Keeping Your Family Safe and Cozy in the Winter With First Alert

Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. Help ensure your family is protected with CO alarms!

First Alert CO Alarm this idea for later!

There’s something special about winter, isn’t there?

Simple things like curling up by the fire, cooking up comfort food, and maaayyyybe nudging the thermostat up just one more degree when the wind is howling. These are all little ways my family and I stay cozy inside.

The flip side of those little pleasures? All of them – your fireplace, stove, and furnace – produce carbon monoxide (CO). It’s an invisible, odorless, and tasteless gas. And the only way to know if a dangerous level of it has leaked into your home is with CO alarms.

First Alert CO alarm and box

Why Protection Against CO is So Important

I know, this isn’t something that’s fun to think about but guys, it’s so incredibly important. Carbon monoxide is the number one cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the U.S. and two-fifths of these occur in the winter.

Ignoring those facts won’t make them any less true.

First Alert CO alarm close-up

What You Can Do to Protect Your Family

Now that I’ve shared the scary stuff, I’m happy to say that it is so so easy to keep your family safe. My friends at First Alert have created this amazing little alarm that:

  • requires NO TRICKY INSTALLATION,
  • has NO UGLY CORDS,
  • and gives you NO EXCUSE not to be protected.

Did I mention that the alarm has a 10-year sealed battery that lasts a whopping 10-years? Meaning: no battery replacements or annoying late-night battery chirps. I’m sorry, but those drive me insane.

You literally take the alarm out of the box, flip the switch to the “on” position, and place it on a table. Be prepared for an activation chirp – it’s a bit “alarming” if you’re not expecting it.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the alarm blended into my décor. A crucial feature since you’ll need to put one on each level of your house and one in each bedroom.

Safety, Check! Now Onto the Cozy Part

If you don’t ski or snowboard, you end up spending a lot of time indoors during a New England winter. Being indoorsy by nature, our family makes the most of this time. Here are some things we like to do when the weather outside is frightful:

Girls playing Taco vs Burrito

1.) PLAY GAMES

Our girls are finally at an age where they can play games more exciting than Candyland (no offense to the classic). Lately, our favorites have been card games like Taco vs Burrito, and War. I’m dying to get everyone into Scrabble but I don’t want to push my luck.

Girl reading on yellow couch

2.) READ BOOKS

I absolutely adore reading and my kids are starting to show more of an interest. It was all a matter of finding the right book to motivate them. Thank you Dory Fantasmagory!

Girl with pug on yellow couch

3.) SNUGGLE THE PUPS

Dogs are nature’s heating pad.

4.) MOVIE MARATHONS

My husband was a film major and we have a deep appreciation for film and television in our house. There are so many amazing family movies available to stream. Our current favorite is We Can Be Heroes. It’s SO GOOD.

To make our house extra ready for coziness, I make sure we’re well-stocked on throw blankets in every room. We all like stacks of them when we settle down and relax.

First Alert CO alarm on table

So grab a blanket, a good book, and rest easy knowing that First Alert has you covered this winter.

Learn More

To learn more about CO safety or to purchase a reliable carbon monoxide alarm from First Alert, head over to their page!

Brianna Thomas

Brianna is the founder of Bloom in the Black, a home decor and DIY blog showing people how to personalize their home through simple projects, smart shopping, and good design. She encourages her readers to stop striving for their house to be “done,” and instead, make small, impactful changes one step at a time. Brianna’s work has been featured in publications such as House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Today.com.