Download Apple’s free Make Your Holiday booklet and give your kids 20+ fun, creative projects to keep them busy all month.

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY, Holiday Picks, Kids

I am not exaggerating when I say that I cried after watching a presentation about Apple’s new, totally free, Make Your Holiday at-home family program. Our kids have been through so much, and whenever I think of all the companies that have stepped up to offer...

The new 2020 Election Google Trends page will have you geeking out. (Or freaking out. Depends.)

by Liz Gumbinner | Websites We Love

Just yesterday, Google launched their 2020 Election Google Trends page, which allows you to see exactly what the rest of the country is searching for these days. And as a parent, I bet civically-minded kids would love to learn more about what’s happening in...

5 benefits of kids and social media. Yes, benefits! | Out-Tech Your Kids Ep 4

by Liz Gumbinner | Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, Social Media, Tips and Tricks

We’ve always said that all screen time is not created equal! And on this week’s Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, we’re talking about the benefits of social media for kids. Social media tends to get a bad rap — let alone specific channels like TikTok...

How do we teach our kids to make good commenting choices? | Episode 2 Out-Tech Your Kids

by Liz Gumbinner | Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, Social Media, Tips and Tricks

“Don’t read the comments” isn’t going to fly when your kids are old enough to watch YouTube videos without you around, let alone managing their own TikTok accounts. But learning how to be a responsible commenter is a skill that comes in handy...

Zoom alternatives for schools: 7 video conferencing options until Zoom fixes…some stuff

by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Best Apps, Kids

With the news last week that Zoom had some big security concerns to patch up, educators of all kinds started seeking out Zoom alternatives for schools and other kinds of remote learning. Especially after the NYC DOE took the big step of forbidding NYC public schools...

JIF vs GIF: How the peanut butter is trying to end the pronunciation debate for once and for all.

by Liz Gumbinner | Social Media

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who pronounce GIF with a hard “G” as in GRAPHIC…and those who are wrong. (And yes, I know that GIF creator Steve Wilhite pronounces it with a soft J, but unless the acronym now stands for Jurrasic...

Dear Reader is the addictive wordplay game for fans of Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe. Yes, really.

by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps

When you think “voracious reader of the classics” you don’t generally think at the same time “..and big game, toor!” And yet, that’s how I feel every time I open up Dear Reader. Free with Apple Arcade, this fun, quippy, clever, and...

6 unexpected rom-coms on Netflix that you can watch with the family on Valentine’s Day

by Liz Gumbinner | Entertainment

What you do after the kids are in bed on Valentine’s Day — that’s your business. What you do while the kids are still up and wanting to hang out with you though? Well, we can help with that. As the resident cinephile, I’ve put together some...

Instagram trick: How to find all those cool Instagram Story filters everyone else seems to have.

by Liz Gumbinner | Best Apps, Social Media

We used to say “photos or it didn’t happen,” but it feels like 2020 is all about  “filters or it isn’t Instagram.” You may have noticed folks you follow using wacky filters — or oddly flattering filters that bathe them in a...

The new parental controls on the latest iOS 13.3 update are what you might have been waiting for.

by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Best Apps

If you’ve got a kid on an iPhone or an iPad, this week’s iOS 13.3 update (as well as iPad OS 13.3)has some serious parental controls that we think you’ll be happy to know about. Introducing Communication Limits Starting his week, there’s a new...