Discover Anissa's Favorite Things as a Babble Panel Member
- Brooke Amidei
- Jun 30
- 5 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Babble is waaaaaayyyyy more than just Brooke Babbling about her favorite recipes, products, books, fashion... A lot of what we're Babbling about on Instagram, in the Babble newsletter or here on our website comes from our Babble Panel.
What is the Babble Panel? It is a group of midlife women who we consult with daily. They share all the best stuff, and then we Babble about it! (It's like we're adding you to our group chat ;)!)
Starting this month, we're going to share with you each panel member's most favorite things. These are things they Babble about to everyone - items they simply cannot live without. Check out the list - you might find your next favorite thing.
Babble Panel Member: Anissa
Anissa has been Brooke’s ride-or-die since day one at Iowa State—literally. She’s a true Babble OG, having heard Brooke talk about Babble months (and months) before it ever launched. An Iowa girl by heart, but now a longtime Minnesotan, Anissa has spent the last 20+ years in the Twin Cities, where she and her husband are raising two awesome kids: a son who lives for bowling and golf, and a daughter who dances through life—sometimes literally.
An incredible mom, wife, friend, daughter and sister, she is all the things to all her people—every single day. Anissa and Brooke spend countless hours on Marco Polo sharing all the details of their days and lives, just like they did back in the dorms. Basically, she’s not just part of the Babble story—she’s woven into every chapter.
Anissa's Favorite Things:
1) ChatBooks
Preserving photos is a stressful thing for me. I am constantly worried about how I can preserve and commemorate the millions of photos we take each year. I do an annual Shutterfly book for the kids, as many families do. But I also wanted a general photo book that I would keep of our family history and activities for the year. Enter Chatbooks. Back in 2018 I made my first Chatbook and realized how easy it was! I just go onto the app and select the 6x6 softcover book and when importing the photos, I select Instagram and it takes all the photos I posted that year! Boom! DONE! Now that I have gotten older, I am not posting about my kids as much. So the last two years, I have taken photos from Instagram AND my camera roll...still super easy and it's done in 10 minutes!
Books start at $17 and go up to 366 pages. They typically have discount codes.
2) Favorite News Source: SmartHER News & Morning Brew
Getting the news can be tricky these days. You never know what the agenda is or if you are getting only one side of the story. When I started looking for good news outlets, I found TWO that I now swear by DAILY:
Instagram: SmartHER News
Her tagline is: Clear. Concise. Non-Partisan News
Her Instagram is good...she posts news stories and shows you both sides and asks questions you should be asking yourself when you see the latest events, allowing for you to form your own opinion. She's absolutely fantastic!
Morning Brew
I get this in my inbox every morning. Subscribe at www.morningbrew.com. It's a quick 5-minute read and shows different topics you should be in the know about. Even has a trivia at the bottom of each email if you're into that. This one just makes me feel like I semi-know what's going on in the world as I typically do not watch the news every day.
3) Favorite Podcast: True Crime Obsessed
Recapping your favorite True Crime documentaries with humor, heart, and sass!
I am a self proclaimed True Crime junkie....it's all I listen to when I'm in the car (sans kids of course). It's my go to when I'm traveling for work...makes the drive FLY by! But I want to highlight my current favorite these days: True Crime Obsessed. I catch myself laughing OUT LOUD in the car by myself listening to them. Morbid, I know, when they are talking about murder but somehow they just do it right.
4) My 2 Fav Decorating Tricks
My favorite decorating trick is PLANTS! They are an amazing addition to ANY space, they are gorgeous and quite literally bring life to any room! Can I also just say, if you are thinking about wallpaper...JUST DO IT. I hemmed and hawed on this wallpaper and now I wish I had done it a year ago! Just do it!!!!!!! I love these propagating vases from Babble as well as the other Plant Essentials we've Babbled about!
5) Favorite Life Hack
Use Lemon Essential Oil on anything you would use Goo Gone on. It smells good, it's natural, and it doesn't leave that greasy mess that Goo Gone does. I do it all the time on anything sticky.
6) Favorite Easy Meal: 20 minute Orzo Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata
My family and I have named this "Date Night Pasta." I found this on Half Baked Harvest and made it for a few at home date nights with my hubby and it was a hit.
Pro tip: You can easily sub out the prosciutto with bacon (we do that about 50% of the time) but the absolute MUST and highlight of the dish is the burrata!
7) Favorite Sneakers: adidas Women's VL Court Bold Sneaker
Cute, trendy, slight platform, and they are SUPER comfy! If you don't love red, that's ok...there are SO many colors to choose from! I honestly might buy another pair!
Need I say more? I use these EVERYWHERE in my home: at my drop station heading out to the garage, in my fridge for condiments, in my food pantry, on my get ready desk for makeup, in my cabinet for vitamins/supplements...the list goes ON and ON. Get them on Amazon.
9) Burn Hack
Back again talking Essential Oils. If you accidentally grab your hair straightener...not saying that I just did that....but IF you do, a burning heart beat starts to happen on the part that touched the heat...GRAB YOUR LAVENDER EO! I put a drop right on the red spot and immediately the throbbing and pain reduced and after another drop 20 minutes later. It was GONE! Believe me, this works! My husband is even a believer after burning his finger on my Dutch oven once!
(Note: This is also great on bee stings!)
Last, but definitely not least. I have worn this coat 3 times already this spring and I've gotten compliments EACH TIME! Comes is a lot of fun patterns too.
I am an Amazon Affiliate and can earn commission on certain purchases.
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