When I first discovered Pinterest, it happened to coincide with my insomnia-ridden second pregnancy. Shortly followed by my awake-at-all-hours-ready-to-party baby. I'll be honest, in my zombied state (either middle of the night or early riser's club editions), I racked up a LOT of pins over a LOT of hours.
Toddler crafts! Sewing projects! Birthday party ideas!
This was during my new mom phase, when I had nothing else to think about than my darling toddler and her imminent sibling. I pinned away the nights, dreaming of someday when I would have the energy and wherewithal to make a layered rainbow cake or sew felt donuts for my girls to pretend to eat.
Pinterest gets a lot of flak these days, and I understand why. Perceived pressure for moms to create "pin-worthy" parties and Valentines is a legit criticism, though, I think this is a wise & loving response. Obviously, it can also be a time suck, like any other social media, with its endless rabbit holes and discoveries. And there is the critique that it fuels our materialism and dissatisfaction with what we have.
For me, it functioned as almost the opposite.
Partly, I was saved by circumstance. While one of my affinities on pinterest was for "home style"-type images, we had just moved into a small, furnished student townhouse in Vancouver, where A) we weren't supposed to even hang anything on the walls, much less DIY a new backsplash, B) most of our friends lived in the exact same housing, and C) we had no disposable income. I also basically stopped browse-shopping at this time, because apart from it being pointless, with no money to spend, doing it with a toddler and a baby was a huge hassle.
Actually, I found pinterest incredibly freeing.
If I came across products I liked, or styles I might want to emulate (someday), or art I loved, I could just pin it and forget about it. Instead of browsing through stores, always looking for deals, or afraid I would miss out on something great, I discovered the internet!
I just started pinning things I liked, and knew that they would be there if or when I ever was able or interested in buying them. Instead of filling my head with wants, I found that it emptied it of them, placing them in one discreet little corner of my life, accessible only when I really wanted it, but otherwise not on my mind.
But, that's just me, and if it's an unhealthy place for you, stay away!
If you are pinning, check out my dignify hub. I've started two group boards that you can be a part of:
Businesses with Dignity:
If you are interested in improving your spending towards businesses that are good, this is a place to collect those places & products. It doesn't have to be a "fair trade" or strict in any sense. Just businesses that care about more than solely profit and are bringing goodness into this world.
Meaningful Gifts:
I'm always trying to brainstorm ideas for different gift-giving occasions, so that I don't end up giving "stuff". This is a go-to board for high-impact, thoughtful, or meaningful gift ideas for all occasions.
Join me in collecting the very best on these boards! I love to hear different ideas and know of other shops like mine. To join, I must follow you, then add you to the board so we can start pinning as a group; just comment below (or email me) with your Pinterest URL and I'll add you in.
Thanks for reading! See you on the boards!
