Summer break is here for my kids (yes, already!), which means I'm looking down the barrel of 13 long, lovely (and lively, knowing my crew) weeks at home. We have a lot of things we want to do -- go for hikes, do every single craft in Pro…
One of the biggest mom guilt woes (or badges if you're a proud Type B Mom) is the lack of a completed baby book. We hear it from so many readers over the years, and I get it! Even the best-laid plans can go south once there's a real, liv…
This weekend, Senator Ben Sasse issued a response to address the (rightful) outrage around his Friday night appearance with Bill Maher. He stated that he should have spoken up when Maher unacceptably used the N-word. He tweeted that "jus…
I had so much fun rounding up these fantastic DIY Father's Day gifts that kids can make themselves -- well, maybe with a little help. I mean surely new motherhood is making me a bit biased, but I think there's nothing better than a handm…
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 bad…
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 pie…
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 amazin…
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…
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 hila…
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 t…
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…
...I’d much prefer that they are learning just as much (or more) from the reader as they do from the book.
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. …
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. A…
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 i…
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 …
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…
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 book…
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 favo…
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 activ…
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 …
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 Budsie…
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 …
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 jean…
