My 2020 posts are cringe worthy, but I’m keeping them

Posted On November 20, 2025

So why would my website be so perfect that I seem like I’ve got it all together?

Spoiler alert: I don’t, and I’m not pretending I do.

I’m a REAL wife, mom, and business owner who’s figuring things out as I go, just like you. And if I’m going to talk about authentic marketing and real parenting advice, I can’t turn around and make my website look like I magically became a perfect writer overnight.

That would be fake, and we don’t do fake here.👇

Mama Blog + Product Line + Business = One Full-Circle Website

You’re probably wondering why I’ve got a mama blog, a bath and body product line, AND a marketing business all living together on this one website.

Like, girl, pick a lane? 🤪

Nope, this is the lane, all of it together, because everything I have done has brought me to this point in my journey. I started one thing because of the other.

For 17 years, I ran an in-home daycare and helped and treated all of those kids just like my own. I loved helping them with issues such as a picky eater that I could get to eat anything, the one we finally figured out what helped his acid reflux, or using certain kid approved essential oils to soothe an overanxious toddler.

I got to where I knew all the tips and tricks that worked, and if I didn’t, I would research till I figured it out.

People would literally stop me at the grocery store asking what helped with their kid’s stomach issues or what I thought about their symptoms. My girls and husband all have a gluten & dairy intolerance to what I call mainstream food, so I have hours and hours of knowledge backed by real life trials to share.

And then we’d talk, and talk, and talk some more. Like, an HOUR later kind of talking.

I’m pretty SURE some of those people wished they’d never asked for my advice! 😂

But I had so much to say, I couldn’t help it! When you ask me about wellness and natural solutions, buckle up because we’re going on a journey.

After one particularly long conversation where I definitely held someone hostage in the produce aisle, it hit me: I need to put all this knowledge and all my recipes into a blog so people could CHOOSE to read it or not, instead of being trapped listening to me go on about spelt flour while their ice cream melts in the cart. (Sorry, not sorry 🤣)

So, I started this blog, Pure & Simple Mama, to share what I knew, then I started making the bath and body products my own family uses, and then I started writing for wellness brands I actually believe in.

It’s all connected, like those friendship bracelets we made as kids, messy but it all ties together.

Each thing led to the next, and everything I’ve done has brought me to this point.

(Want to read more about my journey? Check out my post about why I can’t stand fake marketing.)

But I had determination, YouTube tutorials (shoutout to Blogging with Ben!), and possibly too much coffee. I was up till all hours of the night trying to get the blog like I wanted because nighttime was the only quiet time I had to really work on it.

My beginning posts? Oof, they’re not good (lol). You’ll know it if you scroll back far enough, it’s like finding your old MySpace photos, total cringe city. 😮

I thought about deleting them or at least giving them a total makeover so they don’t look so rookie.

But then it hit me: I’m “Pure & Simple,” and that means I keep it REAL.

If I scrub away all the evidence of where I started, I’m basically lying to you about my writing journey.

Nope, not doing it.

My old blog posts have grown as I’ve grown, and honestly, that’s kind of cool to see.

Here’s the Good Stuff (Recipes, Tips, and Real Talk)

I’m not deleting anything, I’m ADDING to it, growing it, making it better.

Here’s what’s on this website:

• My cringey old posts from 2020 (they’re a vibe, just not a good one lol)
• My newer posts where I actually know what I’m doing
• Real food recipes I make (not the ones that require 47 ingredients you don’t have)
• Bath and body product recipes and the stuff I actually sell
• Natural supplements and wellness tips I use with my own family
• Parenting advice I’ve been giving for years (the kind that actually works)
• All my tips and tricks from alternative flours to making your own products
• Shoutouts to companies I genuinely use and trust (no random sponsorships here)
• My FREE “How to Parent Like a Boss” email course

Every week I’m adding more recipes, product spotlights, and real advice that actually helps.

Zero Clickbait, Pop-Ups, or Annoying Ads (You’re Welcome)

No clickbait, no pop-ups attacking you like you owe them money, no ads blocking the actual content you’re trying to read.

I hate that stuff, it’s the digital equivalent of someone standing too close to you in line.

And you know what? People have told me they love reading my blog and grabbing recipes because it doesn’t have clickbait and constant pop-ups, and I LOVE that compliment and will keep it Pure & Simple!

The only companies you’ll see mentioned here are ones I actually use and recommend, in my sidebar or in posts where I’m telling you WHY I love them.

No random ads, no “sponsored by” junk I don’t even believe in.

I know this breaks all the “how to make money from your blog” rules (pop-ups! ads! clickbait! more pop-ups!), but maybe I can start a trend of websites that don’t make you want to throw your phone across the room.

Let’s Stay Connected (I Promise No Spam)

If you’re tired of perfect Instagram moms and fake marketing, you’re in the right place.

Here’s how to stay connected:

1. Grab my FREE “How to Parent Like a Boss” email course – 5 days of real, honest parenting advice that actually works
2. Bookmark this site and come back every week for new recipes, wellness tips, and real talk
3. Follow me on LinkedIn for behind-the-scenes of running a real business (spoiler: it’s messy)

Thanks for being here, thanks for not judging my 2020 posts too harshly (okay, you can judge a little), and thanks for seeing the real me, mess and all.

Alicia

P.S. Seriously though, if you go back and read those 2020 posts, just remember we were all trying to survive that year, so cut me some slack. 😂