How to use the Siri Shortcuts app to make your life a whole lot easier
I'm always discovering new tricks on my iPhone, but figuring out the Siri Shortcuts app has been a total game changer. This feature lets you set up voice commands to automate the tasks you perform over and over again, like navigating to your kid's school or paying the...
Thinking Parent: A family that games together stays together
As a mom of four kids, I get all sorts of questions asked of me by friends and strangers alike. You can probably guess what they are. "How do you do it?" "Do you ever sleep?" and then a question about whether my kids get along, which is typically a welcome change from...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Turning off your notifications
Next up in our series on how to curb your screen addiction, we're tackling the issue of notifications. Back when I first got a smartphone, those little red numbers next to my apps filled me with excitement. Someone had messaged me! Or liked my photo! Today, I feel...
5 apps I started using that changed my life this year
Yes, we're all still getting a lot of mileage out of "there's an app for that" because...well, it's true. Especially on iOS, though Android is doing a little better keeping up these days. Over the past year, there are a few apps that I've started using that have...
The Apple product warranty you may not know about…but should
Turns out the Apple One-Year Warranty is way more flexible than you might realize. Or as the store associate told me on a recent visit, "you got Beats headphones that are not working or coming apart in any way? Just bring it in and we'll give you a new one." At a time...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Using the grayscale setting on your smartphone
As we continue our New Year's series on how to curb your screen addiction, I'm excited to share our next tip since it's been one that's been so helpful in managing my own tech habits. Plus, it's a change you can make in literally 5 minutes or fewer, without getting up...
Curb Your Screen Addiction series: Make a tech-free sacred space in your home
Who else here is planning to curb your screen addiction in 2019? As parents, we often spend so much time worrying about our kids' screen time (and how to preserve my sanity during a 700th viewing of Cars 3), but everything I've heard and read points to me as setting...
Our top 10 most popular Cool Mom Tech posts of 2018. Happy New Year!
From questionable Snapchat stories to gadgets that make our lives easier, we rounded up our top 10 most popular Cool Mom Tech posts of 2018. Happy New Year! Related: Our 10 most popular posts of 2017 10. How to figure out which categories Facebook has assigned to...
14 Netflix fake ball drop shows to trick your kids into an early bedtime this New Year’s Eve
The Netflix fake ball drop has been a total parents' New Year's Eve lifesaver for us. If you haven't heard of this magic yet, you've got to check it out. If your kids are too young (or you're too tired, ha!) to stay up till the new year, just turn one of these family...
Our most popular Spawned podcast episodes of 2018
We’ve covered a ton of topics on our Spawned with Kristen and Liz podcast in 2018. From time saving hacks to how to be a happier parent, we’ve had a blast chatting with each other, and our esteemed guests, about parenting and parenting culture. And we hope you’ve...
Binge watch free television during Roku’s first Stream-a-thon starting December 26
If there's ever a time when we deserve some extra hours parked in front of a screen, it's the week after Christmas when we are all coming down from the excitement of the holidays. And if you are a Roku customer, make sure you check out Roku's first ever Stream-a-thon...
Merry Christmas, cool parents!
Here’s hoping that all your gadgets come fully charged, your cables stay untangled, and you have all the YouTube tutorials you need readily available. Because paper instructions are so 2017. Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday! – Kristen, Liz, and Team...
Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way!) Easier
How can I stop inappropriate follow requests on Instagram?
Last week, we had a lively discussion about inappropriate follow requests on Instagram in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group. Many parents bemoaned the challenges of trying to navigate this with their kids on Instagram, even on private accounts. Unfortunately,...
Screen time and social media with kids: We might be doing it wrong, parents
Since reading Anya Kamenetz's interview with Jordan Shapiro on NPR, I've made some heavy shifts in how I'm approaching screen time with my kids. For the years that they've been on video games, tablets and most recently, their own phones, I've been all about screening...
How to set up the Screen Time app to manage your child’s screen time
After finally updating my son's iPhone SE to iOS 12, I've been able to properly utilize the Screen Time app, which by the way, is where you'll find all the Restrictions you might be familiar with from previous iOS versions. If you've got kids with iPhones, I'd...
20 cool last-minute digital subscription gifts for everyone on your list
If you're looking for an amazing last-minute Christmas gift that the people on your list will love, consider a digital subscription gift. It takes up no space in their home, yet provides hours of entertainment and fun. We're thinking way beyond another year of Netflix...
This package thief versus glitter bomb video is the best thing ever.
I saw this YouTuber's glitter bomb video going around Facebook yesterday and somehow avoided clicking on it until today. Well, let's just say I'm glad I did because it was well worth the 10 minutes I spent watching the whole entire thing. YouTuber and former NASA...
14 last-minute tech gifts that will still arrive before Christmas. Thanks, Amazon Prime!
Even if you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, we've got you covered with these tech gifts you can still order on Amazon Prime and receive before Christmas. Brilliant, right? And, true to form, these last minute Amazon Prime tech gifts are all exceptional, if...
4 clever ways to track Santa this Christmas Eve (or, you know, now!)
Parents, the vague promise that Santa will come sometime while your kids are asleep just isn't working anymore. Our kids are too tech savvy. So, for those who are anxious to track Santa's every move this Christmas Eve, we've found three cool sites that will let you do...
Cleansebot: The Roomba-like germ-killing robot for your hotel bed (Or, your home bed. We won’t judge.)
We've all seen the late-night news exposés with hosts shining black lights in hotel rooms, and let's just say we wish we could forget them. But now we have no reason to worry when we scrunch up next to our partners (and children, let's be honest here) in our hotel...
7 fantastic iPad apps for 6 year olds that our readers swear by
Anyone on the hunt for fantastic iPad apps for 6 year olds? This topic came up recently in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group, and yay, our members shared their tried and true favorites, both educational and just for fun. So whether you're just looking to freshen...
This cool gadget takes your essential oil obsession to a high-tech level
We know lots of folks are super into essential oils these days, and there are no shortage of cool wearables and gadgets (like these essential oil jewelry, for one) to help you take your oils with you. Well, beyond wearing it on your pulse points, that is. A new way we...
Hey, Alexa! Where’s Santa? And other festive Echo skills for the holiday.
Just in time for Christmas, we've found 7 festive Echo skills that make the holidays just a little more fun, for your kids and for you too. And hey, if you don't have an Amazon Echo just yet, this might be reason to ask Santa for one. Hey, maybe he'll even deliver it...
Cool Fortnite gifts for your game-obsessed kids. Orange Justice, forever!
Question: how many times in the last day has your kid danced Orange Justice? If the answer is more than once, then you're going to want to check out these cool Fortnite gifts we've found for kids who are obsessed with the game. Sure, they'd love more playing time, but...
FamousBrick LEGO minifigures bring their favorite famous people down to size
Whether you have a LEGO fanatic that is nine or 49, FamousBrick's LEGO minifigures lets you put anyone from Bill Gates to Luna Lovegood into their Christmas stocking. Though can we leave Elon Musk in there? (Just kidding! Sort of.) Made from real LEGO bricks, each...
7 of our kids’ favorite Nintendo Switch games
With so many kids either asking for a Nintendo Switch this holiday season, or looking to add to their Nintendo Switch game collection, we decided to share some of our own kids' favorite games, along with favorites from our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group (you are a...
Snap and edit photos like a pro, no fancy camera equipment required
We've been longtime friends with Jill Krause, founder of the popular BabyRabies.com parenting website, and recently Happy Loud Life, where she chronicles her RV-living adventures with her family of 6, and longtime admirers of her amazing photos, which it turns out are...