holidays Archives | Cool Mom Tech

How to take better holiday photos: 6 fantastic online photo tutorials to make your holidays merrier and brighter. (But not too bright – just the right white balance.)

by Kate Etue | Holiday Picks, Photo Apps, Photography, Tips and Tricks

Every parent wants to know how to take better pictures, especially around Christmas. A few years ago I received the completely awesome gift of a DSLR camera, but I admit I haven’t entirely learned how to use it properly. I’ve taken thousands of pictures...

15 fun Amazon Echo skills for the holidays, from fun and festive to really helpful

by Kate Etue | Fun Apps

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve found 15 fun Amazon Echo skills that can help you stay organized, add a little more fun to your family time, and even put some magic into the holidays for your kids. If you and Alexa are in a rut, just remember: she can do a...

12 practical tech gifts that are still pretty darn awesome | Holiday Gift Guide 2019

by Liz Gumbinner | Around the House, Gear, Holiday Picks, Holiday Tech Gifts

There are some folks on our lists who love tech gifts, but prefer the more practical tech gifts to the gaming systems or the entertainment consoles. Or hey, maybe they love both but just have some specific needs this year. If that’s the case, I’ve got you...

Merry Christmas, cool parents!

by Cool Mom Staff | Meta

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...

Hey, Alexa! Where’s Santa? And other festive Echo skills for the holiday.

by Kate Etue | Lifestyle Apps

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...

10 stylish tech gifts for the techie with impeccable taste | Tech Holiday Gift Guide 2018

by Cool Mom Staff | Holiday Picks, Holiday Tech Gifts

For our next Tech Holiday Gift Guide, we’re sharing our favorite stylish tech gifts. Admittedly, they’re some of our favorites to give, and receive. Hint hint. We’ve rounded up 10 stylish tech gifts that are perfect for someone who loves designer...

10 cool holiday tech toys for tweens and big kids | Tech Holiday Gift Guide 2018

by Cool Mom Staff | Holiday Picks, Holiday Tech Gifts, Tech Toys and Random Fun

Next up in our Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2018, we’re featuring cool tech toys for tweens and big kids. Hey, we know first-hand how hard older kids can be to shop for, but having consulted with them we’re pretty sure these tech toys, gifts and gadgets will...

12 delightfully geeky gifts under $20 | Tech Holiday Gift Guide 2018

by Cool Mom Staff | Holiday Picks, Holiday Tech Gifts

If you’re like us and have an abundance of geeks to buy for this holiday season, you’ll appreciate these awesome, affordable geeky gifts under $20 for the holidays. Whether they’re into Star Wars, Stranger Things, Dr. Who, or just losing themselves...

21 of the coolest tech stocking stuffers for everyone on your list | Tech Holiday Gift Guide 2018

by Cool Mom Staff | Holiday Picks, Holiday Tech Gifts, Tech Toys and Random Fun

If you’re stuffing those stockings that have been hung by the chimney with care, we’ve got the coolest tech stocking stuffers for everyone on your list this year, from really affordable tech accessories to a few splurges. And trust us when we say that...

Where to find A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving streaming for free this year. Because, tradition.

by Kate Etue | Entertainment

We have a few Thanksgiving traditions in our family: mom’s pumpkin pie, a turkey that’s never quite ready when we expect it to be, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on TV. Because Lucy, Linus and the rest of the gang are just a sentimental tradition...

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

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.