tips and tricks Archives

5 simple things you can do right now to organize your smartphone

Like many busy parents, my smartphone has become my lifeline, whether it’s the calendar that helps keep me (and my four teens) on track to the emails, social media, and various apps that keep me connected, both personally and professionally. That’s why...

Inbox Zero trick: How to clean out your inbox on Gmail and start the year fresh. (Updated)

by Liz Gumbinner | Tips and Tricks

As someone with anywhere upwards of 10,000 emails in my inbox — many of them unread, to the dismay of my minimalist friends — I am always looking for tips and tricks to help me manage my email. One of those is to start each new year with an absolutely...

How to download your Twitter data archive…and what you’ll find in there.

by Liz Gumbinner | Internet Safety, Social Media, Tips and Tricks

Thinking about leaving Twitter? (Are we calling it Twexit yet?) With the big changeover in management this week, some Twitter users are leaving, some users are staying, and your choice is up to you. Either way, it’s good idea to download your Twitter data...

How to avoid tech neck: Tips for a healthier, more ergonomic laptop experience for your teens and tweens

by Kristen Chase | Gear + Hardware, Tips and Tricks

If your kids are using a laptop or Chromebook for their schoolwork (or gaming), there are a few simple things you can do to help them avoid tech neck. Yes, it’s totally a thing (says the person who’s on her computer most hours of the day). Here are our...

Student discounts on these meditation apps can help college students find zen for a lot less.

by Christina Refford | Back to School Tech, Best Apps, Tips and Tricks

For those of us with college students (already!), we know how stressful it can be for our kids to get adjusted to a totally new schedule and, often, a new living situation. We even included meditation apps among our recommendations of apps for college freshmen to...

A complete guide to the best apps for college students leaving home, to help them navigate life (sniff) on their own.

by Lisa Barnes | Back to School Tech, Best Apps, Kids, Tips and Tricks

We thought it would be a smart idea to put together the best apps for college students, and especially college freshmen. After all, when parents send our kids off to college — whether close to home or across the country — you really want them equipped with...

5 important back-to-school tech conversations to have with your tweens and teens

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

With back-to-school around the corner for us (and here for many of you), I always like to take some time to have tech conversations before things get super hectic. Whether your kids have their own phones or not, these tech conversations still apply (in many cases),...

Is email overwhelming you? SaneBox to the rescue.

by Cool Mom Staff | Best Apps, Tips and Tricks

This is a sponsored message from SaneBox Whether that little red email badge is showing you 20 unread messages or 20,000, it can be overwhelming to feel like you’ll never get to the bottom of it. Enter SaneBox. Trusted by TechCrunch, The New York Times, Forbes...

Will Meta’s new parental controls keep teens safer on Instagram and Quest? We have thoughts.

by Christina Refford | Games + Gaming, Internet Safety, Social Media, Tips and Tricks

Recently, Meta announced it would be launching new parental safety controls for teens in the form of tools and resources for both the Instagram social media app and their Meta Quest VR gaming headsets. The goal is to help parents better manage what our teens are...

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.