tweens + big kids

When you've got kids, a headphone splitter is your best friend, particularly when you're traveling and you're using your smart phone or tablet to entertain them. But sometimes two isn't enough, and that's when the Belkin Rockstar multi h…

If I want my kids to celebrate Earth Day every day, it helps if they understand the little issues that all add up to make big changes. In other words: Why I screech when they forget to recycle a piece of paper. (I admit it. I screech.) T…

If you're ready to hook your kids up with their first big-kid desk, it's definitely worth taking a look at some of IKEA's latest offerings. The new IKEA Micke Desk is a nice, simple, but very functional desk at a terrific price--just $79…

My daughter was about 11 when suddenly, earbuds sprouted from her head as a permanent fixture. And while it's true that sometimes I'd rather not have to listen to "Firework" on repeat for an hour (ahem), there are also times when I'd lik…

As with most families with pre-teens these days, we've got those moments when I need something new and cool to keep my boys entertained: that very important phone call, the long wait in the doctor's office, the never-ending road trip. Yo…

There are a quite a few phrases I never thought I'd utter in my lifetime. "Please don't put that in your sister's underwear" and "I'm unfollowing Charlie Sheen" top the list this week. Another to add to the list: "Designer flash drive." …

I come by my love all things kawaii starting with Hello Kitty back in the 1970s. And while I realize I'm too mature now (cough) to deck myself out entirely in Japanese pop-art accessories, a little cuteness keeps the stuffy out of being …

I just made a big switch with homeschool Math curriculum for my oldest daughter and it requires her to watch and interact with CDs on the computer. Unfortunately, my 3yo jammed two DVDs into my Macbook and broke the drive. So now, faced …

Ever since my kids got their very own MP3 players, they've become heavily music-dependent. Lots of times I'm okay with that, but I'm certainly not going to let them sleep with headphones on. And neither do I want to be listening to battl…

No matter how many gadgets with keyboards are available, we kind of hope that actual writing never goes away. Kids still take notes at school and parents write notes at home or work. However if you don't transcribe your notes to a comput…

If you have kids old enough to play on the internet on their own, but not quite so old to do it without you wanting to be over their shoulders the entire time, you'll be as happy as I am about batteryPOP , a new online entertainment netw…

Raise your hand if Schoolhouse Rock is the reason you know the definition of a noun, and the preamble to the constitution. (Me!) I'm eagerly awaiting the day that one of the networks picks up the brilliant They Might Be Giants Video and …

Last week, I was thrilled to join a few bloggers and a whole lot of media for the inaugural sailing of the Disney Dream Cruise line from Orlando to the Bahamas. Why yes, I do love my job. Funny you should ask. While my son and I enjoyed …