It's spooky season, which means two things: pumpkin spice, apple cider donuts and everything Halloween! For new parents, a fall photoshoot with your newborn is the perfect way to celebrate Halloween. Ditch the swaddle and get ready for costumes, autumn leaves, hay bales and of course, pumpkins! Get ready because these are the most adorable Halloween baby photoshoot ideas perfect for your fall Monthbooks!

If your little one is big enough to sit up on their own, take them to a pumpkin patch and snap some adorable photos among the pumpkins. The bright orange hues and fall colors are sure to make for a great shot.


A classic fall picture involves hay bales and corn stalks, so be sure to incorporate these props into your Halloween photoshoot. Wondering where you can get your hands on these items? Hay bales and corn are available at most garden centers after September 1.

Wanna know what’s sweeter than candy corn? Your precious baby in a candy corn colored outfit surrounded by sweets. Opt for a yellow shirt, orange pants and white socks or shoes for the cutest photo op you ever did see.

Fall leaves are the perfect prop for your family photoshoot. Place your newborn’s bassinet on a pretty pile of leaves in the yard and snuggle your little inside with a textured blanket for some crazy cute fall photos. Not happy with the quality of your fallen yard leaves? Buy a few bags of artificial fall leaves and reuse them for your annual fall photos.

Use those gourds to your advantage by putting your baby inside a big pumpkin, playing with a jack-o-lantern or simply surrounded by a bunch of tiny pumpkins.


Keep it spooky and sweet with a black cat inspired photoshoot. Find a hat or headband adorned with cat ears and dress your little one in a black outfit for a purr-fect shot.

If you’re already planning a family costume, take some time to snap adorable photos of your baby in their costume while playing with their siblings or eating a tasty Halloween treat! If you don’t want to worry about nailing the perfect shot on actual Halloween night, have a dress rehearsal day where everyone gets to try on their costumes together to see how they fit and use that time to snap more staged photos.

Halloween is the perfect time to pull out those Pinterest-worthy fall outfits you’ve been waiting to wear all year long. For a more chill photoshoot, dress your baby in a snuggly beanie or cap for a cute, casual picture.

Take your fall plaid obsession to the next level with matching flannel shirts for you and your baby. This twinning, mommy-and-me look is bound to create some awesome photo ops.

A fun and trendy photo idea is to take your kids to a local pumpkin patch and take some photos in the corn maze. As an added bonus, the kids will be entertained for hours as they play!

Be the mummy (or daddy) of the year with these eerie-sistible Halloween photo ideas for babies.

Are you feeling haunted by the baby photos you forgot to take in the past? This year, make sure to have a baby Halloween photoshoot. We’ve got you covered with 10 adorable baby halloween photo ideas, plus newborn Halloween photoshoot ideas you’ll love!

10 Totally Cute Baby Halloween Photoshoot Ideas

Baby Halloween Photoshoot Ideas - Newborn Halloween Photoshoot

We’ll admit it: Our camera rolls are filled with photos of our kids (and random screenshots of recipes we still haven’t made)! But between all the late-night homework sessions and bathtime temper tantrums, sometimes we forget to snap photos. Your Monthbook and Monthly Mini subscriptions are the perfect place to hold onto your everyday memories—and yet sometimes you may not have 30 photos to add to your photo books. If you want to snap some cute pictures of your kids to include in your Chatbooks, here are some ideas that can lead to great candids...

Head outdoors and assign your kids a starting race point. Crouch low (or sit on the ground) and get your camera ready. When you give the signal for your kids to start sprinting toward you, snap away to capture some wild faces! 

Your kids will totally be game for this one—how often does mom give permission to throw things?! If you’re indoors, have them toss their homework in the air for a great reaction. And if you have a four-legged family member, have your kiddos toss their toys in the air. Head outdoors and look for leaves that can be thrown, or even tennis balls—challenge your kids to juggle!

Kids love telling jokes—even if they’re not so great at delivering the punchline. Get your camera ready and ask them to tell you their favorite one. Try to snap those super cute giggles they get right before the end. 

Challenge your little ones to a game of hide and seek. Right before they find you, or before you find them (ya know, when they hide in the exact same spot as last time), get your camera ready so you can take a pic of their faces at the big reveal.

Plan to add a photo or two featuring your family’s fur baby. Let your kids take the leash and pick a new route to walk your dog. Capture photos of your kids as they point out new houses, people, and even fire hydrants to your pup.

We’ve all seen (and laughed at) videos of kids unwrapping presents that turn out to be fruit or veggies. Find something around the house to prank your own kids with—then record their reaction! This is also a great exercise to teach your kids how to react when they open a real present that they may not like.

Want to include photos of your partner in your photo books? Have your phone handy to capture this shot: Ask your kids to hide something, then ask your partner to grab it. While your partner’s searching for it, snap photos of their confused face while your kids giggle. Then, have your kids present the lost item and capture the laughs.

