You know that feeling when you follow someone for one thing and then suddenly they're doing something completely different? That instant recoil. The quiet unfollowing. The sense of betrayal that feels disproportionate but also entirely justified because you signed up for this and now you're getting that.
I hate that feeling. I've been on the receiving end of it more times than I care to count, and I refuse to be the person who inflicts it on someone else. So if you're here wondering what's happening with The Bunless Oven, wondering where the Instagram content went, wondering if you accidentally followed the wrong account, let me explain. And more importantly, let me give you the map so you can decide where (if anywhere) you want to follow along.
A while back, I did some market research. I asked my followers why they followed me and what they actually wanted from me... The results were clarifying in a way I wasn't expecting. Product recommendations and Instagram-driven content, especially trends, ranked at an unimpressive (but expected) 4%.The overwhelming majority said they followed me because I was authentic, because I said what they were thinking but couldn't put into words, because they appreciated my writing and the occasional humor. When asked what they wanted from me, they wanted real-life discussions, relatable issues, posts about coping at home with kids and marriage and a ‘friend’ to help them figure things out.
Here's the thing: I can only be that friend when I'm not tethered to something that's asking me to be something I'm not. Instagram wants quick, pretty, engaging, and trendy. I can't write something of substance in a caption that's fighting with an algorithm and I can't have the conversations you're asking for in a format that's designed for scrolling, not reading.
So the blog is front and center now. That's home base. That's where the long-form content lives, where I can write something of actual value without condensing it into bite-sized pieces and hopefully,something you can navigate from a search panel that’s more help than hindrance.
But I also know that platform shifts are disorienting. You followed me on Instagram, and now I'm asking you to follow me somewhere else. That's a big ask. So let me walk you through how this all works, and more importantly, how you can engage with exactly as much or as little as you want.
The Blog: thebunlessoven.co.za
This is the main house. Long-form essays about motherhood, identity, authenticity, all the things I couldn't say properly in an Instagram caption. You can visit anytime without signing up for anything. Just bookmark it, come back when you want to read.
If you do want to subscribe to the blog, you can. You'll get notified when new posts go live but you don't have to. You can just visit when you feel like it.
The Freebies
On the blog, you'll find some downloadable resources that are completely free. My most popular one is the hospital packing list, 11 pages of comprehensive packing tips and items that's stood the test of time. I'm hoping the landscape of birth hasn't changed all that much and that it's still relevant.
There are also science-backed morning prompts for getting the day started right. These are all free, no strings attached.
Keeping Mum Diaries
This is a series of timestamped narrative entries about motherhood. Light, short enough to get done before bed, and hopefully funny and relatable. It's a great way for mums to get back into some light reading after a long hiatus.
The diaries aren't available on the blog itself, you sign up on the blog but they're conveniently delivered straight to your inbox.
The Newsletter
Think of this as our weekly sync-up. You know those quick catch-up calls where someone gives you the highlights so you don't have to wade through everything yourself? That's what this is. A quick hello because we're human after all, followed by a rundown of what's been happening across the blog and Instagram, what's new, what's worth your time.
It's for people who don't live on Instagram but still want to stay in the loop without committing to notifications everywhere. Light conversation, some inner thoughts, and then I'll point you toward everything else so you can choose what you want to dive into and where. This is also something you can sign-up for on the blog, as a standalone commitment .
It's a map and you can decide where you want to go.
Instagram is staying, but it's changing. Think of it as a mesh between what's happening on the blog and what's happening in my head. Short-form content for people who like that sort of thing. Quick, digestible, shallow things like pictures of my day, memes on my stories. It's a casual place for us to connect.
It's not that deep. It's coffee-content, not coffee-and-croissant content.
Or Nothing At All
You can subscribe to the blog if you like, or don't. You can subscribe to the newsletter for the more discerning follower and be neither committed to blog nor Instagram. You can stay with me on Instagram and consume the short-form or you can unfollow altogether…if that feels better.
I'm building from scratch again and I don't mind. Just as I've exercised the freedom to create my own boundaries, I want to afford other people the freedom to choose what they want to be exposed and committed to without being baited into signing up for a whole thing just to have access to one part.
It really irks me when I have to do that, so I can imagine it might be the same for everyone else.
It's 2026 and the new kind of woke is shaped by millennials, steeped in empathy and begging for fewer constraints. You can take that break with me. And no, I don't want to be one more thing you sign up to. Sign up for nothing if you'd like. I'd be happy too as long as you are.
To those who have followed me through the years, it’s been a pleasure creating content for you and I’m hoping that this new chapter will be beneficial for us both.
0 Comments