In Defense of Pinterest

It seems like I'm seeing a lot of "why Pinterest is awful" blog posts and facebook statuses. The main complaints are that people feel like they waste too much time on it or that they feel like they'll never measure up to the image of the perfect "Pinterest mom." I personally love Pinterest and thought I needed to write my own post in defense of Pinterest. I don't spend a lot of time looking at all the pins, just a few minutes here and there. In fact, most of the time when I get on I just find something I've already pinned that I want to try. I've never felt like I am not doing as well as all those other Pinteresters (not a word, but it works for my purposes!) I don't care if I don't have that dream kitchen, or a perfectly decorated house, or a closet full of designer outfits. I don't waste time pinning anything that doesn't really interest me. I only pin the things that I think I will use and enjoy and I don't worry about the rest. And boy howdy have I ever found a ton of awesome ideas, recipes, and activities to try out. I've tried dozens of recipes and have liked almost all of them. I have my kids wondering every day what new thing mom's going to make for dinner! I've learned easier ways to clean my grout, how to make my own laundry detergent, and how to perfectly soften butter (in 20 seconds or less!) I've found lists of book recommendations, worksheets to help the kids with their math, and games we can do together. I've pinned a lot of and looked at so many fitness ideas that I am never bored with my workouts. I've laughed at jokes and funny pictures and been inspired by quotes. Pinterest is also great place for finding ideas for birthday parties, family reunions, teacher gifts and holiday treats.

Here are some of the things we've done in the past couple of weeks that came from Pinterest. We made multicolored noodles. It was really easy and made a big impression on the kids. Did I have to dirty two extra pots than I normally would? Sure. But it was worth it because they kids thought it was awesome!

Zac and Garrett helped me make a strawberry ice cream recipe to share with Grandma and Grandpa Hoyt when they visited a few weeks ago. It was incredibly creamy and delicious!

We made these super fun and easy sponge bombs.  It took $4 worth of sponges (purchased at the Dollar Tree) and hair ties. The kids did all the cutting and I tied them together. In under 15 minutes we had 13 sponge bombs that have provided tons of fun on multiple occasions.

We've done lots and lots of science experiments. We mixed whole milk with Red Bull and watched the chemical reaction that occurs and the milk curdles in just a couple of minutes. We talked about the ingredients that are in energy drinks and I even let them taste it (the Red Bull, not the curdled milk!)  They all thought it was pretty gross except Drake. Drake...who is the most picky about his food, was the one who actually liked it!

We played a fun game to help Drake and Garrett learn the names of coins and their values. You roll a dice and they pick out that many pennies. When they have five cents they can trade it for a nickle, when they have 10 cents they can trade it for a dime, etc. etc. etc. Then when they had each earned fifty cents we went and got ice cream at Burger King.

We made some really delicious Marshmallow popcorn.  It was very simple, used ingredients we had on hand, didn't require a candy thermometer and was eaten in record time.  There are lots of other popcorn recipes from Pinterest that we are all dying to try too.

I also found a template for chore charts. Sure I could have made them myself but this saved me time.  We've been using them for 3 weeks now and the kids are much more eager to do their chores when they can see their progress.

Are there things I've tried on Pinterest that didn't work. Yes, but not too many. For example, don't soak your feet in listerine to try to get the dry skin off. Your feet will just turn blue. It does go away after a few days though! I really didn't like a chicken and pineapple recipe that I tried either. And my usual pizza crust is better than the one I tried from Pinterest.  I can't really think of any others though. So there you have it. My two cents about the values of Pinterest. Now I'm off to try a new recipe for dinner....and maybe I'll whip up some rootbeer float cookies! After I eat those I'll probably be inspired to find a good fitness routine to try in the morning! So get on there and start pinning people and when you find something you love be sure to share it with me!