The latest from Spawned: Our award-winning parenting podcast
The hard talks we need to have with our kids (and how to have them) | Spawned Episode 294
As parents, we know that there are going to be difficult conversations that we need to have — about sex, violence, relationships, substances — but it can be hard to know how to actually talk about them. That's where author Michelle Icard can help. Her book, Fourteen...
Melinda Wenner Moyer’s parenting strategies to raise good kids into great adults | Spawned Episode 293
We often discuss what it takes to raise kind, generous, ambitious, resilient, wonderful kids who will become kind, generous, ambitious, resilient, wonderful adults. Which is why we wanted to bring back one of our favorite interviews -- parenting and science journalist...
How to get into college: Invaluable tips and fascinating insights from Ned Johnson | Spawned Ep 278
Was the college search always this overwhelming or does it just feel that way? Do my kids really need to take the SATs? Does test-optional really mean optional? How did covid impact admissions? When should I be signing up my kid for college tours? Or wait...should...
Helping kids foster positive relationships and learn effective communication, with Catherine Newman | Spawned Episode 277
After two years in a pandemic, I'm sure I'm not the only one with kids who are struggling with various aspects of their social lives. From fostering positive relationships with friends and school peers, to learning effective communication in the many awkward...
Tips for keeping kids safe from online predators, from Roo Powell of Undercover Underage | Spawned 276
This week's Spawned podcast guest, Roo Powell, is the perfect person to help us with tips and advice for keeping kids safe online. She's the co-founder of SOSA (Safe from Online Sexual Abuse) and has put her child advocacy skills to use by...disguising herself as a...
More coolness from recent weeks…
7 cool, reusable snack containers for kids that beat plastic bags
We've got a gaggle of snackers in our homes, so cool snack containers for kids are an absolute must. They're a far more eco-friendly choice over plastic bags, which as we all know by now, not only saves waste but plenty of money over the long run. Plus, we've found...
16 of our favorite hygge gifts for everyone who needs more comfort and coziness right now
Hygge gifts may be a new category for a lot of us who don't have families from Denmark, but it's something we could all use more of these days. It's the Danish concept of coziness -- a lifestyle all about finding comfort, pleasure, and warmth in simple things that...
7 wonderful children’s books about African-American pioneers your children may not know — yet
It's safe to say that during Black History Month in particular, our children are learning all about our nation's great civil rights leaders, like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Frederick Douglass. But, as you may recall from the film Hidden Figures, it...
Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Motherhood: Discover Movado
In the whirlwind of motherhood, where every minute counts, a reliable and stylish timepiece can be a mother's best ally. Enter Movado, a brand synonymous with luxury, precision, and timeless design. Catering to the modern woman who juggles so many roles, Movado offers...
Reaching your organizational goals: Sarah Hart-Unger on prioritizing, organizing, and managing time | Ep 292
Is a messy desk a sign of a messy mind? Is organization something we just have to give up for a while as parents? Is a single, perfect whiteboard the key to solving all your time management woes? Sarah Hart-Unger of the podcasts Best Laid Plans and Best of Both Worlds...
24 cheap, easy, sexy ideas for date night at home. Because shockingly, parents can’t always get out.
We're all about trying to find enjoyable, cheap and easy ideas for date night at home, especially for those of us with kids who'd like a little extra help rekindling that proverbial spark when we're stuck sans sitter. Even if it's just a few hours off from actually...
The Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria: What we can do to help
As the overwhelmingly huge rescue and recovery efforts are underway in southern Türkiye and northern Syria after the devastating 7.8 earthquake, so many of us want to find ways to help the 15 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The numbers of dead keep...
These creative teens have turned a passion for tie-dye into an amazing charitable effort.
We have heard that the kids are alright. And in today's world, it's always exciting to see teens who are not just being entrepreneurial, but doing good things with their efforts. Like really, really good things. Enter Tie Dye For A Good Cause. New York teens Ella, Eve...
Cool Valentine’s Day jewelry for women: 14 pieces that are edgy, funky, and anything but traditional.
I have always loved the range of cool Valentine's Day jewelry for women, like me, who aren't quite into the traditional stuff. Nothing wrong with a solid sterling Tiffany heart necklace of course! But if you're shopping for Valentine's Day jewelry for a woman who...
14 excellent new children’s books for Black History Month – and the rest of the year too
February is Black History Month, which gives us a great opportunity to share some of our favorite new books about Black history for kids. But honestly, we are always looking for smart, educational, and enlightening children's books about and by Black Americans for our...
16 truly special Valentine’s gifts for best friends who could use a little extra love right now
Valentine's gifts for best friends isn't always something that comes top of mind when we're shopping for gifts for the kids or our significant other. But c'mon -- could we have gotten through the past couple of years without all the amazing friends in our lives?...
Outstanding videos and resources to teach our kids about the Holocaust on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Today marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Memorial Day. It's particularly poignant this year, with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau Death Camp. The sad truth is, the older we all get, the more the survivors and...
Why you should take A Thousand Miles to Graceland for a spin.
Another year, another Good Reads Challenge goal, and I'm so happy to get the year started with the first novel by Cool Mom Picks' own co-founder Kristen Mei Chase, A Thousand Miles to Graceland. If you love to read tender, funny, and cathartic stories about...
What’s up, doc? The cutest new baby gifts for the Year of the Rabbit.
Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac and after last year's "Year of the Tiger", I'm more than ready to settle down with something a little more calm and sweet. This means our kids will roar less, right? To commemorate the start of...
Being mixed race in America, with author Lauren Kung Jessen | Spawned Episode 291
As a mixed-race Chinese American, I've struggled to feel a sense of belonging. I grew up feeling more accepted by the German (white) side of my family. Then, as I got older, I learned more about the Chinese side of my family and felt a connection to the experiences of...
7 fantastic books for kids about Martin Luther King Jr. to help educate our younger children
Monday, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday and his innumerable contributions to this nation's history and advancement. Books for kids about MLK can be a great way to help little ones understand the importance of the day. Although it's a holiday in most...
SaneBox may be the best thing to ever happen to email organization.
This is a sponsored message from SaneBox Whether that little red email badge is showing you 20 unread messages or 20,000, it can be overwhelming to feel like you'll never get to the bottom of it. Enter SaneBox. Trusted by TechCrunch, The New York Times, Forbes and...
Preserving memories in the 21st century. Shouldn’t this be easier? | Spawned Episode 290
If you're like me, you thought that smartphones and tablets would make it a whole lot easier to grab photos and videos of your kids. But while they do make it easier to make memories, actually preserving them and being able to organize and then find them is a whole...
COVID in the house: How to best prepare yourself and your family
After two and a half years, we finally had COVID in the house. I'm certainly grateful for science (we're all fully vaccinated and boosted) because the folks (including me) who were infected had relatively mild cases. And while I knew that at some point we would...
5 simple things I’m doing to stay calm, centered, and not lose my *$&t this year.
The past few years have been -- as if you didn't live through them too -- kind of hellish. Okay, very hellish. You don't need me to share the many many articles about how much work moms in particularly have been doing to balance everyone's needs and help keep everyone...
7 quick things you can do right now to save money and manage money better in 2023
If you have a few minutes to spare, you can literally save money. And that sounds like a good way to start the new year, right? Of course I'm sure a lot of us have some version of "get my finances in order" on our list of New Year's resolutions, or "be wealthy beyond...