Kate Etue, Author at Cool Mom Tech

14 Netflix fake ball drop shows to trick your kids into an early bedtime this New Year’s Eve

The Netflix fake ball drop has been a total parents’ New Year’s Eve lifesaver for us. If you haven’t heard of this magic yet, you’ve got to check it out. If your kids are too young (or you’re too tired, ha!) to stay up till the new year,...

25 cool last-minute digital subscription gifts for everyone on your list

by Kate Etue | Best Apps, Holiday Tech Gifts

If you’re looking for an amazing last-minute holiday gift that the people on your list will love, consider a digital subscription gift. It’s one gift takes up no space in their home, yet provides hours of entertainment, learning, or fun. Maybe all three,....

4 clever ways to track Santa this Christmas Eve (or, you know, now!)

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks

Parents, the vague promise that Santa will come sometime while your kids are asleep just isn’t working anymore. Our kids are too tech savvy. So, for those who are anxious to track Santa’s every move this Christmas Eve, we’ve found three cool sites...

Cleansebot: The Roomba-like germ-killing robot for your hotel bed (Or, your home bed. We won’t judge.)

by Kate Etue | Travel Essentials

We’ve all seen the late-night news exposés with hosts shining black lights in hotel rooms, and let’s just say we wish we could forget them. But now we have no reason to worry when we scrunch up next to our partners (and children, let’s be honest...

Hey, Alexa! Where’s Santa? And other festive Echo skills for the holiday.

by Kate Etue | Lifestyle Apps

Just in time for Christmas, we’ve found 7 festive Echo skills that make the holidays just a little more fun, for your kids and for you too. And hey, if you don’t have an Amazon Echo just yet, this might be reason to ask Santa for one. Hey, maybe...

Cool Fortnite gifts for your game-obsessed kids. Orange Justice, forever!

by Kate Etue | Games + Gaming

Question: how many times in the last day has your kid danced Orange Justice? If the answer is more than once, then you’re going to want to check out these cool Fortnite gifts we’ve found for kids who are obsessed with the game. Sure, they’d love more...

Where to find A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving streaming for free this year. Because, tradition.

by Kate Etue | Entertainment

We have a few Thanksgiving traditions in our family: mom’s pumpkin pie, a turkey that’s never quite ready when we expect it to be, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on TV. Because Lucy, Linus and the rest of the gang are just a sentimental tradition...

Detective Agency: The new Carmen Sandiego-style game from Osmo

by Kate Etue | Games + Gaming

We’re huge fans of Osmo around my house. The kids love to play their innovative games, and I love that they seamlessly marry tangible, hands-on play with screen time. So when I saw their new game just announced today, Detective Agency, is a Carmen Sandiego-style...

5 fun, not-too-scary Halloween apps for kids

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps for Kids

Halloween is right around the corner, so we decided to round-up fun Halloween apps for kids that aren’t too scary, all of which happen to be free (yay!). What a fun way to get them excited about Halloween, though if your kids are anything like ours,...

Tonal is a home fitness system that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

by Kate Etue | Fitness + Health

This mama still has it going on in many ways, but let’s face it: the 40s are here to stay. A brisk walk with the toddler in the stroller isn’t cutting it as my daily workout anymore. So, when I heard about Tonal, a sleek, super-convenient, high-tech home...

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.