Christina Refford, Author at Cool Mom Tech

How to practice safe socializing using tech during the Coronavirus outbreak

It’s ironic that I chose the word “connect” as my 2020 word, just to find myself practicing “social distancing” three months into the year. Suddenly, instead of looking forward to coffee shop meetups, long chummy walks, and dinners with...

Binge watch free television during Roku’s first Stream-a-thon starting December 26

by Christina Refford | Entertainment

If there’s ever a time when we deserve some extra hours parked in front of a screen, it’s the week after Christmas when we are all coming down from the excitement of the holidays. And if you are a Roku customer, make sure you check out Roku’s first...

FamousBrick LEGO minifigures bring their favorite famous people down to size

by Christina Refford | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Whether you have a LEGO fanatic that is nine or 49, FamousBrick’s LEGO minifigures lets you put anyone from Bill Gates to Luna Lovegood into their Christmas stocking. Though can we leave Elon Musk in there? (Just kidding! Sort of.) Made from real LEGO bricks,...

KonMari App: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Productivity Apps

With three kids, one dog, and enough stuff to fill a suburban house, I quickly became a convert to the KonMari method of organization, or “tidying” as founder Marie Kondo puts it. Her simple and direct way of weeding through all the stuff we have...

Tinycards app: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Best Apps

Before my family headed out of the country on vacation, I spent weeks learning Italian using the free and very popular Duolingo app. And now Duolingo lets you practice not only your foreign language skills, but your knowledge in any area you’d like, with their...

Prisma app: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Photo Apps

Beyond cropping out background noise or scrolling through a few Instagram filters, I don’t usually spend a ton of time messing around with my photos. But after downloading the new and free Prisma app for iOS this week, I’ve discovered how fun and easy it...

Rome2rio travel app: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Travel Apps

We just returned from a family vacation to Italy, and boy do I wish I had discovered the Rome2rio app before our trip. It could have saved us countless moments trying to decide the best way to get around the various sites with three kids, with the least amount of...

Cakewalk: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Fun Apps

The kids have been out of school for a bit and chances are you’ve heard the “bored” word at least once. Or maybe you have a toddler who is ready for a new activity approximately every three-and-a-half minutes. Either way, check out the free Cakewalk...

SpotHero: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Lifestyle Apps

Summertime is the perfect time for the kids and I to explore nearby Boston–hey, we need to do that Freedom Trail someday, right?–but, oy, do I hate driving around looking for parking. So, when a well-traveled friend told me that she’d found a...

Make a splash with these 6 must-see geeky-cool pool floats and rafts

by Christina Refford | Tech Toys and Random Fun

When it’s time to unplug the devices and hit the pool, lake, or ocean to cool off, I know my kids love stretching out and relaxing on a comfy pool float or raft while they talk to their friends. And, whoa, they would go nuts for any of these totally cool options...

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.