Star Wars bouquets! Can we say this is the Valentine’s gift you’ve been looking for?
Roses are red, violets are blue, but neither will put a smile on your Star Wars-loving valentine's face like one of these quirky Star Wars Valentines bouquets from our favorite geeky shop, Think Geek. Just imagine handing your beloved a bouquet that includes nine...
How to get started on Minecraft PE: One newbie parent’s intro into the square world
Of course I've heard about Minecraft. How could I not? The crazy best-selling, square-loving video game is practically everywhere and has been for years now. I also knew the super skinny basics on Minecraft: It's all about virtual, 3-D worlds engineered by players...
Tado offers smart climate control, now for homes without central heat or air
We do our best to save energy at home, but it is easier said than done with three kids who like to leave lights on all day long. (Even in the closets. Just, why?) That said, smart thermostats have been making it easier for so many families to conserve on heat and air...
Two fun, creative, and (mostly) free apps for kids to keep them engaged when they’re stuck indoors.
If you're tearing through the list of snow day activities to keep the kids occupied when you're stuck indoors, allow us help you with two beautifully designed, really fun new apps we've discovered from Seedling. As in, the same company whose affordable craft kits...
Snow Day by Bleu: The perfect kids’ music download for those of us hit with another snowpocalypse
With both my editors buried in winter storm Jonas and at least six inches outside my own suburban Boston window, it seems apt that today's kids' music download be one that sings of every school kids' favorite day: A snow day. Snow Day by singer-songwriter Blue (a.k.a...
The coolest new tech for parents this year: Best of CES 2016
At the recent CES 2016 show, coverage, I was excited to see all the incredible tech designed just to help parents make our lives run a little smoother on a day-to-day basis. (No diaper changing robots yet, sorry.) From trusted brands showing off impressive...
Must-read info: How your Instagram photos could be used by brands. And what to do about it.
Just a few days ago while perusing new Cool Mom Picks Instagram followers (hey, thanks new followers!), I clicked over to the Sesame Place Instagram feed and noticed something pretty surprising in their bio: Photos using #sesameplace become property of Sesame Place In...
David Bowie’s Kooks covered by Elizabeth Mitchell: Kids’ music download of the week
We were all saddened and shocked to hear of the passing of David Bowie earlier this week whose voice so many of us group up listening to on the radio or on our favorite albums and cassette tapes. I know that many of us at Cool Mom Tech immediately turned on David...
A must see: Dr. King’s legacy, in his own writing
One thing that's become abundantly clear to me after a year of following Black Lives Matter tweets and listening more closely to what people of color have to say about their own heroes and history without media spin, is that a lot of us have only grasped a very very...
With the Felt greeting card app, your kids will be begging you to let them write their thank you notes
If you haven't quite gotten around to having your kids write out their thank you notes for all those Christmas and Hanukkah gifts they got last month, you might want to check out the new Felt greeting card app which just launched. By letting you design your own...
The coolest new wearable fitness trackers: 7 fascinating picks from CES 2016
I'm still trying to parse through the gads of incredible tech I saw at the International CES 2016 show last week, but one thing is for certain, wearable fitness trackers, those hot tech accessories that really blew up over the last couple of years, still take center...
The Hatch Baby smart changing pad: Life-changing new tech? Or way TMI?
As we're seeing at CES this past week week, pretty much everything in our homes is going "smart" these days, and your baby's changing table is no exception. The Hatch Baby smart changing pad isn't just a soft place for your baby to lay while they get cleaned up. It...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
How to set up a Facebook Legacy Contact. And why everyone should do it right now.
A few months ago I updated my will, and while I was figuring out which child would inherit my prized handbag collection, my smart lawyer asked me about my social media accounts: Who would I want to handle them after my death? What would I want to happen to them? I...
How to hide YouTube comments. Because too many of them make you lose faith in humanity.
Around here, we're all starting to wonder whether TV will continue to be relevant to our kids who are growing up in the age of online media. In fact, next to playing Minecraft, my tweens' favorite way to spend their screen time is watching videos of their favorite...
How to unsend an email: The lifesaving Undo Send feature in Gmail Labs
Ever wonder how to unsend an email, say... you hit send on an email, and then realize you had a typo, sent it a little too soon or included the wrong information? Or worse, wrote something and accidentally sent it to the last person you'd ever want to see it? There is...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
Cutting the cable cord: 5 things that happened when I finally did it
I'd been considering cutting the cable cord for about a year before I actually took the plunge. My kids and I rarely ever watch cable, and pretty much never use the landline (I don't think I ever actually learned that phone number!), so it didn't seem to make sense...
Rooms by Tim Kubart: Kids’ music download of the week
Sundays are a great day to turn up the tunes and dance around the house. And to help ward off winter's chill or maybe break up a long day indoors, our download of the week is a boogie-filled number called Rooms off the Grammy-nominated album Home by Tim Kubart....
An eco-friendly printer with ink cartridges that don’t need changing every minute? Whoa.
There's a pop-up on my computer that alerts me when the ink on my home printer is running low. And every time the little window appears, I think, wait, didn't I just put new cartridges in the printer? It's definitely an annoyance and a huge expense. And one that...
Sponsored Message: Meet Curbi, the screen time management solution parents have been looking for.
This is a sponsored message on behalf of Curbi. Whether your family added some new devices to the mix this holiday season or you've been pretty gadget-reliant in your home for a while, you'll want to check out the free trial of Curbi, which can help you manage screen...
Star Wars Home t-shirts: Because for Jedis – or smugglers – home is where your ship is
I had to laugh when I saw these clever Star Wars shirts, designed in the style of the popular home state tees you may have seen all over the place. But with these, your little (or big) Star Wars fans can share their love of their home ship instead. We know more than a...
3 free fitness apps for the not-so fit. No judgment here.
My workout routine took an unfortunate turn when the holidays hit, and I'm struggling to get back now that life has slowed down a bit. If you're like me and are starting from ground zero, here are 3 fitness apps that might come in handy. Keep in mind: If you're...
Snow Days by Trip Shakespeare: Kids’ music download that’s not actually a kids’ music download
I've retired our collection of Christmas music for another year, but there's one song that has been such a favorite wintery tune on my playlist for the past--gulp--25 years, that it will remain on heavy rotation until the first days of spring. Snow Days, by 90's...
Learning about genetics becomes child’s play with the Avokiddo DNA Play app
We're definitely fans of the way Avokiddo tackles educational apps for young kids. And its latest release, the DNA Play app keeps our praise parade going. This time kids get to delve into genetics, but it's not heady or complicated. Quite the opposite! In fact...
Happy New Year, from all of us at Cool Mom Tech
Here's to a wonderful 2016, friends. May it be full of neatly wrapped cables, charged batteries, and lots more geeky awesome. Thank you all much for your support all year long. Kristen, Liz, + Team Cool Mom Tech Science and math calendar art prints via Get Your Nerd...
Apps to help you tackle your New Year’s resolutions
If you're looking for help tackling your 2016 New Year's resolutions, we're here to help. Check out these cool, free apps that our Editor Kristen featured on The Today Show this morning. Lark: To help you keep your fitness goals Lark (free, iOS + Android) The...
The top 10 Cool Mom Tech posts of 2015: Tips, hacks, apps, new products and more.
It's always fun for us to look back at the end of the year and see which posts captured our readers' interests and imaginations the most. And while we have some perennial favorites like our picks for 30 of the coolest iPhone 6 cases or how to get your personal...
A 2016 photo calendar that will make you happy all year long
Considering how much I love photo wall decals, it's no surprise that I'm digging these cool photo calendar decals from Pinhole Press that let you turn your favorite 2015 photos into a fabulous 2016 wall calendar, no hammer and nails required. This is such a perfect...