The Unofficial Sister Podcast

Abby bought everything the internet told her to buy and she still has the worst acne of her life. That turns into the most honest conversation we've had about influencing, from both sides of it.

It's September favorites this week. Emi painted two rooms by herself, badly, and has thoughts about why the best homes get collected over years instead of bought in a weekend. Abby found a $150 antique pie hutch we swoon over.

Also: 100% cotton sweaters only, the French rule about always leaving one thing undone, a caffeine-free fall drink Abby has perfected, the adult swaddle we are both obsessed with, and four new Taylor Swift songs that we are asking you to sit with for 72 hours before you form an opinion.

We also talk about General Conference, a South African greeting that means "I see you," and why the response to the "what to text instead of let me know if you need anything" list has been the most moving thing to happen on Emi's page.

Find Emi: instagram.com/emi.naegle
New episodes every Monday.

Everyone makes a list of what to start. Abby made a list of what to stop.

September has always felt more like a new year than January does, so this week we're talking about the fall reset. Abby shares two things she's stopping and Emi's plan which includes overalls and short Hunter boots, which are apparently back.

We are both concerned about Dancing With the Stars.

And a question worth stealing for your next dinner: if you had enough money that you never had to work again, you couldn't travel, and you were guaranteed to succeed at whatever you chose, what would you do with your life?

Tell us what you're stopping (or starting) this fall. Send Emi a DM!

No codes this week. Clean Simple Eats retired creator discount codes, so we've got nothing to give you. But always try EMI10 on a hope and a prayer.

Find Emi: www.instagram.com/emi.naegle
New episodes every Monday!

"Let me know if you need anything" is one more decision for someone who can't make another one. So here's the list.

It's just me this week while Abby and Lizzie are on a girls' trip in Austin (tell Abby you miss her). I share what I've been working out about why this podcast and my Instagram exist, and the answer is the same for both: I want to hand down the good things. Then the mental load assessment Andrew and I took, and the moment he realized one brain really does hold all of it.

The main topic is a real, specific list of ways to show up for someone who's grieving, overwhelmed, sick, or just drowning. Food drops that beat a cookie box, the boring necessities nobody thinks to bring, logistics you can take off their plate, what to text when you don't know what to say, and why you should put their hard dates in your calendar.

Plus: the new Sister Wives trailer, Matthew McConaughey's $14.5 million no, three research-backed ways to raise siblings who stay close, our birthday wish tradition, and whether I actually like the bone broth hot cocoa.

Save this one for the next time someone you love says they're fine.

What we talked about:

1. The mental load assessment: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdSHTSuErz1/?img_index=1
2. Sister Wives new season trailer: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdP-ludh1pC/
3. Matthew McConaughey, the $14.5 million gamble: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPB_ulpjVv7/
4. Ballerina Farm bone broth hot cocoa: https://go.shopmy.us/p-85204170
5. Beehive Meals, code EMI saves you money: https://beehivemeals.com/

If you have an idea for the list, send it to me. The more specific the better!
Follow along: instagram.com/emi.naegle
New episodes every Monday.

Follow along: https://instagram.com/emi.naegle
More recipes and finds: https://eminaegle.substack.com/
New episodes every Monday.

What's the point of social media if it goes in one ear and out the other?

This week we're talking about the reels and TikToks that actually stuck. The ones that made us stop, think, text each other, and change something. Abby brings a Brené Brown clip about why 50/50 is a lie and what to do when you've only got 20% to give. Emi brings a video about life as a spinning coin, and why you have to pick it up and spin it again. We also cover the greatest showman audition that makes us both cry, why sad music makes you feel less alone, the correct time and place to scroll (treadmill, headphones, children asleep), and the fact that George W. Bush and Michelle Obama are best friends.

If you have a sister, we hope we sound just like her. If you don't, we'll gladly be yours.

Everything we talked about:

1. Brené Brown on the 50/50 marriage myth: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtHIjTXg5Bp/
2. Jacob X Stefan, life is a spinning coin: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbEwZmxNfOP/
3. Stephen Nedoroscik & Rylee Arnold, Dancing with the Stars freestyle to Viva La Vida: https://www.instagram.com/p/DC4iji3RQrL/
4. Keala Settle, "This Is Me" first sing-through: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc6BoHlPZot/
5. Noah Kahan on sad music (clipped by Tyson Ray Borsboom): https://www.instagram.com/p/DXssSWGkyQa/
6. Jamie Miller, the Joey Graziadei version: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdEa7ajCjWV/
7. Stories With Kiki, village isn't a place, it's a behavior: https://www.instagram.com/p/DabGRfQyCBr/
8. The pilot who taped a camera to the cockpit window: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc_nEz0u3z2/

We're back after a two-month summer hiatus, and there's a lot to catch up on. We get into Abby's new house in Oklahoma, Emi's surprise new pets, a family trip to Scotland and why it's so special, and the bittersweet send-off as our little brother finally left for his mission. Then we spend the back half breaking down the entire new Dancing With the Stars cast. Who everyone is, our hot takes on the pairings, and exactly who we're rooting for (and who we're not). A cozy, chatty, no-real inspiration but lots of giggles kind of episode.

It's just the oldest sister today (but please don't go!). We talk about the neighborhood pancake breakfast and why showing up for your community is worth the early morning, rank the best (and most overrated) Fourth of July foods, and get a little tender about a Peloton ride and what it means to want to do it all without being able to hold it all. Then I to an abridged essay on coming around to Taylor Swift's Madison Square Garden wedding and why The Lucky One was never actually an Easter egg.

We're back after a little unplanned break and there's a lot to catch up on. We get into the great "90s summer" debate (why does every season need a label?), Abby's San Antonio boredom era featuring markers and an adult coloring book, and her official review of SeaWorld. Then we get to our (late) Spring favorites the products, routines, and little things that carried us through the month. A low-key, high-comfort episode that mostly just feels like a long overdue FaceTime.

It's just the oldest sister today. Abby's at SeaWorld (don't cancel us), so I'm taking you down an Olivia Rodrigo rabbit hole solo. With her new album coming out, I wanted to actually figure out who she is: the Bizaardvark of it all, how drivers license broke records, the Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter lore (which I get fully lost in), the songwriting credit drama with Taylor, and where GUTS landed. Plus a little catch-up, some of the sweetest listener reviews, and a behind-the-scenes listener Q&A about how content creators actually make money from links.

We finally made it to Disneyland, and we have a lot to say. We recap our two days at Disneyland and California Adventure, including a full food ranking, the light parade that genuinely changed us, and the story of Nellie getting off Space Mountain mid-loading dock. We also cover what to wear on your feet, how to handle the Lightning Lane app without losing your mind, and why you should always listen when your mom hands you medical grade puke bags before a road trip. Catching up to start, of course, and Taylor Swift style theories and a very important double date question to close it out.

Happy (late) Mother's Day! We're ending the day the best way we know how. Abby is officially in San Antonio and we catch up on everything: flying alone with a one year old and a very unfortunate diaper situation, what it's like being the long distance sister, and the Mother's Day feelings that are hard to put into words. Emi shares a vulnerable health update and what it means to finally make an appointment she's been avoiding. We also answer the most asked question of the month, how did you learn to play Mahjong??? And Abby bears her full testimony of it. Plus a Bachelor Nation sighting that Abby has been saving for the pod all week.