Aunt life: A little bag of fun

Did you read The Baby-sitters Club as a teen? I collected the junior version and then got stuck into my sister's collection when I was in high school. I loved that each babysitter had her own 'kid kit', which was filled with fun items and activities to keep her charges busy.

Over the holidays, I made a similar kit to entertain small visitors but mainly with my niece and nephew in mind. I figure they'll be coming over a lot more now that we live in the same city, and I plan to take it with me when I go over to babysit.

I bought one small item for each of the kids - Frozen-themed snap cards for my niece (who says she likes to 'win, win, win!'), and a Thomas the Tank Engine board book for my nephew that's about kindness and being yourself. I've also added a few things from around the house, like some animal babushka dolls (they're especially popular), Shaun Tan's beautiful book Tales from Outer Suburbia, some stickers... and some bubble wrap!

It's a big improvement from what we used to offer kids to play with (a tennis ball!) and I hope it'll be a novelty for the kids in our life. Plus, it fits neatly on a bookshelf where little hands can reach it :)

Aunt life: Baby gifts, simplified

I put a brownie slab in the post today. It was wrapped in foil, sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard, and then carefully slid into a padded bag. I hope it arrives in tact. The parcel is on its way to my friend Jemma, she had a baby girl a few weeks ago. Aside from the salted caramel brownie, there was just enough room in the package for a cute onesie and a handwritten note. When Jemma had her first baby, she asked me to make a breastfeeding cover with nipples on it... so I did.

When my friends first started having kids, I wanted to give something big and useful as a way of cheering them on and helping them prepare for the new baby. Back then I saved up for baby bags and slings but these days my gifts are a little simpler.

I've been sending two things - something soft and practical for the baby like a onesie or a bunny rug. Halycon Nights has awesome prints as does Target, which I discovered through Jodie's blog. Then I send something delicious for the rest of the family - like a big batch of choc chip cookies.

P.S How beautiful does this book for families sound?

Long weekend fun

How good are long weekends? This one was especially memorable, we had my family round for dinner and celebrated the wedding of two special men. Here are a few pics from my phone:

On Saturday we went to the best wedding - it was heartfelt and fun. Our friends James and Andy had their mothers walk them down the aisle (to applause!) and the grooms signed a petition for same sex marriage at the end of the ceremony. The guests did too. Love is love - here's one way to show your support.

We went to a cute wine bar for the reception and they served fries late in the night, just as everyone was starting to dance. I am still limping from dancing in silly shoes. It was worth it :)

My sister, brother-in-law and their two kids arrived in Canberra on Sunday night, on their way back from the Snowy Mountains. I made the quickest lasagna (with store-bought lasagna sheets) and picked up some special dessert supplies. My niece was impressed.

The next day we iced cookies, paid a visit to Tony's exhibition and went out for Korean food.

And somewhere in between we made one last trip to the night noodle markets for loaded fries and creme brulee ice cream. I picked up a few treats from the Mr Kitly pop up shop and made it to my favourite farmer's markets too. It was back to work today, I felt well rested and inspired by all of the good things in life.

Aunt life: Unexpected presents

When I first became an aunt, I found myself buying little presents for my niece all the time. Now I've started to receive a few presents for being an aunt, who knew there was such a thing?

My friend Vanessa gave me the cutest polka dotted overnight bag and a beautiful picture book when she passed through Canberra with her little boy (who was wearing his winter jumper!), and my sister and brother-in-law sent me home from my Sydney stay with the biggest box of fancy soaps and creams.

Speaking of surprise gifts, when I went to the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera show I picked up the catalogue for my sister because I knew she'd love the exhibition but might not get a chance to visit with a tiny baby. And for her little artist, I couldn't resist the Frida Kahlo book from the Little People, Big Dreams series.

And one more aunty thing that I know but sometimes forget - it is so nice to visit nieces and nephews at home. You get to see them in their own environment and they're often the most comfortable and happy. Everybody wins.

Aunt life: Moving in

Next week I'm catching the bus to Sydney and moving in with my sister and her family for a week. It'll be the first time I meet my nephew, who is two weeks old today. The plan is to help out around the house and mind my two-year-old niece as my brother-in-law heads back to work.

I'll be bringing a big jar of cookies (these ones feel extra special) and so many little gifts for my niece - a miniature bed for her favourite toy, pink pug socks from my friend Sally, a new book (most likely this one) and Peppa Pig cookie mix.

