Spawned Parenting Podcast with Liz of Cool Mom Picks

After Kristen spotted the pile-on that was Jessica Simpson's choice to let her oldest daughter dye her hair, we decided it was high time we chatted about sanctimommies. On this episode, we talk about how to deal with them, and how to quell your own inner beat. Hint: We all have one inside of us. And as always, we share our cool picks of the week. This week, we're thrilled to welcome back our spons...

This week we're talking about birthdays with older kids -- the preschool party-every-weekend madness is over, but new challenges begin! Like, "Can I get tickets to Hamilton, Mom?" (Answer: probably not.) Join us as we laugh and share some helpful tips for parents of tweens and teens, about gifts, parties, birthday traditions, saving money, social media birthday FOMO, and Liz's nightmare lemon poun...

Could you use a little more calm around the house? This episode of the Spawned Parenting Podcast, we're going to help you reduce conflict in your family (also known as screaming and yelling) thanks to tips from parenting mentor and author Sue Groner. We think you'll find a few surprises here, We sure did. And if you can make them work? Well then we'll be coming to your home for playdates. // This...

Planning your summer travel or looking ahead to your holiday vacation? We've got expert tips and tricks from Shellie Bailey-Shah, CEO of Kidtripster. Let's just say we had never heard most of the insights she shared with us. And they've already saved us money. This week's sponsor is Never Thought I'd Say This , a new hilarious parenting podcast from Jodie Sweetin and her BFF Celia Behar, a life co...

If you're like us, then you're often confused by all the different research, reports, and news when it comes to feeding kids. More protein! Less protein! You get the idea. Well, our guest Nicole Turner Ravana, a nutritionist who's working with our sponsor Ready Pac Foods, has lots of great advice and insight into knowing who to trust, plus lots of great, practical tips too. And as always, we close...

We've always said that if we weren't laughing about motherhood, we'd be crying. Hey, parenting is hard! And from what we learned from our chat with comedian and NPR host Ophira Eisenberg, we're not alone. So, ever wonder what it's like being on stage at 8 1/2 months pregnant? We can already think of all the pee-yourself jokes we'd make. Ha. We think you'll enjoy our conversation with Ophira as muc...

Today we're joined by Evangeline Lilly! And she is not just an Orc-defeating Tolkien elf and quantum realm-traveling Marvel superhero. She is also a super cool parent, and author of the fabulous new young series, the Squickerwonkers. Join us as we talk parenting, privacy, work-life balance, Scottish accents (hers is better than ours), our favorite children's authors, and what it means when your ow...

On this week's Spawned Parenting Podcast, we're talking with Emmy-winning staff writer for Last Week Tonight with John Olive r, Jill Twiss, about finding humor when times are tough, and how humor can be a great tool for imparting important messages -- especially to kids. And that's what she did with her best-selling picture book, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo and in her brand new book for kids...

Parents love a tidy home, but that's a difficult task when kids are involved. On this episode of Spawned, we chat with organization expert Nikki Boyd, author of Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home, who is partnering with our sponsor Tide. She shares tips and tricks to help us think about safety as we tidy up. And, as usual, we share our cool picks of the week. Want to...

This week's guest on the Spawned parenting podcast is Katherine Goldstein, award-winning journalist and host of the brilliant new podcast, The Double Shift. Ever since her viral New York Times article about anti-mom bias at work went viral, she's been investigating, writing about, and advocating for changes to make the workplace more mom-friendly. Because when parents get the support and resources...

Is your phone glued to your hand? Do you need a break? Our guest Catherine Price, author of How To Break Up With Your Phone, shares the science behind smartphone addiction, and offers practical tips, tricks, and advice on how to untether yourself, and gain back control. She'll also talk about her 30-day plan that can help you curb your phone obsession. And whoa, she shares four picks in an unprece...

Parenting isn't something that's happening to us. It's something that's happening for us. Our guest Casey O'Roarty taps into her 20 year experience as a parenting coach (as well as author and podcaster) to share how to enjoy, not endure, your kids. No matter how old your kids are, we think you'll be inspired by this conversation as we were. We're happy to welcome Coding with Kids and   Picture Pla...

