On Being a Productive Pinner
So. Pinterest. It's pretty much all the rage and then some. I've been on Pinterest for about a year, and I've really enjoyed it. I don't really get sucked into it for hours on end, but let's be honest - there is a lot of great stuff out there.
Recently, one of my Facebook friends mentioned that she decided Pinterest was dumb because it sets an unrealistic standard for women and they have unrealistic expectations of their homes, their families, and of themselves. She also mentioned that she often found the links on Pinterest were bad once she went back to really look at them. I've heard similar things from other fellow Facebookers, bloggers, tweeters, and pinners.
I can see why they would feel that way. I think their thoughts and opinions are completely valid. After all, most of the homes we see on Pinterest are probably interior designer decorated and are photos from a magazine shoot. Not realistic for the average American. And from many of the pins floating around, you get the impression that women are expected to look good, make fantastic foods, keep their children stimulated and entertained every second of every day, throw awesome parties, keep fabulous gardens and immaculate homes, and craft in their spare time. Maybe it's not so much that we are expected to do those things as it is that we wish we could do all those things. I think we all get the Super Woman complex from time to time, don't you?
For me personally, though? I love Pinterest. There are so many great recipes and ideas floating around. I usually check pins before I repin them, making sure it isn't a shady link to begin with. And I really do go back quite often and use ideas from my pins. I am especially excited about the pins regarding teaching ideas, because there are plenty of things that I already know I will be using this coming school year.
I also find Pinterest helpful in communicating to Matt my personal taste in things. Before we got married we talked about color schemes for our future home. Without the visual, I think my descriptions of my dream home totally missed the mark. I was describing robin's egg blues, mint greens, and creams; he was seeing dark blues, dark greens, and browns. So guess what colors are in our living room? Here's a hint: not the colors I was describing. As a result, I often feel like our living room is too dark. And it really is not me. The other day, I was able to show him the things I had pinned on my "Home Style" board, and I think he finally understood what I had been trying to tell him the past 2.5 years. What can I say? We both like visual aides.
I also use a lot of recipes from Pinterest. I've made these fantastic flourless banana muffins twice already since I first pinned the recipe last week. I eat at least one every day, and Matt loves them, too! We are having these chicken fajitas tonight (they are in the crock pot right now, and let me say they smell awesome!). And later this week, we will be making this quinoa mac and cheese and this cauliflower crust pizza. I also make these homemade "Cheez Its" for Matt every week - we prefer not to eat very many processed foods, and he loves them! Pinterest makes finding recipes that are healthy and FructMal friendly a lot easier for me. And I love that.
I could go on and on about the other great things I have learned from Pinterest and have incorporated into our daily lives. But really, that can be another post for another day. I think Pinterest really is just what you make it. I make it a practical place to keep track of recipes, ideas, tips, and tutorials. I use it often, without allowing myself to spend ridiculous amounts of time on the website. And I really like it that way.
Recently, one of my Facebook friends mentioned that she decided Pinterest was dumb because it sets an unrealistic standard for women and they have unrealistic expectations of their homes, their families, and of themselves. She also mentioned that she often found the links on Pinterest were bad once she went back to really look at them. I've heard similar things from other fellow Facebookers, bloggers, tweeters, and pinners.
I can see why they would feel that way. I think their thoughts and opinions are completely valid. After all, most of the homes we see on Pinterest are probably interior designer decorated and are photos from a magazine shoot. Not realistic for the average American. And from many of the pins floating around, you get the impression that women are expected to look good, make fantastic foods, keep their children stimulated and entertained every second of every day, throw awesome parties, keep fabulous gardens and immaculate homes, and craft in their spare time. Maybe it's not so much that we are expected to do those things as it is that we wish we could do all those things. I think we all get the Super Woman complex from time to time, don't you?
For me personally, though? I love Pinterest. There are so many great recipes and ideas floating around. I usually check pins before I repin them, making sure it isn't a shady link to begin with. And I really do go back quite often and use ideas from my pins. I am especially excited about the pins regarding teaching ideas, because there are plenty of things that I already know I will be using this coming school year.
I also find Pinterest helpful in communicating to Matt my personal taste in things. Before we got married we talked about color schemes for our future home. Without the visual, I think my descriptions of my dream home totally missed the mark. I was describing robin's egg blues, mint greens, and creams; he was seeing dark blues, dark greens, and browns. So guess what colors are in our living room? Here's a hint: not the colors I was describing. As a result, I often feel like our living room is too dark. And it really is not me. The other day, I was able to show him the things I had pinned on my "Home Style" board, and I think he finally understood what I had been trying to tell him the past 2.5 years. What can I say? We both like visual aides.
I also use a lot of recipes from Pinterest. I've made these fantastic flourless banana muffins twice already since I first pinned the recipe last week. I eat at least one every day, and Matt loves them, too! We are having these chicken fajitas tonight (they are in the crock pot right now, and let me say they smell awesome!). And later this week, we will be making this quinoa mac and cheese and this cauliflower crust pizza. I also make these homemade "Cheez Its" for Matt every week - we prefer not to eat very many processed foods, and he loves them! Pinterest makes finding recipes that are healthy and FructMal friendly a lot easier for me. And I love that.
I could go on and on about the other great things I have learned from Pinterest and have incorporated into our daily lives. But really, that can be another post for another day. I think Pinterest really is just what you make it. I make it a practical place to keep track of recipes, ideas, tips, and tutorials. I use it often, without allowing myself to spend ridiculous amounts of time on the website. And I really like it that way.
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