Kate Etue

Yes, we know our kids should (and do) brush their teeth without the help of an app every night. But in the spirit of Halloween fun, and you know, the bags and bags of candy headed our way, I've found three fun, free toothbrushing apps fo…

Our editor Liz has been telling me for a while now how much she loves her Bandolier phone case ; she even named it her cool pick of the week on the Spawned podcast . It's the perfect accessory for taking an iPhone or Galazy phone along t…

We've found that our kids learn best if we give them the opportunity to be curious about things first, and that's what the exploration apps from Tinybop do so well. Whether you kids are interested in the human body , architecture , or bu…

We've gotten to the point where my kids watch most of their shows and movies on our iPad. The sound is fine when just one of them is using it at a time, but when they're trying to share it -- which is a feat in and of itself -- the sound…

Here I was, thinking I was so excited to have my kids back in school, but I totally forgot one thing: homework. Drilling your kids on their math facts is the most fun ever, right? Ugh. Well, if you have the amazingly inventive Osmo for i…

My kids have been back to school for a couple weeks now, and that means I'm reviewing spelling words with the big kids while I cook dinner every night. My preschooler doesn't want to be left out, so he's asking for "homework" too. That's…

I have a kid who really wants to be creative, but usually needs a good push before he'll dive into a project, and now we've found an app that delivers on that so beautifully. The brand new WonderBox app hails from Duck Duck Moose , one o…

Unless you are a parent who just doesn't use a cell phone yourself -- which, huh? -- we guarantee your kids will be begging pretty much by the time they get to kindergarten, and see one classmate who already has one. We don't entirely th…

Some of our kids are really picky when it comes to books -- not too long, not too short, with just the right plot points and character types. Then there are the ones who go through books so quickly that we can barely keep up with suggest…

When I think about high-tech headphones, I don't usually associate them with natural materials like wood. But some big brands are now making eco-friendly headphones that sound amazing with beautiful, earthy textures instead of the glitzy…

My kids are already saying they're bored during the afternoon when it's too hot to play outside too long. So yeah, they may be getting more screen time than usual, but I've been trying to justify it by finding some educational YouTube ch…

I've vowed that someday we're going to take our kids to Paris like I did on a brief, very memorable weekend there in college (ooh, the croissants) but it's not on the schedule yet. While we save up our money, I've been letting my kids pl…

With terms like workcation trending lately, it's becoming increasingly obvious that modern parents mix work and play and family pretty seamlessly. Or, try to. In fact, Liz and Kristen were just talking on a recent episode of their Spawne…

One of our favorite last-minute suggestions for sentimental Father's Day gifts (and any gift really) has been to make a short, shareable video that you can create easily. While video editing used to reserved for professionals with zillio…

At first glance, the gorgeous handmade Avakai dolls look like heirloom dolls my kids would love to play with all on their own But hidden inside these matryoshka-inspired Waldorf dolls is some very cool tech that will spark creative play …

Wow, we've come a long way from the mercury thermometers we held under our tongues as kids (or uh elsewhere) haven't we? New innovations in digital thermometers are like a whole new world. They can send info to your smartphone, track you…

Now that our iPhone 6s have been out for a while, we've had some time to shop around for great screen protection for our phones. Because, life. And kids. And well, sometimes we're just clumsy. Cracked screens (and their accompanying repa…

A few weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night to noise in my garage. I told myself I was just being paranoid, but when I heard it again I got up to look and saw a man standing right outside my bedroom window, trying to get in our …

When it comes to build-it-yourself toys for our kids, Playmobil is a classic. There's just something thrilling about opening up a toy kit with 117 pieces, right? But now that there are new Playmobil toys with electricity just launched th…

For the dad who has everything, you can't go wrong with Father's Day photo gifts, especially when they come from the kids. Lately I've gotten completely hooked on photo wall decals as the best new way to display my photos, because they d…

Spring cleaning fever has hit hard at my house and this week I've purged closets, vacuumed under furniture, and checked the expiration date on every canned good and spice in my pantry. Goodbye, can of beans that expired in 2012. Now I'm …

The trend of online doctor visit apps is definitely reaching critical mass as people learn it's a great way to get professional advice and even subscriptions without the hassle of making appointments or schlepping out the door. And now w…

My kids ask me if they can download new apps to my iPad every day, and I almost always say no. I hate to give up my precious memory space for the junky, ad-filled apps that appeal to them, but that I'd really rather they not play in the …

Lately I've gotten sucked into a new website called If It Were My Home , which compares countries around the world to your own hometown, or any other location you designate in their search engine. You'll get a quick snapshot of all kinds…