Christina Refford

'Tis that time of year again, when kids everywhere hop on the big yellow bus that whisks them away for a day of learning, friendship, and sometimes questionable lunches. And I can't see that familiar vehicle drive down my street without …

These days, there's no shortage of cool tech that families can wear around their wrists , but it's about to get more useful and sophisticated with the development of the Sync Smartband . Made in sizes for kids and their grown ups, this l…

Tuesday marks Women's Equality Day and, in my opinion, there's no better song to sing loudly with the kids than Schoolhouse Rock's Sufferin' Till Suffrage which celebrates a woman's right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment. T…

Other than the daily sunscreen application my children must endure, they would probably say their least-favorite thing about summer are all the bugs that fly, crawl, buzz, and bite on a summer's day or night. Since I'm getting a bit wear…

We've got everything you need to celebrate today's National S'mores Day in a way fitting for this iconic campfire treat. From 9 Fantastic S'mores Recipes to a genius indoor s'mores recipe (if it's raining in your neck of the woods), and …

If there is a sound that can make my kids run in 90 degree weather, it's the sound of the ice cream truck's music coming down the street. Your kids the same way? Then grab a download from Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could: Ice C…

Earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we saw a preview of the WeMo smart appliances by Belkin that will make our busy home lives a little easier to manage, even if we aren't home. And I'm happy to report that t…

My kids love remote-control vehicles, toys they can build themselves, and playing on my smartphone, so I know they'd go bananas for SmartWood , a new set of smartphone controlled toys which combine all three of their favorite things into…

About halfway through our summer, my bag of tricks is getting dangerously empty when it comes to creating fun, new things to do with the kids. But one of our favorite arts-and-craft companies, Kiwi Crate , has developed Kiwi Corner , a w…

If you know what a Cosby sweater looks like, can recite your favorite line from Pretty in Pink , and remember rollerskating to Lucky Star, then you too may love Hey 80's by Seattle kindie rockers The Not-Its! This sweetly wistful song su…

I had forgotten how much I love to read glossy magazines until I started using a Texture digital magazine subscription (formerly NextIssue) which gives me access to more than 140 monthly and weekly magazines all on my favorite device--iP…

If you are labeling clothes , checking sunscreen off your packing list, and contemplating what to include in care packages , chances are you are getting a kid ready for summer camp. And we've got a great song to send them off for their w…

I have used a funky purple keyboard cover (specifically, one of these iSkin covers) for the past few years but was recently told by the technician at the Apple Genius Bar that it's not always safe to use a keyboard cover on a computer. I…

We were all saddened to hear that Tommy Ramone (a.k.a. Erdélyi Tamás) and the last original member of the Ramones, died on Friday, especially since so many of us grew up blasting their tunes while our parents either yelled at us to turn …

A long holiday weekend here in the states is the best way to usher in the hazy, lazy days of summer which makes the hip-hop, kid-friendly rap of Cool Mom Picks' favorite Secret Agent 23 Skidoo's Unwind track sound so perfect. And for a l…

If you'll be taking a long road trip with the family, now is a great time to start building a rocking kids' music playlist to minimize the are-we-there-yets. And if have Amazon Prime , then you can hear loads of kids' songs for free just…

Editor's Note (April 2015): Due to numerous issues with order fulfillment and reports about non-response from this company, we are compelled to rescind our recommendation of this company. We're deeply disappointed by this because we valu…

An ice cream cone after the beach. A sugary sports drink after kickball. And s'mores by the campfire. Add them all up in one small kid's body, and you too will be singing Recess Monkey's fun new tune from their same-titled album, Wired .…

Back in September, I discovered a cool board game on Kickstarter with a lofty goal: To teach kids as young as four the basics of programming. And now that I have a final copy of Robot Turtles , I can say that you parents of preschoolers …

Whether his day involves breakfast in bed, a family hike in the woods, TV time, or a frosty mug of something he doesn't have to share, it can definitely include some Father's Day music too. We're so happy to be able to offer you this eig…

Though we're already applying sunscreen, my hockey-loving husband reminds me that there's still plenty of ice time to watch as the Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week. And whether you're a fan of Kings or the Rangers (or the Bruins w…

If you haven't yet seen adventurer, motorcyclist, and GoPro user Alex Chacon's 3 Year Epic Selfie video , grab the kids for a 3-minute viewing party and get ready to stir up some strong feelings of wanderlust as you watch clips from his …

Depending on where you live, school is either winding down or over completely. And with the unofficial start of summer here this weekend, we've picked the song Day Camp by Justin Roberts as our music download of the week. It's sure to ge…

The days are getting longer, which means that we parents need a few more tricks up our sleeves if we're going to get our kids to bed before darkness falls. If, in addition to a warm bath and bedtime story, you'd like another soothing lul…