Boise Mom

10/01/2025

It’s October! The cooler days mean more outdoor fun, pumpkin everything, and a calendar full of autumn memories awaiting us. Check out what is going on in Boise this month!

The cooler days mean more outdoor fun, pumpkin everything, and tons of fun events! Check out what is going on in Boise this month!

09/30/2025

Did you hear that collective sigh of relief as kids trampled back into school and moms finally breathed a little lighter?

But it doesn’t last long. Pretty soon, it’s back-to-school nights, conferences, field trips, programs, class parties—you know the drill. Add in shorter days, more sickness, more sugar, and less sleep, and fall quickly becomes the season when moms start to ”fall” apart.

Discover simple fall tips for moms to reduce stress, find joy, and stay grounded through the busy school and holiday months.

09/29/2025

Now that summer is just about here, it’s time to enjoy all of the fresh, local produce and homemade goodies. Here are seven farmers’ markets in Boise (and the Treasure Valley).

When you are looking for homemade goods, fresh produce, and local items, these farmers' markets in Boise are exactly what you need.

09/26/2025

Boise is nicknamed “The City of Trees” after all. With all these trees comes a fantastic sight of fall foliage spread throughout the city. It is perhaps one of my favorite things about Fall in Boise. That and the crunch sound of the leaves as you walk through them on the sidewalk. We’ve rounded up a few great spots around town and even some a little drive away.

Boise has some beautiful fall foliage. Check out all the best spots to get your fall fix and view those red, orange, and yellow leaves.

09/25/2025

I wonder if they meant . . .

As a mom with two little kids, I'm no stranger to comments from others. I hear comments at the grocery store, library, and even my own grandmother's house.

They’re nothing special, just the same comment everybody gets.

The new mom in me would roll her eyes and text a quick complaint to her husband.

But if I pause long enough to listen, I can hear what people are actually saying,because they rarely say what they mean.

I ask myself, “I wonder if they meant . . . ?”

It goes a little something like this:

Stranger: “You’ve got your hands full!”

I wonder if they meant: “I see you juggling two little kids while grocery shopping, and I think you’re doing a great job.”

Stranger: “You look like you’re ready to pop!”

I wonder if they meant: “I remember being that pregnant and it was miserable.” Or “I remember the weeks just before my first baby was born. I’m so excited for her and her new baby.”

Stranger: “Sleep when the baby sleeps!”

I wonder if they meant: “I remember being so tired with my new baby. I wished I would have napped more.”

Stranger: “Soak it up! You’re going to miss this!”

I wonder if they meant: “I miss every part of this.” Or “I would gladly take a meltdown at the library if it meant I could hold my kids again when they were little.”

Next time a mom or stranger sends an unsolicited comment your way, hold the eye roll for a moment. Consider that maybe they’re sharing with you the part of motherhood that was the most difficult for them. So difficult, maybe, that they felt like they needed to give a stranger unsolicited advice about it.

Ask yourself: “I wonder if they meant . . . ?”

--Emily Merrigan

09/24/2025

Surviving a week of sickness has me dreaming ahead to the fun stuff again, especially all the Boise fall activities with kids that make this season worth the chaos.

After hand, foot, and mouth, we’re ready for fun again. Discover pumpkin patches, orchards, and the best Boise fall activities with kids

09/23/2025

It was a very Monday kind of Monday. I was ten minutes late rolling out of the driveway, heading to grab a long-overdue drink with a friend.

Before that, I had run the usual mom-level “trying to leave the house solo” obstacle course.

I reviewed a failed math test with the teenager, quizzed the first grader on sight words, wrangled the toddler down for her pre-dinner nap, let the dogs out to chase the squirrel up the tree for the 4,000th time, and gave my husband a quick kiss as I confirmed he was home and ready for the chaos.

Then, halfway through the subdivision, I remembered it was my 10-year-old’s night to cook. I was leaving my husband, who is still learning the ropes in the kitchen, in charge of dinner with her. And I hadn’t written down a single instruction.

At that point, I had a choice. Turn around and cancel my only shot at a non-work or kid-related adult conversation, or keep driving and risk an onslaught of texts asking where the spaghetti sauce was, how long to boil the noodles, and what to do with the meat.

Then I remembered the third option. ChatGPT.

While driving, I asked Siri to open the app and hit voice-to-text. From there, I dictated the most chaotic spaghetti tutorial imaginable as I headed down Federal Way.

I explained where to find the ingredients, how to test the noodles (bite one and if the center is still firm, it needs more time), and which packages of sausage not to use because they were for a quiche. I reminded them to turn on the fan or risk setting off the smoke detector. The stupid thing will go off if you make toast.

ChatGPT took my messy instructions and cleaned them up into something that sounded like it had been written by a coherent person. We had a nice chat as I clarified a couple of spots (the AI is good, but can need some clarity and directions at times).

By the time I parked downtown, I had a full dinner guide ready to copy and paste. I sent it to my husband and put my phone in my bag.

