Last December I was PUMPED to give my oldest nephew Simon (age 3) his Christmas gift. I had bought him a sleeping bag and filled it with candy and a card inviting him to a sleepover with his Auntie Lou (me). I promised a day full of candy, adventures and games. When Simon opened his present, he looked up with a pout on his lips and stated, “This isn’t what I wanted.” Honestly, I was disappointed because I thought he would be just as excited as I was. A few weeks later when we actually did have our sleepover, we both had a blast! In retrospect, I should’ve realized that a future activity with dreams of treats and surprises was probably hard for Simon to grasp. To help you avoid this auntie fauz pas, I’ve put together seven gift ideas for nieces and nephews that will delight both the kids and their parents. While many of the gifts apply to only children age 3 and younger, I think all aunts can glean some inspiration from this post. P.S. Be sure to read all the way down to the bottom to see how you can win an amazing gift package for your niece […]

Like I shared last week, being an aunt is truly the best. While the roles of daughter, sister, friend, etc. have been great, there is no better feeling than hearing the giggles of my silly nephews or getting a kiss from my sweet niece. While many of the assumptions of auntiehood are true (i.e. you get to spoil them rotten but not deal with the consequences of sugar rushes), there have been a surprising amount of lessons that I’ve learned through becoming an aunt that I didn’t expect. Some humorous, some serious, all true. Take a gander and read about the 10 lessons you learn when you become an aunt! 10 Lessons You Learn When You Become An Aunt Lesson #1. Always carry gummies. Bribery works, people! Enough said. If your niece or nephew is not old enough to eat gummies, yogurt melts also do the trick. Lesson #2. Take off your dangly earrings and fragile jewelry while you’re around your nieces and nephews. Babies and toddlers love to pull things (hair, necklaces, earrings, etc.), so keep those items out of their reach! My brother-in-law use to joke that it looked like I was preparing for a fight when I came over to watch […]

It was late December 2012, only a few days before Christmas, and my immediate family had gathered for dinner. My sister Bekah and I had been suspicious for a few weeks that our oldest sister, Faith, was pregnant. (Earlier that day, we even bought a baby’s first Christmas ornament.) To say that we were excited was an understatement. When my dad asked Faith if she wanted a drink and her husband Jamie quickly replied, “Oh, Faith’s not feeling well”, Bekah and I quickly exchanged hopeful looks. A few minutes later, Faith and Jamie said that they had presents for my mom and dad. As my parents simultaneously unwrapped onesies that said, “Grandma’s Favorite” and “Grandpa’s Sidekick”, cheers and happy tears erupted in the living room. It is one of my happiest memories. Speed ahead a few years and I am now the proud auntie of two adorable and sweet nephews and one beautiful and silly niece. Simon, age 3 Gus, 16 months old Aurellia, 13 months old Out of all of the roles I’ve played so far in my life (daughter, sister, friend, etc.), the one that I love and treasure the most is auntie. Over the next few weeks, […]