Christina Refford

Waking up on Christmas Eve with the stress of needing a couple more gifts for those "hard to buy" people is no fun at all. So, let me play Helpful Elf by telling you about a great last-minute, charitable gift that will fill your recipien…

We know that many of you are gearing up for Christmas, getting ready to kick back and enjoy the fun that comes after all the work of these past few weeks. Here, a link to a little tune from way back in our own childhoods that your kids w…

The stockings are hung, the gifts are (mostly) bought, and now I'll spend the next few days checking my list--twice--to make sure we're ready for the big day. Oh, and I'll be rocking out to this new app that takes my mind off of all I ha…

Last night I turned on Saturday Night Live and saw the opening, featuring the New York City Children's Chorus singing Silent Night . It wasn't the show's typical opening, but it was an incredibly touching and delicate tribute during what…

I can't speak for my Jewish friends, but I would imagine that they are probably ready to sing something other than the Dreidel Song as they gear up for the start of Hanukkah. While there are loads of lovely traditional songs out there, f…

It's December 1st and despite pulling together some of the very best printable advent calendars out there, we're out of ink. And I'm out of time if my back-up plan was to purchase something great online. Thankfully, like a Christmas mira…

Psy's Gangnam Style just became the most-viewed You Tube video ever , meaning it's a pretty good bet that you've seen the dance moves that my kids can't stop trying to imitate around the house. And now, our long-time favorite JibJab will…

Just when I start to hyperventilate over how soon Christmas will be here, I remember that some of my friends are getting ready for the start of Hanukkah...on December 8th! Since this big holiday will be starting before I even address my …

Whether you're headed over the river and through the woods this Thanksgiving, or you're just trying to get things ready for the big turkey dinner without tripping on a hungry kid, there's a smart new U.S. geography app that is so much fu…

So, whatcha doing on Thursday? Getting together with family? Going to watch a little football, or run around the yard in your own impromptu game? Remember to give thanks too! Oh, and yes, don't forget to do a lot of what Laurie Berkner s…

With the recent wild weather in the Northeast and all the political venom that has been spewing over every media outlet, it's been a tough couple of weeks. But then, the other morning, as I realized both were ending, I woke up with the m…

Having three kids in less than four years meant I was used to living in a state of sleep deprivation. And though my "babies" are now old enough to sleep (mostly) through the night, I am so excited for you new mamas because there is a coo…

My kids are old enough to understand why I'm taking them to the polls today. But trying to explain to them how the process for electing our next President works, especially with the whole Electoral College thing, has been a bit trickier.…

As a child of the 70's, I grew up listening to Free To Be...You And Me , a groundbreaking CD which promoted messages like gender equality, being comfortable in your own skin, and tolerance, all through song, spoken word, and humor. This …

Have a child (or two or three) who is absolutely buzzing with excitement over Halloween? If you're over "Monster Mash," here's a fun, punky, high-energy song to (hopefully) wear them out in time for bed. Punkin' Patch is Andy Z's spirite…

It's been fifty years since Peter, Paul & Mary recorded Puff, the Magic Dragon , based on a poem by Lenny Lipton that tells of the beautiful friendship between a little boy and a dragon in a land called Honah Lee. And we think this class…

Every year, there is one kid who comes to the door in the most unbelievable Halloween costume, one that I know either took a month to make by hand, or cost a small fortune to purchase. But, I'm pretty sure that with this one little devic…

Who picks "trick" instead of "treat?" I'm going to go with no one. Which is why I want to share with you four of my favorite iOS apps for Halloween that will keep the kids busy while I sneak another fun-sized snack from their Halloween s…

Though I love to read to my kids any day of the year, I also plan to celebrate October's National Book Month with some extra trips to the library and by okaying "just one more chapter, please" at bedtime. That's why I love this little tu…

I love sharing old storybooks I've saved from my childhood, though brittle bindings and fragile pages mean it's definitely a "look but don't touch" type of story time. But in the case of this charming one-hundred year old, new-to-me stor…

As a mom of a child with a learning disability in reading, technology has been a huge help. But most of the reading apps out there are geared toward young children who are learning to read, not 9 year olds. I just stumbled across the Whi…

I have one child who is incredibly agile and athletic, yet she is also the one to walk into every door jam, trip on the tiniest toy, and---in general---bang herself up about ten times a day. This song goes out to her, and all those kids …

It's hard to know when kids are old enough for an email account. As soon as my tween opened her own, my youngest son has been begging for one and I've been stalling about it ever since. But now we've found a brand new and very cool iPad …

After saying a bittersweet goodbye to summer, I'm ready to embrace autumn and its warm sweaters, crunching leaves, and apple-cider donuts. Especially the donuts. And I am so pleased to share a new song by Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights…