The best Black Friday tips to save you money online: Read this before you buy a thing!
For over a decade now (whoa) we've been sharing the best Black Friday tips to help you find the best deals with the least hassle. Now that Black Friday has turned into "Black Friday through Cyber Monday," which turned into an entire month of Black Friday deals, which...
How this screen-free meditation device has helped my son with anxiety
I'm always trying to get my anxious son to do mindfulness exercises with me, but it can be a tough sell. Especially when we're competing with a barrage of toys and streaming services. But when we tried out the new Zenimal device, which plays a variety of guided...
The new snow globe Pop Sockets are a must-have situation this holiday
How magical are these snow globe Pop Sockets that I just discovered for the holidays? Yes, they perform the exact same function as regular Pop Socket grips in preventing dropped phones during selfies, but also, THEY'RE SNOW GLOBES. In case I didn't make that clear....
The best apps for road trips with kids: Map apps, entertainment apps, even restroom finder apps!
I'm grateful for this list of the best apps for road trips with kids, because it turns out, I'm not allowed to put my kids in a hilarious sidecar by themselves during long drives. So I've been prepping my phone and the kids' iPad for the long interstate hours ahead,...
How to set up a new tablet for kids: 7 things parents should consider first
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Google With a new tablet for kids high up on lots of holiday wish lists this year, it's important for parents to ensure that the new device is set up properly. But it's not just about making sure the tablet is charged up and ready...
Is my kid ready for a cell phone? 7 essential questions to ask yourself first
We love when parents ask us "how do I know if my kid is ready for a cell phone?" It means you're conscientious, caring, and involved -- and of course, want to make sure that you're raising a kid to make good choices, and not who isn't thrown into something they can't...
An inventive new soap dispenser that might just get our kids to wash their hands. Bring on the bubbles!
I get to review fun kids products all the time, but it's been a while since I saw one that made me think: I will immediately buy this for my children. The buru-buru bubble soap dispenser for kids has me pulling out my credit card already to support their new...
Google Kids Space: A new, exciting way to help kids discover, create, and grow.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Google Raising digital natives who are curious about the world around them can be challenging for parents. From keeping up with their ever changing interests to encouraging their creativity, parenting kids who are constantly...
5 must-have apps for holiday planning. Dinner is back!
This holiday season, I've been researching apps for holiday planning as one of many ways to make big holiday meals easier. Whether you enjoyed last year's COVID-mandated reprieve from big get-togethers, or you're just raring to baste another 15-pound turkey for the...
A very smart AirPods trick I learned from a very smart tween.
We've said this many times here that some of our best iPhone tricks come from the digital natives in our lives, which is exactly where I got this simple, but very smart AirPods trick. You may be thinking "Are there really AirPods tricks?" and well, I didn't really...
The new Rebel Girls app puts kids’ favorite inspiring women right in their earbuds
I've been a huge Rebel Girls fan since their very first book came out, so naturally I'm so excited to hear about their brand new Rebel Girls app. The app features the stories of some of our favorite women -- Malala, Lady Gaga, Maya Angelou, and many more -- in...
If your kids are gamers, here are 8 tips for raising kids to have good gaming etiquette
My teenage son and his friends are avid online gamers, so I recently broached the topic of good gaming etiquette for kids and teens with them. “What?” they asked, “You mean like when people tell you to go kill yourself when you mess up?” Ouch. I knew this kind of...
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Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way!) Easier.
The best portable car jump starter battery kit for road trip safety: We found one under $100!
My parents were in the market for a portable car jump starter, (also known as a portable car battery charger), because as city folk, they keep an older model car in the city but don't drive it much. That means they need to have some kind of reliable car jump starter...
Tech tip: How to open your Shazam in Apple Music instead of Spotify.
Recently, as you may have heard (ahem) a bunch of influential musical artists have been leaving Spotify, podcasters are rethinking the platform, and plenty of listeners are canceling their Spotify Premium subscriptions. (Which is evidently not all that easy to do, but...
