When we think of fall, most of us thinking of the sunny days of late September and October. We idealize the brightly colored leaves and the golden glow that seems to be everywhere all at once. But Autumn of course, extends well into December when the days seem to grow darker and colder by the minute. Yes, there’s the excitement of the Winter holidays, but in the long days in between all of the holiday festivities, it can get dreary. The key to get through? Romanticizing the season as much and as often as you can. For us, that means making home as cozy possible.

So, we turned to a couple of home and happiness experts (moms of course!) for their top cozy fall home hacks. Here, Brittny Button, interior designer and furniture designer, and Kim Gravel, TV host, entrepreneur, and life coach, offer up 10 ways to keep your home warm and comfy throughout the entire fall season.

From Brittny Button

Add Some Ambient Lighting. I’m obsessed with ambient lighting, especially with the time change, it gets darker earlier, and that can be challenging. I love LED battery-operated pillar candles. I have these on a timer and they come on once dusk hits. Some I keep on all day to brighten dark areas of the home. I also add more table lamps and spot lighting to paintings and sculptures. It crafts a subtle glow within the home.

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Strategically Placed Heating Pads. I hide them in some of my children’s favorite spots on the couch or the chaise they enjoy relaxing on. It adds more coziness to their spaces and much needed warmth for our cuddle time.

Faux Fur Throws. Faux fur blankets look incredibly real and are really functional to bundle up in! It’s that they look lush and are icons of fall style!

Seasonal Decor that Incorporates Kiddo’s Artwork. It adds some laughs and humor to the season. My daughter’s version of drawing a maple leaf is very sweet. I showcase this by placing it in a frame, or placing my son’s turkey sculpture on the center table!

Build a Craft Library with Plenty of Inventory. With lots of holidays from school and more time around the house for my kids (plus the added bonus of extended family and friends visiting) I always have crafts and art supplies on hand! Having different options to keep them occupied is key. The $2 clearance section at Michael’s has lots of art supplies, experiments, coloring sets, and craft materials for a range of kids ages and interests. Stock up to keep their boredom at bay and your sanity in tact.

From Kim Gravel

Cinnamon Simmer Pot. Boil water with cinnamon sticks, orange peels, and a little vanilla to make your whole house smell like fall. 

Apple Slice Oven Hack. Bake a few apple slices with cinnamon for ten minutes. It smells like fresh pie without the work. 

Sweater Pillow Trick. Pull an old sweater over a throw pillow for an easy and cozy update. 

Mini Wreaths on Cabinet Knobs. Hang small wreaths or bows on kitchen cabinet handles for a subtle, festive touch. 

Candle Glow Upgrade. Place candles in front of mirrors or glass trays. It doubles the glow and instantly warms up a room without adding more candles. 

Blanket Drop Zones. Roll or fold throw blankets into baskets in commonly used rooms. It looks styled and encourages snuggling. 

Warm Light Switch. Swap out a few bulbs for warm white. It’s the quickest way to take your home from bright summer to cozy fall. 

Layer Your Textures. Mix knits, faux fur, velvet, and flannel. Even just swapping pillow covers makes a huge seasonal difference.

Faux Fireplace Vibes. Don’t have a fireplace? Group candles of different heights inside your fireplace or on a tray. Instant cozy focal point. 

Crisp-Fall-Air Trick. Crack open a window for 5 minutes in the morning. That burst of cool air resets a room and makes everything feel fresher.

The post 15 Cozy Fall Home Hacks To Get You Through the Darkest Days appeared first on Mom.com.

A lot of us moms practically drool every time we scroll past an influencer showing off their minimalist mom aesthetic on social media. It all seems so clean and organized and calm, and so very different from the chaos of our daily lives. And yes, we’re slightly envious. Even if we had the time to reorganize and streamline, we could never afford to achieve the same look, right? Well, not necessarily. Becoming a minimalist mom might seem intimidating at first, especially if you’re thinking about the dollars and cents of it all but, you have to keep in mind that when you’re talking minimalist, less is always more.

Mom.com teamed up with influencer and minimalist mom Miyaeva Renae to bring you 10 easy tips for minimalist parenting on a budget. Miyaeva, a stay-at-home mom and content creator, has over seven million followers on TikTok and nearly half a million on Instagram, where she has become a trusted voice in modern motherhood with her cozy minimalistic aesthetic that’s still practical for parents, no matter what stage of life they’re in. These are her top 10 tips for minimalist parenting on a budget:

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1. Keep it simple. Love, food, sleep, and comfort go further than gadgets. 

2. Secondhand is your best friend. Tiny humans outgrow things so fast, and there’s no shame in thrift finds or hand-me-downs. 

3. Choose pieces that grow with them. Like a crib that becomes a toddler bed or clothes that mix and match. 

4. Less toys, more play. A few thoughtful toys rotated often feels new without the clutter. 

5. Keep clothes minimal. A cozy little capsule wardrobe makes life easier and mornings simpler. 

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6. Borrow before buying! You’ll learn quickly what the baby actually loves (and what the little one won’t touch). 

