Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Getting real with Jenna + Bodhi Elfman about parenting and relationships after kids | Spawned Episode 41
Well this is a good one, Spawned podcast fans! In our newest episode of Spawned with Kristen + Liz, we're getting real about relationships and parenting with two very special guests, Jenna and Bodhi Elfman. (Yes, that Jenna and Bodhi Elfman.) Beyond being famous for...
15 simple, possibly unexpected ways parents can connect with their tween or teen
We all heard that raising tweens and teens are hard, but now, here we are ourselves with a few on our hands, and doing our best to navigate the challenges of parenting them. Whether you're in the throes of it yourself, are approaching it rapidly, or just want to get a...
Young moms vs old moms: The new phase of the mommy wars? | Spawned podcast episode 41
Thank you so much for all of your tweets, emails, DMs and as Liz would say, "letters," asking whether we were okay. YES we are okay! And after a brief hiatus, we're so happy to be back with a new episode of Spawned with Kristen + Liz, and it's a fun one. Says us. You...
More coolness from recent weeks…
23 of the coolest Wonder Woman school supplies | Back to School Guide 2017
I think it's safe to say that this is the year of Wonder Woman. Okay, so on this site, every year has been the year of Wonder Woman, but with the hit movie introducing her to a new generation, our kids are clamoring for Wonder Woman gear for back-to-school that...
NASA’s own tip for making easy, DIY solar eclipse glasses. Because no, you can’t buy them anymore.
Okay, so you missed your opportunity to buy legit solar eclipse glasses for your family and you may have even missed the opportunity to get free solar eclipse glasses in select locations. That doesn't mean you should scorch your retinas for life for a few hours of...
12 motivational back-to-school printables to send kids off with a smile.
We've been hard at work rounding up some of the absolute coolest back to school gear for the season, like unicorn school supplies, crazy cheap preschooler gear, fun space-themed supplies, with tons more still coming. And now we've found a great selection of...
How well do Inkbox semi-permanent tattoos work? | Damn You, Social Media Ads
I’ve never taken the plunge to actually get a real tattoo. While Kristen's tattoos look amazing, the pain and permanence hold me back. So, when I saw the ads for semi-permanent tattoos from Inkbox in my Facebook feed over and over, I thought I'd give one a try as...
We love these My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, Super Mario, and Disney cosmetics for adults. No apologies.
Just because we’re grown ups doesn’t mean we have to grow up. Add some magic to your makeup.
The song reminding kids of all the goodness in the world, just when they need it.
This past week has been so difficult. For me, for all of us here...and probably for you. The events in Charlottesville have shined a bright light on bigotry and hate, which can do real damage to your soul. And if we feel scared and heartbroken -- well, imagine what it...
How one little gadget is making parents’ busy lives a whole lot easier.
Technology has the amazing power to simplify the lives of parents, which is exactly the case with the our newest sponsor, Wemo Mini. This little plug can turn any small appliance -- think lamps, fans, humidifiers, coffee makers -- in a smart appliance. And so...
What’s better than safe, kid-friendly nail polish? Safe, kid-friendly nail polish you can wash off with water.
My daughter loves nail polish, but she's not so crazy about taking it off once it starts to chip. As for me, I cringe a little when I soak her little kid fingers with strong nail polish remover. Because, chemicals. Right? So I love our latest discovery:...
29 very cool, very affordable back-to-school finds for tweens and teens
Back-to-school shopping with tweens and teens is like a whooole new thing. They have pretty strong opinions about what they love and don't love. Even more than preschoolers, if you can believe that. (Though at least they don't insist on wearing their swimsuit and...
9 of the coolest, prettiest 2017-18 school year planners to get you and your family on the same page
As much as I love the convenience and ease of digital calendar apps, I'm in the market for a brand new 2017-18 school year planner, because I'm a paper planner girl at heart. I always get a little thrill when it's time to get a new one, and that time is now! Because...
The best and worst states to have a baby in 2017 | Thinking: Parent
With a lot of concern around changing health care policy, tax increases impacting the middle class, benefit cuts to struggling families, and the fact that Americans already pay the highest birthing costs in the world, I was intrigued to check out WalletHub's...
Leland Ave Studios: Quilts to make you question your crafting skills
As someone with a mom who's an incredible quilter, I've always valued the intricacies of thecraft of quilting. And then I discovered Kim Smith of Leland Ave Studios, a former attorney turned mom-of-three, who definitely takes it to the next level. Her Lincoln quilt is...
Star Wars x Sperry: A match made in a galaxy far, far away. (Or Massachusetts, really.)
Forget having the coolest shoes in school, the Star Wars x Sperry mashup that just released this week may be the coolest sneakers in the galaxy. Classic shoe styles meets classic geek culture design? Yep, we're probably going to be stealing these Star Wars sneakers...
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...
Boost your beginner eater’s diet with these 10 best superfoods for babies and toddlers.
We here on the CMP team have a lot of collective parenting experience under our belts -- or, uh, stretchy waist bands -- and one thing that we all agree on is that starting solids is one of the most exciting and overwhelming developmental stages. There's just so much...
The best, most affordable places to buy jeans for tall girls.
I'm 5'11 and while I love my height now, middle school me wasn't thrilled about the perennial challenge of buying jeans for tall girls. Especially since my parents didn't want to spend a bundle on jeans that would only last one BTS season at best. With my willowy...
Moleskine, meet Minions. And Vader. And Potter. And Haring. And Jagger…
Humans can't live by keyboards alone, and for actual old school writing, we're big fans of Moleskine notebooks. (Who isn't, right?) Looking at the new Limited Edition Moleskine notebooks collection has my girls -- and me -- eager to put pen to paper, to journal our...
Color-your-own backpacks and bags that let your kids be the designer
Any parent who has walls, floors, tables, refrigerators, windows, or slips of important paperwork knows: If it's even slightly colorable, a kid will color it. So having extra things around that are supposed to be colored is always a good idea, and that's just one of...
The most amazing new breast pumps that say, welcome, 21st century moms!
Any mom who's used a breast pump recently knows that the old, tried-and-true breast pump design has been in need a serious makeover for a while. As a new mom myself, I feel so lucky to be nursing just as some of the coolest innovations in breast pumps are hitting the...
Scratch n’ sniff tees for kids! That probably smell better than our actual kids!
Australian brand Cotton:On Kids makes some really cool kids' clothes, and they may have just outdone themselves with a new line of 100% cotton scratch n' sniff tees, PJs, and accessories like a fun popsicle pencil case and jelly bags that all have this 70s child...
26 of the coolest unicorn school supplies that bring magic to the day | Back to School Guide 2017
It would hardly be 2017 -- or heck, the 21st century as a whole -- without a look at the coolest unicorn school supplies as part of our annual back to school shopping guide. Because if there's one theme our kids show no sign of getting tired of, it's got to be...