The end of the school year can get a little crazy, so on this episode, we're sharing our tips and tricks to help you stay a little more sane. All the papers, the projects, the theme days... you get the idea. We've got you covered with advice you might not have heard before. And as always, we close out our show with our cool picks of the week. Our sponsor this week is Corolle , who's a wonderful do...

Did you know one of seven women are affected by maternal mental health? Those numbers are pretty staggering, which is why Jen Schwartz of Motherhood Understood is so dedicated to give new and seasoned moms support through her online community. On this episode she (along with Kristen), shares her struggle with postpartum depression, and talks about what we can do to help support this amazing cause...

We are such big advocates of family travel! Kristen has even traveled -- alone -- with her four kids from time to time. And since parents of little kids get all the attention when it comes to advice, we've got some great tips just for you parent of tweens and teens, whether you're halfway across the globe, or enjoying a staycation weekend in your own city. We'll help you save money, offer tips to...

Spring is here, which we know means spring cleaning for lots of people. But don't forget about all that digital clutter. You know, photos on your phone, files on your computer... you get the idea. We chat with digital clutter expert Josh Zerkel, whose got smart tips and tricks to help you get your technology organized without the overwhelm. This week's sponsor is Ritual, the obsessively-researched...

If you want to leave this country a better place than we found it, we think you'll love this inspiring, encouraging, wildly smart conversation with Sara Berliner, founder of Vote Like a Mother. You don't even have to be a political junkie, or activist...or even a mother to relate. || Thanks so much for listening to Spawned! Please subscribe and leave us a nice review which is an easy, free way to...

If you struggle with picky eaters at mealtime (Liz is raising her hand), we think you'll be fascinated -- and encouraged! -- by the advice from our guest Jacky Lamenzo. She's a reformed picky eater turned health coach, who specifically works with families to make mealtime more positive for everyone. Her kid-centered approach is really different than anything we've heard. || Find show notes on the...

Hold the skepticism for just a moment -- what if astrology wasn't "fortune telling" but could actually help you understand your strengths and weaknesses to give you more direction in life? Our guest Mimi Truong is a lawyer by background, a life coach and an expert astrologist, who combines all her insight and expertise to help clients -- and maybe you! -- better understand how we fit into the univ...

Why are female friendships so important?  Turns out, research says those girls nights are actually good for you. We take a closer look at the power of female friendships, why they can feel so challenging to maintain them after we have kids, and ways we can all make them more of a priority without feeling overwhelmed by everything else we have on our plate. Is having online friends the same as seei...

Let's face it, parents: screens are here to stay. So why are we still so ambivalent about them? Maybe being unplugged isn't actually the best way to help our kids thrive in this digital world. Our guest, speaker, author, and cool dad Jordan Shapiro, shares a new way approaching technology with our kids in his new book "The New Childhood: Raising Kids To Thrive in a Connected World." We think you'l...

What if we lived in a society where the teen years weren't dreaded by parents -- but in fact, treasured as much as those baby years? Adolescent expert, pediatrician and author Dr. Ken Ginsburg joins Liz to share some seriously outstanding wisdom that blew us away. If you have a teen, have a future teen, or ever were a teen yourself, this episode is a must-listen. \\ Find the info you hear about to...

One day after battling a bad flu, Andi Buchanan walked out of her house and had a coughing fit. What happened next was the worst headache in her life. She later discovered that she actually had a Spontaneous Spinal CSF Leak. On this episode, Kristen chats with Andi about her diagnosis and recovery, all of which she chronicled so masterfully in her new memoir, The Beginning of Everything. We love h...

It's time for another Spawned After Dark! On this episode, we use a random question generator and share our answers to some fun questions. From our worst habits and pet peeves, to the reason we were last in the emergency room (hey, we said random), you'll get to learn a little more about your favorite (we hope) podcast hosts. And as always, we'll share our cool picks of the week. We'd love to hear...

Raising creative, imaginative kids in a world where our kids are tempted by screens can be challenging, which is why we enlisted the help of podcasters and improvisers Peter McNerney, of Story Pirates and Beth Newell, of We Knows Parenting. They've got some helpful advice when it comes to using improv in your parenting, plus simple tips and tricks to do everything from change up your story time to...