Confessions of a Pinterest Skeptic

First Facebook, now Pinterest.  For many women in my social circles, pinterest is where it's at these days.  To be honest, when I first inadvertently found myself on the site (by clicking a link someone had posted on facebook), I closed it down as fast as I could for several reasons:

1. I like my house.  It isn't perfect, but is it mine and I do the best I can with what I've got.  I was afraid Pinterest could make me feel that certain things weren't "good enough"...not organized enough or neat enough, or fancy enough, the kids rooms not thematic enough, and I already feel I fall short in so many other ways.  I still wanted my home to be my safe place.
2. Addiction Factor.....admit it....you have spent time on Pinterest when you should have been preparing dinner, or folding laundry, or.....it is addicting.  Enough said.
3. Feeling Inadequate.  Mothering is hard enough as it is.  And just because I don't make my kids rainbow pancakes, or bento box lunches, doesn't mean I don't love them.  I see these things and then I feel compelled, never mind that I work part time, coach their teams, and volunteer at school....those rainbow pancakes, they haunt me, and I just don't need that either.
4. Crafts.  Yes, I majored in art.  No, this does not make me crafty.  I can give it a good try, but neatness and attention to detail are not my strong suits.  Not being crafty however, also leaves me feeling a bit substandard.  I know so many wonderfully talented ladies who can do amazing things with an exacto knife, some modge podge, duct tape and some brads.  But I am not one of them.  Apparently, part of me finds this hard to take.

This is why I avoided Pinterest. 

Then, I took another look.  And being a "visual learner", I saw a useful tool.  A visual means to store recipes, and articles, and blogs, and keep track of books, and recommend them to friends, and so on and so on. I started to see the benefits.  And, I struck a deal with myself.  I could join pinterest and start pinning.  But, I had to have some rules.

My Personal Pinterest Rules:

1. Pin with a Purpose (only pin things you will make, eat, use)
2. Acceptable pinning:  lesson plan ideas, recipes, blogs, anything USEFUL that I want to find again, and don't want to book mark
3. Craft pinning:  before I pin a craft I read all the instructions, if they are complex or too hard to make with kids....do not pin
4. Projects with big budgets or too many steps....do not pin
5. Cutesy stuff....do not pin
6. Do not just pin to pin that is why there is a like button.
7. Use pinterest like bookmarks, just visual, and categorized.

You don't have to follow my rules, but these rules help me to use pinterest, not become addicted, and not lose any self worth of have any mommy guilt.  So, they work for me.  Maybe it is just called having perspective.  I must confess that I do have a "Stuff I Like" board for a few things that I can't resist, and a "Wish List" board to attach to an email and send to my husband near Christmas and my birthday, but otherwise, I am all business when it comes to pinterest.  And, I have to say, after a few months, I am finding it to be SUPER USEFUL.  I have made many new recipes, taught lots of new lessons and overall, I think it has been a beneficial addition to my life.