Christina Refford, Author at Cool Mom Tech

SpotHero: Our cool free app of the week

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...

Sound Sleeper white-noise app for parents: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Baby Tech, Lifestyle Apps

If there is one gift I could give to all new parents, it would be the ability to make their baby fall right asleep on command. But since my super powers were never really strong in that area, I’ll have to settle with telling you about a cool free app that might...

Endless Spanish: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Educational Apps For Kids

Mis Amigos! One of our favorite early-reading apps, Endless Reader, has gone espagñol with the Endless Spanish app, an adorably playful and educational preschool app for both iOS and Android users. Similar to the awesome Endless Reader, Endless Spanish introduces kids...

SkyView stargazing app: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Educational Apps For Kids

Summer nights are perfect for staying up late, lying on the lawn (or roof deck if you’re a city dweller) and looking up at the stars. But, often, streetlights and other ambient light can make it hard to see everything that is up there clearly. Or, truthfully, I...

AfterCam video capture app: Free cool app of the week

by Christina Refford | Photo Apps

If you’re into taking video, have I got a reco for you! It’s AfterCam, a sort of “after-the-fact” video recorder that helps you capture the past 5, 10, or 20 seconds in time without clogging up your phone with tons of extra video data. And, for...

An easy new photo book service for those of us who just want something fast and beautiful

by Christina Refford | Mother's Day Gifts, Photo Gifts

Now that so many of us have a zillion photos stored on our laptops or phones, I love creating any gift that takes the best of those photos and puts them onto something we can hold onto So, for some of my favorite people, I’ve turned recently to Snapbox to make...

KAMI paper-folding puzzle game: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Fun Apps

With all the time I spend outside of the house waiting for my kids to finish a class or practice, I’m always trying to find something new to do on my phone. You know, other than continually refreshing my Facebook feed or checking to see if any new kitties have...

$Jump Numbers math app for kids: Our cool free app of the week$

Jump Numbers math app for kids: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Educational Apps For Kids

With the school year ending soon, I know that my kids aren’t going to stand for games or apps that feel too much like a school lesson. Nor do I want them to spend their summer days doing nothing but memorizing math facts. But after playing with the skip-counting...

Red Stamp app lets you send awesome last-minute Mother’s Day cards: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Photo Apps

We’ve been talking about the easy-to-use, tasteful, and free Red Stamp app for a few years, though today it’s worth a reminder, so that you can be sure to send your mom, grandma, or favorite mom-like person a beautiful and heartfelt message for...

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.