We were living in Wagga Wagga when my niece was born, and this time round I'm feeling lucky to be living just that little bit closer. I'm looking forward to holding my nephew for the first time, chatting to my sister and cooking for the family when I get the chance.

P.S The last time I stayed at my sister's place was for my hen's party, and I bought my sister, niece and I matching pyjamas for the occasion :)

Aunt life: Buying the winter jumper

I have a special nephew, my friend Vanessa's son, and this year I chose a thick woollen jumper to keep him warm this winter. It's a new tradition that started accidentally.

Soon after he was born, I stumbled across some hand knitted jumpers at a church hall in Blackheath. I bought a pale purple cardigan for my niece and a striped jumper for my special nephew. The following year my friend Sean bought the winter jumper, and this year I figured it must be my turn again :)

Tony helped me pick this one out, we made a day of it and he made sure I invested in something super warm - and not a cotton jumper with the cute animal face printed on the front. This one looks a little nordic, and I'm looking forward to hearing what he gets up to in it.

I love the idea of buying one special and practical thing and I have a feeling this tradition is going to continue for years.

Hanging out with a two-year-old

Late last week my sister texted with the best news - she had made a snap decision to come to Canberra for the weekend. I was so excited about seeing her and my niece and I started to plan a few fun things we could do together, and I got some great advice from a guy at work.

A sweet book for soon-to-be big sisters

Someone I know is going to be a big sister this year, and I happened to stumble across this book just in time. The little girl in it reminds me of my niece and all of the things she likes to do so exactly, making it touching and real.

The best gift for a two-year-old

With Tony's help, I bought an over the top present for our niece's second birthday - she loved it immediately and thankfully my sister and brother-in-law did too :)

A father's sweet photography project

Ever since his daughter Iris was a baby, graphic designer Paul Andrews has been snapping photos from her perspective and posting them on Instagram with the caption 'Iris’s view'. Paul’s partner Ana and I are friends from work, and I’ve loved seeing their daughter grow up via the series. Today, Paul shares how he started posting the photos and how long he plans to keep it up:

Alison's gorgeous family photos

My friend Alison has the most beautiful professional photos of her growing family. Today, the make-up artist and mother-of-two shares her tips for feeling confident and natural in front of a camera, even if you've just had a baby.

A great book for toddlers

I love buying books for my nieces and nephews, only sometimes it's hard to know what's good beyond the classics we grew up with, which they probably already own.

My friend Vanessa pointed out a board book that was given to her son and I flipped through it at his birthday party. The book is called Oh No, George! and it's a beautifully designed book about a dog who really wants to be good but has trouble resisting temptations - like an unattended cake.

It's simply written, funny and has a wonderful message for kids. It even has a philosophical quote on the back page for parents too. I found a copy at my favourite kid's shop in Summer Hill, Sydney and have since bought another two copies, which I'm saving for my nephew and a friend's first baby.

P.S - My favourite picture book as a child was There's a Hippoptomus On Our Roof Eating Cake and I'd love to buy this book for my niece when she's a little older.

Wedding: Gifts for our littlest guests

We had about 10 kids at our wedding, from primary schoolers to a little guy who was just 6 days old, so I borrowed a lovely idea from my friend Angela and made sure everyone had a little surprise waiting at their seat.

Thankfully, most of the kids were under one and I had some idea of what they might like, having spent a lot of time with my nine-month-old niece. The babies received a mini Dr Seuss board book, a rusk stick to munch on and a small soft toy on wheels that had crunchy ears.

The brothers who were closer to 10 found a box of Lego waiting for them that could make three different types of vehicles. Having grown up with an older sister, I totally stewed over whether to get them the same thing or slightly different things, I went with slightly different so they could trade.

For a little girl who was closer to 5, I found a Little Miss wedding themed colouring-in book, bought some crayons and also included a few sheets of neon pink star stickers that I had at home. My budget was $10 per little one and I just made it, mainly by shopping at places like Big W and buying things in packs where possible.

The presents were a hit! Some parents saved them for when their babies were getting wriggly and the bigger kids seemed really entertained and happy for the seated part of the reception.

Some of my favourite memories of the day came from having kids around - things like seeing my brother-in-law dance with his baby girl during the wedding waltz, catching a glimpse of one little guy wearing wrapping paper as a hat and chewing on his board book, and walking into the bridal room to see two girlfriends who'd met at my hen's party chatting whilst breastfeeding their bubs.

