It is so tough to navigate the college search and admission process -- emotionally, practically, financially. (Eep!) It completely stressed me out, and I'm a pretty Type B mom. So learn from my mistakes! To kick off a new year of Spawned, we're lucky to be getting super helpful tips from Alyse Levine, one of the foremost college counseling experts in the country. She's not only worked with high school students at all levels, she's the former assistant director of undergrad admissions at Washington University in St. Louis. In other words, she's got an invaluable perspective you're going to want to hear. (Also, she's really nice!) - Liz Thanks to our sponsor Premium Prep, the renown college counseling program that's helped guide 93% of their students into one of their top three choices. Spawned Listeners: Save up to $1000 on a Premium Prep program through this link, or by mentioning Spawned. (Take that offer, worth it!) Follow Spawned: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Join: Spawned Podcast FB Community Find Cool Mom Picks: Instagram, Facebook, Threads Find Liz Gumbinner: Instagram, Facebook, Substack, Threads Find Alyse Levine: Website, Facebook, Instagram Shownotes from today's episode: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the end of such a tough year, we're looking to find all the holiday joy where we can, and make fun for our kids -- but why do moms always seem to be the people behind the fun, and not part of the fun? Liz is joined by Margaret Ables, co-host of the fabulous What Fresh Hell parenting podcast to commiserate, and we're offering smart tips (eg stop trying to make things perfect!), sweet family stories, plenty of laughter, and a lot of compassion for moms feeling overwhelmed right now. Thanks to our sponsor Disney Villainous: Intro to Evil for creating a wonderful screen-free game that's actually fun for adults, right along with our tweens and teens. Check out the new Disney100 limited edition, which is a great gift for Disney super-fans! Follow Spawned: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Join: Spawned Podcast FB Community Follow Cool Mom Picks: Instagram, Facebook, Threads Follow Liz Gumbinner: Instagram, Facebook, Substack, Threads Follow Margaret Ables and What Fresh Hell: Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Group, Adalyst Media Shownotes from today's episode: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all say we want to raise kids who are happy, healthy, and can be their authentic selves. So what happens when your kid is becoming someone who's really different from what we had imagined? That's the story Kate Brookes tells in the wonderful Transister: Raising Twins in a Gender-Bending World. She's incredibly forthcoming, funny, reflective, and supportive, whether you're raising kids who defy traditional norms of gender and sexuality--or are just individuals in their own way. Really, this is a meaningful conversation for any parent whose kids are on a path to be their own selves, and I'm grateful for Kate's time, her honesty, and her humor through it all. - Liz Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Find Liz Gumbinner: Substack, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Post Find Kate Brookes: transistermom.com, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon Find Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Surgeon General issued his recent advisory on social media and the health of our kids, I knew author, columnist, and adolescent digital media expert Dr. Devorah Heitner would be the perfect person to ask for guidance and reassurance. And wow does she come through! Here, she offers incredibly helpful, specific tips about what we can do as parents to keep our kids healthy on social media-- and what we should not do (no spying!) -- with Devorah's trademark non-judgmental, common sense, research-based wisdom to help us all navigate some tricky stuff we may not know a lot about. Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Substack Twitter, Instagram, Post Find Devorah Heitner: Substack, Instagram, Amazon, devorahheitner.com Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have wanted to talk with best-selling author, TED Talk phenom, and "professional troublemaker" Luvvie Ajayi Jones for so long! With the release of her wonderful new children's book, Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess, it's the perfect time. We discuss what it means to make good trouble, tips for talking to kids when they break the rules, and why to teach our children that it's not only possible to recover from big mistakes, it's important not to let those mistakes define us.  Also, be sure to stay tuned for Luvvie's own story about good intentions gone very, very, very wrong. I'm still sweating thinking about it! - Liz Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Substack Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, Post. Find Luvvie Ajayi Jones: Professional Troublemaker Podcast, LuvvLetter newsletter, Instagram. Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all want to raise kind, generous, caring, empathetic kids -- who turn into great adults. So we turned to the perfect guide: Parenting author, science columnist and researcher Melinda Wenner Moyer. She shares so much science-backed data and turns it into parenting strategies, we can all put to use in our own families immediately. We think you'll love this episode! - Liz + Kristen Graciously brought to you by Camp Tuku, a stunning sleep away camp for kids 6-14 in the Catskill Mountains of NY. It's a place where "nature meets joyful minds," combining all the fabulous traditional summer camp activities with mindfulness practices to engage the heart, body and mind. Special Offer: Spawned listeners get a $50 discount on registration with code cmp23uutk. Expires 3/31/2023 Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Substack Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, Post Follow Kristen Chase: Amazon, Instagram, Twitter Find Melinda Wenner Moyer: How to Raise Kids Who Aren't A**holes (Amazon), Website, Substack, Twitter, IG Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prioritizing and organizing your life, your family schedule, and especially your time is something a lot of moms (like, uh me!) can use help with. Take a listen for some terrific tips from Sarah Hart-Unger, host of Best Laid Plans podcast and co-host of Best of Both Worlds. She shares her genius "nested goals" approach, offers advice for list-making, talks organization vs prioritization, gender imbalances in time management -- and even finding peace in the chaos. This is the interview I needed! Maybe you need it too right now. - Liz Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Substack Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, Post, Spoutible, Find Sarah-hart Unger: Best Laid Plains, Best of Both Worlds, Shubox.com Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've talked to so many incredible guests in 2022 -- film directors, authors, journalists, political pundits, activists. So we thought we'd share some of our favorite quotes and thoughtful advice in this fun look back at what we've learned over the past year here. If there's one you want to hear more about, you're already on your podcast app! Just click through to the Spawned library, scroll down, and take a listen! Thanks so much for joining Kristen and me this year - as with parenting, we're all in this together and we couldn't do it without you. - Liz Thanks to our sponsor Mylio Photos for offering our listeners 20% off when you subscribe. It's the easiest way to curate, organize, and safely preserve all your photos from all your different devices. Hurry, it's a great deal! Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, Post, Substack Follow Kristen Chase: Twitter, Instagram, Amazon (her new book is coming out!) Shownotes, links from this episode: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe Engineer: John Bowen | Producer: Elissa Makarowitz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moms are so busy trying to make fun for everyone over the holidays, sometimes we forget that we're supposed to be having fun too! How do we do that without adding "have more fun" to our to-do lists? Margaret Ables, co-host of the fabulous What Fresh Hell parenting podcast is joining me to offer smart tips, sweet stories, a lot of laughter, and a lot of compassion for moms Going Through It right now. - Liz Thanks to our sponsor Mylio Photos for offering our listeners 20% off when you subscribe. It's the easiest way to curate, organize, and safely preserve all your photos from all your different devices. Hurry, it's a great deal! Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon, Post, Substack Follow Margaret Ables and What Fresh Hell: Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Group, Adalyst Media Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's been the impact of Covid on kids? On mothers? How about on education? On class division? On our careers? On healthcare? Today I'm welcoming back author and NPR Education Reporter Anya Kamenetz who researched it all and put it into the must-read book The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Kids' Lives....and Where We Go Now. Her fascinating point: The systems that failed our families, especially the most vulnerable, have been in the making for decades. Wow. But.. she also talks about the negatives that are slowly turning out to be positives. Speaking of positives, I mentioned at the top of the show that I thought I had Covid but...false alarm! Just a cold. Sniff. (Apologies if I am saying "Adya" instead of "Anya." D'oh.) - Liz Thanks to our sponsor Dell offering our listeners early Black Friday tech deals through this link through Nov 27! Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon Follow Anya Kamenetz: Instagram, Mastodon Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I will never think about yoga, supplements, activated charcoal or bath salts the same way after speaking with Rina Raphael, author of the utterly fascinating new book The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care. How did wellness go from a legitimate health need to a $4.4 trillion industry? What's the role of wellness influencers in all this? Why are we so desperate to find salvation in a fancy (probably pink) bottle -- and why it makes perfect sense that we fall for it? Rina breaks it all down wonderfully, with humor, well-researched insight, and a lack of judgment that I (as someone who loves my CBD for sleep) really appreciate!- Liz Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Twitter, Instagram Follow Rina Raphael: Twitter Shownotes, links from this episode, info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks of the Week in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We don't want our kids to fall for false news, rumors, or disinformation. But how do we teach our kids media literacy when we can't even keep up with all the social media apps? Journalist, professor, and UCLA/Stanford professor Dr. Seema Yasmin joins Liz to talk about her incredibly engaging, very important new YA Handbook, "What the Fact?!: Finding Truth in All the Noise." She not only discusses how we help our kids separate fact from fiction, but how to actually BS-proof our brains so that we'll be less susceptible to untruths, and more flexible when it comes to changing our minds -- and changing others' minds, too. Good stuff! Follow Spawned on Apple: bit.ly/spawnedshow Follow Spawned on Spotify: Here Follow Cool Mom Picks: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram Follow Liz Gumbinner: Twitter, Instagram Follow Dr Seema Yasmin: Twitter, Instagram Shownotes and info on our Cool Picks of the week: Cool Mom Pick Podcast Page Subscribe to get even more Cool Picks in your inbox once a week: coolmompicks.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You wouldn't think in 2022 that an author would have to fight to keep a female protagonist in a book, and yet that's just what happened to award-winning humorist Wendi Aarons when she first pitched her middle-grade book, Ginger Mancino: Kid Comedian. (Spoiler: It got published, Ginger is indeed a girl, and it's wonderful.) Wendi joins Liz to talk about the importance of funny girls in books, funny women in life, teaching kids comedy, and the road from wanting just to be "nice" to being funny enough to write for publications like the New Yorker, McSweeney's, and US Weekly's fashion police. With a lot of tough stuff in the world, this is a light, fun episode, that I really think you'll enjoy. This episode graciously brought to you by Mabel's Labels - visit now for big discounts on their cult-favorite sets of personalized labels, just for you early back-to-school shoppers! Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and visit us at Cool Mom Picks to find all the links from today's episode.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author, educator, and Prep Matters founder Ned Johnson joins Liz once again to talk us through -- or talk us down from -- the college application process. And yes, I mean parents! You'll appreciate his thoughtful insight on the whole process, "test optional" schools, financial aid, the pitfalls and benefits of stress, the impact of Covid, how Black students need to approach things differently, and why we need to reframe the concept of "selective" schools. It's amazing. // Sponsored by Dell's Black Friday in July sale: Click through this link for access to our educational membership benefits + additional discounts, no code needed. // Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe + rate our episodes if you enjoy our show! //Find links + recommended reading from today's podcast on Cool Mom Picks, and say hi to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest Roo Powell is the co-founder of SOSA (Safe from Online Sexual Abuse) and has put her child advocacy and deep knowledge to use by...disguising herself as a young girl and working with police to trap predators. That work is part of the Discovery Plus docuseries Undercover Underage. Roo's story is nothing short of fascinating -- and actually more encouraging than you might imagine. Take a listen for an honest, surprisingly non-alarmist perspective about child predators, online safety, grooming, and the other subjects that we can't help but worry about as we send our kids out into the world. // Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe + rate our episodes if you enjoy our show! //Find links from today's podcast and our cool picks of the week on Cool Mom Picks, and say hi to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've been wondering: are moms okay right now? And are we going to be okay? Is anything okay for anyone these days? So I invited one guest I knew would have an incredible perspective, Jessica Grose, author and Parenting Editor of the New York Times. Take a listen for an honest, terrific discussion about the state of modern motherhood including childcare issues, burnout, lingering pandemic issues, the evolving role of parents on social media and "TikTok Parenting" -- and the silver linings we should all look for. // Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe + rate our episodes if you enjoy it! //Find links from today's podcast and our cool picks of the week on Cool Mom Picks, and say hi to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Liz is so happy to be speaking (again!) with award-winning journalist and The Double Shift founder Katherine Goldstein, about her recent HuffPost article, There's a Coach for That. It lead Katherine to research the difference alllll the many kinds of coaches out there, and today she's explaining what different coaches do, who they can help, and whether what we really need is a good friend, or even a therapist. If you've been asking yourself, "What's next for me?" this is such a helpful conversation. // Thanks so much for listening, we appreciate you! Please take a moment to subscribe if you like our show. // Want to say hi? Find us on FB, Twitter, IG, Pinterest // Shownotes: CoolMomPicks.com. // Stay safe out there, friends and let's take care of each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So many parents are wondering how to have conversations with kids -- of all ages -- about the increasingly frightening attack on Ukraine. We want our kids to be informed, but we don't want to overwhelm them with anxiety and fear. So Liz is chatting once again with the wonderful journalist/author Melinda Wenner Moyer for some helpful advice. We're elaborating on the 5 expert tips in her recent NY Times article, How to Talk to Kids About Ukraine, and she's just so encouraging and specific, we hope you'll get a lot out of this conversation. // Thanks so much for listening, we appreciate you! Please take a moment to subscribe if you like our show. // Want to say hi? Find us on FB, Twitter, IG, Pinterest // Shownotes: CoolMomPicks.com. // Stay safe out there, friends and let's take care of each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right now, the world is a pretty terrifying place, but we think you'll find a lot of reason for hope in this interview with John Della Volpe. Especially if you're raising a tween or teen right now -- or a kid who will be one soon. John is a notable expert on data around Gen Z and youth movements, the Director of Polling at Harvard's Kennedy School, and most recently, the author of FIGHT: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America. He's funny, he's smart, and he's got a fascinating perspective -- backed with facts -- on why we should never doubt the most educated, diverse generation yet. // Thanks so much for listening. Please take a moment to subscribe if you like our show. // Want to say hi? Find us on FB, Twitter, IG, Pinterest // Shownotes: CoolMomPicks.com. // Stay safe out there friends, and take care of yourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Liz chats with Amy L. Koppelman, writer, director and producer of the new film A Mouthful of Air, starring Amanda Seyfried and Finn Witrock. It's based on on Amy's critically acclaimed novel inspired by her own struggles with postpartum depression 20 years ago. Join us for a thoughtful discussion about issues around women and mental health. Like the shame women still experience, how partners and friends can help identify PPD (and organizations here to help), and the important reminder that people who seem to "have it all" -- yes, even beautiful Instagram influencers -- may be struggling too. Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we round out the year (yes we made it, phew) we're keeping things light with an entire COOL PICKS EPISODE. We're sharing 10 of our favorite holiday gifts that we recommended across our sites this year, but if you know us, we've always got a few more we sneak in! Take a listen, don't stress the gifts (seriously), shop local when you can, find time with people you love, and stay healthy. That's our greatest wish for you. Please support our sponsors, for whom we are so grateful: Save 40% on Elixinol's award-winning CBD products with code COOLMOM40 for calm, better sleep + general well-being. And Remind Tutoring is helping thousands of kids with affordable one-on-one online math tutoring, and your first session is free. You'll find ALL the links from the show on Cool Mom Picks. Find us on FB, Insta, Twitter and Pinterest and say hi. We're so grateful for all of you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This interview with William Stixrud Ph.D. and Ned Johnson may be one of the most helpful episodes we've ever run, and if you've ever struggled to help your child manage any kind of problem at all, we think you'll agree. They're the best-selling co-authors ofThe Self-Driven Child, and we're talking about advice from their brand new book, What Do You Say? Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home. You'll get tons of practical, actionable tips to help you improve parent-child communication, increase empathy, decrease anxiety, and help raise kids to be their own best problem solvers. Plus, they're just delightful! Speaking of which, wow, do we have some fun Cool Picks of the Week for you at the end of the show. Many thanks to our sponsors: Google Kids Space, a kids mode available on select Android tablets (that start at $59!) and the Panasonic Long-Range Baby Monitor, which offers incredible security, interference-free coverage, customizable alerts for sound, motion, and temperature, and a whole lot more. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and visit our site for all the links in the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This time of year, when we're aware of those who have so much and those who don't, we wanted to have a candid, frank conversation about kids and gratitude during the holiday season. This is a great talk about what we can do to raise kids who value gratitude, practice empathy, and see the joy in giving back. We hope you love it too. Much thanks to our sponsor KidsBeeTV, a fun, and safe app that stimulates learning in kids up to 7 with  their favorite songs, engaging educational videos, fun activities, and popular shows, all vetted by teachers and experts. It's a sweet way to bring families together. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and visit our site for all the links in today's show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're so happy to be joined by a top NYC pediatrician, Dr. Preeti Parikh, to answer parents' biggest questions about the Covid-19 vaccine and kids 5-11 so you can make the best health decisions for your family. We think you'll get a lot from her thoughtful, thorough answers -- we even learned a few things too! This episode is graciously brought to you by GoodRx Health, a brand new online health resource, filled with solid, trusted, vetted answers to so many medical questions of all kind. Plus their new Vaccine Guide is offers plenty of information, and even lets you browse available Covid vaccine appointments near you. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and visit our site for all the links in the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered about the 5 principles of being a good digital citizen? Well this week we're talking to Diana Graber, founder of CyberWise and author of Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology. As you might have guessed.... we talk through how we can raise our kids to use digital tools safely, responsibly, and even to put more positivity out in the world. She even gives us a whole new way to think about cyberbullying -- and how to talk about it. Whether you have teens, tweens, or kids too young for their own devices, it's never too early to learn these essential tips for the digital world our kids are growing up in. Thanks to all of you for your generous reviews! Keep them coming, we're beyond grateful. You can find all our links and more at CoolMomPicks.com on our podcast posts, and be sure to say hi to us on social media: IG, FB, TW. We like to say hi back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're talking to Jenny Lawson. and we can't even believe we hadn't done it before! The best-selling author, humorist, new indie bookstore owner, and all around amazing human is joining us in time for National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month for a candid discussion about...well depression. And anxiety. And other mental health issues that so many of us experience but are sometimes scared to talk about. If you know Jenny, you know that you'll laugh, you'll learn, you'll get info that may truly help you or someone you love....and then you'll laugh some more. And of course stick around for all of our cool picks of the week. Thanks for your awesome reviews! Keep them coming, we're so grateful!! You can find all our links and more at CoolMomPicks.com, and be sure to say hi to us on social media: IG, FB, TW. We like to say hi back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For ages, we've wanted to cover the topic of raising LGBTQ+ kids with kindness, compassion, understanding... and we have the absolute perfect guest for that: Kristin Russo, the honest, hilarious and incredibly helpful author of This is a Book for for Parents of Gay Kids. So basically the 3 H's. We know you'll love this chat, which is like an entertaining audio FAQ for parents -- or anyone who wants to be more supportive (and less awkward) with the LGBTQ+ kids in your own life. And as always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week so stick around til the end for some good ones! Yay for our sponsors: This is the perfect time to sign up for Giftster, the original, free two-way family gift registry that helps eliminate gift anxiety and helps you give (and get!) the perfect gifts every time. Thanks for your awesome reviews! Keep them coming, we're so grateful!! You can find all our links and more at CoolMompicks.com and be sure to follow us on social media: IG, FB, TW. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We get some of our best topic ideas from YOU -- like this week's episode on how to manage step-parenting, divorce, and welcoming new kids into your heart We're so happy to chat about this with dynamic Certified Parenting Coach, author and educator, Naja Hall. She's the founder of the popular community Blended and Black as well as the force behind VIP Stepmom and we know you'll love her frank, often hilarious wisdom. As always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week -- let's just say we all have beauty on the brain this week! Yay for our sponsors: Save 20% off your ParentEducate.com subscription with CMP21. And this is the perfect time to sign up for Giftster, the original, free two-way family gift registry that helps eliminate gift anxiety. Thanks for your awesome reviews! Keep them coming, we're so grateful!! You can find all our links and more at CoolMompicks.com and be sure to follow us on social media: IG, FB, TW. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sibling conflict has ramped up a lot over the past year. And don't we know it. So when several listeners asked for help, we invited back family therapist, psychologist, and best-selling parenting author Dr. Sheryl Ziegler to help us figure out how to break up the sibling fights, manage behavior we don't like, and create some rules to foster better sibling relationships int he first place. Yay for peace and love! And for being less miserable at home! We also share our Cool Picks of the Week, of course. Our sponsors are awesome, please support them! Save $10 off your very own Vitapod with code CMP10. Shownotes here. Find us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We'd love to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Kristen wrote a viral post last week about wearing crop tops in response to a conversation with her daughter, the comments from our readers were so inspiring, we knew we wanted to discuss body positivity further on Spawned. Please join us for a very honest, and probably very relatable conversation about owing our shapes (especially as we age), why we think we "can't" wear certain things, words we're trying to avoid around our kids, and why we might want to lose the word "flattering." Plus, we have some expert tips on how to talk about bodies and clothes with our kids, so we can model healthy thinking for them too. // SUPPORT OUR AMAZING SPONSORS: Notes from the Backpack is a new parenting podcast from the National PTA, hosted by Helen Westmoreland and LaWanda Toney, and it covers your child’s learning, development and success in and out of school. // The Last Kids on Earth book series is like Diary of a Wimpy Kid meeds Walking Dead (ooh!) and it's perfect to keep your 8-12 year olds reading this summer. // The SPLASHPAD mat makes cleaning easier by keeping your bathroom and kitchen sink area clean and dry. Save 30% on Amazon using code "30CoolMom." // Thanks so much for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we talk about inclusion and representation, the 1 in 5 people with disabilities are often left out of the discussion. Especially kids. So it's a thrill to get some thoughtful insight from Broadway star and disability advocate Ali Stroker, who is best known as the first Tony-winning actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility. (Her Ado Annie was perfection!) We chat about how she came to be proud of her community, ways to create more opportunities for kids with disabilities, and her wonderful new middle grade novel The Chance to Fly, about a musical theater-obsessed teen who also uses a wheelchair; it's going to be meaningful for so many kids. // Please support our amazing sponsors! Use code COOLMOMS at TilePix to save 60% on 12 or more of their cool photo tiles that help you hang a gallery wall like a pro. // Visit Prisma to learn more about their innovative online school to help 4th-8th graders be their best selves. Fall seats are filling up now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis: Ditch the Guilt, Put Yourself on the To-Do List, and Create A Life You Love, by entrepreneur and MomAgenda founder Nina Restieri is not the book I thought it would be. At all. Nina reveals some really personal, difficult details about seeming like you have it all together when you don't, and "hitting bottom" before she could rebuild and get to a better place. In our chat, she's sharing so much helpful advice to help us re-center ourselves in our own lives, including how to say no, why the word "should" can be harmful, and why manicures don't count as self-care. Plus, Nina offers a fascinating take on whether the term "mom entrepreneur" is good...or not so much. // Thanks so much for listening, subscribing, and taking a moment to give us a sweet, sweet 5-star review! // Shownotes: CoolMomPicks.com // Extra-special thanks to our sponsor, The Great Courses Plus, offering you 30 days unlimited, on-demand video courses free through this link! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should your 8th grader be taking PSATs? Will your high schooler fail life if they don't take 12 AP classes? Are you even thinking about college too late -- or too early? ACK! We know the college application process can be stressful, so we're thrilled to be joined by Betsy Cadel, a member of the NY State Association for College Admissions Counseling and founder of College Essay Helpers to talk us down and give us really solid, actionable tips. You'll want to take notes on this one! // Thanks so much for listening and subscribing. // And hey! Can we ask you a favor? A tiny, teeny one? If you are one of the thousands of listeners who enjoy Spawned, we'd be grateful for your 5-star reviews and kind reviews, which really help support us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Particularly if you're non-Black, it can be hard to know the "right way" to speak up about racism -- or what we can do at all, when the idea of dismantling racist system seems so overwhelming. So we're grateful for the time, guidance, and incredible insight of author, veteran broadcast journalist, and Black mom of two, Rene Syler. // Thank you so much for listening and subscribing. Your kind reviews really help support us. // Brought to you with the gracious sponsorship of Trade Coffee, whose coffee subscription gifts supports the best indie, local roasters around the country; and Soul Riders: Darkness Falling, the third book in the Soul Riders series of books for tweens and teens from Star Stable Entertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After author Judith Warner's New York Times article about adolescents and the pandemic went viral with parents reacting very strongly one way or another, we invited her on Spawned to talk about it with Liz! Join us for an enlightening conversation about why the majority of kids are more resilient than you might think, recognizing the difference between unhappy and "impaired," what we can say and do to help our kids get best through this, and why honesty is the best policy with kids -- even when it comes to our own feelings and struggles. // Gratitude to our sponsors, Rock from the Sky, the new picture book from Jon Klassen; as well as TilePix, where you can get 60% off your order of 12+ ready-to-hang photo tiles with code COOLMOMS // Thanks so much for listening and subscribing, friends! // Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our first kids and addiction episode of Spawned. It's long overdue. And; thanks to our guest Jessica Lahey, columnist and author of The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence, you'll come away feeling encouraged, empowered, with detailed guidance on what we can do and say that makes a difference. You won't want to miss this extremely important, honest discussion stemming from Jessica's own life raising kids as a recovering alcoholic. (Plus a few bonus cool picks of the week...we couldn't stop!) // Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks // Please support our amazing sponsors who support us: Use code "cool mom" at Our Green House for 10% off their gorgeous, eco-friendly, make-your-own gift baskets. And be sure to sign up for your free, unlimited 30-day trial of The Great Courses through this link. Take a course with us! They're fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spawned listener favorite Jordan Shapiro is back! He totally changed the way we think about kids and tech, and now he's joining us to challenge our ideas about gender roles in parenting, and chat about his new book, Father Figure: How to Be a Feminist Dad. Is such a thing even possible? Well... We learn a whole lot about our own preconceptions here, how we can help change things -- and we get to laugh while doing it. (See why we love him so much?) Plus, some very cool Cool Picks of the Week. //Show notes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Chat with us in the Spawned FB Community // Graciously sponsored by the (very cool!) award-winning Panasonic Baby Video Monitor that's safe, secure, and even helps babies sleep. Really. // Thanks for listening and for subscribing! - L + K Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We love this talk with Kate Eberle-Walker, author of The Good Boss, on what's good and bad for women in the workplace right now, how we can better support women, how we can even change the game entirely. (And of course, some fun bad boss stories!) Whether you're a manager or have one yourself, whether you're temporarily out of the workplace, you'll love this helpful discussion, filled with inspiring tips. // Thanks to our sponsors Google Families, providing parents the help to raise healthy digital kids, and EcoFreaks Hand Sanitizers - use code COOLMOM to get a free fun keychain for kids along with the purchase of a family pack. // Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page. // Don't forget to subscribe, and give us a sweet sweet 5-star rating to help support Spawned. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We were so honored to sit down with Kate DiCamillo, the wildly popular author of The Tales of Despereaux, Because of Winn-Dixie, and Flora & Ulysses, to talk about kids, reading, writing, imagination, superheroes, the need for diverse protagonists, and so much more. And we especially love her answer to the question: Should we make kids read the book before seeing the movie? Wow, she is a joy! // Shownotes and Cool Picks of the Week:: Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Brought to you by Outschool, the platform offering thousands of engaging, live online classes for kids of all ages...from manga illustration to Hamilton choreography, coding to filmmaking.Some as affordable as $5 each! // Please subscribe and leave us a nice review! And thanks so much for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fair warning: This episode may really make you miss your IRL get togethers with your favorite mom friends, because that is exactly what this conversation with Dr. Janice Johnson Dias feels like. We knew that talking to Janice -- you might know her as "mom of Marley Dias" -- would be helpful, but we had no idea it be SO funny, so honest, so inspiring, and just so nourishing! (Also a little NSFW if you have little ones around.) Enjoy her tips about parenting and caregiving, joy, raising activists, nurturing kids' passions, and always always making time for yourself, // Brought to you by the 2021 3M Young Scientist Lab. Be sure your problem-solving kid enters by 4/27/21! // Shownotes and links: Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Thank you so much for listening, for subscribing...and extra socially-distant air hugs to those of you who take the time to write a nice review on iTunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, in honor of Black History Month, Liz has an incredible chat with Dr. Martin Luther King's goddaughter, activist and actress Donzaleigh Abernathy. Her stories about "Uncle Martin" and her childhood memories of the segregated south are simply riveting -- plus we talk current events, politics, racial justice, and being more engaged as anti-racist parents. She shares her honest views about what's changed in America, what hasn't, and what she finds incredibly encouraging. (Hint: it has to do with parents like us.) We also share a great love for scented candles and Meghan Markel! // Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Thank you so much for listening, sharing, and for your kind reviews. If you haven't yet, please leave us a five-star review, which is an easy way to support Spawned, totally free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a reason lots of us are organizing, uh...everything right now -- it helps us feel in control, during a time that so much feels beyond our control. So we're thrilled to be joined by professional organizer and President of the National Association for Black Professional Organizers, Naeemah Ford Goldson. She shares some brilliant advice, insight, and tips that we're already putting to good use in our own homes. // Graciously brought to you by Chicco baby feeding essentials, which have the safety, function, style and performance parents love. They're also the sponsors of our new 2021 Guide to the Best Baby Gifts! // Thanks SO much for listening and subscribing, and if you have a sec, please give us a nice five-star review! We're so grateful for all your support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there's one thing we're all talking about, and maybe even tearing up about (if you're Liz), it's the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines. So we invited the most perfect guest, vaccine expert, author, NYU professor, pediatrician, NY Times science columnist of "The Checkup," Dr. Perri Klass. She's offering a fantastic perspective about the vaccine that we hope will either help put you at ease, or give you another reason to continue celebrating. She's so informative and reassuring, that we really hope you'll take a listen. Be sure to share this episode with someone you know who needs to hear it too. // Shownotes: CoolMomPicks.com // Many thanks to our awesome sponsor Life360, the leading family safety membership service, which offers comprehensive, easy-to-use safety features for life at home, online, and on the road, all through one simple app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since we started Cool Mom Picks nearly 15 years ago (!) our hearts have always been with small businesses, especially those run by women and moms. So we're devoting this episode to sharing some of our favorite ways to shop small this holiday -- including lots of tips for shopping local and helping your own community businesses, that you may not have considered. Also, we talk about why we're tipping. A lot. And we share some of our favorite gifts from our 2020 Small Business Holiday Gift Guide should you need some great ideas! // With gratitude to our sponsor, Life360, which is keeping families safe in so many ways. Try it free now for 7 days! // Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Chat with our Spawned community on FB // Thank you for listening, subscribing and your kind, generous, lovely 5-star reviews which helps support our own small, mom-run business! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Thanksgiving here, Kristen + Liz sat down for a really honest conversation about the holiday season during a pandemic: What we're missing, what we're grateful for, who we're judging, who we're trying not to judge, why women and moms bear most of the brunt of this (grrr), how our kids are doing,....and where are finding the silver linings. Even if you're cynical, they're there if you look for them! // Thank you for listening and subscribing. We're thankful for all of YOU. And thanks to our terrific sponsor, the Big Life Journal for kids and teens. Use code COOL10 for 10% off your order in time for holidays // Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page + Join our Spawned community chat on Facebook // Have a good one friends...be safe and healthy, and please wear a mask.! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've had kids struggling with reading, writing, and other basic skills, you're not alone. (We've been there too!) Language expert and learning scientist Dr. Cindy Blanco is completely enlightening us with the connections between language and literacy, and let's just say...minds blown. We know you'll get some great tips here for helping even reluctant kids become readers, including a whole lot of tips that take the pressure off both of you. (Did you know cereal boxes count as reading? They do!) // This episode graciously brought to you by the new Duolingo ABC app for kids 3-7, FREE from the makers of the #1 educational language app in the world. Download today at the App Store.// Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Come chat with us in the Spawned FB community! // Don't forget to subscribe + leave us a nice review if you enjoy our show! - xo Kristen + Liz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Liz stumbled into a wonderful idea: Plan to do "one good thing today," each day. Just one. AScial media friends and followers responded with the most fantastic variety of ideas for their "one good thing," that we couldn't wait to share them on this week's episode to help inspire your own. We hope it gives you some positivity and lightness during some really tough times. We need it! // Grateful for our cool sponsor Gallileo Anywhere classes for kids. Save $5 off your first class thru 10/31/20 // Shownotes: Cool Mom Pick podcast page // Thanks for listening -- and for your kind reviews! (You know how we love those five-star reviews.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have an older child or teen who's just gone back to school, you're going to want to pay close attention to this week's episode of Spawned. Because we're talking with best-selling author, psychologist, and new podcaster Dr. Lisa Damour, who's here to elaborate on her her viral NY Times article, "The 2020 Back-to-School List for Teens' Emotional Well-Being." She helps us all learn a little more about 4 things we can do to support our kids right now through a school year that's bound to be like no other. To say the least. // Thanks so much for listening and subscribing, and for your kind 5-star reviews! (Write one: it only takes a few seconds.) // Find shownotes on Cool Mom Picks // Thanks to our sponsor, the Panasonic HomeHawk WINDOW security camera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you're pinned to election coverage right now, or avoiding it completely, we think everyone should listen to this interview with Amber McReynolds, CEO of the bipartisan National Vote at Home Institute. She's got the real facts (as in, not alternative facts) about voting by mail and absentee ballots. You'll learn some of the benefits we hadn't considered, the positive changes that vote-by-mail can make to our democracy, why voter fraud by mail is nearly impossible -- and the extra special advantage that voting by mail can have for parents. Take a listen right now! We walked away so much smarter from this interview and we hope you will too. // Graciously brought to you by PerfectClean - save 25% with discount code COOL // Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks // Thanks so much for subscribing, and for your kind reviews which help support our show. And don't forget to V O T E ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan Shapiro is the author of The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World, and he's about to blow your mind. We discuss the benefits of kids and tech,, embracing family screen time, why fear of technology may be worse than actual technology, how video games got such a bad rap, and so much more -- in fact he's completely reshaped our own attitudes about digital parenting. // Shownotes here. // Chat with us in the Spawned FB community and join our Out-Tech Your Kids community to find the most supportive parents! And hey, subscribe to our new Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, for easy 15 minute tech tips for parents each week. // Many thanks to our sponsor, Kobi Kids Natural Deodorant, formulated just for tweens and teens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're so honored to welcome back The Double Shift podcaster, journalist and working mom expert Katherine Goldstein for an incredible conversation about one of the many troubling aspects of the Covid pandemic: its profound impact on working moms. We discuss the real challenges, who it's hurting most, how to rally for the help we all need, and what the long term impact of Covid could be on an entire generation of working mothers...if we don't start prioritizing childcare in America. Plus, she's got a great alternative to the "mommy war" shaming over parents' (decidedly limited) choices right now. // Thanks so much for listening and subscribing. You can discuss this episode with us in the Spawned FB community // Shownotes: CoolMomPicks.com // Many thanks to our fantastic sponsor, Breyers CarbSmart for helping us get through this hot summer at home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So let's talk time management. (Ha! Hahahahhaha!) We get it. Lately, it's like we look out the window, see it's getting dark, and think "where the heck did this day go!" But with back to school (-ish) creeping up on us, we're trying to regain at least some sense of normalcy and routine. So we're examining the top 5 time management techniques from experts to help you figure out if one is right for you, and can help you be a little more productive in work and in life.. No pressure to write the great American novel or plant a community garden! Just...baby steps. // Show notes and links: Cool Mom Picks Podcast Page // Chat about the episode in the Spawned FB Community // Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! // Please support this week's wonderful sponsors, Darkness Drops Again by Melissa Manning + Breyers CarbSmart Frozen Treats. (Yum.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's really only one topic we could think to cover this week: What to do about back-to-school in 2020, during the Covid pandemic. We don't have the right answer for you (and FFS let's not turn this into the next mommy wars) but we do have a terrific list of 14 considerations we've seen parents discussing -- including plenty you might not have thought about at all just yet. Take a deep breath, take a listen, and then think about the decision that feels right in your gut. Even if it changes in a week. Or a day. We have to start somewhere. // Show notes and helpful links from the show on Cool Mom Picks. // Discuss this topic with us in the Spawned podcast community on FB // Gratitude to our sponsor, Breyers Ice Cream for making this week's. episode possible. // Don't forget to subscribe! Lots to discuss these days. Hoo boy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, our oldest girls turned 15 and 16 (eep!) and we found some interesting ways to celebrate. So we really wanted to have an honest, helpful discussion about kids' birthday in the age of Covid, including party alternatives, finding joy in small gestures, acknowledging the loss and the FOMO, and above all, remembering that celebrating our kids' milestones should be about love...not Instagram. We think you'll come away with a lot to think about. Plus, you get to find out why a "ball-inator" is a big deal in Liz's home on birthdays. (Don't worry, it's safe for all ages.) // Show notes and links: Cool Mom Picks Podcast page // Spawned Podcast Community FB page // Much thanks to this week's cool sponsors, Breyer's CarbSmart and Cisco's Global Problem Solvers: The Series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prolific author and writer Ada Calhoun is out with her latest book, Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis, an absolutely fascinating book for every GenX woman in her 40s and 50s (and thereabouts). She reminds us that everything we're going through right now, we're DEFINITELY not alone! Liz has a terrific talk with to help more of us see why so many of us still feel overwhelmed, dissatisfied to varying degrees, and like we somehow "failed" (ugh) by not "having it all." But hey, it's not you. Really. So she gives us reasons to stop blame ourselves. //This episode is brought to you by Bryer's CarbSmart, which is helping us eat our feelings this summer with fewer carbs and calories. Listen to the show for an exclusive coupon. // Shownotes: Spawned on Cool Mom Picks // Join us to discuss in the Spawned community on Facebook. // Thanks so much for listening, subscribing and all your generous reviews! Stay safe and healthy, friends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big news, Spawned listeners: We're so excited to launch the new Out-Tech Your Kids Podcast, designed to help you become a smarter digital parent in just 15 minutes each week. No judgments, no jargon-y lesson about the the history of the CPU processor. Just tech-positive answers to parents' top questions, to help us all raise a generation of responsible digital citizens. Be sure to listen and subscribe at bit.ly/outtechyourkids on Apple Podcasts. And hey, want to ask a question we can answer on the show? Join our Out Tech Your Kids community on FB. it's a great place, if we do say so ourselves. - Kristen + Liz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We understand that everyone is at different stages when it comes to understanding, internalizing, and speaking out against systemic racism and Black Lives Matter. So we're grateful that Rene Syler, an incredible, experienced broadcast journalist, witty author, prolific public speaker, and Black mom of two lent us her time and her voice this week to discuss racism in America -- not just what it means to be racist (the definition may surprise you), but what you can do to help make changes, even in small ways that can have big impact. // Shownotes on Cool Mom Picks // Join the discussion in the Spawned FB community // Thanks so much to our sponsors, Bryer's CarbSmart frozen treats + the Whystle product recall alert app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz speaks with the incredible activist, mom, and now author Meena Harris about her wonderful new children's book, "Kamala and Maya's Big Idea" based on a true story from the childhoods of her mom, Maya Harris, and her Aunt Kamala. We talk about representation and diversity in children's literature, the importance of reading about strong female characters (especially for boys!), how to to kids about racism and the world, some of Meena's best childhood memories, her civil rights activist grandma's terrific life advice...and the best roast chicken ever. \\ NOTE this episode was recorded 5/29, just before this week of protest and uprising across the country. \\ More info, show notes, and links to Meena's work on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page \\ Thanks to our sponsor, Breyer's CarbSmart frozen treats \\ Thanks to YOU for listening, subscribing, and for your gracious reviews. Come discuss today's episode with us in the Spawned FB Community. And stay safe out there, parents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If these days, your dream social life would include time with a few friends for some real talk, real laughs, some needed venting, and a random reference to clown sex, this will be the 30-minute highlight of your week. Hey, it was the highlight of ours! And that's kind of the way things go when you're chatting with the very thoughtful, very funny, and very real Tova Leigh, best-selling author of F*cked at 40 and star of the Amazon series Mom Life Crisis. We love her honesty about finding the humor while still acknowledging the really sucky stuff right now. Just what we needed. // Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks Podcast Page // Chat more with us at the Spawned FB Community // Thank you SO much for all the nice new reviews! And... "don't forget to like and subscribe," as the kids say. Stay healthy, friends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Real parenting talk: Emotions are up and down in the age of Covid, times are stressful, and we definitely are not trying to "win" quarantine with 800 millions Instagrammable family moments each day. (Oy.) What we are doing though is finding the small joys, and hopefully making a few special memories in spite of *all this*. This episode, Kristen and Liz are sharing some of our favorite things we're doing with our own kids right now, and we know they'll help give you some ideas of your own. // Thanks to our sponsor Gladskin for helping eczema sufferers more affordably when you order with code CMP20 // Join us to chat in our Spawned Facebook Community, find us on the socials, or hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com and just let us know how you're doing, okay? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week is a fun, Coronavirus-free episode about the joys of binge watching -- there's scientific reasons to give yourself permission to watch shows right now, and whether you are watching alone or with the family, we've got suggestions for what to watch...and what to skip. We also ask the question on everyone's mind right now: should you watch Tiger King? (Kristen has a good tip if you're on the fence.) Whether you like dark dystopian series, light sitcoms, or mindless reality shows, we've got recos we hope you'll love. Also, we laugh. A lot. Not just because Liz has Cheetos stuck in her teeth. // Thanks to our sponsor, the new Gigantausaurus: The Game based on the Disney Jr. Show and brought to you by Outright Games. Download now for hours of fun on Switch, PS4, Xbox ONE, and PC // For show notes, links and more info, visit the Cool Mom Picks podcast page or pop by the Spawned Facebook Community to chat. // Thanks for listening and subscribing! Wash your hands! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of the Coronavirus outbreak and the hour-by-hour changes and disruptions it's creating in our lives, we immediately called pediatrician and adolescent expert Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, one of all-time favorite Spawned Parenting Podcast guests, to help us out as parents. We hope you'll listen to this important conversation between Liz and Dr. Ginsburg. We discuss how Coronavirus/Covid-19 is impacting families, how we can best manage our own anxieties as parents to set good examples, exactly what to say -- and what not to say -- to our kids, how to know if our kids are in need of professional help to manage anxiety, and even positive ways to frame our overall perspective that will help us build stronger family connections in the end. It really is a fantastic interview and we're so grateful for Dr. Ginsburg's wisdom and reassurance. // Please join us in the Spawned Parenting Community on Facebook to discuss this further, so we can help each other out even more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Encouraging creativity in kids is so important to us, and it's not just about crafting or calligraphy. We are SO happy to be joined by creative maven, entrepreneurial role model, mom of two, and social media megastar, Joy Cho of Oh Joy! Design Studio to talk about how to encourage more creativity in kids -- even if you don't think you're creative yourself. So many great tips for parents, caregivers and teachers. Plus, we really appreciate her thoughtful, honest talk about about how her life on Instagram may look spectacular...but life is always about making choices. Tune in! // Thanks to our sponsor, Destination Maternity and their massive sale in every store on all maternity and postpartum fashions.. Mention Spawned Podcast or Cool Mom Picks to save an additional 10% on all your in-store purchases through 3/15/2020! // And thanks to YOU for listening and subscribing and leaving us nice five-star reviews. We give you all five stars right back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you outgrown your home? Do you feel priced out of your current zip code? Are you ready to move from the joys of urban rats to the joys of suburban raccoons in your garbage? AND. Does all of this make your palms sweat? Fear not! This week we're joined by the witty, and extremely helpful "Marie Kondo of Moving," Ali Wenzke. She's sharing tips from her book, The Art of Happy Moving, to help families know whether it's time to move. And, importantly, tips for making it easier when you do, especially on the kids. We even love her ideas for making your home feel new, if you have no plans to move at all. // Join us in the Spawned Parenting Podcast private Facebook community to chat about this...or anything at all! // Shownotes on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review if you enjoy the show! (Do we sound like Miranda Sings?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This interview with Peggy Orenstein on her new best-selling book, Boys & Sex, is absolutely a must-listen episode for all parents. Once again, with all caps: IT'S A MUST-LISTEN. Whether you have younger boys, older teens, or even girls, this very candid interview is one of the most eye-opening, informative scary, and yet hopeful discussion about how we can bring up the next generation of sexually healthy young men. Want to talk about what you heard here today? Visit our Spawned community on Facebook. // Thanks to our sponsor, the convertible ergoPouch sleep sac bag -- save 30% on your order with code CMPXERGOPOUCH30  through 2/29/2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're joined by third-time guest and fan favorite James Breakwell, A.K.A. the popular humorist Exploding Unicorn, and author of How to Save Your Child from Ostrich Attacks, Accidental Time Travel, and Anything Else that Might Happen on an Average Tuesday. As you can imagine, this is a VERY SERIOUS INTERVIEW about VERY SERIOUS THREATS TO CHILDREN. I mean, if your kid ever encounters a werewolf, or doesn't know what to do if they're suddenly transported into a real Minecraft world, you will 100% know how to handle it thanks to this candid and urgent discussion. // Questions or comments? Join our Spawned Podcast Community on Facebook and visit our podcast page on Cool Mom Picks for info about James, his new book, and our cool picks of the week! //Thanks again for subscribing, and for all your lovely reviews. If supernatural beings ever attacked your family, we'd totally be there for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh, stop squirming! Most of our listeners have one right? And yet, why is it still so hard to talk about sex and sexuality with our kids? (And why do we have to mark this "explicit," ya know?) Well this week, Liz is chatting with family sex communication researcher and "Beyond Birds & Bees" educational workshop host Dr. Heidi Croatt, who has truly genius ideas to help you rethink everything -- like why we all need to raise sexually healthy kids; what to say by age; how to talk about some newer sexual health topics including consent and gender identity; and tips for making it all less awkward for everyone involved. And whatever yours! // Thanks so much for listening and subscribing and telling ALL YOUR FRIENDS, because that's what friends do, right?And this one can really help a parent out. // See show notes on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page including info on our cool picks, and join our Spawned Facebook community to chat about today's episode...or anything at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're talking about how to create more positive thinking in your life, and all the ways it brings success. (It's true! It's science!) Author, NFL/NHL trainer, and professional joy-spreader Sandy Joy Weston is sharing some wonderful tips, especially for parents, and bringing loads of energy and inspiration to this conversation. We hope you get a ton out of it, because we know we did!. // Thanks so much to our sponsors: The Prodigy online game that's helped millions (whoa) of kids master curriculum-aligned math skills. Also, Circle Screen time Management and Tracking System -- save $30 on a Circle Home Plus with code SPAWNED for a limited time. // For show notes and more info visit the Podcast Page on Cool Mom Picks. // Thanks so much for listening, subscribing, supporting our sponsors, and for all your kind reviews! We'll be back in the new year with more. Mwa! - L + K Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Spawned parenting podcast, we're talking about something all parents can agree on: Saving money is GOOD! So we're sharing a favorite episode featuring our very best tips, tricks, and secrets for saving money on your holiday shopping -- all garnered from over 10 years doing this very thing for our readers on Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech. Trust us...we know things. (BWAHAHAHA...) So liisten now! Quick, before you spend another penny! | Thank you so much to our sponsor, Candlewick Press, publishers of the new book of bios for children, "Leading the Way: Women in Power" Also thank you to Prodigy, the effective online math platform loved by more than 50 million kids worldwide. | Shownotes: Spawned Podcast Page on CoolMomPicks.com. | Thanks for listening, friends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you feel like this holiday season came earlier this year, and the pressure is more pronounced, you're not imagining it. On this week's Spawned parenting podcast, we're (complaining) talking about the very real reasons this year feels more intense. BUT! It's okay! We've also got tons of expert tips for managing the 4 biggest stressors of the holiday season: Gifts, money, family, and external pressure. // Find all the links from today's show including our cool picks of the week on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page. // Extra thanks to our fantastic sponsors, FAMfriendly.com, which offers helpful resources for raising smart digital kids; as well as Ritual Vitamins, who is offering Spawned listeners 10% off your first 3-month subscription of their Essentials for Women multivitamin. // Thanks SO much for listening, and for and all your truly lovely (sniff), thoughtful (sniff), very kind reviews lately. You're the best! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Liz is joined by Suzy Chase, host of the #1 cookbook podcast, Cookery by the Book. Each week she talks to a different cookbook author to open our minds up to different cultures, experiences and ideas through our shared love of food. So today, we're talking about the best cookbooks for families right now, the hot trends in cooking, and some truly excellent tips to make feeding your kids easier. And can't we all use that? // Find show notes and links on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page and come chat with us in our Recipe Rescue Facebook Group! // Thanks so much for your lovely reviews - you can leave one right now in fact! Another way to help support us and keep us independent ;subscribe to the Spawned parenting podcast so you never miss an episode. You can do that right now too. TECHNOLOGY! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Spawned Parenting podcast, we're talking about a topic we all struggle with: Priorities. How do we make time for the things we love when are all just so busy? How do we fit family, relationships, friends, hobbies, passion projects and our own health and well-being into our lives? (Phew!) Liz + Kristen check in 9 months after our interview with Jake Knapp on making time for things you love, for a candid discussion about where we're succeeding, where we're failing, and what's helping. Or...not. // Show notes and related links on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Thanks to our wonderful sponsor, Candlewick Press and their new boxed set of Jon Klassen's hat trilogy. Your kids will love it! //Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and thanks for all of your kind 5-star reviews. Best. Listeners. Ever.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new parenting panic du jour: Kids and social media. TERRIFYING! But...wait. What if social media isn't really the problem some experts will tell you it is? What if parents are essentially just handing car keys to kids and being shocked that they don't know how to drive? There's so much more we can do! We think you'll love this episode, full of helpful tips and advice that go way, way beyond "don't send nudes." (Which, duh. Don't send nudes!) Whether your kids have their own Snapchat accounts or seem years away from phones of their own, we think this honest, non-alarmist, positive discussion can help us all raise the next generation of responsible,  thoughtful digital citizens. // Big thanks to our sponsors VSP Vision Plans and Ritual Vitamins (and their special discount for our listeners) for supporting what we do. // Find the show notes on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page, and join the discussion in the Spawned FB community. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. 5-star reviews are always welcome too! Thanks for listening, friends! = Liz + Kristen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're sharing a thoughtful, revealing and intimate chat between Liz and author/single mom advocate Rachel Sklar about the term "single mom" -- who gets to use it, why it's a loaded phrase, why there's a single mom heirarchy, and how race, age, and income are a factor in how single or solo parenting is perceived. Liz reveals some personal details she hasn't shared on the show before, and Rachel helps all of us rethink the complex and nuanced world of single parenthood.  // We are grateful to the support of this week's sponsors, BiOBUDDi eco-friendly building blocks (20% off through this link with code SPAWNED) and Ritual Vitamins (10% off your first 3 months through this link). // Full show notes on the Spawned podcast page or join the discussion in the Spawned Facebook community. // Thanks so much for listening, subscribing, telling friends (you are telling friends, right?) and all of your amazing five-star reviews! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 poundcake story.  Shownotes: Cool Mom Picks podcast page. // Graciously brought to you by the hilarious Don't Wait Up by Liz Astrof, and by the Osmo learning toy, a Cool Mom Tech favorite. (This link gets you a free sampler!) // Questions or comments? Join our Spawned Listeners FB community. We're very friendly, promise! // Thanks for listening, subscribing and all your fabulous five-star reviews. You all rock. [insert rock sign hand emoji thingie here] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 episode generously brought to you by TeenCounseling.com - Spawned listeners save 10% at TeenCounseling.com/coolmom // Show notes and links: Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Join our Spawned FB community to chat about today's episode...or any episode at all // And thanks so much for all your great feedback + 5-star reviews! They're a free, easy way to support us and make us feel all warm and tingly inside.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 own kid thinks you're a (real) supeherro. This is such a fun episode, we could have talked all day...and almost did.  // See the show notes on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page // Questions/comments: Join the Spawned Facebook community // Thanks for listening and subscribing and all your kind reviews! -Kristen + Liz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Spawned Parenting Podcast, we're talking with Emmy-winning staff writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, 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, The Someone New.  It's all about choosing kindness over fear when meeting people (or...snails) who are different from us -- and yes, it's funny! // An easy way to support Spawned is to subscribe right now and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. // Connect with us in the Spawned Podcast Community on Facebook so we can chat about this episode and more. // Thanks so much for listening! - Liz + Kristen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 we need -- at work and at home -- everyone wins. Whether you work out of home or not, this is a fantastic episode to help us all lose the mom guilt and help make change instead. Yes! // Show notes on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page, or join the Spawned parenting community on Facebook to discuss. // If you love what we do, please consider leaving us a positive review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps support us. And thanks! -Kristen + Liz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 get kids more personally invested in the planning and the trip, and help you stave off 95% of all eyerolls. GUARANTEED. \\ Shownotes: The Cool Mom Picks podcast page. More chat: The Spawned Facebook Community \\  Thanks for listening and telling all your friends and leaving us a 5-star review, because you're cool like that.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 support us || You'll find show notes with links about the topics you heard here on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page || And don't forget to join our new Spawned listeners community on Facebook, which is the best place to find us, ask questions, suggest topics, and discuss what you heard here today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Cool Mom Picks Podcast Page, and be sure to join our AWESOME (we're not biased, really) community of Spawned listeners on Facebook!  Thanks so much for listening and subscribing and keep those great reviews coming!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 universe (and how the universe fits into us). Plus, she has a FASCINATING revelation about Kristen and Liz's relationship based on the alignment of their charts and...well, we kind of freaked out. As you'll hear. || Find show notes and links to a great astrology site to help you get more info about your own signs on our Podcast page on Cool Mom Picks. || Join the Spawned listeners community on Facebook here -- it's so fun! || And hey, thanks for listening, subscribing, and for all your wonderful reviews on iTunes. May you become something fabulous in your next life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 today on our podcast page at coolmompicks.com and please join our new Spawned listeners Facebook community to share your thoughts on today's episode, show ideas -- or really, on anything at all. We're fun that way. \\Thanks so much for joining us, for subscribing (*hint*) and for all of your positive iTunes ratings! You're the best.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there any new parent struggle that generates more controversy than sleep training? Arguably...no way. But can we finally stop fighting about what's right and wrong? Yes! Maybe? Sleep training expert Tamiko Kelly, owner of Sleep Well Wake Happy, joins us for a fun (really!) and incredibly helpful  discussion that may change what you think you know about sleep training your baby. And stick around for a particularly lively Cool Picks of the Week segment, full of self-care ideas we love. And random Billy Blanks references.  Questions? Comments? Hit us up! Spawned@coolmompicks.com via email, or visit us on Instagram @coolmompicks, Facebook.com/coolmompicks, and Twitter @coolmompicks. You can also find more info and links to the topics you heard about on this episode on the Podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com. Thanks so much for listening and subscribing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk a lot about being the change you want to see in the world, but how do you do that? How do you get started? What if you're like us, crazy-busy parents who are already juggling a lot of stuff? What if the word "activist" doesn't really apply to you at all?  On this week's episode, join us for a lively chat and some really helpful, useful tips from Elisa Camahort Page, co-founder of the Blogher Network, activist, business coach, and the co-author of Amazon #1 release, Road Map for Revolutionaries.  She discusses  how to narrow down the issues you care about, what you can do about them, and why it's not as hard as you think.  You can visit our podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com to learn more about all the tips and ideas you hear today -- including our cool picks of the week!  Thanks so much for joining, and hey, hit us up anytime by email at spawned@coolmompicks.com if you have questions or comments, or find us across social media at @coolmompicks. We love hearing from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We both have gratitude on our minds right now. At a time that there is so much abundance -- food, gifts, parties -- and conversely, so many of us struggling with the season in general, it's so valuable for us to consider ways to help develop more gratitude in our kids. And honestly in ourselves. So this week on Spawned, you'll find a really honest, helpful (we hope!) conversation about how to be more mindful everyday gratitude, as a way to ground ourselves this holiday season and beyond, and to connect to the things that really matter. // Thanks so much for listening + subscribing! You can find show notes with links to all the info in this episode, including our cool picks of the week, on the Cool Mom Picks podcast page.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a much needed self-care break that includes laughing until we cry (for real), Liz and Kristen take on some of the greatest Halloween debates among parents -- like, the legal trick-or-treating maximum age, suburbs vs city Halloweens, the best candy-booze pairings and, well, Whoppers. We need you to break the tie, so take a listen now! || Questions? Comments? Hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com, find us on Insta, Facebook or Twitter @coolmompicks. Thanks for listening and subscribing!  May you be blessed with all the Milky Way Darks this year. (Or, perhaps, Whoppers.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's an episode just for those of you too busy to listen to podcasts (ha): Amiyrah Martin of 4 Hats and Frugal joins us this week to share the most brilliant -- and kind of shocking, honestly -- time-saving tips and hacks to help us prioritize our families a little more and put more energy towards what's important. Meal planning in five-minutes a week? Planning your whole year in a single day? Count us in! And of course you can read more about all the stuff we talk about on the CoolMomPicks.com podcast page, and find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @coolmompicks. Thanks so much for listening + subscribing! (NOTE: this is a clean episode but there's one gently used b-word at the very very end if you have little ones over your shoulder.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you know cookbook author and food writer Catherine McCord of Weelicious and the creator of the One Potato family meal delivery service, you know she's all about making it more fun and easy to help get families eating together. Join us for a really lively chat, filled with honest anecdotes and helpful tips for those of us who don't necessarily live to cook (that's us!) She even schools us on benefits we never knew about frozen cauliflower...and her daughter does what with salt?  Listen to find out! || Thanks so much for listening to Spawned + subscribing! You can find more info about everything you heard here on the CoolMomPicks.com podcast page. And of course hit us up with questions any time at spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us on social @coolmpicks on Twitter, FB and Instagram.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When work is online, communication is online, entertainment is online and it's all 24/7...it can be hard to get offline! So today, Kristen is have a smart, nuanced, truly helpful discussion with tech health expert Dr. Mike Brooks for lots of tips, advice and some of the tough love we might need. He's the author of TechHappyLife.com and the new book Tech Generation: Raising Balanced Kids in a Hyper-Connected World and we think you'll get so much out of his smart, researched-based ideas for how to model good tech behavior for our kids...so they can be healthy tech users too.  || Find more info about everything you hear today on the CoolMomPicks.com podcast page, Questions or comments? Spawned@coolmompicks.com, or @coolmompicks on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you for listening! And for subscribing! (You are a subscriber, right? Of course you are!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Spawned, we're talking kids and nutrition. Which, TBH, is one of those issues that nearly universally stresses out parents of all kinds, whatever the age of our kids. Fortunately, we've got an expert to help us out: Dr. Tanya Altmann, who you may better know as just...Dr. Tanya from TV! Take a listen as she helps us with topics like parents' biggest nutrition struggles, how much protein kids really need, tips to avoid added sugars in processed foods, helping kids make better food choices when we're not with them, and why moderation is totally okay. Don't forget to subscribe and thank you so much for listening! You can find more info about all the info you heard today, including our cool picks of the week, on the Cool Mom Picks Spawned page. If you have questions, hit us up anytime: spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter @coolmompicks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working mom guilt is useless -- or wait, is it? Well, consider us schooled! If you're a working mom (or even a working dad), we think you'll get SO much out of this discussion with Jessica Turner, author of Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt. She's got some terrific tips on why guilt can actually be a good teacher, how to make more time for yourself and your (non-kid) relationships, and one brilliant, simple, super quick way to help you overcome the guilt that inevitably comes with being a working mom. || Thanks so much for listening, subscribing, and just being you! You can find all the links you hear about today on our podcast page on Cool Mom Picks. And if you have questions, comments or show ideas, reach out at spawned@coolmompicks.com or on social at @coolmompicks on Facebook and @coolmompicks on Twitter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've been wondering how much you should give your kids for an allowance, or when you should open their own bank account, hey, us too! Get the answers and a whole lot more on this episode featuring Beth Kobliner, a New York Times bestselling author, financial expert, and mom-of-3, who's tackling all the kids and money questions we could squeeze into 40-minutes. || Questions? Comments? Hit up up at spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter @coolmompicks. And find all the links from today's show on the podcast page on Cool Mom Picks. And hey! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, as Kristen and Liz try (desperately) to get organized for back-to-school, we take a look at 5 top time-management techniques from experts, compare them, and analyze how they can be helpful to parents. Because we're all busy, yo! And anything that gets our to-do list done more efficiently so we can get back to the things we really WANT to do is good by us! Plus as always, we've got some great cool picks of the week. || Find more information about the info you hear in today's episode on our podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com or at bit.ly/spawnedcmp. || And of course if you have questions, comments, topic or guest ideas, hit us up! Spawned@coolmompicks.com, or @coolmompicks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram using hashtag #SpawnedShow. Thanks for listening, friends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're so happy to be joined by NY Times Motherlode Sr Editor, and "How to Be a Happier Parent" author KJ Dell'Antonia to talk about....well, you guessed it! How to be a happier parent. Only there's no shaming here. No guilt. No OMG I AM DOING EVERYTHING WRONG AND WILL NEVER RECOVER! Just humor, great tips, a few honest confessions, and a reminder that we all do a lot of stuff right, so stop beating yourself up! \\ Comments? Questions? Hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com or visit @coolmompicks on Twitter, FB or Insta with hashtag #spawnedshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for one of our greatest hits Spawned episodes: Professional organizer Laurie Palau schools us on back-to-school organization tips and tricks that make this time of year so much more manageable. You'll love her! | Questions or comments? Hit us up @coolmompicks on social media or spawned@coolmompicks.com | And thanks so much for listening, subscribing to Spawned, and leaving so many incredibly positive reviews! It means a lot to us. (You guyyyyyys....) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whatever age your kids may be, we know that managing screen time and finding the benefits (and boundaries) is a huge issue with parents. So we're THRILLED to chat with Angela Santomero, the successful creator of educational programs like Blue's Clues, SuperWhy!, and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. She's out with the new book, PRESCHOOL CLUES: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World, and she is just filled with common sense advice, smart perspectives, and pro tips that help parents make good choices when it comes to kids and TV. Plus, we've got some outstanding cool picks of the week for the mind, face + body! || Questions or comments? You can find us @coolmompicks on Twitter, FB and IG, or hit us up at spawned!coolmompicks.com. Thanks so much for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, join us for a light, fun, super chatty episode about....shopping! Specifically, online consignment shopping. Which are the best online resale sites for sellers? Which are the best for buyers? Which pay the highest commissions to you? Which will suck all of your time away from your children? We've got so many great tips and tricks from our own experiences -- especially Kristen. Plus...we've got a fun live fashion unboxing that's pretty hilarious. Then some extra-cool cool picks of the week. Thanks so much for listening and subscribing! And keep those reviews coming -- they make us happy! | questions/comments: Hit us up on social @coolmompicks or email spawned@coolmompicks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where do you start if you have a career dream, a passion, or a business idea? Why is it important for all of us to have more women running businesses? How are women changing startup culture? And what's up with only 2% of VC money going to businesses with women at the top?! (GAH!) Join Liz and Heather Cabot, the former ABC News anchor, current investor, Forbes columnist, and author of Geek Girl Rising, for a really engaging, informative chat that could change the whole direction of your life. No exaggeration! | Thanks so much for listening and don't forget to subscribe to Spawned with Kristen + Liz!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you think preparing 21 nutritious meals a week is the joy of your existence? In that case, might want to skip this episode. Today we're keeping it real with the delightful, funny, and down-to-earth Siri Daly, who you might know from her TODAY Show cooking segments (often with her husband Carson Daly) and her bestselling cookbook, Siriously Delicious. We're chatting about how to make food "happy," tricks for getting kids to eat better without stress, meal-planning tips, plus totally random banter about Junior Mints and the joys of online friends.  We've got some extra-cool cool picks of the week today, too! || Questions, comments, show ideas? Hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find Kristen + Liz on your favorite democracy-destroying social network as @coolmompicks using hashtag #spawnedshow.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're browsing the hot fashion trends of spring for a candid discussion about what we can wear, what we can't, and what the heck women ever did to designers to deserve some of this. Will we say yes to designer fanny packs? Fringed go-go dancer tops? Giant floral prints? Misspelled designer logos? Take a listen for a fun, light, totally opinionated episode that's well worth your 34 minutes! || Questions? Comments? Hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us @coolmompicks on social. And don't forget to leave us a (really nice) review if you like Spawned! We'd like that even more than sparkly metallic ankle boots.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, in the wake of the tragic Parkland school shooting, we're talking about the positive: The courageous, amazing kids-turned-activists of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High -- and how their actions are influencing so many kids around the nation. (Including ours. And maybe yours?) It's a really great discussion about how we as parents can encourage our own kids to get involved in issues they care about -- education, animals, the environment, you name it -- and what kinds of things we can all do to help feel less helpless and more empowered in the face of tragedy beyond our control. Questions? Comments? Hit us up via spawned@coolmompicks.com, follow us on twitter and facebook @coolmompicks using the hashtag #spawnedshow. Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all get into cycles of negative thinking (raising our hands here), and fortunately there are some simple tips to help you get out sooner. Because more positivity means happier you, happier kids, more success, more love. Really! Take a listen to these tips about the power of positive thinking from the energetic Sandy Joy Weston, fitness instructor, trainer (she was the first female trainer for the Philadelphia Flyers!), mom, and author of the new book, Train Your Head and Your Body Will Follow. | Questions? Comments? Knock-knock jokes? Hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us on social @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you hear the one about the pregnant woman who wasn't allowed to drink a glass of water on the job? If only this were an isolated story. That's why, for all of us working moms, working dads, and working moms-to-be, Liz is so happy to sit down with working families advocate and A Better Balance founder Dina Bakst. This episode, they're talking about our legal rights as working parents, which protections are guaranteed to us, which states are leading the way, and where we really need to do better for moms and dads. If you have questions or comments, find us at spawned@coolmompicks.com or on social @coolmompicks. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raise your hand if you struggle to put down the phone sometimes. Yep, us too. So...we're joined by "The Art of Screentime" author and expert Anya Kamenetz for an honest conversation about how to realistically balance all that online time with real life. For both you and your kids. She's got some seriously amazing tips that were new to us, and we're excited to put them to use . Hope they help you too! || Thanks so much for listening and all your kind 5-star reviews! Best listeners ever! If you want to reach out with comments or questions: spawned@coolmompicks.com or @coolmompicks on your favorite social channel. (When you're not in the midst of your offline time, of course.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have SO many questions for video game expert Dr. Rachel Kowert: Are video games hurting our kids? Are violent games making kids more violent? Are they playing too much overall? How do we manage all that gaming time? And geez... are there ANY positive effects for kids who game? We think you'll be surprised at the answers and her common sense advice. This is a great episode whether your kids are just old enough for screens, or already masters of Minecraft. || Questions? Comments? Hit us up! spawned@coolmompicks.com or @coolmompicks on your favorite social channel. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's here! Our annual holiday gift guide, and we're sharing some of our favorites from the hundreds of gifts we scoured the web to find. It's like an entire episode of Cool Picks of the Week. Whether you're finishing off your holiday shopping, or just getting started, we've got lots of suggestions. And opinions, of course. We love hearing from you! Drop us an email spawned@coolmompicks.com, follow us on Facebook, or tweet us (use #spawnedshow). And find all our holiday picks in our holiday gift guide, and on our podcast page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who likes paying retail over the holiday? Not us! Presumably, not you. So...join us for a fun, fast-paced episode with our very best money-saving holiday shopping tips culled from YEARS of giving this same advice in national magazines, newspapers, and shows like TODAY. You can use these tips, apps, and other helpful services on Black Friday or any day of the year, and don't worry about writing it all down -- you'll find all the links on our our podcast page at bit.ly/spawnedCMP. | Thanks for listening! And if you've got any questions, comments or show ideas...hit us up!  spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us on social at @coolmompicks using hashtag #SpawnedShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wondering how to tell the men to do the dishes for a change? Struggling to feed 12 people with 14 different food allergies? Freaking over a 10-hour road trip with perpetually bored tweens? And how do we handle those political conversations everyone is dreading? You gave us questions...we've got answers! Join us for a fun, honest, carb-free Thanksgiving romp. And thanks so much for listening and supporting Spawned with Kristen and Liz! Questions? Hit us up: spawned@coolmompicks.com or @coolmompicks on social media with hashtag #SpawnedShow.   *NOTE: Got kids around: This is a clean show with one lone f-bomb. What can we say; it's a favorite word. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen just got back from an Imagine Dragons show with all four of her kids, because she's not like a regular mom...she's a COOL MOM. (Also, whoa.) Join us for a lively discussion about kids and concerts, tips and concerns. And earplugs. Definitely earplugs. Plus, we confess our own first concerts in which Liz gains a little indie cred and Kristen makes a confession you may never have guessed.  || Thanks for listening! Questions? Comments? Episode ideas? Hit us up: spawned@coolmompicks.com or @coolmompicks on social with #SpawnedShow. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ready to laugh? Join us for our own version of Wait Wait WAIT Don't Tell Me (don't sue us, NPR!) As we try to discern the craziest beauty trends from a few fake ones. Which are also crazy. (Seriously, nose hair extensions? MAKE IT STOP!) | How many did you get right? Share with us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us on social media @coolmompicks with hashtag #spawnedshow | And we're sorry we snorted into our mics more than a few times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to our kids' education, we all want them develop good habits, self-direction, and autonomy, So what can we do as parents to best support them at home? (Spoiler: Nagging is not a good idea.) This week we've got BRILLIANT tips from Katherine Firestone of the Fireborn Institute -- which has nothing to do with Game of Thrones, we asked. Her ideas are so innovative and smart, many of them even brand new to us. We hope they help you too, whatever kind of learner you have at home. | Questions? Comments? spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us on social @coolmompicks #SpawnedShow and thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're having a hard time with the ongoing story about Harvey Weinstein, sexual harassment and predatory behavior, abuse of power, and a complicit culture, well...so are we. A really hard time. So we put together this raw, honest, unscripted conversation (no ads, no interruptions) with the hope that we can help more women to process your feelings, find the right words for your kids, and get the help you need if you're struggling with memories and experiences of your own. You're not alone.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not every parent has the time (or patience or uh, interest) to play racecars for hours on end. GUILTY! So we're chatting with Meredith Sinclair, TODAY Show play expert and author of Well Played to get some much-needed tips. We discuss how to make play more fun (for parents too), why we all need more play right now, the great tech toy debate, and score lots of toy and game recos that parents should add to our arsenals. | Questions? Comments? Compliments? Find Kristen + Liz  @coolmompicks #SpawnedShow on social media, or hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we comfortable saying vagina? YES! Having frank conversations with our daughters -- and sons -- about menstruation? YES! Telling our most embarrassing period stories? Well...at least Liz did. (And there's more than one, oh no!) Join us for a funny, frank talk about "the talk" you know you'll be having with your daughters one day if you haven't already. Plus, get lots of helpful advice from Naama Bloom, founder of Hello Flo and author of the upcoming Period Book. | By the way we shouldn't have to mark a podcast as EXPLICIT for the word "vagina" but we did because anatomy freaks some people out. | Comments? Questions? Got your own embarrassing story to share? Email spawned@coolmompicks.com, or follow us @coolmompicks #SpawnedShow on social. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parents, if you listen to any episode it should be this one. Because we've got civilization=saving strategies here from James Breakwell (aka @xplodingunicorn), comedy writer and author of the new book, Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse.  Wait, are you laughing? This is DEADLY SERIOUS STUFF, PARENTS. Discover tips for how to break the news to your kids in age-appropriate ways, how to turning toys and umbrella strollers into deadly weapons, and why parents have some surprising. advantages for post-apocalyptic survival over "smug, outdoorsy millennials" with no kids.  | Thanks for listening, subscribing and leaving us a sweet rating! | Questions? Find Kristen + Liz  on social @coolmompicks with the hashtag #spawnedshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When can your kids start watching more "adult" movies and shows? Do you care more about f-bombs or violence and gore? What about sex? What about themes like suicide or sexuality or war? And how come the ratings system seems so totally ridiculous sometimes?  A fun, candid, and (ahem) somewhat NSFW discussion to help you decide when to let which kids watch what. | Questions, comments, show ideas or copious praise: email us any time at spawned@coolmompicks.com or find Liz and Kristen on social at @coolmompicks with hashtag #spawned show. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it okay to ignore your kids when they're being pains in the you-know-what? Family coach and LCSW, Catherine Pearlman, the author of the new book "Ignore It" says yup!  But...with a few caveats. If your kids have ever acted up (mayyyybe once, right?) tune in and learn about her smart technique, and how ignoring is not the same as neglecting. We think you'll get some great tips out of it! We sure did. | Questions or comments? Hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us on social @coolmompicks using hashtag #spawnedshow. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professional organizer and mom Laurie Palau of Simply B Organized saves us all with down-to-earth tips, tricks, and common sense advice to get us on track for the school year, manage the kids (mostly), and keep us organized and productive. So smart! We've also got some truly amazing cool picks of the week. Questions? Comments? Knock-knock jokes? Email Kristen and Liz at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us on Twitter or FB at @coolmompicks using #spawnedshow. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morra Aarons-Mele discusses her new book, Hiding in the Bathroom and shares incredibly helpful tactics and tips for overcoming introversion, battling social anxiety and FOMO, and living your best life when you feel like more like "leaning out" most days. (Also, turns out Liz and Kristen may be more introverted than we had realized!) || Questions? Comments? Follow us at twitter.com/coolmompicks or @coolmompicks on Facebook with hashtag #spawnedshow or email any time: spawned@coolmompicks.com. || Thanks for subscribing to our podcast and for those generous five-star ratings! We give YOU five stars right back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode we're joined by the hilarious Laurie Gelman, author of Class Mom: A Novel and we get allllll the dirt on the mind of a class mom: The pettiness and the perks, the nightmare parents, the differences between class moms and class dads, and just what kind of masochistic martyr takes on this job anyway. Plus, we're sharing 3 cool picks of the week. || Thanks for listening to Spawned! If you love the show, please subscribe to our feed, leave us a review on iTunes (five-stars is cool but hey, no pressure), and don't forget to download the episode so you can listen any time. || Find us on social media @coolmompicks using the hashtag #SpawnedShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we keep our kids curious and interested in all kinds of topics? What do we do when we don't know how to answer their questions? What are some cool educational websites for them? Why is it so important to let kids know that we (sadly) don't know every single thing in the world? And WHY WHY WHY are kids all so obsessed with farts? We have answers! Join a fun chat with Kristen, Liz, and Molly Bloom, the host of the super popular Brains On podcast from MN Public Radio. And be sure to stick around for our cool picks of the week...and a fun little surprise at the end!  || Questions? Comments? Topic suggestions? hit us up at spawned@coolmompicks.com or on social media @coolmomicks with hashtag #spawnedshow. We love hearing from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz is joined by Cool Mom Eats editor Stacie Billis -- and a special, surprise child guest -- to take on all your questions about that big parenting milestone (cue scary music)... sending your kids off to sleepaway camp! How do you know when they're ready? How do pick the right camp? What are the secret BTDT camp tricks for packing? How do you get your kids to actually write you letters? What about picky eaters or kids with food allergies? All will be answered! Plus, we've got some fantastic cool picks of the week. Questions, comments, episode ideas or lovely words of support: spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us on social media @coolmompicks with the hashtag #spawnedshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian, actor (Inside Amy Schumer, 30 Rock), author of Man V Child, and dad Doug Moe joins us to answer parents' most common questions about babies and toddlers. Do babies belong in bars? What do you do when you hate your kids' friends? Find out the answers - and laugh a lot - on this week's episode of Spawned with Kristen + Liz.  