The Pinterest Plunge

Roughly 250 million people -- including nearly all American youth, the majority of my high school graduating class, and my mother-in-law -- joined Facebook before I took the plunge and created a profile two years ago.  My hesitancy stemmed from ambivalence.  Do I need this in my life?  Do I want this in my life?  I honestly didn't know.

Even after joining I nearly deleted my profile several times, but I've since come to peace with this facet of social media.
 
Recently as I've thought about joining Pinterest, I faced the same ambivalence.  I have friends who say that it's wonderful, but there's always a tagline about its addictive nature which makes me ask those same questions:  Do I need this in my life?  Do I want this in my life?  I honestly don't know.

I decided to check it out to decide.  I began searching for craft ideas to do with my daughters, who were with me at the computer while I browsed.  This was a novice mistake -- a tactical error that I never will repeat.  I shot down thirty-seven requests of "Oh!  Oh, Mommy, please, can we do that?" in rapid succession.

No, we cannot hot glue 64 crayons to a canvas and melt them with a hair dryer right now.  No, I do not have self-rising flour to make paint that puffs in the microwave.  No, I do not have yarn to crochet that for you -- nor do I know how to crochet.

But we did make some nice hand puppets out of paper.  We have paper in spades and I am a competent folder.

So, yes, I am now on Pinterest with the full intent to handle it delicately.  I don't want it to suck away time that would be better spent elsewhere, and I will be sure to research ideas for the kids when they aren't present.

Plus, I have ideas to contribute, people, like this one below about how to store jewelry.

Do you have any pieces of jewelry that you don't remember to wear because they're buried in a drawer or a box?  Instead, put them on display.  I bought an inexpensive package of cup hooks, screwed them directly into the drywall in my closet, and hung my necklaces where I'm most apt to see them.


See, I'm a Pinterest natural.  Want to follow me?

Are you on Pinterest?  If so, please share your insights with me.  Who should I be following?  How do you use the site?  Recommendations are appreciated!

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14 comments

  1. Mommy With Selective MemoryMarch 12, 2012

    Robin, I plunged into Pinterest a few months ago.  And I have to say, I see benefits but also some negatives too.  For example, you kindly commented on my post yesterday on the research study on Patient Moms.  Since then, I pinned to Pinterest and it's already beeen repinned over 1000 times and it's had almost 10,000 pageviews...sounds great right?  Yet I've gotten several mean comments about how it wasn't a valud study.  So first of all, THANK YOU for the nice comments, which took the sting out of the mean ones.  Second, thanks for giving me a laugh...I don't have have self-rising flour or some of the other crazy things you see on there....bottom line?  You are right to proceed with caution! :-)

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  2. As a visual person and wann-be hoarder, I have loved Pinterest for a long time.  I should inform you as a cautionary tale that for the first two weeks I was a member I spent way too much time on it.  (Like staying  up past 1 a.m.)  But then my rational self got back into control.  Now, mostly I use Pinterest for school ideas and recipes.  I love that I have all these new dinner ideas at my finger tips without having to print out and find a place in my crowded home for a million recipes. 
    Once you know what your boards are going to focus on you can decide better who you want to follow.  Give me some ideas of things you want to pin and I can give you some names.

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  3. TheMomChefMarch 12, 2012

    I am now following you on Pinterest. Honestly, I enjoy Pinterest, but definitely haven't been sucked in deeply. I set up the boards I want and pin what I want to pin. I do look look at other stuff, but it's more cursory than anything. A part of me is afraid that the whole fad will die and Pinterest won't have the money to continue so all those pins I've pinned will just go away someday and I'll not know what it was I like, wanted to make, enjoyed. C'est la vie. 

    As far as how it benefits my blog....I dunno. I pin my dish up and don't worry about it. It's as much a mystery to me (and one I don't want to solve) as StumbleUpon and Twitter.

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  4. smoothstonesMarch 12, 2012

    Pinterest is a little random even for me (and I'm a hot piggy mess), but I've had great success with Pinterest-inspired projects. One thing I did was make a Tried It & Liked It board. Now, after I try something, I move it (unless I didn't like it: then I delete). This has motivated me to try things and not just stare at them. I'll make a point of following you. Welcome to the greatest rabbit hole on the Internet!

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  5. Amy WilsonMarch 12, 2012

    I AM on pinterest, and NOT on facebook - so I understand your hesitance! 

    I found that it takes up a lot of time in the beginning - oohing and aahing at ALL THE THINGS...but loses it's allure quickly, and after a while you just pin a couple things a day and get on with your life.  I think it helps particularly if you find a good group people to "follow" that you know is your style and set your homepage to "Pinners I follow".  Then you will see all the pins that are specific to you when you log in, sift through about 20-50 - and you won't spend hours trying to sift through "EVERYTHING".

    I find GREAT, SIMPLE things all the time (I found this on pinterest just this morning and did it all in about 15 minutes:http://pinterest.com/pin/214413632229350438/) and it makes it all worth it to me. 

    I'm going to "follow" your pins now.

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  6. Amy WilsonMarch 12, 2012

    I don't understand why my comments are posting with this picture?

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  7. I love Pinterest, but make it a habit not to spend too much time on it. Maybe an hour a week. I do the same thing with cup hooks in my closet too. If you get the larger ones at the hardware store, they're great for holding thinner dress scarves and fabric belts too.

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  8. Good idea for belts, too!  Hadn't thought of that, but it makes total sense.  Thanks for the tip!

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  9. Thanks for following, Amy, and I just began following you, too.  Yes, I really don't have time to ooh and aah over ALL THE THINGS, but I like the concept behind the site.

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  10. Brandee, the "Tried It & Liked It" board is brilliant. 

    It reminds me of my bad habit of clipping recipes but not making those recipes.  Sigh....  :)

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  11. I think that your blog would loan itself perfectly to Pinterest.... mine, not so much, but I still thought I'd jump in. 

    These social media things just do not quit!

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  12. Thanks, Ami.  My interests really fall in the zone of organization, house stuff, fun DIY projects (for kids and for the house), and perhaps simple recipes.  Emphasis on "simple."  I'm no culinary genius.

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  13. You're welcome -- and I'm sorry about the mean comments.  That's a huge drawback.... it's so easy for people to comment rudely when they're veiled by the anonymity of the Internet. 

    Keep your chin up, though!

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  14.  I noticed - thanks for following me.  Sorry about the little outburst on your blog about my picture, too.  I was just "thinking out loud", and then later, I thought it may have come off a little rude to post something that didn't have to do with the blog.  I am in contact with the Disqus help team about it...  :D

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