We found a couple of other small things made parents (especially new parents) feel really comfortable at the wedding. We made sure they felt welcome to use the bridal room to store their things and for quiet time. The venue was really great with this and even plated up some canapes for the breastfeeding mums to snack on in the room.

There was also a disabled toilet in a different part of the venue, which became the impromptu change area for most of the babies and because there were lots of stairs on the way down to the restaurant, we made sure parents could avoid them, even if it was for a drop-off/pick-up scenario.

My friend Angela also had a babysitter at her wedding, how thoughtful is that? By the time dessert and dancing had rolled around, I remember lots of her nieces and nephews being asleep on the mezzanine level under a watchful eye, while their parents danced.

Photos by Wattle + Lace.

Food I make for friends

Last year when my nephew was born and I was living in Sydney, I started making up care packages to drop off on weekends. Since then, making food for new parents has become one of my most favourite things to do.

I love to cook and cooking for new parents brings me a special kind of joy. It's celebratory and nourishing too and I love fussing over little things like packaging and meal combinations. I also love making the drop offs, it's the nicest excuse to check-in and is hopefully without the pressure of a proper visit.

When I'm planning a care package I try to make three things - a main meal, something sweet and a healthy snack or easy breakfast. If I'm pressed for time, I'll skip the main meal and if I have the day off, I'll ask if there are any special requests.

Lately, I've been making these salted chocolate chip cookies, which I hear are good for visitors and almond and date bars from Smitten Kitchen's cookbook, which I hear make a delicious midnight snack.

In the past I've also made cranberry and coconut granola, these blueberry, oat and yoghurt muffins - after my sister-in-law told me that oats were great for breastfeeding - and granola parfaits. Now that it's getting cooler, I'd love to make an apple pie, it's the ultimate comfort food.

It's fun to add little gifts too, like a cute nightie, a packet of Thank You cards, a bottle of wine or even a baby book, a tub of fancy ice cream or a funny DVD. 

I'm excited to make another drop off tomorrow and something nice - some of my friends call me the food fairy :)

What I buy for one-year-olds

I've just come back from a first birthday party and thought I'd share a few tried-and-true gift ideas because buying for babies can be surprisingly tricky, especially if you don't have any of your own.

I really like these gorgeous ride-on animals, which my friend Kristy recommended (her son has the pig!). They're great as special presents. I bought the small wheely bee for my niece and teamed up with a friend to buy the cow for our nephew. They're surprisingly small and are made from wood and leather, which makes them lovely keepsakes too. Most importantly, they've been a hit!

For smaller presents, you could buy a board book about their favourite animal (I bought this one for my niece), an insulated lunch bag with their name on it (for all of their snacks) or anything bubble related like a bubble machine. If you choose the latter, just make sure you have the toy set up and ready to go so you're not fussing around with batteries and bubble liquid. I've totally made this mistake before :)

P.S Speaking of first birthdays, this is my favourite ever smash-cake story!

Three rainy day pastas

We ate pasta on Valentine's Day,  a big bowl of lamb bolognese with spaghetti each to be specific and it was great. Most years, my birthday meal is a pasta too. If you share my love of pasta, I reckon you'll like these three recipes, they're easy to make and delicious.

1. Donna Hay's slow-cooked beef ragu

I have a soft spot for tomatoey pastas and this is one of my favourites. It's birthday-dinner worthy. My friend Angie introduced me to this recipe while I was staying with her late last year and I've made it so many times since! It's a really good one to cook for new parents because it's rich, comforting and easy to transport. Also you're actively cooking for about 15 minutes and the oven does the rest.

I use beef cheeks (which are often called ox cheeks) for this dish. You don't need to worry about trimming the fat from the meat because you can pull it off easily after it comes out of the oven.

2. Joy the Baker's one-pot french onion pasta

If I'm cooking for vegetarians, I make this dish using a vegetable-based chicken stock (if that makes sense) like the Massel brand. I made this pasta just last week and it's so yummy, and kind of genius how it all cooks in one pot. This is a great one for a simple dinner party, where you can have it on the stove, make a few sides and not fuss too much in the kitchen.

3. Smitten Kitchen's tomato sauce with butter and onion

My sister sent this recipe to me years ago, and we've been making it ever since. I'm a big fan of Smitten Kitchen recipes and this one is a reliable last-minute dinner, with simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. The butter is an excellent addition.

P.S - My most favourite places to go out for pasta are Italian & Sons in Canberra, A Tavola and Fratelli Fresh in Sydney (or Buon Ricordo if it's a special occasion) and Mates Gully Organics in Wagga Wagga.