What’s so interesting about Pinterest?

By ERIN TURNER

Have you heard about the new social network addiction called Pinterest?

It’s a virtual bulletin board where you “pin” different things found all over the world wide web. It allows you to create a bulletin board for anything you want and then you assign various links to that board.

So for instance, if you want to remodel your bathroom, you would have a bulletin board for “New bathroom” and you would “pin” colors, styles, and other ideas you want to remember onto that board.

It’s everything a cork board has done in the past but there are no real thumbtacks and no cutting things out of magazines. It’s as easy as a click and a point!

To most people, this new type of social media sounds like another tax on one’s time. I thought the same thing when I was invited to join Pinterest by a friend. I looked at it and thought, “Yeah, right! It looks cool but I don’t have time.”

But then I started to hear about some neat crafts and terrific recipes my friends were finding on Pinterest. So, I stepped off the ledge and hesitantly joined.

Well, that was about eight weeks ago and I haven’t looked back since! It has revitalized my creative juices previously sucked dry by the onset of motherhood. It has also given me a better sense of organization and vision for my home.

So how does all of this relate to my Save It blog? Well, being creative, organized, and inspired ultimately saves me money.

Suddenly, I’m looking at old, worn-out items and seeing new life in them. By using some new organizing tricks I learned from Pinterest, I am making old items useful and visible. I now know where items are thus avoiding the dreaded, “I can’t find it so I’ll just run to the store and get another one.” Ugh!

Just last night, I stumbled across a website about making “freezer stock”. This is a frugal tip where you add left over sauces, juices, etc. to a container in the freezer and use that as stock when you cook. Well, duh! What a simple and easy idea to really stretch a dollar. Of course, that idea was pinned immediately to my board.

"Bird in a Nest" recipe from Pinterest is now our family's favorite breakfast. Easy, delicious, and inexpensive!

There are literally thousands of recipe ideas out there and tips for menu planning.

My oldest son made a proclamation the other night which I beamed about: “Mom, I really like this Pinterest thing because we are getting lots of different food and it all is soooo good!” Well, if that isn’t motivation to keep on pinning, I don’t know what is.

Frugality seems to be at my fingertips when I am searching on Pinterest. I’ve found everything from cheap, homemade cleaning products, re-purposing an old T-shirt into a hip and modern scarf, and even step-by-step instructions on cutting a boy’s hair at home.

I especially have fallen head over heels in love with all the cool things you can do with an old wooden pallet—coffee tables, book shelves, futons, ottomans, and so much more – talk about frugality at its best!

At Christmas time, I found a quick and easy craft for an ornament/gift tag using scrap felt sewn together and adding a monogram. It made a nice and inexpensive addition to many gifts for our family and friends this year.

Again, I have Pinterest to thank for the idea and inspiration! I actually can’t wait until next Christmas because there were so many ideas for homemade gifts and foods, but since I was still so new at pinning, I was reluctant to bite off more than I could chew.

Handmade ornaments/gift tags reusing old scraps of felt Erin made after being inspired by a pin on Pinterest.

Most importantly, I feel like Pinterest has given me more time in the day, and we all know time is the most valuable resource that exists!

Instead of trying to remember ideas for redecorating the guest bathroom, recipes for a new pot roast, or a fun birthday party game I now have a place to neatly put all those ideas. So much better than having them float around in my head and eventually getting lost in the dark spaces of my gray matter never to be found again.

Plus, since they are right there on my computer and easy to access daily, it motivates me to accomplish more than I have in the past.

Rather than wasting my time reinventing the wheel, I can employ other people’s ideas and experiences and adapt them to my family’s needs, therefore saving me lots of time. And I am so grateful for any extra time!

Pinterest serves as another online resource for people to use. By using it to its full potential, I have discovered it a helpful resource in my quest for an organized, frugal,
and simplified home and family!