Ninety-seven minutes later, I returned to my car feeling relaxed and recharged, having had the kind of friend time where you sit down, sigh deeply, and remember who you are outside of snack duty and Google Calendar reminders. No missed calls. No “what now?” messages. Just one blissful hour and a half of uninterrupted conversation with a friend, knowing dinner was being handled at home by a proud 10-year-old and a sweet husband.

When I got home, dinner was done. Pasta cooked, meat browned. The house smelled like garlic, and my daughter was beaming. What a great end to a Monday of all days.

ChatGPT may not do the dishes, but it absolutely saved dinner—and my night.

--Kassandra Martinez, for more from Kassandra, follow her on IG

09/22/2025

We are excited to present our readers with Boise Mom’s Guide to Private Schools. This guide aims to be a one-stop shop for families who are considering private education for their children.

| Cole Valley Christian Schools | Riverstone International School | Eagle Adventist Christian School and Preschool

Check out our comprehensive Guide to Private Schools here in Boise if your family is considering a private education for your child.

09/19/2025

The days are long, but the years are short.

I’m in the kitchen, trying to make my lunch, when I hear discordant voices talking in my husband’s office. I go in to find that my twins, nearly 20 months old, have grabbed the computer mouse.

Two videos are playing, each audio track vying for dominance. Instantly, I want to crawl out of my skin. I click the pause button, and his computer freezes. I click it again, then I hit the space bar, anything I can think of to make the sounds stop.

Finally, the videos stop. The screen remains frozen on a single frame, but at least it’s quiet.

I go back into the kitchen. My daughter follows me and grabs at my toes as I chop and stir. Every touch triggers my instinct to kick, an instinct I fight because it’s her. She finally stops. I turn away from the island to grab a measuring cup out of the drying rack.

When I turn around, I panic.

My daughter is holding the chef’s knife—by the handle, oh thank god—examining it like a miner sifting for gold. I did not realize I had left it within her reach on the counter. I sn**ch it out of her hands. She screams, tears spilling down her cheeks.

I set the knife down in the middle of the island and try to take deep breaths. As I do, I notice the clock. It’s been three minutes.

This is what they meant by "the days are long."

I make it to naptime—with the assistance of an episode (or two) of Bluey—and collapse into my chair. I drink water and sit in the quiet, relishing it. I already miss my sleeping toddlers and find myself wishing I could scoop them up in a hug.

I realize, all over again and as if for the first time, that yes, the years are short.

--Elizabeth McCoy, for more from Elizabeth, follow her on IG .mccoy.author

09/18/2025

Move over, pumpkin spice. Apples with cinnamon. Apples with caramel. Or just apples on their own are the fall flavor so many of us crave. There are so many apple recipe options and don’t even get me started on the smell—THE BEST. Create your own apple tradition by checking out Idaho’s own apple orchards.

Apple picking is an essential fall activity. Find all your local and surrounding apple orchards in this apple orchard guide.

09/17/2025

Sick kids.

It’s 2:17 a.m., and the washing machine is groaning under a fresh load of sheets, pajamas, and one very unfortunate stuffed animal.

The smell lingers in the air, clinging to my sweatshirt, to the night itself.

Somewhere in the house, a small, pale face is curled into my pillow, finally asleep after hours of retching and tears. I tiptoe between the hum of the washer and the shallow breaths of my child, trying not to wake either.

This is the part of motherhood no one puts on Instagram: the fluorescent-lit laundry room baptisms, the way you can strip a bed in the dark without even fully opening your eyes, the silent prayers that the bug stops here.

I lean against the counter, the weight of the day pressing in, and my mind wanders into the dangerous territory of “what was I thinking?” The 3 a.m. math of all the versions of my life that might have been easier, cleaner, quieter.

But then, there’s the memory of the way his little arms wrapped around my neck earlier, clinging like I was the only safe thing in a world spinning out of control. How he breathed “thanks, mama” into my collarbone before drifting off again.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not what I pictured when I imagined family life. But it’s real. And in this midnight mess—between the detergent, the damp socks on the floor, and the steady thump of the spin cycle—there’s love woven in so deep it can’t be washed out.

Morning will come. Sheets will dry. Bellies will settle. And I’ll still be here, on call for whatever the dawn brings next.

--Brianna Bustos

09/16/2025

This stage has taken me to my limit.
And I love you beyond belief.

Your scream vibrates my bones.
And you have the sweetest voice I've ever heard.

I'm on the verge when you throw the bowl of food again.
And my heart completely melts when you ask, "Mom, can I have a snack, please?" with those eyes.

You're an entire thunderstorm.
And my brightest rainbow after the storm.

You're a tremendous tornado.
And the cutest thing I've ever seen.

I can't wait for this phase to end.
And I never want to know the ache of you grown.

I can't do this anymore.
And yet I rise to give you my warmest embrace.

Age three is wild for you, too.
And on the days when "I can't," all the "ands" will carry us through.

I love you no matter what, baby girl.

"No, I'm big. I can do it."

You're right, I love you so much, my big girl.
And yes, we can do this.

--Becky Allison