Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
One-word New Year’s resolutions: The trick to making one you can finally keep. | Spawned Ep 27
This week on the Spawned Podcast, we closed out our year (or, we're opening the new one if you're listening now) with a really good talk about New Year's resolutions: The good, the bad, and the very very broken. First, don't call them resolutions I like Kristen's...
The great Santa debate: The magic of childhood or the end of trust with your children as you know it?
Each year around this time, we sit back (sometimes with popcorn) and we watch the passions ignite and the tempers flare and the tears flow as parents, psychologists, and armchair experts of all kinds debate the merits of Santa. It's amazing how many strongly held...
The dedicated holiday gift help series, Part 2 : Spawned episode 25
On this episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we were determined to help you with those hard-to-shop-for adults on your list, so we're giving out tips and dishing our our own favorite gifts from our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. Plus, we have a good laugh about the...
More coolness from recent weeks…
The life-changing magic of tidying up, now as a manga graphic novel. For real.
I'd be willing to bet money that you've probably heard about Marie Kondo's uber best-selling book The life-changing magic of tidying up, aka The Konmari Method. But now, the author has launched a new version of her book to make it even more appealing to read. That's...
12 fun, creative 4th of July crafts for older kids who have outgrown fingerpainting.
We've seen so many 4th of July crafts over the years, and admittedly, my own bag of craft tricks for the kids can use some freshening up. So I've scoured the web and tracked down some really creative (and relatively easy) 4th of July crafts for kids who have outgrown...
Here’s why you may now need a passport to fly domestically, and how it impacts family travel.
If you're a parent in Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (sorry, Kristen!), South Carolina or Washington State, a simple family trip to visit the grandparents is about to get trickier. And a lot more expensive. All thanks to the REAL...
Our honest review of Function of Beauty custom shampoo and conditioner | Damn You, Social Media Ads
We're so glad you've all been loving our Damn You, Social Media Ads review series, in which we purchase products from those ads flooding our social feeds, then test them out just for you. Today, we've got the honest scoop on Function of Beauty custom haircare...
Fun July 4th party must-haves because hey, you only turn 241 once.
Do you like July 4th parties? I like July 4th parties. I mean, what's not to like? Sparklers, hot dogs, watermelon, friends -- and I don't have to wrap any gifts! If you're planning on hosting a shindig -- or just bringing something to a July 4th potluck -- I've found...
Bandages to heal kids’ emotional boo-boos: Helicopter-y or helpful? | Thinking: Parent
This post is written by guest contributor Anna Caudill, Executive Director of PALS (Post Adoptive Learning Services) and adoptive mom of two. Recently, Dutch bandage company Hanasplast created a limited time box of Hearts bandages designed to "heal emotional wounds."...
How to wear stars this summer. Stripes, optional.
If you've ever bought that awesome American flag t-shirt for July 4th only to feel like it's kind of passé on July 5th, I just found the perfect fashion solution in these totally fab new star-adorned Lily flip-flops from TKEES spotted at ShopBop. They come in three...
Do you know where your kids are? This new device could help. | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Jiobit Keeping track of your kids just got a whole lot easier thanks to Jiobit, a location tracker designed to help give parents peace of mind. Don't miss the special offer for Cool Mom Picks readers, below. The Jiobit works with a...
Who was John Newbery? This children’s book makes finding out so fun.
We've shared so many children's books over the years that bring history's most wonderful real-life heroes to life for kids. From specific heroes like Frederick Douglas (whom a few adults need to read more about too, ahem) and Josephine Baker; to pioneers of space and...
4 of the most gorgeous baby bassinets you’d keep in the bedroom, even when the baby has moved on.
Since my husband and I sleep with our 3-month-old in our bedroom, I wanted to share some of the more gorgeous baby bassinets I've come across as a new mom. Because I know I don't want to look at swirls of neon plastic every time I lay my exhausted head down on my...
The new Crayola nail polish by Sally Hansen: Sorry kids, these are just for us.
As parents, we're familiar with colorful crayon masterpieces pinned to our walls and, let's be honest, on our walls. But on our nails? Shut the front door. Sally Hansen has teamed up with Crayola to launch Crayola Insta-Dri Nail Polish in 12 of their crayon shades. So...
The Beyond Tablet: Is this cool new screen-free gaming system worth the price?
When my kids get bored over the summer, their go-to entertainment, other than the Xbox (of course), is board games. So when we got a chance to try out the new Beyond Tablet -- an electronic, but screen-free, tabletop gaming system -- in advance of its release, we were...
A BTDT mom’s guide to surviving sleepaway camp (you, not the kids!) | Spawned episode 79
Today on Spawned, guest host Stacie Billis joins Liz for a great chat that should put all you first-time sleepaway camp parents -- or future sleepaway camp parents -- at ease. Well, mostly. Tune in for tips like when to know your kid is ready for camp, how to decide...
Every kid doesn’t deserve a trophy. But they might deserve a merit badge.
This is a new take on the old idea of positively rewarding your kids. It’s 2017. It’s a new type of merit badge.
How one celeb is making Bessie Coleman’s story soar for kids.
When she decided she wanted to fly, she didn’t let anything hold her back.
The hipster baby carrier of the year, courtesy of Keith Haring
The upcoming Keith Haring special edition Ergobaby carriers are being promoted as a celebration of parenting and art. Which they are. But if you know about the vision of this now iconic pop artist, wearing these new carriers says so much more. Keith Haring’s rainbow...
23 of the coolest mermaid party ideas we adore. Fin-tastic!
Mermaids are big with kids. In other news, water is wet. So of course, mermaid parties are big with kids and honestly, with us adults too. In fact, this mermaid trend has legs. (So to speak.) And that means if you're looking for amazing mermaid party ideas for an...
Star-spangled slime: The perfect 4th of July DIY for kids.
My kids are way into slime -- and by "way into," if you're a parent, I'm pretty sure you know exactly what I mean. So of course I wanted to create a 4th of July slime recipe that would appease them. We've tried almost every safe, Borax-free slime recipes we've come...
So smart! A new board game subscription box to keep family game night fresh.
My kids' playroom has a bookshelf with piles of board games taller than me. So yeah, you could say we're fairly avid tabletop gamers at our house. But, even so, we're still always on the lookout for fun new games. If they're really affordable, even better. So you can...
The Rebel Girls are back, and they’re more badass and inspiring than ever.
It's hard to overstate how excited I was about the first volume of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. A whole book full of the biographies of stereotype-busting sheroes? Illustrated with gorgeous portraits from female artists around the world? Heck yeah, I was sold!...
Meet KOOV, a new STEM kit that lets kids build and control their own robot | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from KOOV For kids who love STEM -- and those parents who want to foster their kids' passion -- KOOV is a remarkable educational kit to help kids 8 and up create and control their own robots, bringing their own imaginative designs to life....