12 of the best reading apps for kids of all ages: Back-to-School tech guide
Our back to school 2016 guide continues with our picks for some of the best reading apps for kids. From preschoolers learning ABC basics and sight words, to older kids needing a synonym for obsequious (or uh, maybe that is the synonym?), we have you covered. Because...
How to wake your kids up in the morning? Try these 6 helpful alarm clocks and alarm apps.
With back-to-school in full swing for most of us, the grind of managing a schedule with after school activities and homework is picking back up again. But after late nights and lazy summer mornings, the hurdle for these first few weeks is getting everyone out of bed...
15 of the best science apps for preschoolers through teens: Back-to-School tech guide
We parents know that science is everywhere and why it's so important. So we always love tracking down some of the best science apps for kids each year, to show kids how fun science can be, and how it's a part of pretty much everything they already do and see. The...
D is for The Dark Side
In some houses, the letter D is for dog, but in my house, and I know in many others, it stands for Darth Vader. And The Dark Side. That's why I'm loving these Star Wars alphabet t-shirts. Related: Star Wars Home t-shirts. Because home is where your ship is. Our...
Screen Time Manager: Our cool free app of the week
It's hard enough to juggle the after-school routine of dinner, signing homework folders, and making sure the laundry is done for tomorrow, not to mention screen time management. But lately I've been using the free Screen Time Manager app (for iOS or Android), and it's...
Tile Slim means you’ll never lose your wallet again
The Tile smart tracker has been keeping us from losing our keys for years now, so color us excited about their newest product, Tile Slim, which is sized perfectly for wallets and other more streamlined items. Related: 5 outrageously cool tech gadgets you didn't know...
Back to school lifesaver: A smart, simple trick for going paper free
With four kids in school and various activities, you can just imagine the number of forms I have to fill out and sign, pretty much on a weekly (sometimes, daily) basis. I don't even want to think about how long printing them, filling them out, then either mailing or...
Apps parents should know about: Collection feature on VSCO
Editor: This article has been updated with more current information since publication If you keep tabs on your teen on apps like Instagram and SnapChat, you're going to want to add another one to your list, parents. VSCO (pronounced vis-ko), which was originally...
Kids Trade app: Our cool free app of the week
No matter how many times I run to Goodwill or Kon Mari my house, in just a few weeks I feel like we have more toys and video games and stuffed animals than my kids could ever play with. But, of course, they still ask for new things every once in a while. In their...
Khan Academy goes to preschool with Duck Duck Moose. Hooray for free educational apps!
We're so thrilled about the news that Duck Duck Moose, makers of some of the best preschool apps we've seen, will be joining Khan Academy. This means, parents will now have access to their apps for free. Yes, free! Related: 12 of the best educational apps for...
3 of the best websites for gorgeous online party invitation for your kids.
We recently shared tips for throwing a birthday party on a budget at Cool Mom Picks, and one of our favorite tricks is to use online invitations for the party. Not only does it save you a lot of money, but it makes tracking so much easier, from who's coming to what...
Add a pocket to your iPhone case. Thanks, Kate Spade.
If you've loved the idea of those iPhone cases that double as wallets but aren't ready to take the plunge, here's a smart alternative: this stick-on leather smart phone pocket from Kate Spade. Related: 30 of the coolest iPhone 6 cases for any style Just pop in on the...
Tech Tips & Tricks to Make Life (Way) Easier
Easy Internet safety tips for parents from an expert that you can start using right now
Parents are always asking us how to monitor the safety of their kids online. Combine that with social media, and it can be really overwhelming for parents to know how to educate their kids while still keeping track of their activity. And as someone with a tween in the...
21 funny baby milestone photos every parent must have, that tell the whole truth about parenting
Let's be honest, the best photos of kids are never the perfect ones. They're not necessarily the photos that required hours of prep time picking out a perfect outfit, or a six-lollipop bribe for a smile. Looking back at our own favorite photos of our family, we vote...
The 15 minute trick: A smart, easy way to spring clean and organize your home office
With warmer climes finally here and April right around the corner, it's time for my annual spring cleaning to begin. At the top of my list is my home office area. If you've got piles of papers and cords everywhere like me, then I've got a helpful list of ways to...
Even More Coolness. Enjoy!
Should you trust Amazon product reviews? ReviewMeta to the rescue.
We know that as much as you rely on Cool Mom Tech (and Cool Mom Picks) for product recommendations (right?), we pretty much all still check Amazon reviews before we make a purchase. But as you can probably guess, for many products, the reviews aren't super reliable....
Adorable app: Our cool free app of the week
I've seen some pretty adorable baby announcements in my mailbox over the years. I have to say, I really admire my friends who know their way around Photoshop. They can put the perfect font with their baby's photo to make the cutest announcements and cards. But, for...
Turn your summer memories into a cool keepsake
Take Chatbooks photo books and add in The Novogratz Family design sense and you get a very cool way to turn your favorite summer photos into a keepsake. Simply download the Chatbooks app, then enter the code SUMMER16, where the cool illustrations and artful prompts...
Cool gifts designed by your kids’ favorite gamers and YouTubers at Maker Shop.
My kids are obsessed with Aphmau, the hugely popular YouTuber, Vlogger, designer -- and mom, by the way -- who creates the Minecraft roleplay videos they devour like I used to watch, oh, Captain Caveman. I happened to click on the Aphmau Maker Shop link from her...
A booming new Bluetooth speaker that more of us can afford
Honestly, I'm not a hard-core audiophile who geeks out over the minute details about speaker drivers and subwoofers, but I am still picky with my speakers as I'm sure a lot of you are. I can hear the difference between a good speaker and a crappy one when I'm...
A gorgeous wearable tracker that might actually help beat stress
We've seen lots of stylish activity trackers for women, even ones aimed to help deal with stress, but none have been so seemingly comprehensive in terms of physical and mental health as the new Bellabeat LEAF Urban. Related: 5 gorgeous fitness trackers for women Worn...
Artkive app: Our cool free app of the week, but only free for a limited time!
Ever since I downloaded the Artkive app a few years ago, it's been my very favorite way to store all the artwork my kids bring home from school. Instead of filling up my closets with huge stashes of paper (and glitter that never stays put, ugh), I store it all...
3 cool art tech toys that take your kids’ drawing to a new level
Lately we've seen some really cool tech innovations that are inspiring the little artists in our house. While we're still big fans of crayons and paper around here as our go-to art supply, I love how that their creativity can carry over into screen time, too. If your...
5 awesome llama iPhone cases. Because, llamas.
If you haven't noticed, llamas are taking over as the cute animal du jour. First it was owls, then foxes, followed by hedgeghogs, and sloths. Though admittedly I'm still a little obsessed with sloths. Thanks, Zootopia. But finally, llamas are getting the attention...
BeON Home: The smart lightbulbs that keep your house safer
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that whenever my family heads out on a trip, we worry about the safety of our homes when we're gone. So I was intrigued by the BeON smart lightbulbs, which use clever lighting responses to prevent burglary, plus have a backup battery...
How to get rid of Unknown calls on your iPhone in a snap
If you're getting more than your fair share of calls from that dreaded caller "Unknown" and want to know how to get rid of unknown calls, we've got your back. After all, 'tis the season for telemarketing, campaign donation requests, and robocalls up the whazoo. So, I...
Amazon Dash Replenishment Service means you’ll never run out of coffee again
The Amazon Dash service has come a long way since we first featured it two years ago when it was just a cool gadget that connected you to your Amazon shopping cart via WIFI. Since then, Amazon added Dash Button, which are little gadgets that live on your washing...