On a day that your kids think they’re getting a home cooked meal, hit them with the “what do you want for dinner tonight?” and get ready to take a quick pic when realization hits their faces. (Our vote is pizza!)

Next time you’re waiting for your little ones at the bottom of the slide, have your camera ready. Take photos of their giant smiles—and the way they launch off the slide to climb back to the top and do it all over again. 

If you want to make your kids giggle (or try a different form of timeout), find a big shirt they can both fit into. They’ll have to work together to walk, eat, and sit—and laugh!

Use a piece of chalk to draw a line outdoors, or line up the spines of your photo books indoors to create a straight line. See if your little one can walk straight, one foot in front of the other (bonus points if they hold their arms out). Snap that look of concentration to save for later!

Take photos of your kids getting down and dirty as they look for four-leaf clovers! Grab shots of them making piles of three-leaf clovers and working together to comb through the grass.

Screenshots are pictures, too—and your text messages can speak volumes. Screenshot something particularly funny or even super mundane in your family text thread. The fact that your text messages also show the date and time of texts sent will add to your nostalgia in the future!

These project ideas will add variety to your family’s photo books.

Need some photo ideas to fill your Monthbooks and Monthly Minis? Our monthly subscription photo books are a great way to keep all your family’s memories in one place. Here are the best photo prompt ideas to print in your Chatbooks.

13 Genius Photo Prompts to Fill Your Monthbooks and Monthly Minis

Creative Photo Prompts To Inspire You - 13 Photography Prompt Ideas

Each year, your kids give you a list of presents they’d like for birthdays and holidays. After they rip through the wrapping paper and discover what’s inside, that anticipatory excitement is gone. This year, watch their eyes light up each month by gifting them a subscription based on their interests! And if you want to gift them something sweet and sentimental (that’s super easy and affordable), consider one of Chatbooks’ photo gifts! 

Make hardcover Monthbooks so they’ll never forget

If your kids love flipping through their yearbooks, give one that’s dedicated to them. Capture their magical—and not so magical (hello temper tantrums)—moments in a hardcover Monthbook, perfect for vertical photos straight from your camera roll. This new 5x7” photo book holds 30 pages and is only $15 a month (with free shipping!), plus comes in sage ombre and four other single colors. Now, when they want to look back, all the photos of crafts, soccer practices, and after school activities belong to them.

Owlcrate Jr. delivers brand new middle grade novels for ages 8-12 in a subscription box that includes a signed bookplate and letter from the author. Boxes are based around themes, like “inner magic” and “intergalactic adventure,” and also include either a second book, activity, or game, plus other unique items. Cost varies by subscription.

You don’t have to go to the mall every other weekend to keep up with the newest trends. Stitch Fix offers eight to 12 apparel pieces for toddlers, kids, and tweens in each box. And since the clothes come to you, your kids can try them at home and decide which pieces to keep (and return the ones they don’t want). Costs vary depending on purchases.

Surprise them with photos from their birth (and beyond) with softcover Monthbooks

Don’t have time to create a scrapbook? Keeping your kids’ photos organized isn’t easy—so use the ones already in your camera roll! Create a 5x7” softcover Monthbook and fill it with 30 pages of photos straight from your phone. You can’t keep them from growing, but you can easily keep a record of their awesome (and everyday) moments for $10 a month (with free shipping!). Choose from sage ombre or four other single color cover options.

Help them whip up their own culinary creations

They can get cooking with help from Raddish Kids, a subscription that delivers thematic cooking kits that include a recipe, kitchen tool, project, and grocery list. Kits are designed to help ages 4 and up develop cooking skills and gain confidence while incorporating new cultures, science, and math. Cost varies based on subscription, US shipping is free.

Gift your growing innovators with Tinker Crate, a subscription that combines STEM concepts with projects and activities meant to inspire ages 9-14. For young inventors that like to use their hands and understand how things work, they can build special projects like a trebuchet, hydraulic claw, or walking robot. Cost varies based on subscription, US shipping is free.

Turn memories into a tactile experience with Monthly Minis

Switch out your infant’s board book for a Monthly Mini, a 5x5” softcover photo book with rounded edges that’s meant for tiny hands. For just $5 a month (with free shipping), you can fill 30 pages with photos of your family’s smallest member—right from your phone. If they drool on, rip, or otherwise break their Mini, we’ll replace it for free with our toddler guarantee. 

Brick Loot’s monthly subscription features new themes and tons of LEGOs and bricks to enhance your kids’ collections. In each box, they’ll receive four to eight items, including exclusives (and sometimes pieces that have yet to hit the market), custom kits, kits by famous LEGO designers, LEGO accessories, custom LEGO minifigures, and more. Cost varies based on subscription.

