Keep-"Pin" In Check

When I started on Pinterest (you know, BEFORE it was an app on everyone's phone *wink* and you had to actually be INVITED *double wink*), I only used it to plan parties more efficiently with my friends.  Now everyone and their mother is on, which does make pinning a more fun adventure, and has opened a vast of new ideas & opportunities into my life.

But.. It did bring up a dilemma for me. I become addicted to social medias & craft ideas SO easily. When you put those two together, LORD help us all!  BP (Before Pinterest), when I was looking to decorate a specific thing, try a 

craft or plan for an event/holiday, here is what would happen:  I would do a google search, open a THOUSAND tabs on my browser (not an exaggeration-have you ever seen the pop up that says 'memory

low-close windows'? I have!) and then sort through to see which ones I would print. Pinterest turned those days a thing of the past (mostly), and made it much easier. 

But is it too easy?


 Since the feed NEVER ends, neither do I!

I could go on and on and on and on and on and on.. you get the picture. SO MANY GOOD IDEAS! TOO MANY FUNNY (AND MOSTLY INAPPROPRIATE) E-CARDS!

So, in order to keep me in check, and allow me to continue to function as a normal human being, I had to give myself guidelines to follow:

#1 - Create Practical Boards

For Pinterest to serve it's purpose in my life & home, I need to only create boards that are useful to me & my family.  This means no boards specifically for E-Cards, cute animals, etc.  Here are the original ones I created for the different areas in MY life: 

• Together we make a Family Family harmony tips & picture ideas
• Siblings are different Flowers from the same Garden Garden theme ideas to decorate the kids' shared room
• The Bubbster Boy stuff just for my little man
• BabyGirl Pretty things for Daddy's girl 
• Footnotes.. SHOES SHOES SHOES! - YES! They deserve their OWN board!
• Friends and Family Gather Here Home decor for our apartment
• <3 Myself Fashion I like for ME!
• {FUTURE} Jeremiah 29:11 Ideas for the future of our family and the home we will one day own

I created these later as the need arose:

• Cute As a Button Baby Shower Collaborative board for my seeester's shower-I don't think I have added anything to it in almost 6 months, but people are following it and still repinning from it, so I haven't deleted it. *EDIT* This has now been changed to: 
• Baby Showers to accomodate other friends showers I am helping plan or brainstorm for, without creating ANOTHER board for EACH. Each of my pin descriptions begin with {BRACKETS} noting a shower theme or generic category.
• Valentine's Day Hunnie and I don't really 'celebrate' this day.. "If you can't show me you love me every other day of the year, don't buy me over priced roses/candy/stuffed animals ONE day."  BUT, this has fun ideas for school parties and thoughtful 'gifts'-Started this in January, and am still adding stuff for the coming years.
• 1 Peter 1:3 {EASTER} I think this is self explanatory-Since I believe it is one of the most significant Holidays for Christianity, I LOVE it and am ALWAYS adding stuff to this, year round!  (I wonder if eventually I will have a board for EVERY holiday..)
• Gifts I've Given I have a secret board for gift ideas (so the recipient won't know until they receive it), but once I give the gift, it gets moved here.. along with my comments of how it went.

#2 - Pin Where Applicable ONLY

If the pin does not fit EASILY into one of the board descriptions above, DON'T pin it! I repeat, DO NOT PIN IT! (Side note: If you 'LIKE' something on Pinterest, it's like a whole other board that doesn't show up on the feeds!)

#3 - Pin Only If Plausible

If you don't think you will ever: do it, use it, make it, buy it, wear it, cook it, or try it, DON'T pin it! (You are more than welcome to 'LIKE' it, comment on it, or tag another friend, but don't even THINK about pinning it to one of your boards!)

#4 - Forget About Repins&Followers

I still get the updates if people repin/like something I've pinned, start following my boards, or if one of my friends posts something to our shared board.  However, I do not let it consume me or judge the value of myself and my pins.  My pins are for ME.  If other people enjoy and benefit from them, GREAT!  If not, oh well.. I'm happy!  (The reason I keep the updates is because sometimes people I am not following start to follow me/repin something. If they like something on my boards, the likelihood of us having similar interests/tastes/goals is fairly high.  Therefore, I can find new people to follow and more inspiration sources to pull from)

#4 - Set Time Limits & Restrictions

For a while I was ok with just the parameters for pinning.  But.. after a while, I had to pull a Mommie on myself!  Just like I have restrictions on the kids' screen time, I enforced it on ME! NO PINNING: 

• While I am with the kids & they are awake
• When there are other chores to be done
• On date night *DUH*, more than 10 minutes at a time with AT LEAST one hour in between pin-sessions.

 (So that leaves: *TMI ALERT* morning/evening potty time, lunch break, and in bed before I go to sleep)

I'm sure as time goes on, I will have to create more boundaries, 

but with that being said..