7. Homemade > overcomplicated. From baby food to sensory play, simple DIYs save money and feel more personal. 

8. Experiences > things. Ask loved ones to gift memories, not piles of stuff. 

9. Use what’s free. Library story time, parks, and community playgroups are gold. 

10. Simplicity is a lesson too. When kids see us valuing time over things, they grow up learning gratitude. 

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As a parent, you want your child’s room to be more than just a place where they can sleep. You want it to be a warm, creative and fun environment. Sometimes to do that, you need to think a little outside the box.

A child’s bedroom will play an important role in their development. Most people will have memories of the great times they had in their bedroom when growing up. Not only should it be a place of comfort but one that can inspire joy and imagination.

If you’re looking to add a touch of magic to your child’s bedroom, it can be hard to come up with ideas. Here you’ll hopefully find some of the inspiration you’ve been looking for.

Create a Custom Wallpaper

A custom wallpaper is a way to instantly make your child’s bedroom more visually striking. When creating your custom wallpaper, you can choose anything you want. It could be based on a favorite family photo, a nature picture from your vacation or it could even be from one of their drawings.

These pictures can be edited if needed to suit your needs, such as removing unwanted objects from the picture or toning down the colors to make it more relaxing. It means that no one else in the world will have the wallpaper your child has.

For a child, it can give them a sense of being loved and supported. It will make them feel seen but also excited about something extra special. You can even use different wallpaper on each wall or just have it placed on one feature wall. It adds a splash of personality to the room and it will undoubtedly put a smile on their face whenever they see it.

Build a DIY Art Gallery

One of the most common things to do with kids’ artwork is to place it on the fridge. However, this can quickly build up and pieces can get damaged. A brilliant alternative is to create a little art gallery in their room.

For example, you may buy eight picture frames to line up on the wall if you want them to look neat and proportional. Alternatively, you could use clipboards, pegboards, or hang them on a wire with little clips. If using picture frames, there are some options that are easy to open and it makes swapping out pictures very easy.

This will allow your child to interact with their art gallery and decide which new pieces of artwork deserve a spot and which can be stored away. This also takes away the guilt for parents when they have to take down old work.

You can even get them involved and ask how the pictures should be displayed, the colors used, and the layout. Not only will this give them a sense of accomplishment and pride but it will also put a smile on your face whenever you walk past it.

Create a Cozy Reading Corner

You always want to encourage your children to read and one way to do that is to make it as appealing as possible. Creating a dedicated area is a brilliant way to do that, especially if that area can be their own little sanctuary.

The best place to start here is with soft furnishings. A bean bag is a good bet or if you want to go the extra step, you can install hanging chairs. You can either fill the area with books or if you don’t have the space, keep them stored nearby.

Once you make the area comfortable, you can enhance it with warm lighting or a soft floor lamp. You want to have it so they don’t have to use the main light but it’s still bright enough for them to read easily.

You can then personalize it for them to match their personality with small decorations and personal touches. They’ll love having a place where they can shut off the world and enjoy their favorite book.

Give Them an Interactive Wall

This is a unique idea, especially if you are limited by floor space. You can create an interactive wall in many different ways, with the easiest being to turn it into one big chalkboard. This can be done by buying a large chalkboard but it’s actually easier to paint the wall in chalkboard paint. Here, they can write and draw on the walls with no stress.

A felt wall or magnetic board can also be a great idea, as they can use this to stick on numbers and letters. This can add to their creativity but also supports their learning journey, as it can be used for math or spelling.

If your child loves building, you can even glue LEGO baseplates to the wall and allow them to build on a vertical surface. Whatever interest your child has, you can think of ways to incorporate that into an interactive wall. Not only will they love it but it can also free up floor space and cut down on mess.

The post Creative and Unique Ways to Make Your Child’s Room Special appeared first on Mom.com.

If your kids are fans of Squishmallows, we have some exciting news for you: A Squishmallow pillow, in all its huggable, squeezable, and cozy softness, exists and you can buy it for your sleeping pleasure.

As the mom of four daughters, my house is quite literally filled with Squishmallows. My six-year-old, in fact, received the cutest unicorn Squishmallow for her birthday last week, and she loves it so much she carries it everywhere, feeds it “breakfast” in the morning (unicorn Squishmallows prefer a plate of lettuce, in case you were wondering), and sleeps with it.

On more than one occasion, when she has snuck into bed with me, I have found myself snuggling said unicorn Squishmallow in the morning, and I have to say, that thing is downright comfortable. It’s the perfect combination of softness and huggability, which may not be a word, but it fits, because you can squeeze it gently without it collapsing inwards or being too compressed.

All that to say, I get why Squishmallow pillows would be a thing, and moreover, why they would be so appealing.

The pillows are built just like Squishmallow animals — soft, squeezable, and totally cuddly, which is why even parents are flocking to Target to pick up their Squishmallow pillow.

The post Squishmallow Pillows Exist and We Need One ASAP appeared first on Mom.com.

