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Are You My Cousin? Newsletter

Actionable genealogy advice that you'll want to save in a special Gmail folder to grow your healthy family tree, sent weekly to 10,000+ readers.

Hi there! I'm Lisa Lisson, and I'm passionate about helping people like you discover their ancestors and expand their family tree without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the next steps.

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Featured Post

šŸ§© What most genealogy research skips over

Hi, Reader, One of the advantages of doing genealogy for a long time is that you start to see the same problems show up again and again ā€” even when the records, tools, and technology change. Most research stalls not because records are missing, but because something important gets skipped early on. Whatā€™s usually skipped isnā€™t effort. You work hard. You gather records, build timelines, and follow leads. The gap shows up elsewhere ā€” in how evidence is weighed, how assumptions creep in, and how...

3 days agoĀ ā€¢Ā 1 min read

Hi, Reader, A very (very!) belated Happy New Year! I hope your 2026 got off to a fabulous start. You may have noticed, I have not been in your inbox for a while. The last couple of months of been quite full of travel and family. Coupled with 2 years of big life events, I decided to take time off to simply rest. I hadn't realized quite how much I needed it. But I'm back in your inbox and ready to talk genealogy! Lately, Iā€™ve been thinking about how we approach our research. When weā€™re...

17 days agoĀ ā€¢Ā 1 min read
Vintage christmas postcard

Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, Last week I talked about capturing family stories during December gatherings. This week is about what comes next: finding the records that bring those stories to life. Your aunt remembers that great-grandmother worked...

3 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 3 min read
Vintage christmas postcard

Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, December genealogy is different. Not because the records change or the databases improve. But because your relatives are actually in the same room togetherā€”or at least answering the phone when you call. The stories...

3 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 4 min read

Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, Tomorrow is šŸ¦ƒThanksgiving, which means two things for genealogists: family stories within reach, and Black Friday genealogy deals right around the corner. Let's tackle both before you dive into turkey and chaos. šŸ“–...

3 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 2 min read
hands wrapping Christmas gifts

Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, Let's talk about Black Fridayā€”the REAL genealogy shopping season. Before the inbox chaos hits next week, let me share what's actually on my shopping list and how I think about Black Friday genealogy deals. šŸ“¹ Coming...

3 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 2 min read

AreyoumycousinNov25 Gain deeper insights into the lives that shaped yours Weā€™re excited to share an exclusive offer for Are you my cousin? members: 50% off MyHeritageā€™s most popular subscription! This offer is valid from November 14th through November 17th. Join now and save 50% Make your family tree bloom Give your tree unlimited space to grow, and add new information with Smart Matchesā„¢ and Instant Discoveriesā„¢. Access BILLIONS of historical records Explore our huge database of 34 billion...

3 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 1 min read

AreyoumycousinNov25 Gain deeper insights into the lives that shaped yours Weā€™re excited to share an exclusive offer for Are you my cousin? members: 50% off MyHeritageā€™s most popular subscription! This offer is valid from November 14th through November 17th. Join now and save 50% Make your family tree bloom Give your tree unlimited space to grow, and add new information with Smart Matchesā„¢ and Instant Discoveriesā„¢. Access BILLIONS of historical records Explore our huge database of 34 billion...

4 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 1 min read
Black and white photo of woman holding child, red santa hat

Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, Halloween always goes big on my street. 500+ trick-or-treaters, fog machines, the full production. The running joke among the neighbors: Is November 1st too early to put up the Christmas decorations? (My neighbors are...

4 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 2 min read
hand tying ribbon on christmas presents

Welcome to the Are You My Cousin? newsletter! Each week, I share practical family history advice - whether you're solving genealogy mysteries or capturing the stories that make your family unique. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe so you never miss an issue. Hi Reader, I got a call recently from my daughter who's already planning her Christmas shopping. She's way ahead of me, but it got me thinking about my own holiday listā€”and helping you with yours, too. Let's be honest: shopping...

4 months agoĀ ā€¢Ā 3 min read