Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Kids and social media: Smart tips and helpful advice from BTDT parents | Spawned episode 71
As the editors of Cool Mom Tech, we're often asked by parents how to navigate the ever changing landscape of social media with their kids. So, we decided to spend this episode of our Spawned podcast answering questions and offering our thoughts and experiences with...
5 time organization techniques from experts that really work | Spawned Episode 70
Who doesn't want more time in their day? That's why on this episode of Spawned, we decided to take a closer look at 5 popular time organization techniques from experts and share how they'd work for parents. If you've been wrangling a never-ending to-do list, or you...
Is princess culture hurting our kids? | Spawned Episode 69
Thanks to the new Beauty and the Beast movie, we're seeing lots of chatter about princess culture and whether it's good for our kids. So, on this new episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we tackle this hot button issue, and whether the whole Disney princess...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Can you give a postal carrier a gift or tip? The guidelines and some great ideas.
Each year around Christmas, our readers ask us whether you can give a postal carrier a gift -- or a UPS or FedEx delivery person for that matter, especially if you get as many packages as we do! Well we've got a list below of each organization's policies about...
Liz and Kristen’s favorite holiday gift ideas from our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide
We have to admit that picking favorite gift ideas from our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide is sort of like picking a favorite kid; it was really hard to do! But, we somehow managed, and we had a lot of fun doing it. Whether you're smack in the middle of your holiday shopping...
Easy tips for protecting your skin from the sun, even in the winter | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Eucerin While parents tend to be obsessed with SPF in the summer months, it can be easy to forget that sun exposure is still something to watch out for all year round. One easy way to get the protection you need is with Eucerin Daily...
The gift for the kid who has everything: A stylish clothing subscription box that gives back
We were pretty excited when we discovered and tried Kidbox last year, which we described like Stitchbox for kids newborn to 14. What's especially cool is that Kidbox is giving back in a big way. For every subscription purchased, a new item of clothing will be given to...
Cool apparel and gifts that support our national parks. Now more than ever.
Ken Burns called our national park system, "America's Best Idea." And I have to say, the president's decision yesterday to eliminate more protected public land than ever before in US history -- nearly 2 million acres -- is absolutely disturbing in so many ways. But I...
More than 30 creative stocking stuffer ideas for kids, all under $5!
We're always on the lookout for fun stocking stuffers for kids that don't break the bank -- especially when we're stuffing a whole lot of them. And we love getting more creative than candy canes and bubbles. Not that there's anything wrong with them...but we can be so...
Choose kind: Wonderful gift ideas for Wonder book and movie fans.
Since the introduction to Harry Potter 20 years ago (wha-aa?) I can't think of a children's book that's resonated with so many kids and adults as RJ Palacio's Wonder. It's made my own daughters' lists of Favorite Books Ever, and they adored the Wonder movie too. (Even...
The Little Feminist book subscription box delivers monthly empowerment for kids.
If you've followed us for any length of time, you know that we're big fans of children's books that reflect real-life diversity. The percentage of books that deliver on this is getting better, but still not nearly high enough. But we've recently found a subscription...
The 125 Collection: Candles that illuminate how dope you are
Inspirational? Check. Sassy? Check. Funny AF? You bet. The 125 Collection candles cover all the bases. I'm so happy to discover these 100% natural, premium scented soy candles that were created by two entrepreneurial women in Harlem, NYC. (On 125th Street, get it?)....
Adorable magnetic paper doll sets mean no more paper scraps in the carpet, huzzah!
Each is more adorable than the next. You may want to spring for them all!
Pumping moms! This service gets that liquid gold home for you safely when you’re on the road.
Every breastfeeding mom I know absolutely despises the "pump and dump." All that work to throw my liquid gold down the drain? No, thanks. But it's a reality for many moms who travel for work and have no other option besides risking spoilage or schlepping a sloshy...
The year’s best Christmas books for kids (that parents will actually want to read too)
Our local bookstore has a kids' section that's a swath of red and green right now. But books like Clifford's Christmas or It's a SpongeBob Christmas are not my first choices. (You guys, I totally just made up those titles in my head, searched...and they're real books....
This graphic novel anthology about reproductive health aims to educate, inspire, and support an important org.
To celebrate and support Planned Parenthood's 100th year anniversary, a group of the best in the Comics industry -- we're taking Neil Gaiman, Louise Simonson, Denny O'Neil, Andrew Aydin, Gabby Rivera, and many more! == have come together to create the Mine! comics...
10 fun building sets for kids of all ages that make perfect holiday gifts.
We've always been big fans of building sets for kids, especially for holiday gifts. Because we've found over the past decade or so of parenting, that that they really do give you a whole lot of bang for your buck. Building sets are fun (obvs!), they help develop...
It’s here! Our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide. Whoo!
It's true! Our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide is here, and we're so excited, we just cannot hide it. Sing it with us. Sorry, we're a little sleep deprived because we've been scouring the web as we do every year now for 12 years (yes, 12!) to find literally hundreds of gifts...
It’s Giving Tuesday! Here are the orgs who will double your donation dollars.
We all try to give back all year round, but Giving Tuesday (that's today!) marks a special opportunity to make sure we get a little extra generosity in to our favorite charities before the year's end. And the best part is, whatever you donate today will be matched,...
3 organizations that let you send heartfelt holiday cards to kids who need them most
On this Giving Tuesday, we're 100% for you donating whatever money, time, and resources you can the causes you care about most. And we know there are a lot of them. While you're at it, consider another group that could benefit from your love: Kids spending the holiday...
This cookie stamp lets you give back to teachers in an awesome (and delicious) way.
Every holiday season, we parents want to give back to the teachers who spend the rest of the year giving so much to our kids. And, truthfully, finding the right teacher gift is hard. Really, what gift strikes a balance between "thank you for all you do" and "sorry...
The best Cyber Monday 2017 deals from around the web to help you shop big or shop small.
Friends, may we present...the best Cyber Monday 2017 shopping deals and discounts around the web. No "2% off with a $1000 purchase" deals. Just the very best stuff from the shops we love, big and small. Things have come a long way since the days that Cyber Monday was...
6 lovely gifts that give back on Shop for Good Sunday. Or any day!
Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, there are a lot of dedicated shopping days in your life right now. But Shop for Good Sunday is another to add to the list — and you should add it, because today is about supporting businesses and brands...
Small Business Saturday deals that make your heart grow three sizes today.
Way back before Small Business Saturday, there was Cool Mom Picks. Kristen and I originally started our site as a way to support cool small businesses, mom-run companies and makers (F.K.A. "artisans") that could use a signal boost. So while every day is basically...