Christina Refford, Author at Cool Mom Tech

Tinycards app: Our cool free app of the week

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...

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...

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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.