around the house Archives

Amazon’s Echo Dot for Kids is here. But there will be no “Alexa, buy me a pony.”

by Liz Gumbinner | Smart Appliances, Tech Toys and Random Fun

The Echo Dot has been one of Amazon’s most popular speakers, so it’s no surprise that they saw an opportunity to bring all the joy and magic and Orwellian fun of Alexa to kids in the form of the new Echo Dot Kids Edition available exclusively at Amazon....

Ooh…Cromatica Bluetooth speakers are music for the eyes, too

by Liz Gumbinner | Around the House, Audio

One look at the Italian Cromatica Bluetooth speakers and…whoa. Think of this lamp-speaker hybrid like a mood ring for your home. You choose the color illumination that suits you, choose your music, then lie back and chill. Or, clean your bathroom. Or, get some...

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...

Stridepost: A free chores and calendar app for the whole family. Yep, even the kids.

by Kate Etue | Productivity Apps

I’m always a little more motivated to get to my chores when there’s a little reward involved, like watching a guilty pleasure TV show while I fold laundry. It’s the same for my kids, and the Stridepost app (iOS and Android) helps them see how doing...

KonMari App: Our cool free app of the week

by Christina Refford | Productivity Apps

With three kids, one dog, and enough stuff to fill a suburban house, I quickly became a convert to the KonMari method of organization, or “tidying” as founder Marie Kondo puts it. Her simple and direct way of weeding through all the stuff we have...

The Bluetooth label maker that lets you create and print straight from your phone. Type-A heaven!

by Kate Etue | Home Office

The geek in me is coming out strong, you guys. I’m a little embarrassed about how excited I am about the new Epson LabelWorks LW600-P Bluetooth label maker which I recently got a chance to try out (thanks Epson!) and while “LW600-P” doesn’t...

Build your own bookends for all those back to school books

by Kristen Chase | Art + Decor

With all the amazing books for tweens and helpful book recommendation websites we’ve been sharing on Cool Mom Picks and here on Cool Mom Tech, I’m swimming in books. Which, you know, it could be worse. But that’s why I need these build on brick...

The smart bulb with a speaker built right in: A bright new trend in mash-up technology.

by Nicole Blades | Smart Appliances

Question: How many Beyoncés does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: As many as you’re in the mood for, because these rad LED light bulbs are also Bluetooth wireless speakers. So basically whatever strikes your fancy when you’re turning them on,...

2 new cord clutter solutions from Bluelounge help you power up while staying organized

by Nicole Blades | Home Office

Living in these fast tech times means having to pause to power up our devices. It’s just part of the deal, right? And when we’re on the go, this often means searching for a free outlet, sometimes in strange places. But what about when you have more than...

A USB electrical outlet that’s easy to install and easy on your wallet. We’ll take one in every room.

by Julie | Home Office

It’s amazing that USB electrical outlets aren’t yet standard in homes and new constructions, so we’ve covered quite a few ways to turn regular electrical outlets into USB charging spots yourself. The new SnapPower Charger looks like the easiest and...

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.