Kate Etue, Author at Cool Mom Tech

The very best online Black Friday tech deals of 2017! Stay home and shop in PJs!

If you’re looking for the very best Black Friday 2017 shopping deals and discounts around the web, we’ve got you covered! And by best, we mean…best. Like, no junky stuff, no “buy one, get one 6% off.” Just the best deals for the shops we love,...

Code your own Star Wars video game, you can. (And we will.)

by Kate Etue | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Raise your hand if you already have tickets to see The Last Jedi. Yep, we’re obsessed too at our house, so I’m (obviously) looking for hot new Star Wars gifts for my kids this holiday season. At the top of my list: Bloxels Star Wars. This cool hands-on...

Ditch your keys with these 3 cool smart locks for families (or anyone with a door)

by Kate Etue | Home Security

Home security has gotten really high tech lately, and we’re not talking about cameras. Smart locks are helping families stay safer. Whether you want to be able to check on the kids getting home from school alone, or let a neighbor in to water the plants while...

The most perfect tear-jerker gift for teachers (or anyone on your A+ list)

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks

When I’ve served my turn as room parent for my kids’ classrooms, I’ve really tried to give the teachers what they’d actually like as a gift from the group. But, a completely sentimental, tear-jerker gift is always a nice touch too. Because...

Make a foster kid’s holiday dreams come true with Daymaker

by Kate Etue | Causes and General Do-Gooding

We love finding wonderful ways that we can give back and help kids who need it most, especially during the holiday season, which is why we were happy to discover Daymaker. By connecting foster children with people like us via their gift-giving website, they’re...

Could Han Solo really survive in carbonite? The new series Science and Star Wars has the answers.

by Kate Etue | Websites Worth a Bookmark

My son is the type of kid who can’t just watch Star Wars and enjoy it as a fun fantasy world. Instead, it gets his mind spinning: How do the AT-ATs really walk? Could Han really have survived being frozen in carbonite? How do the Bacta tanks work? Well, now we...

The new Hot Wheels game for Osmo. Now for boys and girls. Well, officially, that is.

by Kate Etue | Tech Toys and Random Fun

Hot Wheels is getting a big tech upgrade, thanks to their newest partnership with a longtime Cool Mom Tech favorite, Osmo. You’ll be able to recapture your living room floors from miles of winding plastic track, but still let your kids have the fun of their race...

11 geeky Halloween costumes for kids. Parenting done right.

by Kate Etue | DIY

My kids still haven’t made up their minds about their Halloween costumes this year. Hello, kids! Time for a decision! And now that I’ve been scouring Pinterest for ideas, the geek in me is coming out. I’m hoping at least one of mine will choose one...

Toca Life: Office – Our kids’ new favorite app that lets them be the grown-ups. For once.

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps for Kids

We’re longtime fans of Toca Boca around here, and their newest app, Toca Life: Office does not disappoint. Because if there’s one thing my kids seem to want more than anything, it’s to be a grownup. Related: Toca Boo: A fun Halloween app for kids The...

Ask to Buy: Is this parent-control feature that manages kids app downloads actually helpful?

by Kate Etue | Internet Safety

When we were Apple newbies, my kids racked up quite a collection of paid apps before I realized what was happening. And I wasn’t the only one. Apple ended up refunding lots of parents money for apps their kids bought. Then they set up the Ask to Buy feature in...

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.