Questions? spawned@coolmompicks.com, @coolmompicks on Twitter and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're like us, you've got emails piled up in your inbox, photos eating up memory on your phone, and don't even get us started with all the documents cluttering up your computer. But that's all about to change thanks to professional organization expert and Director of Global Community and Training at Evernote, Joshua Zerkel. He's got pretty amazing tips and tricks that can really help you get a handle on all your digital clutter and help you actually find the stuff you're looking for when you need it. Plus, we've got a few pretty fun Cool Picks of the Week, too. You can find all the links mentioned on our show over on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. Plus, let us know what you thought of the show on Twitter #SpawnedShow, Facebook, and email: spawned@coolmompicks.com. We love hearing from you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to get your kids excited about science, or need help answering those impossible questions they ask about the world around them, join us! We've got a super fun interview with the hosts of Wow in the World, the brand new NPR science + discovery podcast for kids starring Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas. They describe the crazy questions their own children have asked them, offer tips and resources for curious kids, and join in on one of the funniest Cool Picks of the Week segments ever. |||  If you have questions, comments, or kind words of love and affection find us at spawned@coolmompicks.com or on social media @CoolMomPicks with the hashtag #SpawnedShow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Liz is joined by Lauren Smith Brody, the fabulous author of The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom's Guide to Style, Sanity, and Big Success After Baby. Join us for a fun, revealing, extremely honest chat about getting over mommy guilt (argh!), how to look and and feel human again, how to carve out me-time, and why single moms are our role models. | Comments/Questions? Find us on social @coolmompicks using hashtag #spawnedshow or drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com | And fear not...Kristen will be returning next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're sharing the Mother's Day PR pitches in our inboxes that are so hilariously bad we couldn't help but laugh about them. And uh....save them. To share with you. Because we love you.  Want to say hi to Kristen + Liz? Share the best or worst gifts you've ever gotten? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook or IG @CoolMomPicks and use the hashtag #SpawnedShow.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Liz and Kristen sit down with the one and only queen of kids music, Laurie Berkner! Tune in for a fun talk about what to do when your kids outgrow the kid stuff, learn tips for connecting over the music they do like, and behold: our own first teenage concert confessions! Some of which are more embarrassing than others. (Ahem, Kristen.)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Upon popular request, it's an entire Cool Picks of the Week episode, filled with beauty saves and splurges right from our own make-up bags. Did Liz really spend $72 on a mascara? Is that $5 lipstick as good as the $30 one? We'll give you the inside scoop on our favorites that we hope you love just as much as we do. You can find links from our show over on our podcast page. And feel free to send us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com or tweet us @coolmompicks #spawnedshow.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With so many parents asking us about how to manage social media and kids, we decided to spend a show helping parents navigate this challenging topic. On this episode, we discuss some of the recent studies about kids and social media, and then tap into our own experience as parents and tech experts to share our tips, tricks, and practice advice. And of course, we end our show with our cool picks of the week. You can find all the links from this show (there are lots!) on our podcast page. And feel free to hit us up on social media: @coolmompicks #spawnedshow on Twitter and Facebook. Or email us: spawned@coolmompicks.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who doesn't want more time in their day? On this episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we take a close look at 5 popular time organization techniques from the experts and talk about how they could work (or not) for parents. We bet you'll appreciate these smart ideas that could really help make your life as a busy parent easier. And, as always, we share our cool picks of the week. You can find everything we mentioned on the show over on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. And feel free to drop us a line and let us know what you think about the show. We're on Twitter (use #spawnedshow), Facebook, and Instagram. Or, email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the popularity of the new Beauty and the Beast movie, we just had to address the issue of princess culture and whether it's healthy or hurtful. Can you still be a feminist parent with daughters obsessed with princesses? How does this all affect our sons? We tap into books, articles, research, and our own parenting experience as we chat about this controversial topic. You'll find all the links from our show over on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. And, be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you never miss an episode! Thanks for your emails, tweets, and kind reviews.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you've got a kid who eats everything or the same four foods over and over, we've got tips, tricks, and helpful advice from our Cool Mom Eats food editor (and mom of 2), Stacie Billis that you won't want to miss. Tapping into her background in child development as well as her many years as a food writer, Stacie shares her advice on everything from how to get kids to eat better to ways to encourage picky eaters to try new foods, all without driving yourself crazy. Or, too crazy, that is. Plus, we share our cool picks of the week! Head over to our Cool Mom Picks podcast page to get what you might have missed during the show, and feel free to reach out to us with questions and comments. We love hearing from you! We're on Twitter @coolmompicks #SpawnedShow, Facebook, or drop us an email: spawned@coolmompicks.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That's right, the Dr. Harvey Karp joins us for this very special episode to answer your sleep questions, like when babies are really supposed to sleep through the night, what's the right (and wrong!) kind of white noise, plus how to handle sleep issues with older kids. And, he shares the inside scoop on his brand new SNOO smart sleeper, and how it's helping babies and parents get more sleep. Let's just say we both breathed a collective sigh of relief after chatting with him, and we hope you will too. You can see all the links we mention on the show over at our Cool Mom Picks Podcast page. And we'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or tweet us @CoolMomPicks using #SpawnedShow. Thanks so much for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can be tough to know where and when to start when it comes to kids and money. And don't even get started about the allowance question. How much? And for what? Well, we've got ALL the answers thanks to our special guest Beth Kobliner, who's a financial expert, and NYT bestselling author. We're chatting about her new book "Make Your Kid a Money Genius" and tackling our questions and yours, too. Plus, she tells us what we're doing right and wrong with our own kids. You won't want to miss this! You can find all the links from this episode on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. And feel free to reach out to us on Twitter #SpawnedShow, Facebook, and email: spawned@coolmompicks.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We thought it would be fun to do an Oscars episode, but then realized we hadn't seen any of the movies (unless you count a couple of the animated feature). Ah, parenting! So instead, we're talking about all the things that change when you have kids, from sleep to finances, to exercise and yes, not seeing the Oscar-nominated movies. And of course, we've got our cool picks of the week. Got a show idea? Want to say hello? Drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com or catch us on Twitter or Facebook. You can find all the links from our show over on Cool Mom Picks. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Considering pretty much everyone had something to say about Meryl Streep's Golden Globes speech, we figured we'd jump on the bandwagon too. On today's episode, we're sharing our first reactions, our controversial tweet that got us a couple unfollows, and why Liz played it for her kids. Oh yes she did. Plus, as always, our cool picks of the week. You can find all the links we talk about on our show over on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. Feel free to drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, tweet us @coolmompicks with #Spawnedshow or catch us on Facebook.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've decided this is finally the year to actually tackle all those darn New Year's resolutions we make and just never seem to be able to keep. Whether you want to lose weight, eat better, take more time for yourself, read more, get your finances together (you get the idea), we're sharing our own advice, plus tips and tricks from the experts, on how to actually make 2017 of getting sh*t done. You can find all the links from the show on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. And we'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or tweet us @CoolMomPicks with #SpawnedShow.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We decided that what we needed (hey, maybe you too) was some good old fashioned almost pee-your-pants laughter, so on today's episode of Spawned, we're sharing some of the best holiday humor from around the web. From weird Pinterest hoilday crafts using things you won't believe people used to make crafts, to hilarious holiday tweets, plus funny holiday cards, blog posts that made us cry-laugh, and lots more. We bet there's at least something in this episode that will make you chuckle or we'll give you your money back. Heh. You'll find all the funny links we discussed on our podcast over on Cool Mom Picks. We'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or tweet us @CoolMomPicks with #SpawnedShow. We're also on Facebook, Instagram, and MySpace. Okay, not really on MySpace but just making sure you're paying attention.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this special extended version of Spawned, we tackle your funny, smart, challenging, and hilarious holiday questions. How do you deal with the "Is Santa real?" question? What should you do about unwelcome holiday guests, animal and human? How to you manage overly involved grandparents, disgruntled tweens, and the mother-in-law? We've got answers to all this and a whole lot more. Listen to see if you agree with our advice. And hey, let us know if you think we're wrong. Feel free to email us your own answers to any or all of these questions at spawned@coolmompicks.com. You can also tweet us @coolmompicks with #spawnedshow or catch us on Facebook. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With our big annual holiday gift guide on our site and the holiday shopping season is here, we decided it would be helpful and fun to share all our inside, expert online shopping tips that will save you money. You won't believe how easy they are and how much you could save. Seriously, even Kristen didn't know some of these! And of course, we share our cool picks of the week. Surprise, they're holiday gift ideas! Head over to our podcast page to get all the links from this episode. And feel free to tweet us with the hashtag #spawnedshow, catch us on Facebook, or send us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com. We'd love to hear from you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As much as we love Thanksgiving, it is a notoriously stressful time for lots of families. Especially this year. So, on this episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we're sharing our tips for how to survive the holiday. Whether it's coming prepared with games and activities to distract the kids, to even opting out of the celebration if you don't think your mental health can hack it, we're sharing what we've done (and plan on doing) to help us get through this often times difficult season. Plus, we've got two fantastic family games for our Cool Picks of the Week.  You can find everything we discuss on our Cool Mom Picks Podcast page, or say "hi" on Twitter (use #SpawnedShow), Facebook, and Instagram. You're also welcome to email us: spawned@coolmompicks.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're all needing a little media respite these days and there's just something to be said about enjoying a little grown-up time once the kids are asleep to do just that. Our favorite past time: Binge watching, of course! On this episode, we play TV critics and share the 8 shows we're obsessed with right now, some because they're amazing, others because we're waiting for them to get better. Should you add them to your list? You can catch everything we mentioned on the show over on Cool Mom Picks. Share your favorite shows on Twitter with #spawnedshow, leave us a comment on Facebook, or email us: spawned@coolmompicks.com. And hey, tell a friend about our show. Or a dozen friends. The more the merrier!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a Cool Mom Picks Facebook post about an uber-for-kids service we featured on our Cool Mom Tech site blew up with a nasty comment about working parents, we just had to talk about it. On this episode, we're sharing the comment in question, plus real things fellow working parents have actually heard. You might not believe they're real. We try to figure out why people decide to say this stuff out loud, plus share our tips for staying sane and keeping your head above water as a working parent. Plus, we share our Cool Picks of the Week. You can find all the links from our podcast on Cool Mom Picks. Check us out on Twitter and Facebook, or drop us an email spawned@coolmompicks.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're like so many people we've spoken with (including us) and are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, maybe even triggered by the current state of the election, we've got our self-care tips and tricks to help get you through the next few weeks. We're sharing what's worked for us, and we hope it helps you too. Plus, we share our Cool Picks of the Week, along with one from a listener!  You can find all the links from our podcast over on CoolMomPicks.com. And we'd love to hear from you. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, or drop us an spawned@coolmompicks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we answer burning questions about Halloween, like how much is too much to spend on a Halloween costume? What the heck is a switch witch? Is it okay to invoke the mommy candy tax? And, we rank the worst "sexy" Halloween costumes we've ever seen. Let's just say they are quite...creative.  You can find all the links featured in this episode on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. Got a show idea? Want to say hello? Find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us spawned@coolmompicks.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's with parents who complain that their kids won't eat junk food? Or that their children speak way too many languages? On today's episode of Spawned, we're talking about humble braggarts on social media, and why it bothers us so much. Plus, we ask the question if it's ever okay to brag about your kids and if so, how to do it without making everyone else nuts.  As always, you can find all the links we discuss on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. And feel free to weigh in via Twitter, Facebook or email: spawned@coolmompicks.com. We love hearing from you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're debunking the whole "Work-Life Balance" myth with best-selling author Samantha Ettus, with solid ways to help you ditch mom guilt, the best kind of multi-tasking, and why Shonda Rhimes is the queen of email management, plsu a whole lot more.  You'll find information about Samantha's new book The Pie Life, plus all the links and cool picks we chat about on our show over on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. And, please take a moment to say "hello!" We're on Twitter, Facebook, and email: Spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even if you don't have tweens or teens, we think you'll get a kick out of this episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, featuring special guest Robert Wilder, an award-winning author with a new YA novel Nickel, on bookshelves everywhere. He offers humorous stories and great tips, plus talks about his new book. And as always, we share our Cool Picks of the Week, which we think you'll find especially enjoyable this week.  Make sure to visit our Cool Mom Picks podcast page to catch everything you might have missed during the show. And drop us an email spawned@coolmompicks, or tweet us @CoolMomPicks with the #SpawnedShow. We love hearing from you.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're so thrilled to chat with singer songwriter Lisa Loeb (yes, her!), who's got lots to say about the big changes that are happening to kids' music. Sorry, Barney. Plus, we talk everything from staying hip over 40, to etsy and embroidery, plus what it's like for her kids to see as a cartoon character in the new season of Creative Galaxy. And, as always, we all share our Cool Picks of the Week!  You can find all the links from our show over on our Cool Mom Picks podcast page. And we love hearing from you! Drop us a line at spawned@coolmompicks.com, tweet us @CoolMomPicks with #SpawnedShow, or say hello on Facebook.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this very special 50th episode of Spawned, we chat with Anne Holton, the wife of Democratic VP nominee Tim Kaine about issues families care about, like public education, paid sick leave, and the importance of voting. But, we also got the dish on what Hillary’s really like, what Anne and Tim are currently binge watching, and how she feels being married to America’s Dad. Plus, Anne shares her own Cool Pick of the Week!  We'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, follow us on Twitter (tweet us using #spawnedshow) and catch us on Facebook.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we're chatting with humorist and writer Wendi Aarons about one of the most popular posts she wrote on Cool Mom Picks: The 9 worst television shows for kids. Wow, did people have a lot to say about this post. Is Wendi a "frigid witch" as one commenter called her for putting Teletubbies at the top? How did Caillou not make this list? All is revealed on this episode, along with our current favorite kids' shows, and all our cool picks of the week that you won't want to miss. We love hearing from you! Drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook #SpawnedShow. Don't forget to subscribe, download our podcasts, and leave us a review!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we're talking about the sexist Rio Olympics coverage -- and beyond -- and how it disturbs us as parents. Also, how the heck do we talk to our kids about it? Plus, our cool picks of the week, which include a very cool back to school essential and a fantastic book you won't want to miss.  We love hearing from you! Feel free to drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, tweet us @coolmompicks with #spawnedshow or check us out on Facebook. And don't forget we share all the links from our show over on CoolMomPicks.com. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's back to school time which is both good and...well, argh. Liz + Kristen trade grievances about getting kids out of the house on time in the morning, offer tips to help make things easier, and share fun back to school shopping finds. Plus Liz finds the world's craziest first day of school traditions on Pinterest (brace yourselves) and we share our cool picks of the week. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us @coolmompicks on Twitter and Facebook using hashtag #spawnedshow.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back from our summer hiatus with all new Spawned episodes. Up first, we tackle the topic of life with mess. How do you deal with your kids' messy rooms? What do you keep clean and what do you let go? Do you have the yearly celebratory dusting schedule like Kristen and Liz? We share our tips, tricks, as well as how we prioritize in our own homes. Plus, as always, we share our cool picks of the week.  You can find everything we share on our podcast by visiting our special podcast page on Cool Mom Picks. We love to hear from you! Send us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com, tweet us @coolmompicks #spawnedshow, or look us up on Facebook!