Recycle, donate, sell, return: What to do with your old tech gadgets.
I'm excited to kick off the year by finding some easy, effective ways to recycle or donate those old tech gadgets that we all have lying around. Not just for you, but for me too! I know not to chuck my trusty old iPhone into the trash after upgrading to a newer model...
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3 spooky fun Nintendo Switch games to get kids + teens into the Halloween spirit
If you've been following Cool Mom Tech lately you know how much we loooove Halloween! So when we learned about a few games for our kids' beloved Nintendo Switches that feel perfect for the spooky season, we were excited to share them, Because we can't be the only ones...
Fun Halloween iPhone cases that we’d dress our phones in all year long.
Who says your iPhone can't get dressed up for Halloween too? These fun Halloween iPhone cases are the perfect way to get a little festive for the month of October -- and beyond. But especially now, with so many costumed trick or treaters hoping to (safely) return to...
How to get rid of that unread email count badge on iPhone. Because we have enough stress these days!
I know I'm not the only one who wants to get rid of the unread email count badge on my phone that taunts me loudly in BRIGHT. RED. NUMBERS. Every so often, a friend on social media gleefully (like a Mr. Burns kind of gleeful if you ask me) will prompt friends and...
The 3 best digital planners for parents, according to parents with very strong opinions about planners!
I'm always on a quest for the best digital planner for the school year, because I have developed a very bad habit: Every year I get tempted by the beautiful, fun, old-fashioned paper planners I discover on Etsy or in our local stationery stores. They're just brimming...
What does Indigenous mean? This video is the perfect explainer for kids.
On Indigenous People's Day, a lot of kids may be asking us to explain what Indigenous means. It's not the kind of word that's in a lot of kids' day-to-day vocabularies -- or at least not yet. And parents may have trouble explaining what it means, how it's different...
Nintendo Switch! Get it?
If you've got a geeky gamer to shop for, allow me to share these Nintendo Switch switch plates that I just stumbled on. Because frankly, I know I need to laugh more these days and this is doing it for me. Made by a popular 3-D printer on Etsy based out of Oregon, it's...
Is the Skylight calendar worth the splurge for big, busy families? We tried it.
I'm mom to a busy family of six, so when I saw the Skylight Calendar in my Instagram feed my first thought was, "This could change my life." Here's the thing: I have a job. I homeschool my kids and teach class at a co-op. My oldest two kids have jobs. The oldest three...
5 fun YouTube Kids Halloween video playlists and channels to get your kids in the spirit!
Here are some fun Halloween-themed playlists that your kids may enjoy on YouTube. Yes, YouTube. Now that YouTube Kids has upped their parental controls game, I've been feeling more comfortable with them using the app, and hey, sometimes it's nice to just let them...
Is the new iOS 15 Focus Mode feature helpful for parents? I tried it to find out.
Lately I've heard some mixed opinions about the Focus feature on the latest iOS 15. If you haven't updated your iPhone yet, Focus mode is similar to the Sleep mode introduced with iOS 14 with even more detail and more ways to customize your notifications from apps,...
44 cool things you can do with the Amazon Echo: From productive time-savers to just plain fun.
I received an Amazon Echo for Christmas a few years ago, and I have to admit at first I was a little skeptical. What is all the buzz about anyway and what can I actually do with an Amazon Echo? I wasn't sure it could really do more for me than Siri or my phone, but...
7 elegant cord management solutions to help tame tangles and tidy your workspace
Taming cords is one of my own top tech challenges, even as tech becomes increasingly cordless. So I'm always on the lookout for new ways to get my home office desk more organized and keep tangles at bay. Despite what design magazines tend to portray in their perfect...
Alexa, surround me in the glory of Billie Eilish
If you've ever said, "Alexa, play When the Party's Over" then you'll be thrilled that Amazon has just announced the launch of the Billie Eilish special edition Amazon Echo Studio and it's pretty darn cool if you're a super-fan. Remember back in the dark ages, when we...