Caroline Siegrist, Author at Cool Mom Tech

Disney+ adds a watch party feature, just in time for The Mandalorian season 2

Since 2020 has precluded in-person watch parties, I was glad to see Disney step up their game with GroupWatch. Just like Netflix’s watch party, GroupWatch lets you watch content from Disney+ with others who are far away — and who also subscribe to Disney+,...

6 scary podcasts for kids, just in time for Halloween

by Caroline Siegrist | Entertainment

Gearing up for Halloween is looking a little different this year, but at my house we’ve been getting into the spooky spirit with these awesome scary podcasts for kids. They come at every level of fright, from pumpkin-caper to prepare-to-sleep-with-the-lights-on....

Our favorite self-care apps to help you develop a self-care plan. Because winter is coming.

by Caroline Siegrist | Fitness + Health, Lifestyle Apps

Let’s talk about self-care apps! While I took a no-holds-bar approach at the very beginning of quarantine (It’s the end of the world! Why not scroll all day?), I’m realizing that might not be the most sustainable solution for a pandemic that shows no...

We’ll be waiting at the mailbox for these USPS x CASETIFY phone accessories

by Caroline Siegrist | Cell Phone Accessories, Uncategorized

We’ve been fan of CASETIFY’s fun iPhone case mash-ups for a while now, and so I was so happy to see them announce their new collection with — yep, you guessed it — the United States Postal Service. This new USPS collection celebrates the folks...

Spruce up your online learning with cool free Zoom backgrounds from National Geographic

by Caroline Siegrist | Fun, Kids

Anyone else tired of broadcasting their messy house over Zoom every day? I definitely was, so I was stoked to discover these cool virtual Zoom backgrounds for online learning from National Geographic. [Insert bad dad joke here about how we’re already living in a...

Toniebox, the new screen-free entertainment center for little kids

by Caroline Siegrist | Audio, Kids

My son’s just at the age he can start listening to stories on his own, but I’m not in a hurry to hand over my iPhone to keep him entertained. So I was intrigued to read about Toniebox, a new screen-free content box for little kids. The Toniebox works with...

The best tutorials to help you customize your iOS 14 home screen

by Caroline Siegrist | Fun Apps, Tips and Tricks

If you haven’t heard by now, the customization features on the new iOS home screen are alllll kinds of extra (i.e. you can turn your home screen into a Harry Potter tribute, Microsoft Paint throw-back, or neon color study). It’s pretty insane. And intense....

Our favorite tutorials to help you use G-suite tools for online learning

by Caroline Siegrist | Tips and Tricks

Since my son started remote learning, I’ve been looking for great G-suite tutorials to help me hone my skills, and I know I’m not alone. We’re hearing from a lot of parents whose kids are using G-suite tools for their own online learning programs....

A baby Yoda stand for your Amazon Echo Dot? This is the way.

by Caroline Siegrist | Smart Appliances

Calling all Mandalorian fans! We’ve found a new Amazon Echo that’s worth its weight in Beskar steel: this baby Yoda clock stand Echo Dot! The stand lets your Echo Dot serve as a clock while also channeling our favorite silent-but-deadly alien, and I think...

How to boost your WiFi for easier online learning and homeschooling

by Caroline Siegrist | Around the House

Remote learning has enough obstacles without also having spotty internet. So I’ve been researching the best ways to make home WiFi faster and more consistent throughout the household (yes, even in that closet where I hide to watch Indian Matchmaking on Netflix)....

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.

We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.

We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.

(Answer: It's complicated.)

We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.