The Pretty Truth Archive
Every blog post in one place. 58 honest pieces on confidence, friendship, midlife, teaching, and starting over with your whole heart.
Maybe Our Kids Don’t Need a Perfect Childhood
I am just going to say it. I hate gentle parenting. Not being gentle with children, but the version that has convinced mothers we are damaging our kids if we are not calm and…
Read post →Back to School: A Mom’s Completely Honest Version
Back to school from a mom’s completely honest point of view. It is exciting, emotional, expensive, and no matter how prepared you are, somebody announces they need poster board at…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Wearing a Bathing Suit in Midlife
The Pretty Truth about wearing a bathing suit in midlife. You do not need a perfect bathing suit body. You need a bathing suit, a little permission, and the courage to stop…
Read post →The Day I Got on Social Media to Get Confident and Stayed Insecure for Eighteen More Months
A confession from someone who is supposed to know about confidence.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Getting Older and Getting Checked
At 46, I booked my first colonoscopy. The Pretty Truth about why preventative screenings matter in midlife, and why caring for yourself is one of the most loving things you can do…
Read post →How to Make a Decision Without Spiraling for Three Days
A practical, slightly funny guide for women who can’t seem to commit to a sandwich.
Read post →You Don’t Have to Start Over
A pretty truth about the lie that fixing your life means blowing it up.
Read post →Why You Feel “Off” When Your Life Looks Fine on Paper
The exhaustion no one warns women about in midlife isn’t physical. Here’s what to actually call it.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About AI: It’s Not Just for Tech People
AI sounds intimidating, but it is just a tool that can help you think, write, organize, and get through the day with a little more breathing room. You do not have to be techy. You…
Read post →Unfollowing Anything That Makes You Feel Less Than
Your social media should inspire you, not make you question your worth. You are allowed to unfollow anything that consistently leaves you feeling behind, smaller, or like your…
Read post →How To Take Yourself Seriously
Taking yourself seriously is not about becoming louder or suddenly fearless. It is the quieter, harder work of treating your ideas, needs, voice, and dreams like they belong to a…
Read post →Do It Scared
Sometimes confidence starts with saying yes before you feel ready. The Pretty Truth on saying yes to being a recurring co-host on Just Jelly: Unfiltered, the fear that dressed…
Read post →Wearing Something That Makes You Feel Good
Confidence is not about impressing people. It is about feeling at home in your own skin. The Pretty Truth on the mom-jean situation, the quiet freedom of getting older, and why…
Read post →Why Is It So Hard to Say Good Things About Ourselves?
We can list our flaws like a grocery receipt, but three kind sentences feel like we are auditioning for a personality disorder. The Pretty Truth on why complimenting ourselves…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is beautiful, and Mother’s Day can also hurt — and the Pretty Truth is there’s room for all of it. A love letter to the mom who taught me confidence before I knew…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Midlife Hair
There should honestly be a support group for women the first time they notice their hair changing in midlife. Maria shares the simple daily habit that quietly made her hair feel…
Read post →What Is a Friend? The Pretty Truth About Finding Your People
Maria Williams on what real friendship actually feels like, and why finding your people starts with you. The four signs of a true friend, four small ways to start showing up for…
Read post →How Writing The Pretty Truth Changed Everything (And Led Me Here)
When I wrote The Pretty Truth, I thought I was simply putting my heart on paper. What I didn’t expect was what happened next — quiet, honest messages from women telling me they…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Watching The Devil Wears Prada 2 in Your Midlife Era
I saw The Devil Wears Prada 2 this weekend and walked out shaken. Here’s what it stirred up about Andy, Miranda, identity, and what midlife really asks of us.
Read post →How to Help Your Friends Build Confidence (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)
Let’s talk about something we don’t always realize. The way you speak to your friends matters more than you think it does. Not just in a “be nice” kind of way, but in a deeper,…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Jealous Friends (And Why You Shouldn’t Ignore It)
Let’s talk about something that most women feel, but don’t always say out loud. Not every friend in your life is genuinely cheering you on. And before we go any further, let me…
Read post →What It’s Really Like Being a Confidence Coach
I don’t think I woke up one day and said, “I’m going to be a confidence coach.” It didn’t happen like that. It happened slowly, in conversations, in quiet moments, in noticing…
Read post →30 Day Confidence Challenge: 5 Things Confident Women Do Differently
Confidence doesn’t magically show up one morning while you’re sipping your coffee. It’s built in the small moments, the quiet decisions, the tiny shifts you make every single day…
Read post →Why Confidence Feels So Hard (And Why It’s Not Just You)
Confidence isn’t hard because you’re doing something wrong. It feels hard because you’ve been carrying stories that were never yours to begin with. Here’s the pretty truth about…
Read post →Why So Many Teachers Are Quietly Quitting in 2026 (And What No One Is Saying Out Loud)
Let’s just say it. Teachers are not okay right now. Quiet quitting in teaching isn’t about laziness — it’s about survival. And if you know, you know. Here’s the pretty truth no…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About St. Patrick’s Day
Somewhere between the green shirts, shamrocks, and classroom parties, St. Patrick’s Day has quietly become another excuse to slow down and create small moments together as a…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Teacher Burnout
Let me start by saying something I wish someone had told me when I was teaching. You are not alone and teacher burnout does not mean you are a bad teacher. It does not mean you do…
Read post →The Real Reason Teachers Are Burning Out
Teacher burnout is something we hear about constantly now. It shows up in articles, social media posts, and conversations whispered in the hallway between classes. Usually, the…
Read post →Why Some Friends Support Your Dreams and Others Stay Quiet
Lately I have been thinking a lot about support. Not the kind that is loud or performative, but the quiet kind that shows up when someone is chasing something meaningful. As I…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Chasing a Dream
