Christina Refford

Ask my son to write up his Christmas list, and he'll hand you the LEGO catalog with about a hundred things circled. While I love watching him sit and build everything from the Space Shuttle to a mulitcolored house for all his LEGO mini f…

I know I'm not the only one realizing that December begins in just days and wonders, Where did the year go? But, when I look at my kids, there is no question that they've aged another year which may explain why a brand new song from Fran…

With all the talk about what's for dinner, I can't blame my kids for thinking that Thanksgiving is mostly about the turkey, mashed potatoes and pie---oh, and something about Pilgrims too. That's why in between the turkey and the pie, we'…

While most people are dreaming about what foods they are going to (over)eat on Thursday, my picky eater is already loudly proclaiming everything he hates about Thanksgiving: Mashed potatoes are yucky. Turkey is yucky. Pie is yucky. You g…

Though I've known the story of Cinderella for about four decades, I've got to hand it to the talents at Nosy Crow for freshening it up into an entertaining, engaging and interactive story worthy of 2011. Using the same playful attention …

Now that we have adopted a large, hairy lab, I am fighting a losing battle against little black hairs everywhere. So when I spotted this latest weapon in the battle against dirty floors, I couldn't resist giving it a try. And though the …

Wonder what happens when the former lead singer of 90's ska band Skankin' Pickle and now the founder of super-cool Asian Man Records decides to make kids' music? One hint: Get ready to turn this one up. Last week we introduced Cool Mom P…

Feel a little bad about sneaking half your kids' Halloween candy while they weren't looking this week? Give them a little musical treat today with a download of some sweet tunes, and take their mind off of all the empty wrappers at the b…

I can't be the only person who didn't know there are twelve verses to the Hickory Dickory Dock rhyme-- I never got any further than one, and honestly am not sure I'd ever want to keep the song going 11 more times. But, as an app, I'm mig…

It's Halloween! Yay! And that means as parents, the only thing we'll have more of tomorrow morning than slimy, discarded candy wrappers, is digital photos. Because you are of course obligated to send dozens of photos to every relative on…

The candy is bought, the costumes are (almost) finished, and the kids are already bouncing off the walls in anticipation of the night we let them stay up way too late eating sugary treats. If you want to ramp up their excitement a wee bi…

Some of the apps on my iPad blow me away with their technological innovation, their touch-screen capabilities, and their ability to make my kids gasp, shriek or just marvel at how cool they are. But, the latest app they are hogging my iP…

You can really never have too many lullabies, can you? I love lullabies for bedtime, of course, but also to play when we need to calm down after lunch, or on lazy rainy afternoons. And when the lullaby is as pretty as this one from Ameri…

I've professed my love for the creative and entertaining apps by Sweden's Toca Boca before, and I know I'm not alone in my admiration if our very vocal Facebook fans are any indication. My own kids already have six Toca Boca apps to give…

My son has adopted everything from a mixing spoon to a couple of russet potatoes as his friends, so I know a thing or two about kids and the oddball company they keep. That's why I love this seriously catchy song about friendship from Ma…

I still need to buy the candy, figure out costumes, and drag any spooky decorations up from the basement, but I've already found our anthem for the season. It's from one of our favorite newer kindie-rock voices, Roy Handy and The Moonsho…

If you find yourself in front of your computer or smart phone more than you are in front of a baby book, you may love how easy it is to record all your pregnancy thoughts onto this brand new digital storybook site, courtesy of the UK meg…

Between our membership to the Boston Museum of Science and frequent viewings of Here Comes Science , my kids are growing up thinking that science is the coolest subject out there. It's a far cry from how I felt about it in high school my…

When it came time for me to pick out my favorite song from Dan Zanes' most excellent, brand new CD Little Nut Tree , it didn't take me long to zero in on the duet between Zanes and Shine, the lead singer of Shine and the Moonbeams which …

The newly released Practically Ridiculous from CMP favorite The Jimmies is a great bridge CD for kids caught between preschool pop and the too-grown-up stuff playing on many radio stations. And while we think you should just go ahead and…

I've seen my share of the hottest "pop" music videos out today, and most make even a lapsed Catholic want to attend Confession afterward. In other words: Not anything I want my kids to see. Still, my kids love "watching" music, and with …

P lease see updated information below As a homeschooling mom to three, one of whom visits an Occupational Therapist for fine-motor skills help, I spend a few minutes a week checking out new educational apps. This isn't a very expensive p…

Whenever I open a new ebook on my iPad, I'm always on the lookout for what new cool things it can do with the the touchscreen technology. But I've just discovered a series of storybooks for the iPad that use technology to make reading an…

Even little kids know that bullies suck, though I applaud the compilation, Big Bully , for trying to help younger kids deal with the difficult people in their lives. Of the fifteen songs on this compilation from various kindie artists, I…