Around the House Archives | Page 4 of 24

Got design commitment issues? You need this handy new website.

I admit, my decorating skills are limited, and I’m always worried about painting a room only to discover I really don’t like it, so I was intrigued to hear about Modsy, a website that uses your input and photos to help transform a room in your home into...

The affordable little gadget that turns regular appliances into smart ones | Sponsored Message

by Cool Mom Staff | Smart Appliances

This is a sponsored message from Wemo Mini It’s amazing how technology can simplify the lives of parents, especially with one of the busiest times of year upon us. And that’s exactly the case with the Wemo Mini, an affordable little plug that instantly...

6 smart night lights that go way beyond our smart night light expectations.

by Ellyn Exley Dvorkin | Baby Tech, Smart Appliances

Technology is changing and our night lights are changing, too. If you haven’t seen everything that they can do, let me tell you: you’re missing out. They’ve come a long way, baby. These days, night lights double as baby monitors and speakers, even smoke...

4 ways to use tech to keep your family mosquito free this summer.

by Kristen Chase | Smart Appliances

Summer is here, and that means a whole lot of bugs, and ways to try to prevent my kids from getting bitten by bugs. Thankfully, there are smart ways to use tech to help keep those mosquitos at bay, at least around your home, or when you’re on the road, you...

Here’s what you need to know about the Apple HomePod aka Alexa by Apple.

by Kristen Chase | Smart Appliances

Okay, okay so the new HomePod is not technically the Amazon Echo (aka Alexa), but well, it pretty much is, just shaped more like a marshmallow in Apple’s signature black and white. That’s not to say we’re all not going to want it when it hits shelves...

A cool new pregnancy tracker you might already have in your home.

by Kristen Chase | Baby Tech, Smart Appliances

We’ve been fans of Withings ever since we spotted their fitness tracker at CES a couple of years ago. Since then, they’ve added a ton of very cool new products, like their scale for one, which now allows expectant moms to track their pregnancy every time...

Hot home tech design: 7 devices you never knew could be gorgeous

by Liz Gumbinner | Around the House

It’s amazing how far home tech design has come, even since we started this site six years ago. What once may have looked sleek and amazing — a baby monitor, a humidifier, even a lawnmower — now looks clunky and dated compared to what’s...

The Echo Look: Now you can ask Alexa if your butt looks good in those jeans

by Kristen Chase | Smart Appliances

Well, well, Amazon’s Echo (aka Alexa) is now your own personal Anna Wintour thanks to the newly launched Echo Look. Think Alexa, now with eyeballs and a fashion sense. With this new gadget, you can actually take full-length photos of yourself (even video) so you...

Making your own baby food just went from crunchy to swanky

by Kristen Chase | Baby Tech, Kitchen Tech

I’m not sure the new Rose Gold Beaba Babycook will make your homemade baby food taste more expensive, but it’s certainly very easy on the eyes. Let’s just say this new, limited edition baby food maker will let you steam and blend in style. It’s...

These rad prints celebrate badass women in STEM through art. Yeah, we said badass.

by Kristen Chase | Art + Decor

We are pretty freaking thrilled that women in STEM are getting much-deserved attention finally, from fantastic story books to card games, and yes, amazing Oscar-nominated movies. Now add these amazing art prints for a cause to the ever-growing list. Related: The...

The Lofree looks like a keyboard, but sounds and feels like a typewriter

by Cool Mom Staff | Home Office

We had such a wave of nostalgia after seeing this super cool Lofree keyboard on Design Milk that we just had to share it with you. You fellow Gen X-ers who used typewriters and word processors to write high school and college papers might appreciate this modern take...

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.