Designed to get kids off their screens, THiNK OUTSiDE sends three to five pieces of outdoor gear, resource cards, hands-on activities and family challenges in each of its boxes. Each crate has a monthly theme, like navigation, shelter building, and star gazing, meant to build your kids’ outdoor skills. Cost varies based on subscription, US shipping is free.

Give them a subscription you had as a kid

Remember receiving Highlights magazine every month as a kid? (Remember submitting your own artwork in the hopes it would be featured?) Each 44-page issue helps kids ages 6-12 learn about the world through stories, games, puzzles, riddles, science and craft experiments, and other educational activities (plus there are never any third-party advertisements). Highlights also offers magazines for younger kids, like Hello (ages 2 and under) and High Five (ages 2-6). Cost varies based on subscription.

Foodstirs’ junk-free baking kit subscription delivers tasty baking activities every other month. Kits utilize organic mixes, plant-based dyes, and decorative supplies (and recipes have only six steps!). Baking kit themes include unicorn treats, out of the world donuts, celebration rainbow pancakes, and spooky spiders whoopie pie. Cost varies based on subscription.

Little Passports aims to grow your kids’ knowledge of the world with play-based science and geography kits. Kids ages 3-5 can learn about music, oceans, and dinosaurs while ages 5-8 take on STEM topics. Themes for ages 6-10 include discovering new countries with souvenirs and hands-on activities while ages 7-12 can learn about two new states using their State Journals. Kids ages 8 and up can also try experiments meant to reveal the mysteries of the world. Cost varies based on subscription, US shipping is free.

Channel their passion for animals and the environment

With a Little Zoo Box subscription, kids can learn about wildlife and the importance of conservation and protecting our environment. Each box focuses on an endangered animal, like elephants, sloths, and polar bears. Inside, kids will find a stuffed animal, craft ideas, and an educational booklet, games, and puzzles. Cost varies based on subscription, US shipping is free.

Excessive amounts of candy are typically reserved for birthday parties and holidays (that’s why we love Easter and Halloween!), so give them a sugar-filled gift that lasts more than a day with InstaCandy. Candy flavors range from sweets and sours to chocolates. Past boxes have included Utah Truffles, Butterfly Gummies, Pop Rocks Bubble Gum, and Sour High Chews. Box costs $24.99 a month and US shipping is free.

With Lootcrate’s WizKids, young tabletop gamers will receive three new games in each box. WizKids intends to “upgrade family game night” with its bimonthly crates, which gives you plenty of time to plan a competitive game night with your kids (or three!). One box costs $19.99 and shipping is included.

For the kids who eat, sleep, and breathe sports, a Sports Box Co. subscription is right up their alley. Based on their sport of choice (baseball/softball, basketball, hockey, football, or soccer) they’ll receive training aids, gear, and sports swag associated with that activity. Each box is created with the intention of helping kids improve their skills while keeping the game entertaining and fun. Cost varies based on subscription, US shipping is included.

The Superpower Academy is a monthly subscription box that encourages social and emotional learning for ages 5-10 through STEM projects, comic books, and heroic stories. Each box includes activities to help kids build skills and lessons that teach them about emotions, empathy, and making good choices. Boxes are $29.92 a month and US shipping is free.

Get your avid video gamers excited to read

Whether it’s Fortnite, Animal Crossing, or Pokémon Go, video games are a big part of our kids’ lives. If you’re looking for a way to get them interested in dropping the joystick and picking up a book, try Little Player. This bi-monthly kids magazine, for ages 5-12, is free of advertisements and covers games rated EC, E, and E10+ (which means there’s no content meant for teens and older). Costs vary.

Keep the stickers coming with a monthly subscription

Remember Lisa Frank’s iconic designs? Give your kids that same nostalgic experience with a monthly sticker subscription. In each Pipsticks box, they’ll receive multiple sheets of stickers (the number varies based on subscription choice), plus a huge puffy sticker, scratch n’ sniff stickers, and interactive sheets meant to spark their imaginations as they decorate their folders, notebooks, and beyond (hopefully not their bedroom walls)! Packs also come with an activity book, storage pouch, and postcard. Cost varies based on subscription.

Jumpstart your crafty kids with new projects 

Each month, Kid Made Modern’s Craft Club will send new art projects to your kids. Complete with all the necessary materials, ages 6 and up can explore a new theme and open-ended crafting activity. Inside each box, there are instructions, tips to customize the project, supplies, and more. Subscription costs $34.99 per month with free US shipping.

Bring your kids’ favorite Marvel movies to life

Amazon’s Funko Marvel Collector Corp Box delivers goodies every two months. The box celebrates iconic moments and crossovers throughout the Marvel Universe, and contains four to five collectibles curated by Funko. Each box features a new theme and includes superheroes, villains, and other treats for your MCU fans. Subscription costs $29.99 per box with free US shipping.

