Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Helpful tips for flying with kids from been-there-done-that moms who survived. Mostly.
With spring break here or coming up for lots of us, and summer vacations around the corner (whoo!), we know so many families will be hitting the skies -- some of you for the very first time with kids in tow. So, as a couple of been-there-done-that moms who've flown...
Earmuffs! Or, how to talk to your kids about politics during an ugly election season
I've always aimed to raise my kids to be politically aware and engaged, and to help them understand how valuable their voting rights are and how important it is to become an informed voter. Ever since they were toddlers, I've taken them into the election booth with...
Are you oversharenting? 5 questions to consider before you share photos of your kids on social media
Not a week goes by where we don't get some question related to social media and kids. It's definitely something on most parents' minds these days, and a debate that can get, well, pretty heated. And we get it, no one wants to be judged about their parenting choices....
More coolness from recent weeks…
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...
Here’s what happened when I took a solo road trip with my 4 kids. Spoiler: It was awesome!
As my kids get older and my status as single mom changing with the blending of my family with my fiancé and his pug (Hi Audrey!), I decided I wanted to start a new yearly tradition: a solo road trip, just me and my kids. Alone. Gulp. This year, I had my...
Get out the scissors! Check out these 7 sets of cool, modern, free printable paper dolls, from Wonder Woman to Hamilton
We're big fans of free printable paper dolls and find ourselves downloading them all the time for our kids. But while vintage Betsy McCall paper dolls from our childhood still hold a nostalgic place in our hearts, our older kids are often drawn to more modern paper...
Coach’s space-themed bags and wallets are out of this world. (Yeah, we said it.)
As if we weren't legitimately excited enough already about the total solar eclipse on August 21, the limited edition Coach Space collection has us over the moon — so to speak. Because now we have an excuse to buy some of the coolest space-themed bags and accessories...
Easy solar eclipse party ideas for a once-in-a-lifetime bash. Literally.
We are totally geeking out over the solar eclipse that's crossing the United States on April 8., 2024 In fact, we think it's the perfect excuse to throw a solar eclipse party! If your kids aren't in school yet or will be home in time for the afternoon event, check out...
Forget history. Here’s HERstory, and it’s going to change your kid’s world.
Coming across the Modern HERstory book fundraising effort from Equality for HER founder Blair Imani's Twitter feed this week, I was immediately like YES YES YES! Related: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is back, more inspiring than ever This doesn't look to be your...
How good are the $3 beauty products from Brandless? An honest review.
I like to keep things simple when it comes to shopping for beauty products, but I have to admit that it's far from easy. I want high-quality, conscientious beauty products and I want them inexpensive. (A big ask, right?) That's why I was intrigued to order a few items...
23 of the coolest space-themed school supplies | Back-to-school shopping guide 2017
Looking at all the space-themed school supplies and cool gear we're this year, we were thinking...wow, we could do a whole post on this! So, that's just what we did. In fact for this year's annual back-to-school shopping guide we decided to devote each post to a...
Bouncie: The simple, powerful device that’s keeping families safer on the road.
If you're like most parents (us included!) you spend a whole lot of your time in your car. Whether it's shuttling the kids to and from school, activities, sports, and playdates, running errands, or just hitting the road on the weekends. And when you've got a teenager...
New backpacks that make us glad our kids need new backpacks.
The effortlessly cool backpacks and lunchboxes from SoYoung have been topping our lists of favorite back-to-school gear for years. And now our favorite durable, long-lasting, raw linen backpacks and lunch packs have gotten even cooler (yes, it is possible) because...
US means all of us
I was so happy to come across the beautiful US means all of us message, which started as a grassroots campaign from Selman Design to help attack ignorance and fear, especially about the Muslim-American community, while promoting equality and respect for all Americans....
What’s new about the new AAP car seat guidelines that parents need to know.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants to be as clear as can be on the safest way to buckle up your kids in the car. They just released new car seat guidelines for 2017 with very specific age and weight requirements and the folks at Healthy Child have...