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…
Cool Wonder Woman gifts that boys and men will love too.
Wonder Woman -- let alone an exclusive all-female screening of the Patty Jenkins-directed Wonder Woman movie -- does not frighten the boys and men in my life, and for that I am grateful. I mean, what kid wouldn't want to look up to a badass superhero who's a natural...
The best family board games for summer travel…because good things come in small packages.
My family loves to play board games. I'm talking, big, involved, takes-three-hours-to-play board games. And what better time to play than when we're on summer vacation? But, it can be tricky to travel with big boxes full of a zillion pieces. Luckily, we have found a...
4-in-1 playfort: The only one you’ll ever need.
It’s a camper. It’s a theater. It’s a food truck. It’s a playhouse. No, it’s… All of those things! Seriously. Buy one fort, get four. It is truly the only playfort your kids will ever need. Which is why we are so obsessed with the amazingly cool, brand new 4-in-1...
Smart tips for tackling digital clutter with Joshua Zerkel of Evernote | Spawned episode 77
If you're like us, you've got a bazillion photos sucking memory on your phone, not to mention all those unnamed documents on your computer. And we won't even talk about our email inboxes. But that's all about to change for us, and you, thanks to our special guest on...
A printable fidget spinner game gives new life to this year’s breakout toy
If your kids remain obsessed with their fidget spinners, like mine are, here's a new way to put them to use that won't drive you crazy: play with them together. And not at the dinner table, either. Thanks to artist mom Amanda Farnum and her clever kids, they've...
5 of the very best road trip tips from a mom of 4, to keep kids happy and parents sane. Mostly.
With summer almost here (yay!) we're looking forward to road trip season in which many families, like mine, are packing up our cars for short jaunts or long rides together. Of course if you've ever taken a road trip with kids, you know that even a quick hop to...
5 of the worst Father’s Day gifts: Steer clear if you want to stay in his will!
With every dad's special day coming up, we feel that it's our duty to point out some of the worst Father's Day gifts we've been seeing. Not because we're mean. But because we love dads. And we have their backs. Kristen and Liz had a hilarious discussion on Spawned...
10 incredibly special Father’s Day gifts for new dads | Father’s Day Gift Guide 2017
Have you been checking out our 2017 Father's Day Gift Guide yet? Good! Well for all you new parents out there, this list of gifts for new dads is for you. And I've been especially excited to write it. As a mom who's immersed in the first year of parenthood myself, I...
Drag Queen Story Hour. You know. For kids.
…I’d much prefer that they are learning just as much (or more) from the reader as they do from the book.
How to make a DIY weighted blanket, and save yourself $100 (whoo!)
I have a couple of kids with on-and-off sleep issues, so I've been paying attention to the swell of discussion about the benefits of weighted blankets for children. These blankets, which are generally filled with anywhere from 5–10 lbs. of weighted beads, are said to...
America’s top misspelled words by state. Can Mississippi spell Mississippi?
Being a data nerd (as Spawned podcast listeners well know), every so often I find myself down the rabbit hole of Google Trends, a super interesting -- if somewhat frightening -- look at just what the world is searching for day to day. And with this being National...
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...