As a mixed-race Chinese American, I've struggled to feel a sense of belonging. I grew up feeling more accepted by the German (white) side of my family. Then, as I got older, I learned more about the Chinese side of my family and felt a connection to the experiences of Asian Americans. Just recently, especially as I was editing my book, A Thousand Miles to Graceland, I've found myself somewhere in the middle; not necessarily feeling Chinese, and yet, also not White, either. Thankfully, I'm not alone, and more and more mixed-race Americans are sharing stories to help highlight what it's like. That's exactly what author Lauren Kung Jessen does in her debut novel, Lunar Love, a sweet enemies-to-lovers rom-com that celebrates the deep-rooted family legacies that shape us and how these traditions evolve into our own. Lauren, like me, is a mixed-race Chinese American, and also, like me, has written a book featuring mixed-race Chinese Americans (and Chinese Americans). On this episode, we chat about how we identify, and the challenges we've faced in finding the right language to do so, as well as how we experience whiteness, and why these stories (like our novels) are so important for people like us (and well, everyone). And stay tuned for a couple of surprises that I think you'll really love. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Show notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the invention of smartphones (and tablets), keeping track of our digital memories (think photos, videos, scans), has become more difficult than we might have expected. In this episode, David Vaskevitch, CEO of Mylio Photos, shares the challenges that he experienced with digital memory preservation, and how families can make it a whole lot easier. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, along with our show notes at CoolMomPicks. Thanks to Mylio Photos for sponsoring this episode. Save 20% off your year subscription through this link. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We've discussed the sex talk on Spawned a few times, however, if your school district is like mine (and many across the country), they are making sex education an optional, home-taught module. That means, we need to be more invested than ever in ensuring our kids are getting comprehensive sex education. That's what Andrea Brand's new book, “Stop Sweating & Start Talking," can help with, and a lot more. *Note, while this episode is marked explicit, it is due to the topics, which are for parents only, not due to questionable language. Thanks to our sponsor Mylio Photos, for helping us organize, safely share, and preserve our photos, videos, and documents in one place. Save 20% when you sign up through our link. Find us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive and I realized there was so much I didn't know. That was all solidified during this episode. Whether you have teens or not, Lisa's research for this book uncovered why sleep is so important for teens (hint: their brains are growing!), why they're not getting enough sleep, and what we can do to ensure that they are getting it, and it is so important for parents to hear. We also talk about: sleep debt, how long teens should be sleeping, why teens want to stay up later (it's biological!), why early school start times are so bad, how we can help to better manage their schedules (school classes included) to help them get more sleep, and a whole lot more. Our sponsors: BabyGate, a handy app that kid-proofs your phone. And, Mylio Photos, a smart way to get your photos, videos, and documents organized and preserved safely. Don't miss our special offer! Follow us on social: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you're like Kristen and in the throes of perimenopause, then you're probably wondering why no one talks about it. Well, that's about to change as Kristen chats with Dr. Makeba Williams, a physician who specializes in the healthcare needs of midlife and menopausal women. She answers all of Kristen's burning questions, which might just be yours too. Make sure you're following us on social media: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And check out links to our Cool Picks of the Week over on our Podcast page at CoolMomPicks.com. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As parents, one of the most challenging parts of raising kids is feeding them. It's especially hard if you have your own issues with body image and food, like many Gen X parents do. Thankfully, experts like Nicole Cruz, a registered dietitian nutritionist, and mom of three can really help. Her intuitive eating and non-diet approach to food felt revolutionary to me, and it's completely changed how I approach food with my kids. And as always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week! Be sure to follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Today's sponsor is Carole P. Roman, a prolific author with over 50 books that you should know about. If you've got reluctant readers, these are the books for your kids! Learn more on our site and on the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, we're chatting with New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims about her new book Your Turn: How to Be an Adult. You might know Julie from her first book, "How to Raise an Adult," which was a New York Times bestseller and was the antidote to overparenting culture. Thankfully, she's back with a sort of follow-up to that one, aimed at older Gen-Z and millennials (and hey, Gen-Xers too), with a super helpful guidebook to what it means to be an adult. It's supportive, thoughtful, and inspiring, whether you need it for yourself, or you've got a budding adult in your life. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We've been so grateful to our recent expert Spawned guests who have offered their help in navigating these last two years with our kids. And this week's expert, Mara Koffmann, is no exception. She shares her expertise from years working with kids and families as co-founder of Brain Trust Tutors, especially in the area of executive function skills. These are the extremely important skills that help us plan, focus attention, and manage multiple tasks successfully (just to name a few). As always, we end our show with our cool picks of the week. Don't forget to say "hi" to our awesome sponsors, Breathwrk and Renzo's Vitamins, both of whom have awesome offers for you! We're on social media! Visit us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bestselling author, podcast host, and psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour shares her insights and thoughtful advice on raising emotionally connected and resilient teens and discusses the impetus for her newest book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers. Visit Cool Mom Picks for show notes, and follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One of our all-time favorite guests, Dr. Ken Ginsburg, is back to chat about his newest book, Congrats—You're Having a Teen! and debunk some of the most common myths about parenting teenagers. Dr. Ginsburg's insights and work have changed the way we parent our kids, so let's just say if there's an episode of Spawned to listen to, it's this one. Thanks to our sponsor, Camp Tuku, a wonderful camp for kids located in the beautiful Catskills Mountains. You can learn more about them on their website! Follow us on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Show notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Author Michelle Icard chats about her book "14 Talks By Age 14," sharing how parents can approach the difficult conversations we know we need to have with our kids. Find Michelle's helpful book, wherever you buy your books. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And for show notes, visit CoolMomPicks.com. About our sponsor, Camp Tuku: If you have a child age 6-14, Camp Tuku is where “nature meets joyful minds.” This exceptionally beautiful sleepaway camp rests in 1,000 acres of pristine wilderness in the Catskill Mountains of New York, surrounded by stunning lakes, breathtaking waterfalls, and miles of hiking trails. Learn more on their website! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Since I got my first smartphone back in 2006, my relationship with my phone has certainly changed my life. It's also changed how I function as a person in this world, for better and for worse. Turns out, I'm not the only one, which is why I was so excited to chat with Emmy-award-winning journalist, and host of the new Mobile Diaries podcast from T-Mobile Stories, Shawna Ryan, which also happens to be today's sponsor. We chat about our first phones, how our lives changed when we got them, and how we're approaching our phone use (and our kids' phone use) now, in a post-pandemic world, plus a whole lot more! And as always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, plus visit us at Cool Mom Picks for all the links from the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We often forget that social skills are taught, which seems especially important after two years in a pandemic. We're so grateful for authors, like Catherine Newman, who help make our lives as parents easier. Her new book "What Can I Say?" is a super helpful, illustrated book aimed at tweens and young teens, to help them navigate life's awkward situations, from learning how to apologize, to standing up to bullies, and pretty much everything in between. Listen to this super helpful conversation and our cool picks of the week (as usual). And word to our sponsor, Project Hashtag HPV, which might help you earn a few bucks for a little bit of your time. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you've got thousands of photos on your phone, you know how painful it can be to find the ones you need when you need them, not to mention create any sort of memory or photo book. Well, get ready, because professional photo organizer Casey von Stein (aka Miss Freddy) whipped Kristen into shape (no guilt or judgment, either), and will do the same for you. Seriously, these tips are life-changing (and we don't say that lightly). This week's sponsor is Generation Joy, a fantastic kids' clothing company with the coolest basics for kids through teens. Buy 2 items get 1 free with COOLMOMJOY through April 30. Shop now! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Follow us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who better to talk about self-care with than the ultimate self-care expert, Kate Spencer. You probably know her as the co-host of the super-popular podcast Forever 35. But she recently released her first rom-com novel, In a New York Minute. On this episode, Kate talks about self-care, tackles a common complaint about rom-coms, and shares her current beauty faves in a rapid-fire session with Kristen. We'd love to hear from you! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And be sure to check our show notes on CoolMomPicks.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It was the power of storytelling that connected Liz and me back almost 17 years ago, and it's still the lifeline for many parents, looking for community and commiseration in their parenting journey. This week, we're chatting with author and podcaster Zibby Owens about her newest anthology, Moms Don't Have Time to Have Kids, and why our stories matter. Catch us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We love hearing from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Liz and I try to keep our heads afloat this holiday season, we decided to take a week off and instead, re-share a timely episode with a message we all need right now. A couple of years ago, I interviewed our friend, author Nancy Davis Kho, about her book The Thank You Project. This gratitude project changed her life, and well, with all that's happening around us these days, and the holidays only a couple of weeks away, it seemed like the perfect conversation to share again. Our sponsors, for whom we are so grateful! Please take a moment to check our Vrbo and Bombas. They help us keep doing what we're doing! You'll find all the links from the show at Cool Mom Picks. Don't forget to reach out on social media. We love hearing from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We originally had researcher and author Emily Oster on the show to chat about her book, The Family Firm, which is a helpful guidebook for parents that offers a smart method for making decisions (because as parents, we make a lot of them). However, we couldn't have her on and not chat about some of the research she has done about opening the schools in the pandemic, and most recently, the effectiveness of masks, which has made her reviled and revered. What you'll hear is a lively chat about lots of important things that we know lots of parents are thinking about right now. And, as always, we share our cool picks of the week. Thanks to our sponsor Vrbo, who just released their 2022 trend report, and KidsBEETV.com, a fun, safe, and surprising app for kids. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Links from this show, including Emily's book The Family Firm, can be found on our site. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If your kids are like ours, they're obsessed with Minecraft, which is why were so excited to chat with author Delilah Dawson, whose new book Minecraft Mobsquad is all about... Minecraft! She's the perfect person to share why Minecraft can be a really positive experience with kids. And as always, we share our Cool Picks of the Week. Thanks to our sponsors: Google Kids Space, a kids mode available on select Android tablets (that start at $59!) and KidsBeeTV, a fun, and safe app designed for kids up to 7 years old, that stimulates learning, promotes diversity, and brings families together. 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
We know that over the last few years in particular, many of us have felt extra activated to help make change in the world. But if we're honest, being an activist can be exhausting and soul sucking. Well, our good friend and author Karen Walrond has a whole lot to share about this exact issue, and what we can do about it. She's chatting about her new book The Lightmaker's Manifesto, and we hope you find this chat as inspiring as we did. Make sure to stick around for our Cool Picks of the Week! Our sponsor: Check out Google Kids Space, a kids mode on select Android tablets that's designed to inspire growth, discovery, and curiosity in kids. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and make sure to check out our site for all the links from our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apryl Bogue
love this show!