Build with their very own woodworking kit

Ages 7-12 can build their own projects with the Young Woodworkers Kit Club, a monthly subscription service. Each woodworking kit comes with pre-cut and pre-drilled wood pieces, including screws, nails, and other supplies. The first three kits will come with kid-sized tools, like a hammer, and each comes with instructions. Past projects have included a turbo racer, marshmallow launcher, and candy machine. First box is $19.95 and after are $29.95 with free shipping.

Fizzy Magic’s tub club offers monthly and bi-monthly subscriptions, delivering learning boxes filled with kid-safe bath bombs, toys, and activities. Each box has a timely theme and contains six fizzies, a toy (like a rubber ducky), and activity (like counting or coloring pages). Subscriptions cost $29.95 and US shipping is free.

Choose toys tailored to their development

Skip and Play’s subscription boxes, for ages 0-5, are designed to encourage learning and physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development during play based on your child’s developmental level. Items can include teething rings, tummy time mats, drawing pads, and more. As your baby grows, so will their toys. Subscriptions vary in cost.

Using nature-based STEAM activities, Green Kid Crafts delivers monthly boxes for kids ages 2-10 that encourage creativity and discovery through science and art projects. Based on your child’s age, their themed box will contain four to six STEAM projects and a magazine. Costs vary by subscription plan.

With a subscription, the celebration lasts all year long.

Whether you’re searching for a birthday present or holiday gift, kids subscription boxes are a great way to celebrate all year. Surprise your kids with a Monthbook or Monthly Mini subscription, photo books that will automatically transfer photos from your phone into memories they can hold onto. Or, gift them a baking, craft, gaming, art, or science subscription box. These are the best subscription gift ideas for kids in 2021. If you’re looking for a sentimental or creative gift, these subscriptions have you covered.

25 Creative Subscription Gift Ideas for Kids

25 Awesome Subscription Gift Ideas for Kids

25 Best Subscription Gifts for Kids 2021 - Best Subscription Boxes for Kids

Just when you thought your Chatbooks obsession couldn’t get any bigger… meet our brand spankin’ new product, Monthbooks! Trust me when I say you don’t want to miss out on these awesome books. Starting at just $10 a month, you can receive monthly photo books filled with 30 of your fav moments from the past 30 days. Who doesn’t want a 5x7” magazine subscription to their own life? Choose a hard or soft cover collection and select your color palette (the black hardcover Monthbooks are so chic, but have you seen the Sage ombre palette?!). After you select your subscription, just start adding pics! If you’re not sure which photo to include on the cover each month, we’ve broken it down for you by month, holiday, event and occasion. Run, don't walk, to order your Monthbooks.

For your January Monthbook cover, consider using a photo of a stormy day, your favorite snow adventure or a selfie of you accomplishing that New Year’s Resolution. This time of year is all about new beginnings, so pick that perfect image that reflects your new year.

The month of love deserves a Monthbook cover that warms your heart. Whether it’s a smooching selfie, a portrait of your love (aka your pet) or a mirror pic of you and your S.O. on your Valentine’s Day date, this cover will remind you of how important *lurve* is in your life.

March often comes in like a lion, and out like a two-nager who missed their naptime. Snap photos of nature during this transitional month and use one of those pics as your Monthbook cover! Photograph a bright winter sunset or have a photo sesh once your daffodils come up. If you’re not a nature-lover, consider using an adorable spring OOTD pic as your cover. If you’re not getting out of your sweatpants much these days, take an OOTD photo of your pet and use that!

Take it from Miss Rhode Island in Miss Congeniality when she describes her perfect date: April is not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket as you head out to your mailbox to grab your Monthbook! With spring in full swing, you have Easter, April Fool’s Day and Earth Day as perfect photo ops for your Monthbook cover. If you want a more abstract cover this month, think pastels and greenery. Did you get a bouquet you loved? Did you switch out your winter comforter for your favorite pastel quilt? Shoot it and print it!

N’SYNC was onto something when they sang, “It’s gonna be MAY!” Get hyped about the warmer weather and, if you have kids, celebrate that school is also wrapping up this month. A few great cover ideas for your May Monthbook include: a school graduation photo, pool days with the kids or the first family BBQ of the season.

Let your Monthbook soak up the sun with a summer-y cover that’ll give you all the suntan-watermelon-long-day feels. For your cover, consider a pic of a perfect beach day with your friends, an outdoor adventure or a selfie of you laid out on the picnic blanket with all the snacks.

This month is all about the red, white and blue. For your July Monthbook cover, opt for a pic of sparklers or your family in matching Americana t-shirts. If you pay homage to the 50 states with a summer road trip, use one of your fav pit stop photos as your photo book cover.