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our recent Cool Mom Picks feature on modest 2-piece bathing suit choices for girls sparked a huge debate on our Facebook page and we couldn't help but chat more about it on Spawned. What's okay for girls to wear? Should there be limits and dress codes? Or are we perpetuating sexist stereotypes when we do? We discuss all of it and more, plus share our Cool Picks of the Week. If you'd like to weigh in, we'd love to hear from you. Visit us on our podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com, hit us up on Facebook and Twitter (with the #SpawnedShow) and drop us an email: spawned@coolmompicks.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With summer right around the corner, parents everywhere are trying to figure out schedules and how they're going to manage the cost of summer camp. Who knew that a New York Times article about the high cost of summer camps would blow up our Facebook page? On this episode, we chat with the author of that piece: Writer, contributing editor and columnist at the New York Times' "Well Family" KJ Dell'Antonia. We discuss why everyone on our Facebook page got so upset (the comments might really surprise you), plus talk about the other issue about parents not being able to afford summer camp that you might not have thought about. And as always, we share our Cool Picks of the Week. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic and our show! Tweet us @CoolMomPicks #SpawnedShow, catch us on Facebook, and email us: spawned@coolmompicks.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's extra special, extra long episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, we've got two of the coolest parents (and married people), actors Jenna and Bodhi Elfman, who also happen to be co-hosts of one of our favorite podcasts, Kicking and Screaming. We were blown away by their funny and very frank thoughts on love, relationships, and parenting, and we think you will be too. Whether it's how to keep your relationship alive during those newborn months to how to survive your parenting fails (and learn from them), we bet you'll fall in love with these two cool parents. And, lucky us, both Jenna and Bodhi share their own Cool Picks of the Week. You can find all the links we chat about on coolmompicks.com, or reach us on Twitter @coolmompicks with #spawnedshow, or drop us an email spawned@coolmompicks.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all heard everyone tell us that kids grow up fast and now, here we are, with a couple of tweens and doing our best to navigate the ups and downs of parenting them. On this episode of Spawned, Liz and Kristen tackle the tough topic of parenting older kids, from how to connect with them to how to start early (yes, talking to you parents of younger kids). We've got advice from been-there-done-that moms, book recommendations, and our own personal anecdotes that we hope help. Or at least, make you feel like you're not alone. And of course, our Cool Picks of the Week, one of which you will want to get your weekend started off right! As always, we love hearing from you! Find us on our site Cool Mom Picks, on Twitter (#spawnedshow), or drop us an email spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening and subscribing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hooray! We're back with a brand new episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz, or now, the award-winning Spawned with Kristen and Liz! Yes, we won an Iris Award for Best Parenting Podcast at the Mom 2.0 Summit and we couldn't be more thrilled. On this episode, we catch you up on everything we've been up to over the last couple of months when your podcast app was quiet, including Kristen's 40th birthday which had us thinking about the whole young moms vs. old moms war. Is it easier being a younger mom? Are later-in-life moms more prepared? Why can't all moms just get along? We tackle those questions, as well as share our Cool Picks of the Week.  If you want to join in on the conversation (and we hope you do), head over to our Cool Mom Picks podcast page to get all the links from our show, plus catch us on Twitter (use #SpawnedShow). And please send us a letter (as Liz calls them): spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spring break is coming up and if you're terrified of flying with kids, we think you can do it! And hey, if you're a non-parent terrified of flying NEAR kids we can help you too. Take a listen for some funny stories, and quick tips and tricks from seasoned family travelers that will keep everyone happy. Plus, find out just what the deal is with Kristen's obsession with tape. Plus, we've got our cool picks of the week that we think you'll love. Find links mentioned here at coolmompicks.com, follow us on social media @coolmompicks or email spawned@coolmompicks.com with your own suggestions, comments, and parenting conundrums. Thanks for joining us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's one whirlwind of an election year. So we're taking on the tough topic of how to talk to kids of all ages about politics with some helpful tips. We discuss how to address the violent and hateful rhetoric making the rounds, handling family members who may have different opinions, and how to teach kids to disagree respectfully...or when to just walk away. Plus we've got our cool picks of the week -- which both might help you in an election year too! You can find the all the links we mention today at coolmompicks.com, and if you have something to add or your own questions, find us on social media @coolmompicks with hashtag #spawnedshow or email spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Kristen and Liz tackle a tough parenting question: How do you and will you share about your kids online? They share their own experiences as bloggers, web publishers, and parents of tweens, plus talk about what the research says. Will it hurt kids in the long run? Does it matter why you're sharing? They tackle all those questions and give tips on how to decide what you're most comfortable with when it comes to your own kids. If you've got an opinion or want to weigh in, find us on Twitter @coolmompicks with the #spawnedshow, visit our podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com, or drop us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz and Kristen have a fantastic discussion with the one and only LeVar Burton, host and executive producer of Reading Rainbow (and of course, known to Trekkies everywhere). He offers some amazing tips for raising readers, what parents can do to help, and how his new Reading Rainbow Skybrary School Edition will help even more children bridge the achievement gap. Plus, we've got our cool picks of the week, including two of LeVar's own favorite books for children.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're so happy to welcome our special guest Jessica Lahey, author of the NYT best-seller, The Gift of Failure. She's got tons of helpful tips for parents that you'll want to hear. Plus she schools us on just why we need to let our kids fail more (and not bring their lunches to school when they forget them, ahem), how to get kids excited about learning for its own sake, how to identify and encourage your kids' strengths, and why quitting activities isn't the worst thing in the world. We'd love to know if you agree! Find us at @coolmompicks on social media with hashtag #spawned show or email Kristen and Liz at spawnedshow@coolmompicks.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we've got a racy one for you, as maternity designer, parenting author and Bravo star Rosie Pope joins us for a very candid chat about sex after pregnancy: The dos, the don'ts, and the don'ts that apparently Liz and Kristen did anyway. Oops. Get the kids out of the room, pour some wine then take a listen! You'll find all the show notes at coolmompicks.com, and feel free to tweet us with your own questions or comments using #spawned show.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've polled our friends, fans and followers and come up with 14 of the very best, most honest, and sometimes most hilarious tips for new parents from other parents who've BTDT. Do you agree with the advice? (And no, we don't get into sleep training or circumcision so, breathe.)  If you have your own new parent advice to share, or questions or comments for Kristen and Liz, you can email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us on Twitter and Facebook @coolmompicks using the hashtag #SpawnedShow. You can also find show notes on CoolMomPicks.com. Thanks for joining us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's it like to parent when your spouse or partner's job keeps them away a lot? Both Kristen and our special guest co-host Courtney Greisman share their own experiences as a single married parent (and their thoughts on that controversial moniker). And Kristen spills the beans on her 3-day juice cleanse. No potty jokes, promise.  Make sure to visit coolmompicks.com for all the links you hear on the show, find us on Twitter @coolmompicks, on Facebook, or send us an email at spawned@coolmompicks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might think we earned our explicit this week talking about Valentine's Day, but no, it was actually our lively discussion about Grease Live! and all the sexual innuendos and euphemisms that went right over our heads as kids. And possibly now too. We do also chat about all things Valentine's Day with kids -- the cards, the crafts, the mailboxes?! -- plus all the people who think it should just be an adult holiday. Join the conversation by tweeting us @CoolMomPicks with the hashtag #SpawnedShow, email us spawned@coolmompicks.com, and make sure to visit our site CoolMomPicks.com for all the links we mention on our show. Thanks for listening!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's true! After only sixty years or so of women complaining about Barbie’s unrealistic figure, Mattel has decided to get with the 21st century zeitgeist and the changing look of the world, releasing Barbies with three new body shapes, along with new skin tones, hair colors, and facial features. And of course, Liz and Kristen had to talk about it: The good, the bad, and the curvy. But first, the crazy winter storm Jonas that brought out the sanctimommies.  Catch all the links from our show over on CoolMomPicks.com, and find us on Twitter @CoolMomPicks #SpawnedShow. Got a question? Want to suggest a show idea? Email us spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we tackle a question from listener Shari who wanted us to talk about making friends after kids. Or as Liz added, "Or kids after friends." We share our own experiences losing and making friends as new parents, plus offer up helpful tips for new parents to meet other new parents. And we couldn't help but talk about the passings of so many rock music greats as of late. What is going on? Are you freaking out about it too? Plus, we've got our own cool picks of week, one just in time for the first big storm of the season if you're on the East Coast like we are.   Catch all the links from our show over on CoolMomPicks.com, and catch us on Twitter @CoolMomPicks #SpawnedShow. Got a question? Want to suggest a show idea? Email us spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, perhaps it's a bit cliche' but we couldn't help but tackle organization with inside tips and tricks from five top organizational experts. Maybe you, like Liz, will find something that will finally click and magically whip your house into shape. But first, a lively discussion about rules amongst friends, and why Kristen wants you to tell her she's got food stuck in her teeth. And as always, we're sharing our cool picks of the week.  For all the links we mention on our show, be sure to head over to our podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com, and feel free to connect with us on Twitter (@CoolMomPicks #SpawnedShow), Facebook (@CoolMomPicks), and via email: spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening! Today’s show is brought to you by the new Middle grade novel The Terribble Two Get Worse, the hilarious sequel to The Terrible Two, which spent over 10 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You guessed it, listeners! We're talking Star Wars. Do we still need a spoiler alert? Like the rest of the world, we're wondering where the heck all the Rey toys are, and not just for our girls, by the way. Plus, we've got the scoop on one of the hottest (and possibly most bizarre) new tech products from the big Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that's happening in Las Vegas this week. And of course, our cool picks of the week, one of which might help you tackle that Christmas 15 we talked about. Visit coolmompicks.com to get all the links mentioned on our show, also find us on Twitter (@CoolMomPicks) and use #spawnedshow or drop us an email spawned@coolmompicks.com. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our last episode of 2015! Kristen and Liz are closing out the year with a discussion about New Year's Resolutions: Why those three words, when all together, completely suck. We've got some better ways to think about them so you might actually keep them this year -- we're rooting for you! Plus, family why family resolutions can be a very cool idea. We're also laughing about the "Christmas 15" and all the absurd weight loss tips we've seen in magazines lately. Plus, our cool picks of the week, which gets Liz a little emotional this time around. If you have questions, comments, show ideas, catch us on Twitter or Facebook at @coolmompick using hashtag #SpawnedShow or email @spawned@coolmompicks.com. And don't forget to subscribe to our feed so you don't miss an episode in 2016, which will be our best full year of episodes yet, guaranteed. Happy new year everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Kristen and Liz take on the Santa debate: Is it all about childhood magic and the spirit of giving? Is it a great big lie that will destroy the trust with your kids for all of eternity? And what do you say when kids ask the big question? Wow, do people have strong opinions about this and we cover them all. Including what to tell kids when they ask how he gets into a NYC apartment building. (Hint: Liz did not a do a good job with this one.) We're also talking about holiday cards and whether they've jumped the shark, and of course we've got our cool picks of the week, which both happen to make really great last minute gifts. If you have any questions, comments, strong feeling about Santa to share, or last-minute gift conundrums, catch us @coolmompicks on Twitter or Facebook with hashtag #spawnedshow or pop us an email to spawned@coolmompicks.com. We love hearing from you so keep them coming! And don't forget to subscribe to our feed, which would be a nice, free holiday gift for us. Thanks so much for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kristen and Liz are determined to help you with all the hard-to-shop-for adults on your holiday lists! From budget ideas and DIY gifts to charitable donations and great big splurges, we've got ideas for your mother-in-law, your partner, even that one person who says "don't get me a gift at all." If you have questions about the show -- including your biggest gift conundrums -- send them our way! We love listener questions. Reach us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us on Facebook or Twitter @coolmompicks using the hashtag #SpawnedShow. And don't forget to subscribe to our feed so you don't miss an episode. And if you love the show, we love you back! Even more so if you leave us a kind review on iTunes. Think of it as your holiday gift to us. And, it's free! Thanks so much for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kristen and Liz are talking holiday shopping, the hell that is Black Friday (unless you shop from home in PJs like we do), the apps that save you money, and some of our very favorite gift ideas for kids of all ages. Basically, it's like an entire cool picks of the week episode. Fun! We're so glad you joined us today! Remember to subscribe to our feed so you never miss any episode. And if you have comments, questions, or a holiday gift conundrum, email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or catch us on Twitter or Facebook @CoolMomPicks using hashtag #SpawnedShow. We love answering gift questions -- even the hard ones.   This episode is sponsored by Little Passports. SPAWNED listeners can save 40% on their first month today with promo code SPAWNED. Learn more at www.littlepassports.com/SPAWNED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Okay so yeah. The Starbucks red cup controversy. We just couldn't help but weigh in on whether we approve of Satan's own minimalist design. Then Kristen and Liz talk about raising kids in a world that's so obsessed with beauty and image. How do we talk to them about makeup, retouching school photos, Instagram trickery, self-esteem and other tough questions? Plus, we've got two very cool, and very different, cool picks of the week Thanks so much for listening to Spawned! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can find all the links we reference today on coolmompicks.com, and if you have any questions, comments, or your own tips about talking to kids about beauty, you can email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com or find us @coolmompicks on Twitter with the hashtag #SpawnedShow. We're glad you joined us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've had so many emails from our awesome listeners on topics from helicopter parenting to our musical tastes (and lots in between!), we thought we'd take them on one by one in our first ever very special Spawned Listener Day episode. Whoo! Plus, we've got a special surprise with this week's Cool Picks of the week. And if you've got a question for us, email us spawned@coolmompicks.com and maybe we'll answer it on the show. You can find us on Twitter @coolmompicks.com with the hashtag #SpawnedShow, on Facebook, and on our site CoolMomPicks.com. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whoo, we're legal! Well, actually we're 21 weeks but that's legal in podcasting years, so Kristen and Liz have a very funny discussion about what we were actually drinking at 21, versus now. (Uh, Kristen is mixing vodka with WHAT?) Then we have a little...okay, let's call it a vent session about Pinterest Syndrome. What's great about all those recipes and DIY photos and what makes us crazy. Because we can't be the only ones who look at some 32-ingredient "easy" Thanksgiving stuffing recipe and think, are you freaking kidding me? Plus, we share each of our cool picks of the week. You'll find all of the show notes and links for this episode of Spawned at bit.ly/SpawnedCMP. Don't forget to subscribe to our feed so you never miss an episode! And if you have a question, comment, or an awesome drink recipe to share, email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us on Twitter using hashtag #spawnedshow. Thanks for sharing our 21st birthday with us! We raise a glass to you. This week's episode was sponsored by Amulet Books. Frank Einstein and the BrainTurbo is the third installment in the hilarious New York Times bestselling children’s book series filled with inventions, science experiments, and baseball playing robots, by former National Ambassador for Young Peoples’ Literature Jon Scieszka and mad scientist illustrator Brian Biggs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen and Liz talk thank you note etiquette because wow, our Facebook fans have strong feelings about this one! Are we all doing it wrong? Will a text message thank you or an email blacklist you from parties forever? And what's with those weird thank you notes for baby gifts "from the baby?" We're also confessing all our Halloween candy sins that we hope our kids never discover. And as always, we've got our cool picks of the week, including one of the funniest yet. Especially if you like seventh grade humor. Which we absolutely do. We sure to subscribe to Spawned so you don't miss an episode! And if you've got a comment, a question, or you're just feeling a little lonely today and want to say hi, we'd love to hear from you: Tweet Kristen + Liz @coolmompicks using hashtag #spawnedshow, find us on Facebook, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. We'll even write you back. Pinky swear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After one of you awesome iTunes subscribers mentioned you'd have Liz and Kristen at your famous person dinner (aw!), Liz and Kristen discuss who would be at their own famous person dinner... well, beyond Kristen's request for a table of hot guys. Then we tackle getting your kids started on email. Wow, so many things you might not have thought about that we bet you'll appreciate hearing, whether your kids are email-age or not. And hey, if you've got a question for Liz and Kristen, a funny story, or you just want to say hello, we love getting your emails (or letters, as Liz still likes to call them). Send them to spawned@coolmompicks.com. Catch us on Twitter at @coolmompicks, and use the hashtag #SpawnedShow. Also be sure to visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to everything we discussed today -- and subscribe to our feed so you never miss an episode. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So let's talk about kids and cursing. Kristen has some interesting rules at home that really surprised Liz! Actually, we talk about parents and cursing too -- what do you say around your kids? What do they say around you? What do they say when they think you're not listening, and how do we talk about it with them? Is a more lax media to blame? What's the surprise benefit of cursing that we recently learned from research? Plus, we talk about me-time and how moms definitely need more of it. Especially compared with Denmark. (Anyone want to move to Copenhagen with us?) And of course, we've got each our cool picks of the week. (psst...you might want to listen to the very end.) You can find all the links we mentioned in today's show on coolmompicks.com And if you've got questions, comments, hilarious knock-knock jokes, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, tweet us using #SpawnedShow @coolmompicks, or find us on Facebook. And don't forget to subscribe to our show on iTunes so you don't miss an episode. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's hoping Emily Post doesn't roll over in her grave after hearing Liz and Kristen's discussion about kids and manners. What should kids know? How do you decide what to teach your kids? Also, Kristen and Liz talk about Halloween costumes for kids and why they seem to have gotten so sexy, or as Liz's daughters call them, sassy. And as always, we share our cool picks of the week. Catch up on all the links from our show over at coolmompicks.com, and don't forget to subscribe to Spawned on iTunes so you never miss an episode. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has intervening in your children's issues become the new parenting pastime? Kristen and Liz discuss when to step in, when not to, and why it's important for kids to fail. But first, we're laughing about our own family members who might possibly be bringing their own condiments to restaurants. (Sometimes it's like we're living in a Seinfeld episode!) Have you ever brought your own coffee or, you know...an entire kids' meal? Is there any time it's okay? Plus, we're sharing our cool picks of the week. If you have a question or comment for Liz and Kristen, we love getting your emails! Just write to spawned@coolmompicks.com. You can also tweet us at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and your favorite social medium of choice. And of course, you can check out coolmompicks.com where you'll find links to all the articles and topics we referenced today. Don't forget to subscribe to our feed so you don't miss an episode, and thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kristen and Liz weigh in on Kim Cattrall's recent statement that you don't have to have children to be a mother. Which....uh. Well, we have a few thoughts about that. Then, we take on "the last parenting taboo": Admitting you let your kids walk to school alone. Are kids really unsafe these days? Or is it really the parents who are unsafe from all the people out there calling 911 for no reason? We also share the world's most hilarious WARNING sign from a children's playground. And as always, we've got our cool picks of the week.  If you have a question for Liz and Kristen, a funny story, or you just want to say hi, we love getting your emails! Send them to spawned@coolmompicks.com. You can also find us on Twitter and other social media @coolmompicks, and use the hashtag #SpawnedShow. Also be sure to visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and references to everything you've heard hear today -- and subscribe to our feed so you never miss an episode. Thanks so much for joining us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're trying to navigate one of the many parenting mysteries: Kids and chores. Because, really, who doesn't love free labor. Though, if you're paying for them, is it really free after all? But first, we have a good laugh over Liz's address book, which is apparently full of names like "Sally GymasticsMom." We're not the only ones who can't remember anyone's name anymore, are we? And as always, we share our cool picks of the week.    If you have a question for Kristen and Liz, or just want to say hello (and we can say hello back, which we always do), find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also, make sure to visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to what you heard here today. And don't forget to subscribe to our feed so you don't miss an episode! So glad you joined us.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kristen and Liz are laughing -- hard --  about the most embarrassing Google searches by state, and we share some of the (seriously, seriously weird) queries that have lead people to our own sites. Then we're talking after-school activities, clubs and teams: Are our kids overscheduled? Underscheduled? When do you let kids quit and when do you push? And who the heck are the saintly parents out there letting their kids play drums, so we can give you a medal? Plus, as always, we've got each of our cool picks of the week.   If you've got questions, comments, a topic idea or a funny story, we like hearing all of it! You can email Kristen and Liz at spawned@coolmompicks.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, and Instagram @coolmompicks using the hashtag #SpawnedShow. All of the show notes and links for the topics you heard us discussing in this episode can be found at coolmompicks.com  Thanks for joining us!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we answer a listener's question about how not to screw up your kids. We may or may not have given her the advice she was hoping for but hey, it's the truth! We also talk about NFL player James Harrison's controversial move to make his son give back a participation trophy he didn't think was "earned." Should he have done it? Should there even be participation trophies? And guess which trophy Liz really wants for her mantle? Plus be sure to stick around for our cool picks of the week. If you have a question for Kristen and Liz, or just want to say hi (and we can say hi back!), find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to the things you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks for joining us!  This episode of Spawned is brought to you by Amulet Books. Frank Einstein and the BrainTurbo is the third installment in the hilarious New York Times bestselling children’s book series filled with inventions, science experiments, and baseball playing robots, by former National Ambassador for Young Peoples’ Literature Jon Scieszka and mad scientist illustrator Brian Biggs. That’s Frank Einstein and the BrainTurbo, on sale now from Amulet Books.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we get feisty about the people protesting target’s removal of BOYS TOY signs from the store. Because without that sign, how would boys even know what to play with? But first, we try to figure out why there are so many of these weird holidays popping up. National Middle Child Day! More Herbs, Less Salt Day! How is this happening? And as always, we share our cool picks of the week, one of which is for a very worthy cause.    If you have a question for Kristen and Liz, or just want to say hi (and we can say hi back!), find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to the things you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks for joining us!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you need a break from all things children, lie back and get comfortable with this very special R-rated episode of Spawned. Today we discuss the Lenny Kravitz wardrobe malfunction, Kristen's Netflix (and Lenny Kravitz gif) addiction, and Liz plays the Binge Watching Matchmaker, to help fix Kristen up with the perfect series to binge watch after the kids are in bed. Also stick around for the funniest cool picks of the week yet. Well, Liz thinks so; Kristen is still a little embarrassed.   If you have a question for Kristen and Liz, or just want to say hi (and we can say hi back!), find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to the things you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks for joining us!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're talking about sending our girls off to sleepaway camp and by God, if it doesn't make you crave a cold pitcher of bug juice and a steamer trunk full of s'mores, we don't know what will. Then we rewind a bit to answer some listener letters about surviving the newborn years. Which you will! Actually, we're not sure if our walk down sleep-deprived, leaky-boobed, postpartum memory lane is helping, but we can assure you that yes, it does get better. Finally we've got our cool picks of the week complete with random bachelorette party gift references.    Do you have a topic idea, question, friendly comment or off-color joke? Tell us! Find us on Twitter and Facebook @coolmompicks with hashtag #SpawnedShow, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit CoolMomPicks.com for show notes and links to the topics you heard about here today. And don't forget to subscribe to our feed so you don't miss an episode! We are sponsored by Audible. Get a free audiobook and 30-day trial today by signing up at www.audible.com/patterson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You picked a fun day to join us! Today on SPAWNED, we’re talking about kids and media — when do you let your kids watch certain movies? Are you more concerned about sex or violence? Which classic kids' musical actually terrified us more than the Hunger Games? And who else thinks the Dark Crystal was totally creepy?    Also, Kristen regales us with online dating stories, and her list of Instant No’s. Some of which Liz definitely disagrees with. (Although we both agree that misuse of apostrophes is unforgivable, and Liz even had to Twitter-breakup with her celebrity crush over his grammar.) Finally, we’ve got each of our cool picks of the week.    Do you have a question for Kristen and Liz? A topic idea? A traumatizing movie moment to share? Tell us! Find us on Twitter @coolmompicks with hashtag #SpawnedShow, on Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to all the topics you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode of SPAWNED.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks for joining us! In this episode, Liz shares sordid tales from her high school reunion, and some of the surprising benefits of turning 40. Then we take on the delicate topic of picky eaters, and break down 10 top tips that we've found from experts. (Some of which are like...what? We're not supposed to do that with our kids? Oops.) We debate whether we supposed to hide healthy foods in other foods, and whether serving your kid "Jedi Broccoli" lying or just necessary parental spin. Plus, we share each of our cool picks of the week that we think you'll love too. Do you have a question for Kristen and Liz? A topic idea? A funny story? What is the weirdest thing your kids won't eat? Tell us!  You can find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks with hashtag #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to all topics you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode because you totally know that the one you miss will be the VERY BEST ONE.    This episode of Spawned is sponsored by Little Passports. You can save 40% on their first month today with promo code SPAWN. Learn more at www.littlepassports.com/SPAWN   Panoply’s conducting a survey. Click here to fill it out: Panoply.fm/survey By filling it out you'll help Panoply make great podcasts about the thing you love, and things you didn't even know you loved. Panoply.fm/survey   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a previous episode, Kristen mentioned putting on your grownup panties (metaphorically) as a parent, and now a reader wants to know about our recos for actual grownup panties. We may reveal too much here. Literally. Apologies. Also, are we the only ones who hate the word panties? And why do we keep talking about them? WE DON'T KNOW EITHER.   Then we talk about three-year-olds in nail salons and other signs that kids may be growing up too soon. Who are these grade schoolers getting cartilage piercings? Why is Dora the Explorer perfume a thing? Finally we've got our cool picks of the week, in which Kristen confesses  her crush on Rob Delaney. Can you blame her?   This episode of Spawned is sponsored by Little Passports. You can save 40% on their first month today with promo code SPAWN. Learn more at www.littlepassports.com/SPAWN   Panoply’s conducting a survey. Click here to fill it out: Panoply.fm/survey By filling it out you'll help Panoply make great podcasts about the thing you love, and things you didn't even know you loved. Panoply.fm/survey   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once again we get an explicit language warning, probably because we make a tampon joke. (Or four.) Today we're talking about summer birthdays, and how to get away with a total Type B Mom, non-Pinterest-y birthday. Then we're onto one of our biggest hot-button topics: Girl toys and boy toys. What's with the labels? Do "girl toys" require ovaries to make them work? Are maxi-pads involved? Why is Liz defending LEGO Friends? And does Kristen really carry around an inflatable soapbox? All will be revealed! Plus, we've got our cool picks of the week.   This episode of Spawned is sponsored by Little Passports. You can save 40% on their first month today with promo code SPAWN. Learn more at www.littlepassports.com/SPAWN   If you have a question for Kristen and Liz, or just want to say hi (and we can say hi back), you can find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to all the things you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode. We’re so happy you joined us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're talking about email etiquette and some of our own pet peeves. NOTE: Please don't send us angry emails, Comic Sans fans. Or can you at least send them in Helvetica? We're also answering our first listener question from dad James, who's having some serious playdate problems. We've been there, so we discuss some helpful tips and funny anecdotes that we hope will help other parents too. Although when Kristen suggests we all need to put on our grownup panties from time to time, we need to clarify that we are not implying in any way that James currently wears or should, in the future, wear panties. But if he did we'd be cool with that. Just so you know. And as always, we're sharing each of our favorite cool picks of the week: One for the kids, one definitely not for the kids.    If you have a question for Kristen and Liz, a pick to suggest, or just want to say hi (and we can say hi back), you can find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to the things you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode. We’re so happy you joined us!   This episode of Spawned is sponsored by Little Passports. You can save 40% on their first month today with promo code SPAWN. Learn more at www.littlepassports.com/SPAWN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Kristen and Liz discuss the beginning of bathing suit season, and the egregious lack of skinny mirrors in the world. We also talk about family size (without a single Duggar reference, promise) and Kristen describes some of the most outrageous things that total strangers have said to her as a mom of four. Liz is actually still stunned about it. Plus, we share our favorite cool picks of the week that we think you’ll love too.   This episode of Spawned is sponsored by Little Passports. You can save 40% on their first month today with promo code SPAWN. Learn more at www.littlepassports.com/SPAWN   This episode of Spawned is also sponsored by Casper. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting www.casper.com/SPAWN, and using promo code SPAWN.   If you have a question for Kristen and Liz, or just want to say hi (and we can say hi back), you can find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks using #SpawnedShow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to the things you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode. We’re so happy you joined us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're glad you found us! In this episode, we talk about parents trying to keep up with TV and movies, and Liz springs a pop culture pop quiz on Kristen, who is the best sport about it ever. We also discuss the new hot sport in America: Public shaming of parents on cell phones in the playground. (So fun!) Is there legitimacy to the complaints or is it overblown? Maybe a little of both? Plus we share each of our favorite Cool Picks of the Week that we hope you like too. Oh, and keep an ear out for lots of milkshake references and a random mention of postpartum mesh panties.    Do you have a question for Kristen and Liz? A topic idea? A funny story? Are you just feeling the need to talk to someone who can actually discuss R rated movies with you? You can find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks with hashtag #spawnedshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, on Instagram @coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to the topics you heard about here today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode and leave a nice review if you're so inclined. We’re so happy you joined us!   This episode is brought to you by Little Passports. Keep your kids busy this summer with Little Passports, the award-winning subscription for kids. SPAWN  listeners can save 40% on their first month today with promo code SPAWN. Learn more at www.littlepassports.com/SPAWN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen and Liz welcome you to the premier episode of Spawned with Kristen and Liz. (What are the chances that we are hosting a show with our own names in it? That worked out so well!) In this episode we talk about how we came up with the name Spawned, and why we decided not to go with The Cereal Podcast. We also discuss tips for managing your kids’ screen time—and maybe your own — and our idea for a 5 Judgy Things List that every parent is allowed to have. Plus we share each of our favorite Cool Picks of the Week that we hope you like too. And there may be a reference to the Grease lyrics that went over our heads when we were kids, if you listen closely.   Do you have a question for Kristen and Liz? A topic idea? A funny story? Are you just feeling the need to talk to someone whose food you do not have to cut on a regular basis? You can find us on Twitter at @coolmompicks, on Facebook at Facebook.com/coolmompicks, on Instagram @coolmompicks, or email us at spawned@coolmompicks.com. Also visit coolmompicks.com for show notes and links to the topics you heard about today. And don’t forget to subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss an episode and leave a nice review if you're so inclined. We’re so happy you joined us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, we're Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase of CoolMomPicks.com. We've got a microphone and more than the two minutes the Today Show gives us, and we're not afraid to use them. Join us for parenting culture discussions, non-judgy (mostly) tips, and humor, if we've had enough coffee.   "Spawned is the best podcast ever! I love Kristen and Liz. I even schedule my shoot days around the new episodes." - What Jennifer Garner might say if she ever listened to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices