green living

My thirteen-year-old is keenly focused on our family being more environmentally conscious , which I'm all about. Currently, the recyclables in my kitchen are balancing precariously on a tall black kitchen trash can stuck in the corner of…

Sometimes I discover a new company at a tech press event that I'm so excited about, I run right over here to tell you about it. And sometimes, that product is so perfect that I first make a quick stop at the company website to buy one fo…

I never believed them when they said it would happen to me, but it's true. I officially want a minivan. Luckily for reluctant parents like me, Volkswagen is releasing an all-electric minibus called the I.D. Buzz that could give growing f…

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 famili…

We are always looking for ways that we can live a greener lifestyle with our families, but trust us, we know how overwhelming it can be. As we've discovered over the years, it's the small things that can really add up -- in effort and at…

It's Earth Day 2015, and this is always the time we stop and think of ways that we can save energy -- and money -- in our everyday lives. One of the trends we're really starting to see blow up, at last, is the use of solar power. There a…

I've seen no shortage of solar chargers , many of which we've featured here on Cool Mom Tech. But the new Helios solar charger from Solpro that we discovered at CES 2015 lets you charge smarter and waaaay faster. Yep, the new Helios only…

We have covered hundreds, if not millions (Okay, probably not millions) of mobile phone cases over the years, and loads of mobile phone chargers too. But this super cool Indiegogo project I just learned about named Juse is the first sola…

As fans of the planet--and yeah, humanity in general--we're always looking for ways to live more sustainably and to help our kids be more aware of it too. And as we've all discovered over the years, it doesn't have to be about massive li…

The idea makes perfect sense: a portable, high performance solar charger for my smart devices that -- best part -- is actually compact enough to carry around. That's the gist behind the Solarpod Buddy solar charger . It sounds kind of ne…

Last year we discovered the Nanoleaf LED light bulb which, besides looking super cool, actually is. It's a safer alternative to CF bulbs, projecting light 360-degrees like a traditional incandescent while saving money and energy. The one…

Being a cyclist myself, I love seeing all the new advances to help keep bikes and their riders safe, and Skylock is at the top of my list for a bunch of cool reasons. The Skylock bike lock is a solar powered, Bluetooth enabled, wifi conn…

Everyone know knows the benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs--longer burn time, less energy costs, more effeciency. But now with increasing concern about UV radiation and mercury emissions--especially when they break--and so I'm b…

Every year when Earth Day comes around, I have this sudden urge to recycle everything in my house and start wearing hemp clothing. OK, maybe not that extreme, but there are many things I could be doing to be a little more energy efficien…

This week I looked at my definitely plugged-in MacBook, and realized it wasn't charging. Surely the entirely frayed wire at the base had something to do with that? Mac users in particular are famiilar with the annoying ease at which the …

Okay, so he's not an 80s hair band, and he doesn't have a one-armed drummer. But this leopard is the first iPhone case we've seen with ears--and he helps real, actual endangered leopards. Which means he does, in fact, rock. The super swe…

Whether we're camping, trying to catch fireflies, or just going out to the beach to watch the waves by moonlight, my kids like to have a little light nearby to keep an eye out for those things that go bump in the night. And while flashli…

While we're increasingly paper-free thanks to services like online bill pay and Catalog Choice , I'm still amazed at the amount of paper that comes into this house from junk mail, solicitations and school flyers. So when I saw this devic…

Just when we're getting used to the idea that your smartphones can control your sound system , Friedrich has now invented a space-age air conditioner that you can control remotely with your smartphone, computer, or tablet. Pretty cool, r…

Apparently my own mom knows how much I love my iPad , since she gave me the most amazing gift for my birthday to go with it. My new Haiku iPad sleeve is my new favorite case, made from eco-friendly cyclePET fabric that's made from 100% p…

Since I just toss my laptop into my bag for on-the-go work sessions, a laptop sleeve is an absolute must. And I've got my eye on these stylish ones that just so happen to be eco-friendly too--right in time for Earth Day. The GreenSmart A…

I'm so loving the concept behind the SecondWind battery charger that Liz covered a couple weeks ago. We are massive consumers of batteries at our house and I feel the same way Liz does each time one gets disposed of. With Earth Day just …

Every time I throw out a used battery, I feel a little pang of eco-guilt. But the investment in rechargable batteries for every remote, ever gadget, every kids' toy that beeps and boops in our home would be pretty big. So I am absolutely…

If you read Eva's Lorax movie review on Cool Mom Picks, you'll know she loved (we're talking loooved) it. We know the reviews have been mixed among adults, but one of the things I hope that everyone can appreciate are the number of envir…

Given the amazing power of technology, it was only a matter of time before we'd be able to control our lights, our thermostat, even our garage door from smart gadgets. Well, thanks to Belkin, that time is right now. Or, very very soon. T…

I do my best to turn off light switches and turn down our thermostat, especially on our other floors at night and when we're out of the house. But that's only when I remember. Which, as a busy mom, is not as often as it should be. That's…

There have been times I've driven through my town on trash day and have been stupefied at the things that people are willing to just throw away--cribs, baby toys, bicycles. I understand that not every person has the time or the energy to…

After we proudly figured out how to compost scraps from our kitchen without decorating the room with fruit flies, I've been looking for other ways to get more eco-friendly. And as a true tech mama, it seems that decreasing my family's de…

As much as I love all my iPhone cases, I sometimes feel like I'm stockpiling a load of plastic. And while they definitely serve their function, I'm always interested in more eco-friendly alternatives, like these wooden cases. The gorgeou…

I do what I can to give back and support the causes that are dear to my heart, but with four kids and a busy schedule, I feel limited in how much I can commit. However since discovering this amazing new site, I can take on simple daily c…

This is part of a sponsored series for Sprint Replenish who is helping us think about going green with our tech. I'm all about saving trees--hey! I like trees!--so I do my best to avoid overindulgent paper use. Sure, we recycle junk mail…

Last week, I spent a little time with Jaime Derringer, mom-to-be, and genius behind the uber-popular design blog Design Milk . When she pulled out her custom, handmade iPhone case, I couldn't stop fawning over it. (Seriously. It was a li…

If I want my kids to celebrate Earth Day every day, it helps if they understand the little issues that all add up to make big changes. In other words: Why I screech when they forget to recycle a piece of paper. (I admit it. I screech.) T…

We're all for greening up our homes and lives wherever we can, and sometimes that comes from the manufacturers, who give us better options in the first place. We read this week that General Electric plans to introduce the first HFC-free …