Christina Refford

H i Cool Mom Tech! Any suggestions for websites that have a good selection of free online games for kids (3rd grade/elementary school level) that are educational, but also FUN for them...so they won't realize that they're actually learni…

When my oldest was born, I remember holding her like she was an expensive, slippery vase that might somehow squirm out of my hands while I was trying to multitask. Maybe that's why I liked wearing her in a baby carrier where she felt nic…

My heart is heavy this morning as I prepare to talk to my children about the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and what it means to so many of us. My younger two are easily satisfied with my very honest, but guarded, explanation, but my ten-year…

I'm not sure my kids or I could ever pick out our favorite Justin Roberts song--there are just too many good ones from his dozen or so years as a kindie musician. So I love that he's currently offering a handful of singles to download to…

The long lazy days spent grilling in the backyard and jumping in the pool are numbered now that our kids are getting back to the grind of school, and its pesky little sidekick, homework. And while I'd like to think that I am definitely s…

We've watched OK Go's excellent video interpretation of the Muppet Show Theme Song approximately 423 times in our home, and I adore their quirky take on a song I've known since childhood. But, for my download of the week, I'm stepping a …

If you've ever laughed at JibJab's hilarious ecards, like this one of the CMP staff at Halloween , you know how funny it is to see your own visage shimmying while dressed like Dracula, or busting a Mummy move. And now that they've entere…

Back to school sales are in full swing which means I can stock up on winter sweaters, coats and boots, even if we won't need them for a few more months. Even better is a great Back-to-School sale on some of our favorite apps for kids tha…

Even I can still remember the butterflies I'd get on those first days of school--and that was a l-o-n-g time ago as my kids are quick to point out to anyone. This week's download of the week from one of our favorite kindie musicians, Sec…

Though I was raised on the original Brothers Grimm stories, which are pretty dark, I was always a little more scared of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk . The whole I smell the blood of an Englishman boomed by a big hairy giant? Yeesh…

Picking out my favorite song from Caspar Babypants ' brand-new CD, Sing Along! , is like asking me what my favorite donut is: They are all just so goooooood. But, there is one song that I keep coming to over and over (and over) again, fo…

The Hipwaders' first CD was a quick little EP that I loved for its edgy sound. And now, with their new full-length CD, The Golden State , my favorite song pairs the sweetest lyrics with a chorus that makes me want to grab the nearest sti…

I get excited about great apps for my kids -- and ticked off by the ones that stink -- but I don't usually think too much about the apps' developers. However, as my kids have started to amass an arsenal of apps on my iPad, I keep running…

In just a few short months, my iPad has become my handy little sidekick for checking everything from the weather, to the news headlines, to the latest movie reviews, wherever I am. And while I've found handy apps for all of these things,…

Atlanta's The Baby Grands have a laid-back sound with a beat that I like so much -- it reminds me a bit of the Barenaked Ladies mixed with Jack Johnson. And now, for a limited time, it's free. The Baby Grands are offering up their second…

If the van is rocking, we're probably bouncing in our seats to the ska beats off of kindie-rocker Egg's second CD, the aptly named Hard-boiled which follows their excellent indie-pop debut, Sunny Side Up . Though most of Hard-boiled rock…

Badges? We don't need no stinking badges! Unless they're for things like Awesomeness, which they are. We hope you'll give this round-up of picks the "You're the Bomb" badge. 1. Google isn't just for finding pics of Ryan Reynolds. Here ar…

If you've you were to put on the new CD from CMP favorite Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke , Hey Pepito! , you'd immediately be transported into what can best be described as three minutes of kindie power-punk---loud and full of British brash. But…

Do you know a good iPad app to track nursing, diapers, growth, etc. that would work well for twins? -question via Twitter We've done some searching and found the Total Baby app which has a ton of great features and can handle up to six k…

I've long been a fan of David A. Carter's pop-up books like One Red Dot , ever since my sister, an ardent pop-up lover, introduced me to them years ago. So when I heard that he had helped develop a new app for the iPad, I could only hope…

Of all the amazing things my kids and their friends can do, one of the most astonishing is their ability to run in screeching packs around my yard when the temperature is more suited to, say, lying in a puddle of sweat sipping icy drinks…

When I heard about the launch of Spotify in the US today, I wasn't sure it was for me; I'm pretty comfortable with all things tech, though I'm still admittedly old school when it comes to my music I prefer CD's to MP3's, and haven't jump…

My kids have wonderful grandparents in Florida, but they have one major flaw: None of them will make my life easier by joining Facebook or even using email to communicate. That means I have to make sure to send hand-written letters and t…

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has grabbed a hairbrush and sang the haunting lyrics of The Verve Pipe's The Freshmen into it. But you may be surprised to learn that this rock band from Michigan has a more playful side, as evidenced in…