Internet’s Favorite Grandma Babs Costello, 77, Shares Her Secrets to Making Any Home Feel Like ‘Heaven on Earth’
The 'Brunch with Babs' star reveals how she fills her house with joy, peace and sweet memories
Key Takeaways
- Babs Costello is the mastermind behind @BrunchWithBabs and has built an empire.
- The "internet's favorite grandma" has taught millions how to host, cook and care for a home.
- Here, she opens up to Woman's World as our cover girl about her current chapter.
Millions know Barbara “Babs” Costello as the warm, reassuring mom and grandmother behind Instagram’s @BrunchWithBabs. With her comforting recipes, sweet catchphrases and easy household shortcuts, the former preschool teacher has become a trusted guide to everything from folding fitted sheets to hosting the holidays.
Babs’ unexpected second act began during the pandemic, when her daughter, Elizabeth Ariola, persuaded her to film a few videos in the kitchen. Viewers embraced her bite-size advice—and the feeling that someone capable and caring was looking through the screen and saying, “You can do this, sweetheart.”
Today, Babs—lovingly known as the internet’s favorite grandmother—has millions of followers, four books and a thriving business she runs alongside Elizabeth. Her newest release, Homemaking With Babs, is both a beautifully photographed guide and a practical owner’s manual for creating a home that functions well and feels good. I visited Babs in the sun porch just off the kitchen of her newly renovated Connecticut home, called the Basket House. After greeting me with a basket of pastries and giving me a tour of her lush garden, Babs sat down to talk about the new book—and what matters most to her when it comes to making a house a home.
Why home brings peace
Babs rose to internet fame in 2020 by sharing her simple home hacks and recipes. “During the pandemic, home became your office, your school and your safe place,” Babs tells Woman’s World as our cover girl (get your copy here!). “People were spending more time there than ever before, and they began to realize that the way their home functions affects the way they feel.
“When you walk into a space where everything feels chaotic, you may feel chaotic inside, too. But when things are somewhat organized—not perfect, just cared for—it can bring a sense of calm. I was sharing home hacks and organizational tips, and I don’t think people felt overwhelmed by them. I wasn’t saying, ‘You have to make your house perfect.’ I was teaching little things they could use along the way.”
Grandma always knows best
When asked about her skills around the house, Babs credits her mother and grandmother. “My grandmother came from Italy, didn’t speak much English and raised nine children. My mother worked outside the home, but she was still an amazing cook and housekeeper. We thought those abilities came naturally to them, but they didn’t. Someone taught them, then they taught us.
“I became an approachable mom or grandmother online who was happy to pass those things along. And perhaps people also felt reassured: Here is this mom or grandma figure saying, ‘Everything is going to be okay.’”
Creating the famous Basket House
“At one time my daughter lived four or five doors away from this house. To visit her, I had to cross a one-lane bridge over the river, and every time I crossed it, I would see this adorable little home practically sitting on the riverbank,” Babs recalls. “I could close my eyes and imagine it in Provence. I
wondered what it looked like inside.
“Then, lo and behold, it came on the market. As fate would have it, we bought it and the rest is history.
“The house was originally built in 1830 as a blacksmith shop. Around 1850, it became a basket shop—perhaps they soaked reeds in the river and wove the baskets here—and in 1890 it became a private residence.
“Over the years, it has mostly been home to artists, actors and writers. There is such a wonderful creative energy here.”
Renovations with intentions
Babs describes the Basket House project as a true labor of love.
“We went through a major restoration, but we also had to make it work as our family home. Mr. Babs and I are empty nesters now, yet we also have four children, their spouses and lots of grandchildren. So we thought carefully about gathering spaces.
“The kitchen had to have a very large island because everyone eventually ends up there. There is room for lots of cutting boards, so everybody can pitch in and participate.
“We turned an old greenhouse into the sun-filled dining room where we’re sitting now, transformed an outdoor porch into a banquette area and then created a cozy family-room library filled with nearly 1,000 cookbooks.
“It isn’t the biggest home, but there are comfortable nooks and gathering places everywhere. At Christmas, we needed to seat 12 people at this table, so we placed a large sheet of plywood on top, padded it, covered it with a tablecloth and made one huge table. The younger grandchildren sat together at the banquette.
“We call the banquette table the ‘kids’ area.’ But I ate at the ‘kids’ table’ for years. Even after I was married! I come from a big Italian family. You just have to make your home work for your family.”
Her 15-minute secret
“I was a preschool teacher, so everything I present is broken into manageable pieces. The advice in this book is life-tested. It’s meant to empower you.
“The Babs Method is simply spending 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening getting ahead before the chaos of the day takes over. Set a timer. You would be amazed by how much you can accomplish when you are trying to simply beat the clock.
“For instance, you might load the washing machine before bed and use the delayed-start setting. It runs early, and you can move everything into the dryer before breakfast.”
Less is more
Babs’ philosophy on to-do lists and getting it all done? Keep it simple! “When I was younger, I always kept a very simple index-card system organized by what needed to be done daily, weekly and monthly. One friend saw it and said, ‘There’s no way you’ll ever do all of that!’ He was partly right. You do have to simplify. Otherwise, you’re overwhelmed.
“That is also why the new book is organized by season. First, you put the everyday basics in place. Then you care for your household according to the rhythms of the year, because that’s how we naturally live our lives.”
Make sweet memories
“My love language is food. When my children were growing up, I made their favorite meals and created traditions around them,” she says. “On birthdays, I would make pancakes shaped like their new age and serve them in bed—even on a school day.
“It’s about making food with intention. Certain foods or meals you have during certain times of year become even more special. It’s like weaving the history into your family traditions. I want to pass these things down to my kids and show them life is fun.
“Your home is your own little slice of heaven on earth. It is where the people you love most in the world live and where memories are made. Every home is unique because every family is unique—whether yours is a family of one or a family of 14. Your home is a reflection of you, and there is only one you!”
Build a legacy of love
“I hope my grandchildren remember what we did together here: fishing in the river—we do catch fish in that river!” she says, smiling. “Making cookies, roasting s’mores over the fire pit and celebrating around the table. I don’t think they’ll remember whether everything was perfectly organized.
“There’s a line from Mother Teresa that I love: ‘Do small things with great love.’ That’s what homemaking means to me. It isn’t about perfection. It’s about caring for the people you love at home.”
Don’t miss Babs Costello’s new book!
Babs calls her new tome, Homemaking With Babs, “the owner’s manual every home deserves.” Organized by season, it begins with simple routines, then walks readers through cleaning, entertaining and more throughout the year. The guide is also deeply researched. “People trust me, and I never want to violate that trust,” Babs says. “We had each solution tested by third parties.”
Dedicated to her 95-year-old Aunt Dolores—“the cleaning goddess of our family”—the book blends generations of household wisdom with Babs’ own hard-earned lessons of love.
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