of year, I was in. Let's just say, I've felt like Cinderella lately . . . pre-fairy-Godmother. I'm constantly cleaning up after my kids because it's too cold for them to play outside, grappling...
Move over, Oprah: How to make a YOUR favorite things gift box for your BFF.
We recently discovered the coolest gift idea when our friend Tina Roth Eisenberg at Swiss Miss shared a Favorite Things Gift Box she received from her friend Jessica Kausen. Jessica filled a box with a few of her own favorite things (no offense, Oprah) along with a...