If your kids are starting to whisper about being bored this summer, Michaels’ free craft sessions — with in-person, take-home, and live guided sessions — could just be the boredom-busting solution you’re looking for.

My kids and I all love going to Michaels, honestly, sometimes even when we don’t need anything, because it’s so fun just to browse. We never fail to get inspired by the creativity on display. And it’s that very creativity that kids love that led Michaels to introduce Camp Creatology and Safari Saturdays.

The two summer craft “camp” offerings from Michaels are in-store, virtual, and at-home program options that keep kids busy — and help exhausted parents survive the rest of the summer. All of the craft “camps” are totally free, and the in-store sessions even include free supplies.

Here’s the scoop on Michaels’ free summer crafts:

Camp Creatology

Camp Creatology runs weekly and offers a free on-demand or live, guided craft class that kids can use to follow along to create the craft of the week. The craft supplies can be purchased ahead of time, or kids can improvise with art supplies they have on hand.

Safari Saturdays

Safari Saturdays, on the other hand, are free in-store programs occurring every Saturday in July from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at local Michaels. You can see a full list of the stores running Safari Saturdays and search for stores near your location.

All of the supplies for Safari Saturdays are free, and no registration is required. Parents or caregivers can just pop into the store and have fun crafting together.  

Both Michaels’ crafting options sound like the answer all tired parents are looking for (not that I’m speaking for myself here or anything…).

If you’re curious about some of the upcoming crafts that Michaels will be featuring through Camp Creatology, you can take a look at some weekly crafts, along with some other suggestions for at-home boredom busting from Michaels.

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Every parent knows what it’s like to have a car that’s full of cracker crumbs and french fries, but one of the most crumb-producing companies, the maker of Goldfish crackers itself, Pepperidge Farm, has a solution.

And no, the solution is not a kid-sized pressure washer that makes car cleaning way more fun.

Instead, it’s a smart set of two Goldfish car mats in bright orange. With that trademark orange color, who will even notice those crumbs on the floor?

The mats even feature a raised Goldfish pattern, so if your kids happen to drop a whole Goldfish (or two, or 14) on the floor of the car, it will seamlessly blend in. Genius.

The post Goldfish’s Crumb-Hiding Car Mats Sold Out Fast but They’re Back for a Limited Time appeared first on Mom.com.

The thing about teen birthdays is that they can get a little bit trickier for parents.

Gone are the days when a pretty princess or dump truck cake would impress, or a lively game of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” is all you need for entertainment. Coming up with ways to make teen birthdays special can be challenging.

I happen to have two teen daughters who have birthdays that are only two days apart, so I tend to feel a little extra stressed in the birthday department. I want to make their individual birthdays feel special, but it’s also hard to do anything extravagant without one feeling left out.

This year, I had the idea that it would be fun to add some of those oversize birthday yard signs that became really popular during the pandemic. That way, each girl could have a fun photo op with their friends, and the signs could stay up through both of their birthdays. Two for one!

Unfortunately for me, I quickly learned that the professional yard signs are quite pricey. The quote for a sign for three days with mandatory setup and delivery fees was close to $300. As much as I wanted to support a small business, I didn’t feel like I could justify spending $300 on birthday yard signs we would only use for a day or two to snap a few photos with.

So I did some quick searching on Amazon and found an alternative for only $35 that turned out to be exactly what I was hoping for.

The post My Teens Loved These $35 ‘Happy Birthday’ Yard Signs That Made the Perfect Photo Op appeared first on Mom.com.

The end of summer is rapidly approaching, which means it's time to soak up the sunshine before kids head back to school. Before we know it, fall will be here and we'll be thinking about cozy sweaters, autumn activities, and Halloween. If you're looking to do a little end-of-summer/pre-fall shopping, we've got you covered.

In today's world of online shopping, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all the options. That's why every month, the editors of Mom.com come together to recommend some of our favorite products — must-haves for moms, babies, and the rest of the family.

Here are our picks for August.

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When it comes to design styles, there are so many options out there: modern, farmhouse, clean, minimalist, maximalist, colorful, Scandinavian, traditional, boho, cottagecore, art deco, the list goes on and on. Many people notice that their design styles change when they have kids. Some parents opt for neutral, natural tones (what some critics have deemed as "sad beige"), while other parents lean into bright colors and playful patterns. One thing a lot of parents are going for these days, though, is a cleaner, more modern look. Baby furniture used to be bulky and unattractive, but nowadays there are a lot of modern, minimalist options. Here are some of our favorite modern baby furniture options (that both "beige" and colorful parents will love).

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As a mom, you know that the holiday season can be a whirlwind of shopping, planning, and preparing. But fear not, because Prime Big Deals Day is here to make your life a whole lot easier! Samsung's Amazon Storefront is your one-stop shop for incredible deals on a wide range of products that will make your family's life more connected, entertaining, and clean. Whether you're a content creator, a gamer, or simply someone who loves a clean home, Samsung has something for everyone.

So let's dive into the amazing Prime Day deals that you won't want to miss!

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