Blink and summer is over. Where does the time go? Immortalize your happy warm weather days with a Monthbook cover that pays tribute to your summer fun. Use a picture of your favorite summer moments, including the kids freaking out over the Slip ‘N’ Slide or the heaping pile of watermelon that you would eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your cover can include a photo of you and your gal pals in your bikinis by the pool or an open road on your favorite drive with the windows down. For an artsy cover, try a close up shot of the pool (for an all blue, textured design) or capture some clouds on a nice day.

🎵 It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 🎵 For September, your Monthbook cover might feature your little ones in their first day of school outfits, a work selfie or even the changing leaves in your neighborhood.

Cue the Spooky festivities and ghostly goodies! While the leaves are bright with their autumnal colors, you are taking photos of pumpkin spice and everything nice. Photos of cozy sweaters, fuzzy socks and overall fall vibes are all good options for your October Monthbook cover photo.

Give thanks this month! The holidays are on the horizon and families are gathering from all over. As you are snapping pics throughout November, consider your Thanksgiving table centerpiece, candid family moments or your dad falling asleep after a long meal as the front cover for your book.

Can you believe you have a whole year of memories in your hands?! Your final Monthbook for the year is sure to give you all the feels. Great options for your December cover include a picture of your holiday decor, your fav festive outfit or your family huddled around the Christmas tree. Do you have an annual tradition like making a big Gingerbread house? Take a pic of your masterpiece and use it as the cover. Do you take your yearly family portraits in the winter? Use one of those as your lead image.

Whether your kiddo is moving on from preschool or high school, grad moments are a big deal! This occasion could be a great photo op to use on the cover of your Monthbook.

Oh, baby! Feature your ultrasound photos or your baby bump as your Monthbook covers as a way to document your pregnancy. If you’re in the process of adopting a child, include a moment from your family planning journey as the cover for the months leading up to your adoption date. Then, when your little one arrives, they can become the image on the monthly cover.

Planning a wedding can feel like it takes decades, amiright? If you’re in marriage mode, use your Monthbook monthly covers to show off the stages of your planning process. Maybe September features a photo of your cake tasting, October showcases your visit to the bridal shop for a final fitting and your November cover is a photo from the big day!

If you’ve got a big family, you’re going to have a lot of birthdays to celebrate. Each person can get their own Monthbook cover that matches with their birth month! 

If you bought your first home, adopted a pet or started college, these milestones are important parts of life that you’ll want to document. Include those moments in your Monthbook, and consider using those photos of you in front of your new home or with your pup as the cover of your album.

Some years are unpredictable, and finding a new job can be a great accomplishment. If you or a loved one starts a new job, take pictures of the new office building or your jazzed up WFH station. If you’ve just landed your dream job, simply the logo of the company can make a memorable Monthbook cover.

Whether it’s a special occasion or just because you want to celebrate how much you and your bestie love each other, dedicate a cover photo of your Monthbook series to your best pal ever.

Sign up for a monthly photo book subscription to your own life. You’ll be waiting by the mailbox!

Have you heard about Chatbooks Monthbooks? Start a new subscription for a Monthbook and you’ll get a new 5x7” photo book sent to your home every month with 30 of your favorite photos. Read on for inspiration about what photos to feature on your cover each month.

Genius Monthbook Cover Ideas Perfect For Your Subscription

19 Monthbook Cover Ideas That You’ll Want To Use Right Away

Monthly Ideas for Photo Albums - Chatbooks Monthbook Cover Ideas

Is your best friend a dog? Or perhaps your best friend’s best friend is a dog? Dog people are the best people — they truly are their own breed. If you or a loved one is obsessed with a fur baby, consider one of these great gifts for animal lovers! Whether it’s for a birthday, a holiday or another special occasion, these presents for dog lovers and their furry friends are sure to raise the woof! Read on for creative, custom gifts that are so cute you’ll want to keep them for yourself.

Photograph your pet in action or commission a custom watercolor pet portrait (Tiny Pine Studio makes the most beautiful pet paintings). Then, print your pretty picture on a Chatbooks wall tile! This gift is bound to make even a dog smile.

Dog collars can be a big fashion statement, and that dog lover in your life might be in need of an update. You can add names, trendy colors and more to a collar to make that dog the most stylish fur baby on the block. 

So many people had the wonderful opportunity to adopt pets throughout the pandemic. If you or a loved one adopted a furry friend to add to your quaranteam, get an InstaPet Series so you can effortlessly print Fido’s IG. Click here to find out how!

If you love to bake, consider making some delicious dog treats as a gift for a furry friend. Make your snacks that much more special with cute packaging. Drop your pup snacks into a mason jar and get creative with ribbon and stickers to turn your eats into a special treat.

Another great gift for any dog lover is to make some homemade frozen treats for their pup. Many dogs love to chew on ice, and you can make treats out of watermelon, cantelope, or even freeze some beef or chicken broth in ice cube trays. These chilly snacks are perfect for a summer occasion!