I launched my second book. Even typing that still feels surreal. The response has been beautiful and affirming in ways I did not fully expect. But before the encouragement came…
Read post →Why I Wrote The Pretty Truth About Education
I did not write this book because I hated teaching. I wrote it because I loved it.I loved it so much that it broke my heart. Nineteen years in the classroom will do that to you.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Achievement Versus Fulfillment
I am writing this blog because of something that just happened when my kids had off school for Presidents Day. Nothing life changing. No big accomplishment. In fact, it was the…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Trying to Be Enough
We’ve been taught “enough” is something you earn after the house is clean, the kids are thriving, and you’ve proven yourself. But what if worth isn’t a reward… it’s the starting…
Read post →Trying to Look 25 at 45
Aging isn’t something you need to defend or fix. This post is a permission slip to let your face change, own your choices (whatever they are), and remember: you don’t owe the…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Confidence
Maria opens up about learning confidence the hard way, one uncomfortable moment at a time. Offers a practical, repeatable way to grow it without changing who you are.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Valentine’s Day
Maria shares her honest take on Valentine’s Day traditions—why she buys little gifts for her boys, how love looks in a house full of dudes, and why there’s no rulebook for…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Being Needed All the Time
When everyone needs you at once, even love can start to feel like burnout. Here’s the Pretty Truth about the mental load—and small ways to close a few tabs without the guilt.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Burnout (From a Former Teacher Who Wishes She’d Listened To Herself)
A former teacher’s honest take on burnout, why rest isn’t a luxury, and small, doable ways to protect your energy. At school, at home, and everywhere in between.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Feeling Behind in 2026 (When We’re Actually Just Getting Started)
Feeling “behind” already in 2026? You’re not. This post swaps pressure for gentle momentum—small tweaks, nourishing choices (hello, protein yogurt bowl), and consistency over…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Christmas Gifts (and Why Moms Deserve One Too)
Why moms deserve a little Christmas magic too—plus the simple family tradition that teaches thoughtfulness and 10 easy gift ideas for the guys.
Read post →Ten Tips for Moms This Holiday Season
The holidays are magical… and also a little bit chaotic. Moms everywhere are out here trying to make Christmas feel like a Hallmark movie while juggling real-life responsibilities…
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Holiday Gifting (and Why We’re All Doing Too Much)
Holiday giving doesn’t need more stuff, it needs more us. Slow down, spend less, and trade presents for presence with meaningful memories and simple joy.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Generations (and Why Family Is Your Real Legacy)
Three generations, one legacy of love. Why the bonds between our kids, our elders, and us are the real heirlooms, and five simple ways to nurture them.
Read post →The Pretty Truth About Gratitude (and Why It Hits Different This Time of Year)
Thanksgiving season always makes me pause. Maybe it’s the smell of pumpkin candles or the way the house feels extra cozy, but this time of year always reminds me to take a deep…
Read post →Working Out in Midlife: When Your Body Says “No” but Your Future Self Says “Keep Going”
At 45, workouts aren’t punishment, they’re a promise to my future self. Here’s how I keep moving when motivation dips, and why strength (not ‘skinny’) is the real goal.
Read post →The Multitasking Mom Badge (and Why I’m Gently Setting Mine Down)
Somewhere along the way, ‘multitasking mom’ became our shiny badge. What if the real flex is doing less and actually being here for the moments that matter?
Read post →When Your Closet (and Your Brain) Are Both Overflowing
You know it’s time to declutter when you open your closet and six sweaters, a cheetah-print scarf, and a random bathing suit from 2012 fall out like an avalanche of bad decisions….
Read post →Trick-or-Treating Through the Years (and the Candy Negotiations That Follow)
Trick-or-treating with kids changes as they grow, but the magic stays the same. From Greyson’s “too cool” phase to Hudson’s candy sprints — and walking the neighborhood with my…
Read post →The Family That Hands Out Candy Together Stays Together
Family makes Halloween magical. From inviting my mom over from her senior residence to hosting my sister, brother-in-law, and my boys for chili and candy-passing chaos, our…
Read post →When Halloween Feels Like a Full-Time Job (But You Secretly Love It)
Halloween doesn’t need to be picture-perfect to be magical. Embrace the chaos, traditions, and tiny rituals that make it yours—because the prettiest holidays are the ones that…
Read post →When Friendship Feels Like Cooking for Fifty and You Hate to Cook
Picture this: you walk into a party armed with a casserole dish and high hopes. You don’t know if anyone else brought salad or dessert, but you’re here to contribute something…
Read post →The Real Weight We Carry
You know that moment when your group chat turns into a motivational gym squad?
Read post →The Myth of Effortless Friendship
You know that feeling when you finally sit down for brunch after weeks of scheduling, and the first mimosa hits your hand like a peace treaty?
Read post →The Friendship Feast: Serving Up Real Connection After the Appetizer Years
There’s this myth that once you hit thirty, your friend circle is fully baked. It is like your social oven somehow shuts off after your twenties.
Read post →When the Group Chat Fizzles Out
You know that moment when the group chat used to light up with memes, brunch plans, and the occasional existential rant about laundry? And now… crickets.
Read post →When Sweat Turns Into Sisterhood
I swear there’s something magical about those moments before a Pilates class starts. Maybe it is the smell of eucalyptus spray or that quiet understanding.
Read post →Let’s Be Honest: Making Friends as an Adult Is Weirdly Complicated
Somewhere between carpool lines, work deadlines, and pretending we still understand TikTok, friendship starts to feel like a luxury item. Like that fancy
Read post →When Your Motivation Ghosts You
Let’s be honest, some mornings, my yoga mat looks like I am playing The Floor is Lava with my boys. It’s there, waiting, silent, and reminding me of all the
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