Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a Comedienne, Host & Lifestyle expert. I live in Los Angeles, CA by way of Middlesboro, KY and I try to bring the southern hospitality to California. I’m best known as the Emmy-winning Yard Sale Diva & Organizer from Clean House on the Style Network. I’m also a contributor to Woman’s Day Magazine.





Are you an Auntie By Relation, Auntie By Choice, Godmother, Mommy Auntie or Other?
I am Auntie By choice & a Godmother by the grace of God.

How long have you been a Savvy Auntie?
I’ve been an Auntie for 13 ½ years… How many nieces, nephews and godchildren do you have? I’m at 20 and counting...girl…I swear I need a flow chart to keep up with them all! Thank goodness my iPhone has birthday alerts!

What do the kids call you?
Most of the them call Me Aunt Trish….but there a couple of Auntie Trish’s in there too!

What’s the best thing about an Auntie?
The best part about being an Auntie, is getting to be there for all the fun stuff… You’re always the one they get excited to see, they know that they have to behave when they’re with me or I “abort mission” so everyone’s usually on their best behavior and we still get to have a ball!

What’s your Auntie expertise? Are you crafty, sporty, and good at mending booboos?
I’m pretty much a full service Auntie…I’ve been there done that…from someone throwing up in the car to taking a pottery class together, to surfing at the beach…I love to be a part of the experiences that they are going to remember forever.

Changing diapers:  bonding experience or total yuck?
Diapers are more of a bonding experience to the parents…all of my friends know that if Auntie Trish is over, I have their back…I’m not just there to pump their kids full of treats and be silly…although I’m amazing at that!

What’s the first book you ever read to them or song you ever sung to them?
I truly don’t remember the first book I ever read to them…but I do know that the most memorable books that I always buy all of the small people (what I call all kids) in my life are “The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly stupid tales” as well as ”Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” I totally get into reading books I act them out and get super excited to have them help me act it out… I’m helping them all be mini comedians… Laughter is universal and I think everyone needs to be good at it.

Most fun activity you ever did with them?
I would say our trips to Disneyland…because most of my God kids live in Southern California…(as I do) we all have annual passports to Disneyland which means we can go pretty much, whenever the mood strikes us… what’s also great is that I can surprise them and pick them up after school and take them down for a quick trip to ride a couple of rides and eat dinner… (With their parents permission of course) it’s fun to do it out of the blue…. and they usually like it better when it’s a quick trip.

Best gift you ever bought them?
I just got my oldest Goddaughter Emily an old school Pink beach cruiser for her birthday…she just turned 11 and I asked her what she wanted and she said a cool bike like yours Aunt Trish (I have a purple one) so naturally I had to help her on the path to fabulousness…

Spoiling: Auntie’s prerogative or Never a good idea
Prerogative… honestly…I spoil with events not stuff….they’ll NEVER look back and remember that you bought them a big roll of bubble gum tape at the store, but they will remember that you took them out in their jammies with hot chocolate and drove around looking at Christmas lights and singing Christmas songs…

What’s the worst mistake you ever made with the kids?
I think I’ve blocked it out…honestly nothing’s been that bad… Or, greatest lesson you ever learned? That the parents rules are your rules…each family is different so are their rules…you have to be respectful of that so you don’t help create little monsters (not in a lady gaga way) and you didn’t even mean too.

What do you keep in your bag when you’re taking care of the kids?
Wet One Wipes, had sanitizer, Trader Joe's Fruit leathers and 100 calorie packs of Goldfish… it’s the Auntie Emergency kit

What do you cherish most about your nieces and nephews?
All their different personalities… they teach me something new everyday and I’m so grateful.

What do they love most about you?
Probably that I’m a goofball…and I’m always spontaneous.

Who are the Aunties, past, present, personal or public, that you look up to?
I always look up to my Aunt Joan and my Aunt Theresa…They are both Auntie’s by relation (my mother’s sisters) but they truly are them woman I wanted to be rolled into 1 person My Aunt Theresa never had kids and she is also my Godmother and she always helped me see the potential of who I could be. My Aunt Joan was always so magical…always baking and telling awesome stories so I got a lot of my imagination from her… I’m really blessed to have amazing Auntie roll models.

What are your words of advice for other Savvy Aunties?
Be authentic…all the kids in my life love me just the way I am…and vice versa, they all know if you need me I’m there…be it a school play, making cookies for school or just to talk…you call Aunt Trish…and I’m honored.

Published: January 3, 2012