Some dog owners have so many toys that their house could totally pass for a doggy daycare. Find some cute baskets or buckets that would match your dog lover’s decor and add a label for Fido’s toys.

If you’re crafty, then consider making a pet bed from scratch! All you need is some ter-ruff-ic fabric and filler. Follow an easy tutorial video and make a furry friend’s day.

This simple gift is cute and affordable. You can find bandanas for different holidays and occasions, and gift them as a cute little bundle.

Don’t forget to find a matching bracelet when you’re picking out a dog collar. This would be a great gift for any dog lover who takes their pup with them everywhere they go.

This simple gift is also really meaningful. Your dogs might not know how to read, but dog parents will adore a cute customized dog bowl.

For anyone whose camera roll is full of puppy pics, it’s time to put those photos to good use and make a photo book full of floppy ears and furry selfies.

You know you can’t get enough pictures of your little pup, and now it’s time to put those photos to good use! Print some Chatbooks puppy prints to hang up in your home. These simple 5x5” prints are a great addition to your photo display.

You’ll go *mutts* for these pup presents!

Unsure of what to gift to that dog lover in your life? Whether it’s a holiday, birthday or just any special occasion, these 15 gift ideas for dog lovers are a perfect way to show your love for your favorite furry friends. Animal lovers everywhere will adore these creative and special presents for their pups!

15 Pawsitively Adorable Gifts for Dog Lovers

15 Best Gifts for Dog Lovers 2021 - Best Gifts For Animal Lovers

Hey there! I’m a best-selling author of several books on mental and emotional health, including my most recent one, Create Your Own Calm. When I’m not doing watercolor paintings, I’m slowly renovating the Nashville, Tennessee home I live in with my husband, Trevor, and 3-month-old daughter, Nadi.

I was pregnant with Nadi in 2020, which brought its own set of challenges. With 2021 upon us, here are my tips to heal from a hard year and live your best life in the new one!

Shop her incredible Designer Cover collection here!

During the pandemic, it felt like the difficult parts of pregnancy were emphasized since the exciting parts of pregnancy (like gathering with friends) no longer existed to neutralize them. Let yourself feel those hard feelings, and then find tools that help you move through them. The Poetry Remedy by William Sieghart was a comforting salve for me — it pairs poems with difficult life moments.

I’m spending more time out in nature taking photos and, when they remind me of someone, I’ll text it to the person with a little note letting them know I’m thinking of them. Another way to connect: By sending a Chatbook to a loved one. I made my new Designer Cover collection with soothing colors and earthy sentiments, so that they can be the perfect binding for your favorite photos.

I rely on the exercises in my latest book, Create Your Own Calm: A Journal for Managing Anxiety, to help me identify, explore, and quell pockets of anxiety and boost my overall mental health. The most radical form of self-care is being exactly who you are, and that means allowing yourself to change—leaving behind the things that no longer serve you and cultivating new perspectives.

I love this interview with prolific illustrator and mother of 2, Dahlov Ipcar. As a workaholic, I carried a lot of fear about how my career would change once I had children. Dahlov said that it was up to her to create the life that she wanted to live, and that has been an inspiring reminder that parenthood isn’t going to take the life that I previously loved away from me. It’s simply another adventure.

This year, I’m starting a new tradition of taking daily walks with my daughter and continuing the practice of being curiously open—letting ourselves be surprised and transported by the simple wonder of what surrounds us.  

 "I made my new Designer Cover collection with soothing colors and earthy sentiments."

Meera Lee Patel, bestselling author and illustrator of "Start Where Your Are" and "Create Your Own Calm", talks about motherhood, being pregnant during a pandemic and what she has penciled into her planner for 2021. As the newest Chatbooks Cover Designer, she talks through her inspiration for her custom photo book covers.

Meet Our Designer Cover Artist: Meera Lee Patel

Meet Our Designer Cover Artist: Bestselling Author and Illustrator Meera Lee Patel

Meera Lee Patel Interview - Start Where You Are Author Meera Lee Patel on Motherhood

Racking your brain for a mega affordable and super sweet photo present? Or maybe you want to give yourself a gift that literally keeps on giving? Enter Chatbooks Monthly Minis.  Starting at $5 a book, our softcover photo book subscription is perfect for getting your favorite everyday photos off of your phone and into your home. Monthly Minis are a total crowd pleaser. Toddlers love looking at photos of themselves, teens adore filling the pages with selfies, and grandparents relish in getting to look at new photos of their beloved grandkids. 

In case you need some fresh ideas on how to use our Monthly Minis, we’ve done the work for you, detailing 8 fun ways to get the most out of our photo book subscription. Get ready to fall in love with these little photo books — now all you need to do is start adding photos!  

Kids love crafts. But there is only so much wall space where you can feasibly display their works of art. Take pictures of your child’s masterpieces and add them to a Monthly Mini series! 

