Spawned With Kristen And Liz Of Coolmompicks

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

Over the last couple of weeks, many schools have been releasing their plans for fall, and not surprisingly, it's all the parents in our social media feed are talking about. We recently featured a post about things to consider if you're thinking about homeschooling this fall by our Editor Kate Etue that was so popular with our readers that we decided to talk about it on Spawned. On this episode, Liz interviews Kristen (a former homeschooler) to get her thoughts on making this difficult decision. And as always, we close out our show with our cool picks of the week. This week's sponsors: We're so happy to welcome back Breyers Carbsmart and Cisco's GPS: The Series, both of which you can hear more about on the show. Learn more about this show, and find all the links we discuss on our podcast page. We'd love to hear from you! You can find us on social media - Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even in tough times, we still need to allow ourselves time for play, creativity, and yes, even romance, which is why we're welcoming back author and dad Robert Wilder for a special Meet Cute - Spawned crossover episode. Since he was last on the show back in February when Meet Cute, which produces short form audio rom-coms, had launched, the world has changed drastically. He shares why rom-coms (and play and creativity) are even more important now, and talks to Kristen about the upcoming series she wrote from Meet Cute, which is live Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week. Yay! Make sure you're subscribed to Meet Cute right on this podcast app to check out her story and hear more fun rom-coms. Our sponsors: Breyers CarbSmart treats are just 3-5 grams of carbs per serving, all under 150 calories. Yum. And Cisco, who's created GPS: The Series, to help spark creative, innovative thinking in kids. Find all the links from our show over at Cool Mom Picks. Say "hi" on social media - Twitter, Facebook, and Insta

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

Why do dads always get all the credit for being fun? Moms are fun too! On this special Father's Day episode of Spawned, we're chatting with dad, magician and Netflix star Justin Willman. Do you love Magic for Humans as much as we do? Then you're going to love this episode! He's got lots of tips and actual magic tricks we can do with our kids. Plus, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week. This episode is brought to you by Vooks, a streaming library of ad-free, kid-safe animated read-aloud storybooks. Get a free month subscription, no purchase necessary. We're also glad to welcome back Breyers Carbsmart, tasty frozen treats with 3-5 grams net carbs and 150 calories. Learn more about where to find these goodies on their site. Say "hi" on our social media, and find all the links to everything we talk about on our show over at Cool Mom Picks. And don't forget about our new tech-positive podcast, Out Tech Your Kids. Subscribe now. 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. Vis

Both Liz and I found ourselves thinking about what we want to keep and what we to ditch when this pandemic ends. Whether it's taking more time to eat dinner with our families or taking more time for ourselves, there are so many experiences we've had with our families that we definitely want to keep up once things settle down (whenever that might be). And there are ones, like daily Starbucks trips or overscheduling ourselves, that we are definitely going to ditch. Thanks to our sponsor Breyers CarbSmart, delicious treats with just 3-5 net grams carbs per serving. Listen for an exclusive coupon. Join us on Facebook, follow us on social media @coolmompicks, and HEY! We’re even offering up tips, hacks, and humor on TikTok now @coolmompicks.  Thanks again for subscribing, listening, and your wonderful, funny ratings and reviews which make us happy too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We loved this fun, helpful conversation about HAPPINESS with KJ Dell’Antonia, author of How to Be a Happier Parent and the upcoming novel The Chicken Sisters. We’re discussing how happiness does -- and doesn’t -- look different these days, where we’re lowering expectations,, surviving vs thriving, finding silver linings and little spots of joy, and above all, reminding ourselves that NO it’s not selfish to want to be happy right now. Happier parents = happier families. Right?  Thanks to our sponsor Breyers CarbSmart, delicious treats with just 3-5 net grams carbs per serving. Listen for an exclusive discount offer!  Join us on Facebook, follow us on social media @coolmompicks, and HEY! We’re even offering up tips, hacks, and humor on TikTok now @coolmompicks.  Thanks again for subscribing, listening, and your wonderful, funny ratings and reviews which make us happy too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do your kids know how to do laundry? Do your teens know how to leave a tip? It's amazing how many life skills tend to fall through the cracks when it comes to raising our kids. That's why we're so excited to chat with Catherine Newman, whose new book How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn before You’re Grown Up will help your kids, teens, even young adults tackle important skills that they'll need before they become a grown-up. And by the way, it's perfect timing with so many of us still sheltering-in-place. Today's sponsor is Breyer's CarbSmart, a line of sweet frozen treats with just 3 to 6 grams net carbs per serving, all under 150 calories. Head over to their site for a free, downloadable coupon. You can find links from our show on our Podcast page. Feel free to reach out to us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parenting through a pandemic is no easy feat. Parenting middle schoolers seems extra challenging. But thanks to the insights of Judith Warner, author of several best selling books and the new And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School, we've got a much better handle on understanding what they're going through, and how to help them. And even if you don't have middle schoolers, you'll still appreciate this thoughtful conversation. Want to find all the links from our show? Head over to our podcast page, and then make sure you're following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been no shortage of body and weight-related memes and posts going around since the pandemic hit, so we decided to chat with body positivity expert and author Virgie Tovar about how we navigate this difficult time. She discusses why many of us are feeling particularly drawn to issues around our weight right now, and shares helpful advice on how to talk to our kids about these things. Plus, she talks about her new book, The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color, which comes out Friday May 1. Get links from our show on our podcast page, and be sure to follow us on social media. We're on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 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