Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Are we still sending handwritten thank-you notes?
Since you guys had such strong opinions about handwritten thank-you notes on our Facebook page last week, we decided that we needed to tackle the topic on today's episode of SPAWNED with Kristen and Liz. Is a text or email message okay or completely unacceptable? And...
Reply all is scary, and other things kids really need to know about email. Some adults, too.
Thanks to a lovely iTunes review who told us she'd have us as guests at her famous person dinner, on this week's episode of SPAWNED with Kristen and Liz, we were inspired to chat about who we'd have at our own! Bradley Cooper, Hillary Clinton... you'll just have to...
Moms and me-time (or lack thereof), and kids and cursing: A juicy Episode 18 of Spawned
We think you parents are really going to like this episode of Spawned with Kristen + Liz, in which we talk about moms and me-time and why we can't ever seem to get enough of it, especially in the US. Also, what is wrong with us when we think taking a shower qualifies...
More coolness from recent weeks…
If coveting these crazy popular cat-mermaid necklaces is wrong, we don’t want to be right.
Finally, we have proof that taking the internet's most popular things and combining them all into one isn't just a good idea. It's a glorious one. That proof? These insanely popular cat-mermaid necklaces by AGirlAndHerCat that everyone is coveting right now. CMP is an...
You won’t believe that an 11 year old wrote this Memorial Day poem
When a dear friend of mine published this poem for Memorial Day, I gasped when I realized it was written by her 11-year-old son (and nephew of our own associate editor Christina) who I've known since he was a baby. Lucas has always been a sweet, remarkable kid -- and...
5 top-rated military family support charities on Charity Navigator: A list to bookmark on Memorial Day
Quite a few of us here come from military families, or have enlistees and veterans in our own lives, which is why we have always been strong supporters of charities for veterans, enlistees and their families. So in honor of Memorial Day, and America's brave fallen...
7 awesome page-turners your early readers really need to check out this summer
My kids are officially on summer break (I know, already!) so we're hitting up the library ASAP to get started on our summer reading lists. My Kindergartner has made amazing strides this year with his reading, and these early reader books are all geared toward kids his...
Here’s how you can follow Cool Mom Picks, Cool Mom Tech, Cool Mom Eats. We promise we’ll make it worth your while.
Whichever social media site is your guilty pleasure du jour, we’re there, making sure you don’t miss our favorite posts on parenting, fashion, apps, recipes, deals and discounts, and random awesomeness from around the web. Plus our favorite part: we love hearing from...
The coolest summer activity books for kids. Because, this summer, there will be no such thing as “I’m so booooored!”
As much as we're looking forward to summer and all of the many kids' activities that come with it, we have to say that it's those long days of no activities that can be most stressful. That's why we made this list of awesome summer activity books for kids -- with...
11 practical Father’s Day gifts that still feel cool and gifty | Father’s Day Gift Guide 2017
We’ve joked about how getting a mom an oil change gift card is probably not the best way to say, “thank you for raising me, you're the best!” And the same goes for Father’s Day gifts, even if he is a practical sort of guy. So next up in our 2017 Father's Day Gift...
No way: Custom plush animals that look just like your actual pet.
A few years ago my kids tried out the cool service Budsies, which turns kids' drawings into stuffed animals. They were so excited when their creations arrived, and they still have them in their beds today. So, when we heard that Budsies was launching a new company...
16 gifts for the cool dad | Father’s Day Gift Guide 2017
It's not that lawnmowers, fishing, and ties can't be cool, it's just that if you want a gift for a cool dad in your life for Father's Day, you've got to get creative. Because he probably is too. So we're kicking off our annual Father's Day Gift Guide with 16 gifts for...
Hot trend alert: Rose sneakers are this summer’s new neutral
This summer we're seeing a new trend that -- I'll admit -- I was skeptical about at first. But now, I'm hooked. Rose-colored sneakers are everywhere. In fact, I'm declaring them the new neutral. The pretty, soft color dresses up our jeans-and-a-tee outfits, and...
2017 EWG best safe sunscreens for kids and babies: Which is the most affordable?
Every year, I take a look at the Environmental Working Group's report on the best safe sunscreens for kids and babies. This list measures popular brands against the EWG's standards, including everything from worrisome ingredients to false marketing claims. Not every...
The world’s cutest baby playmats: We found a contender!
When you've got a baby who's tummy-timing all over the house, it's nice to have something for her floor exercises that goes beyond a slippity blanket or boring bath towel. We've BTDT and what we wanted for our little ones? Something cushioned, soft, portable, and --...
#MyYoungerSelf campaign puts kids’ mental health first with videos from celebrities who have suffered from anxiety and depression.
Would you believe me if I told you that out of 74 million US kids, 17.1 million of them have or have had a mental health disorder? That's a huge percentage! So huge, in fact, that the Child Mind Institute (CMI) has noted that more kids are dealing with mental health...
5 cool one-piece bathing suits for girls with all the benefits of a two-piece
It's finally getting to pool and beach season (yippee!), which means time to shop for bathing suits for kids. Like many parents, we like that one-piece bathing suits keep our littlest ones covered up...although we also appreciate that a two-piece swimsuit makes...
15 of the funniest Father’s Day cards that will have him laughing til he cries
Father's Day is coming up, which means we've been busy searching for the coolest, most unique and fun gifts for dads. And one of our favorite roundups we do every year is finding the funniest Father's Day cards, because we're suckers for a good laugh. If the dads in...
After Manchester: Essential safety tips to discuss with your kids about crowds and separation
The second I saw those big pink balloons in early images flooding media from the Manchester Arena last night, without knowing a single other thing about the story, I thought, Oh my God...whatever happened, there are children there. It was a rough night for me, as I'm...
You don’t know these 10 favorite household hacks of ours? Prepare for life to change!
As a busy parent, I rely heavily on household hacks. In fact, I would say just about everything I do around the house involves some sort of easy hack or trick or clever time-saver. But some tricks work better than others, and some you wouldn't believe it until you see...
Gwendolyn Brooks’s new children’s book offers a joyous lesson in empathy
Once in awhile, a children's book comes along that's equal parts timely and and classic, and that's just how I'd describe the We are Shining, penned by the late poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, Gwendolyn Brooks. It's filled with exquisite but accessible words...
The cast of Hamilton gets bigger and cuddlier
Of our entire 2016 holiday gift guide, by far one of the most popular gift ideas were the genius handmade Hamilton dolls by Christina of Etsy's Bobeena Shop. What can we say, you all have good taste in artists -- and game-changing Broadway musicals. Now she's out with...
Getting kids excited about science: A chat with NPR Wow in the World hosts Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas | Spawned ep 76
Well, if Spawned with Kristen and Liz haaaaas to be beaten by someone in the Kids + Family podcast category, we're happy it's the new NPR podcast Wow in the World, a weekly science show "for kids and their grownups." Especially because it's hosted by two of our...
How to get started with yoga when you feel like the last person to try it: 6 easy tips to help
If you've never tried yoga, I get it. I was there once too. From the outside, it either looks like a torturous exercise regimen for slender, flexible folks in really expensive stretch pants...or, a hippie-dippy religion that will demand veganism and colon cleansing....