Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
The best holiday humor from around the web. Because we needed a laugh, too. | Spawned Episode 62
If you're like us, then you could reallllly use a laugh right about now. The last-minute holiday rush. The news. More news. Well, you get the idea. So, on this episode of Spawned we scoured the web for some of the best holiday humor we could find. Ridiculous Pinterest...
We got WHAT for Christmas? The answers to all your holiday questions | Spawned episode 61
With so many holiday dilemmas and conundrums, we decided to ask you, our awesome readers and listeners, what holiday questions you'd love to hear us answer on the air. And wow, you delivered! On this extra special, extended version of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we...
Retail is for suckers! Save money shopping online with these expert tips and resources | Spawned Ep 60
After ten years of browsing retailers for a living, putting together shopping guides of all kinds (like Holiday Gift Guides, ahem) and getting to know the ins and outs of online shopping, we thought it would be helpful to devote an entire episode of Spawned to all of...
More coolness from recent weeks…
How a regular mom ended up in A Bad Moms Christmas. Maybe.
When you're going to film a scene in A Bad Moms Christmas in balmy Atlanta, but it is actually supposed to take place in Chicago at Christmastime, you pack coats. And scarves. And boots. Maybe even more than a few pairs of boots because you're thinking, "OMG Kristen...
24 wonderful non-candy Halloween treat ideas for parties or kids with allergies.
We love putting together non-candy Halloween treat ideas for our readers who want to to offset the all the candy, have options that will delight trick-or-treaters with food allergies, or just have something fun for Halloween party goodie bags. So I've updated our 2015...
15 of my cold and flu season must-haves, all in one handy place. Including the most important one of all.
The kids are back in school, which means cold and flu season is upon us. (Yay.) (Not really.) You probably already know to grab some cold meds, clean out your humidifier, and stock up on tissues, as you get your kids their annual flu shots. Here are 15 of my favorite...
23 of the hottest pop-culture costumes for babies this year. Look for them all!
Halloween is a great time to be a parent! You probably remember picking your baby's first costume or maybe you're picking that costume right now. If you're the parent that thinks outside the box you have to check out these 2017 pop-culture baby costumes. Yes, some of...
Moms of big families share 7 brilliant, time-saving laundry hacks.
Over the years, we've figured out plenty of tricks to make the whole laundry process a lot easier. Because oof, who wants to spend more time than we have to doing laundry? It presents a particular challenge for those of us with bigger families; Kristen has six people...
From tattooed bikers to superheroes, these photo-real Halloween costume tees for kids are genius!
This Halloween, sure. You might want to put together the spookiest decorations, the coolest jack-o-lanterns, and the most creative costumes for your kids...but sometimes, that's just not realistic. No shame in that, we get it! And that's where these clever Halloween...
Can you tell which of these crazy beauty trends are real? | Spawned ep 91
Skin purifying vaga-cials? Eyebrow merkins? Scalp Botox? Nose hair extensions? Ready to laugh, friends? This week on Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we combed the internet for the wackiest, wildest, most bizarre beauty trends -- and then we made a few up too. Take a...
The Halloween socks your kids will beg to wear all year.
While we love putting together Halloween costumes for babies, no want wants a fussy baby stuck in an uncomfortable costume that looked cute on Pinterest. We're all for Halloween costumes and accessories that babies can wear again. So when we spotted those cute PALS...
8 awesome ways to decorate a teal pumpkin for Halloween.
The teal-colored pumpkins on stoops throughout your neighborhood are more than just pretty — they have a special meaning. Thanks to the Teal Pumpkin Project, a blue jack-o-lantern signals that a house offers non-edible treats that accommodate trick-or-treaters with...
See Target’s new line of adaptive clothing for kids with special needs. It’s beautiful.
When Target released new clothing styles made just for kids with sensory issues, we all burst out with a collective "woo-hoo," because this is so meaningful to so many kids and parents. And we're "woo-hoo"ing again now, because today is the day that, as promised,...
10 outrageously creepy Halloween pumpkins for when your kids are out of the nightmare stage
When you have young kids, you tend to find inspiration in cute Sharpie Pumpkins or maybe painted pumpkins -- perhaps with a little pastel paint and some glitter glue? But when your kids get older, it's all about having the creepiest pumpkins -- the more guts, the more...
In defense of parents: A response to the child-free haters of the world.
If you ask me, anonymous avatars on the internet don't need more license to shame parents and our children. But alas, a recent Lifehacker article by Patrick Allan explicitly asked non-parents to name their grievances against those people who deigned to bear kids. So...
Getting kids to do homework without even having to ask. | Spawned ep 90
Wouldn't we all love our kids to be those self-starters who sit down dutifully each day after school to tackle homework, proofread, make corrections, and hey, maybe do some extra-credit -- all without being asked? Well, yeah. But we're realists And not every kid is...
Beyond Wonder Woman: 14 empowering girl Halloween costumes inspired by real life heroes
I'm really excited to share these 13 empowering girl Halloween costumes based on some of our favorite real-life heroes. Not that there's anything wrong with comic superheros and imaginary self-rescuing princesses, but there's something special about honoring a real...
From Lisa Frank to Mother of Dragons: 13 cool, easy last-minute Halloween costumes for moms
I've spent most of this month trying to tame my kids' all-out obsession about their Halloween costumes. They've swung the gamut from obscure Harry Potter characters to obscure Studio Ghibli characters to morph suits. I can't keep up, much less take the time to think...
Beyond Waldo: 6 gorgeously artful look-and-find books for kids
I'm lucky to have a job that allows me to the opportunity to preview countless kids' books each year. But admittedly, it often feels like a neverending stream of the same-old. However recently, I've noticed a trend of well-designed, beautifully executed look-and-find...
How to throw a Stranger Things themed party! 20 of the coolest ideas this side of The Upside Down.
If you're planning to throw a Stranger Things themed party for an upcoming birthday, for Halloween, or even a viewing party to celebrate the launch of the next season -- counting the hours! -- we've got you covered! Check out these cool Stranger Things party ideas,...
13 super easy, very fun, no-sew DIY Halloween costume ideas for babies and toddlers.
My six-month-old baby can't eat candy yet, but I'm not above exploiting his cuteness to satisfy my own sweet tooth when we go trick-or-treating. (Kidding. Sort of.) So I'm all for adorable, easy, no-sew Halloween costume ideas for babies that are simple enough for a...
5 Black beauty secrets I learned from my own gorgeous mother…who I thought was Diana Ross.
When I was little, I just knew my mom was one of The Supremes. Actually, she wasn’t just one of them, she actually was THE Supreme, Miss Diana Ross. I figured this out using my excellent 5-year-old powers of deduction, of course. My mom’s name is similar to Diana Ross...
How to wear 90s style today without looking like a Friends throwback.
With crushed velvet, baby doll dresses, and black nail polish trending this fall, it hit me: 90s style is back. And I'm all in. So let's turn up some Pearl Jam and scribble Mrs. Jordan Catalano on our Trapper Keeepers while we figure out how to grab those items that...
We tried the top-rated pillow on Amazon to see if it was all that. And whoa, it is.
I get a lot of email pitches here at Cool Mom Picks with all sorts of compelling subject lines, but when I saw Try the Top Rated Pillow on Amazon, this extremely tired mom couldn't help but click that one open. To be honest, I don't tend to put a lot of weight into...