I’m a huge fan of technology and have been writing about and a part of the consumer electronics industry since way before even the crudest of cellphones were on the scene. The rise of cellular data networks and wifi everywhere is phenomenal and enables some marvelous things. Heck, I have an Apple Watch on my wrist and an iPhone in my pocket just about all the time. But that’s the thing. It’s in my pocket….Read More

I’m always on the lookout for great sunglasses because I spend so much time outdoors. And Colorado is blessed with a lotta sunshine. In fact, one of the marketing bullet points of my home town of Boulder, Colorado is that we have “over 300 days of sunshine per year” and it’s true, we really do have a lot of bright, sunny days! Which means that having good eye protection is not only smart from a…Read More

It’s fascinating to see how the digital generation is embracing technology and integrating it into their lives in a way that sometimes is illogical to me. But to someone who has grown up with wi-fi, handheld devices, and a very different sense of privacy than my generation, children are all too willing to have their devices and network access become ubiquitous, with nary a concern about the down side or a sense of loss over what…Read More

Lacking a proper office and 9-5 job, I’m a guy who is always on the move, whether it’s driving to meetings, heading to the gym, or just enjoying the beautiful outdoor setting of my home town of Boulder, Colorado. With our trademark 300 days of sunshine a year, one of the most critical ingredients to success in Colorado are good sunglasses, without which you’re destined to suffer from eyestrain, headaches, and general crankiness. It’s not…Read More

My 12yo daughter K- generally falls asleep in a cold room and there’s not much I can do about it since she’s the very furthest room from the furnace, up at the top of the house while HVAC system is neatly tucked into a room in the basement. It’s a pretty common architectural design and a common problem that the kids rooms end up furthest away and least able to be warmed up in the winter (or cooled down…Read More

Heads up: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine and mine alone. #DataAndAMovie #CollectiveBias My 12yo daughter has been lobbying for her own smartphone since before she was born, as far as I can recall. Maybe that’s not quite accurate, but it’s a sure bet that with siblings 4 and 7 years older than her, K- has been surrounded by older kids with cool tech since…Read More

It’s been rather a while since I had to push a stroller with my youngest just rolling over on her odometer to 12 years old, and we tended to carry our babies more than we pushed them in strollers (you know, that whole attachment parenting thing of baby wearing) but still, while strollers are helpful for storing things and when the little one’s asleep, there are definitely times when pushing is, well, work and a…Read More

Few toys produced as much controversy last month as the new Hello Barbie from Mattel, released just a few months ago for the Christmas buying season. Since I’m a tech person and a dad, I pay close attention to the intersection of technology and play, both in my own life and for children. And the hullabaloo over Hello Barbie is really fascinating to watch as it comes more from fear and distrust of tech than from…Read More

My 19yo daughter and I have somewhat of a running argument about cellphone usage. She’s in a long-term and long-distance relationship with a boy who’s across the country, so of course they rely on modern communication to stay in touch. But just like most children of her generation, she’s rarely without her ubiquitous iPhone in her hand, texting and using the device seemingly at every turn. We discuss it, we talk about healthy boundaries, we…Read More

As a parent, sometimes you bump into research about children, childhood or parenting that’s so incredibly obvious that it’s hard to imagine that the research group was able to even obtain funding. You know, like research that shows the link between sugar and hyperactivity, or research about how a toxic environment has a toll on the emotional development of a child. The latest in this line is a research study from the journal Pediatrics entitled…Read More

My youngest has the craft bug, just like my sister does. Her school can take a lot of the credit since they do lots of hands-on crafts, including sewing, knitting, crochet and more, but K- has definitely continued down the road to a level of proficiency beyond what her peers in class have attained. Ever since Singer kindly sent her a terrific Stylist sewing machine, her projects have slowly become more complicated as her confidence…Read More

As a kid, I loved summer vacation. A break from school, who wouldn’t enjoy the chance to lay around, hang out with friends, hustle up some money making enterprise (door-to-door car waxing or bike repair, anyone?) and find ways to fill the time. Catch up on favorite authors? Yeah, that too. Modern children fill up all their available time with electronics, however, and not only is there a lot of data to show that’s not…Read More

When you think of going to Safeway or another supermarket, you probably think about a quart of milk, some eggs and maybe a watermelon or some apples. But modern supermarkets are, well, super markets, and my local Safeway has a rather amazing range of products, far more than just produce and groceries. Today we popped in and got batteries, boutique iced coffee from a local company, a hot chai from the in-store Starbucks, and nail…Read More

My children have all gone to Waldorf-inspired schools which has been overall a really good thing and helped them all be into crafts and projects, though less so as they’ve grown older. Painting, felting, knitting, crocheting, sculpting, if it’s a craft project, they’ve probably done it at school and have been mostly eager to continue at home. Which means that, yes, we have a lot of paints, pens, brushes, yarn, fabric, and much more. It’s…Read More

Both of my younger children are supposed to wear reading glasses for close-up work, whether it’s actually sitting and digesting a book or whether it’s arts, crafts or even computer work. Problem is, while both my son and daughter have their prescription glasses, I rarely if ever see them wear them, to the point where I sometimes forget that they have glasses and that I should encourage them to wear ’em to avoid eye fatigue…Read More