Are you expecting a little one? Take a picture every single day for a year. Then, enjoy looking back at how fast your baby changes.

Snap a pic of your pup snoozing in the sunlight or begging for his favorite treat. Your Monthly Mini will be the perfect companion to show off your pooch. Warning: Your cat might hate it, but you’ll love it! 😆

Ever look at your kids’ text messages? The amount of pictures they share with their besties is shocking . . . and adorable! Start a Monthly Mini for them. Have them add all the funny and quirky pictures they snap and send to their friends. 

Grandparents LOVE to brag about their grandkids. Set up a Monthly Mini subscription and add pictures of your kids’ adventures. Then, gran can get her very own “brag book” filled with images of her little sweethearts.

Who wouldn’t love to get a monthly reminder of your most important relationship? Start a Monthly Mini and add pictures of date nights and smooching selfies.

Kids love looking at themselves. And there is research that shows that when kids look at photos of themselves, it can help boost their self esteem. Boost away with a Monthly Mini subscription! And with Chatbooks Toddler Guarantee, there is NO need to worry if a page gets ripped or a book ends up in the toilet. Chatbooks will replace it for free.

Create a Monthly Mini subscription full of simple images and words to help your new readers with common sight words. You can even enlist older kids to help take pictures of common things around the house and add the images to your Series. As your reader improves, you can add slightly more difficult words. Pro tip: Add in pictures of far away family and friends with their names so little ones can feel connected to distant relatives.

There’s nothing small about these mega ideas!

If you’re looking for photo book subscription ideas, consider Chatbooks Monthly Minis! There are so many creative ways to document your family’s tiny victories through photographs. Get inspired with genius Monthly Mini photo book ideas today!

Super Creative Ways to Use Chatbooks Monthly Minis

Photo Book Subscription Ideas - Monthly Mini Ideas

As a kid, snow days were so magical because you got to skip school and spend hours outside making snowmen. As an adult, snow days can be equally as magical, curling up with a hot drink and good book and not leaving the house for even a second. To do your wintery Instagram posts justice, we compiled the best winter quotes around. These short winter sayings about snow, romantic cold weather and holiday vibes are perfect for a cute social media selfie or to be used as a text page in your Christmas Chatbook. Bundle up because these winter sayings are so cool they’ll make you shiver.

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." —Edith Sitwell 

"The fire is winter's fruit." —Arabian Proverb 

"Winter forms our character and brings out our best." —Tom Allen

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” —Anne Bradstreet

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." —Hal Borland 

“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” —John Boswell

"They who sing through the summer must dance in the winter." —Italian Proverb

"The hard soil and four months of snow make the inhabitants of the northern temperate zone wiser and abler than his fellow who enjoys the fixed smile of the tropics." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!" —Thomas Wentworth Higginson

“Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.” —Yoko Ono

"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold." —Aristotle

“When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels.” —Unknown

"Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius." —Pietro Aretino

“Even the strongest blizzards start with a single snowflake.” ―Sara Raasch 

"People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy." ―Anton Chekhov

“One kind word can warm three winter months.” ―Japanese Proverb

“Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

“He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.” —John Burroughs

"Winter is a season of recovery and preparation." —Paul Theroux

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.” —J.R.R. Tolkien 

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." —John Steinbeck

“Winter is not a season, it's a celebration.” —Anamika Mishra

“What’s cooler than being cold? Ice cold.” —Andre 3000

“Winter is coming.” —Game of Thrones

“When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels.”

Winter is full of magic. What’s why we’ve compiled 25 of our favorite winter quotes. Whether you’re looking for winter quotes about love or funny winter quotes, there’s something here for everyone. These cute winter sayings and snow, Santa and the cold will warm your heart for sure.

27 Best Winter Quotes To Get You So Excited for Snow

27 Best Winter Quotes - Short Sayings and Quotes about Winter

A family photo gallery wall sounds like a great idea, but then again so did getting that toy piano for your three-year-old. But thanks to Chatbooks, you no longer need to dread turning those photos stuck on your phone into stunning home decor. These simple family photo wall ideas make for beyond easy and super unique photo gallery walls, especially when you’re using Chatbooks wall tiles. Learn how to display family photos on a wall in two seconds flat.

There are a bunch of different ways to arrange your wall tiles in order to maximize your space and upgrade your empty wall. Here are 3 go-to approaches for designing the gallery wall if your dreams.

Arrange 9 wall tiles to compose a large square. This formatting is perfect for a gallery wall in a more narrow area of the home or in a space with a lowered ceiling (like in a finished basement).

To create a perfect rectangular gallery wall (ideal for an empty wall above a couch), order 3 square wall tiles and 3 landscape ones. Then, alternate using a square or landscape wall tile as your work your way across your wall.

Add a little more interest to your gallery wall by incorporating various wall tile silhouettes. The portrait wall tile is great for adding headshots of the kids to your eclectic mix of prints. 

Now that you know how to expertly lay out your gallery wall, learn some fun themes and concepts to pull all your pictures together.

There is no easier (or cuter!) way to create simple home decor than with wall tiles. At only $15 a tile, there also isn’t a cheaper way to create wall decor that will make you smile every time you look at it. Our simple peel-and-stick Wall Tiles make decor as easy as 1, 2, 3! Get your Wall Tiles here.

Incorporate the letter that your last name starts with 

Looking for a simple way to show off your home, your family, and your namesake? Create a gallery wall that’s extra homey by adding a large wooden letter to your photo display masterpiece. 

For a simple way to make your photo collection look more cohesive, stick to a neutral color scheme. How? Try using only sepia or black and white photography. This example of 3 simple black and white photos is so chic.

If you want an easy to switch out photos and decor as your kids grow and your style changes, just hang up a floating shelf! There’s no need to force a gallery wall with this little design workaround. A cute shelf in your entryway or in the living room is the perfect place for all of your framed photos of Chatbooks prints to live.

Want a unique way to display your photos in a bedroom or mudroom? Try a photo mobile. To make your mobile come to life, use embroidery hoops of various sizes, twine or string and a few Chatbooks photo prints. Your kids will love helping you with this easy DIY project!

Hang family photos in chronological order of when they were taken. This will serve as a great reminder of how far your family has come and will be so fun to watch how your kids grow.

So simple and it hardly takes any time: You have already edited and posted the pictures! Just connect your Instagram to your Chatbooks account and have perfect Instagram prints sent to your door for you to display on your fridge, in your room, or in the bathroom.

Lay out a travel destination gallery wall

Such a fun way to remember all of the incredible places you’ve been as a family and all of the memories you’ve made! Group travel photos together for a gallery wall full of wanderlust.

Get your kids to get involved in the decorating process with this beyond easy DIY. Rather than framing all of your Chatbooks Photo Prints, use tape to secure them to the wall and them “frame” them with colorful washi tape. One huge bonus: They can switch the tape out whenever they want!

Want an out-of-the-box layout for your gallery wall? Try arranging your framed photos into a shape like a triangle or circle. Creating a shape with your photos really mixes up your typical family photo gallery wall and adds some additional depth to your creative space. 

Such a simple way to display your photos without damaging the walls or needing a lot of supplies! Simply buy small command hooks, string, and clothespins and start stringing your memories together.

Rather than reserving a section of your wall to hang photos, try turning your entire wall into a photo gallery. This will be so fun for guests to check out and also for your kids to see every morning as they are leaving for school. These are their people! 

For a simple and beautiful way to show off your favorite prints and best family photos, buy a bunch of the same frame to use with your pictures. This will create a cohesive vibe for sure. 

What better way to pay tribute to all of your animal friends than including them in your family photo gallery. Design a little gallery wall just for pet photos. It’ll be the best decision you’ve made in a while.

This is probably the easiest way to show off your family photos without any frames, nails, or command strips. Simply clip your photos and hang them.

Consider adding shadow boxes for extra wall flair

Whatever you collect as a family, use your gallery wall space to show it off! Whether it’s pins, stamps or stickers, you will love being able to look at all of your memories hanging on your wall.

Family mottos, favorite quotes, phrases to live by: Whatever saying that your family loves, add it into your photo gallery as a great reminder of what you stand for.

Looking for a fun photo theme for your gallery wall? Display photos all taken in a certain city, state or even area of your house. Wouldn’t a family photo gallery wall of pics taken only in the kitchen over the years be so delicious?!

Creating beautiful family photo gallery walls is a critical step in making a house a home. These genius tips will show you how to display family photos on a wall like a total pro. You’ll love this wall decor with family photos!

10 Totally Cute Baby Halloween Photoshoot Ideas

Be the mummy (or daddy) of the year with these eerie-sistible Halloween photo ideas for babies.

Pumpkin Patch Photoshoot

Hay Bale Photoshoot

Candy Corn Photoshoot

Leaves Photoshoot

Pumpkin Photoshoot

Kitten Baby Photoshoot

Baby Halloween Costume Photoshoot

Halloween Hats Photoshoot

Flannel Photoshoot

Corn Maze Photoshoot

10 Totally Cute Baby Halloween Photoshoot Ideas

Be the mummy (or daddy) of the year with these eerie-sistible Halloween photo ideas for babies.

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Hay Bale Photoshoot

Candy Corn Photoshoot

Leaves Photoshoot

Pumpkin Photoshoot

Kitten Baby Photoshoot

Baby Halloween Costume Photoshoot

Halloween Hats Photoshoot

Flannel Photoshoot

Corn Maze Photoshoot

Pumpkin Patch Photoshoot