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Pinterest: my favorite “waste of time.”

Most of my mom friends have kids going back to school this week. Some of them are even blessed with having no more kids at home during the day.

One of my friends with a 3-year-old girl pledged last week at playgroup, “I’m never giving up naptime.” Until her girl hits kindergarten, she’s making naptime a mandatory practice. We all nodded with agreement.

Naptime is sacred. A stay-at-home mom needs that little break – an hour, or two, to do something without a toddler climbing up our leg, insisting on another ‘nack, making a new mess, or defiantly resisting instructions (No! No, want to. No, no, no…). If naptime isn’t sacred at your house, my prayers are with you.

I say sacred, because to me it’s kind of that Sunday-is-a-holy-day type of time in the day – a moment of rest, both figuratively and literally.

Some days, I nap too. Some days, I make phone calls. Some days, I even clean up the house. There is always something to be done.

However, some days I like/need to veg. We all have our favorite veging-out activities. For me, if it’s not a book, it’s Pinterest!

Pinterest is a fabulous, highly addictive, completely enjoyable “waste of time.”

What I love best about Pinterest is that it makes me feel like I now have the knowledge to be a better wife, mother, homemaker, Activity Day leader, visiting teacher, cook and host. Knowledge is power – it’s Pinterest power!

What’s Pinterest? It is a virtual pin board of ideas. You “follow” friends from Facebook, Twitter or your contact book. Or, you can search through pins from other people. Pinterest is overflowing with ideas, tips, DIY projects and recipes. You can “like” or “pin” from within Pinterest or pin something you found yourself on a website or blog.

Before Pinterest, I had lists of bookmarked websites, my laptop memory maxed out because of all the photos of things I came across, and boxes of physical folders filled with printouts and magazine clippings. Now, I pin it to a board in Pinterest and know exactly where it will be when I want it. Pinterest is searchable. And since it’s stored online, it doesn’t take up valuable space in my office or on my computer.

You may not know about Pinterest because it used to take an invite from another Pinterest user in order to sign up. As of the beginning of August, this is not the case. Now, Pinterest has open enrollment (and a new app for Android users).  That means, go now and sign up! Discover the best “waste of time” there is.

I really don’t think Pinterest is a waste of time, but that’s what my husband calls it. He doesn’t understand. It’s kind of like the difference between men and women shopping. I love to wander through flea markets and thrift stores, eager to stumble upon something fabulous I didn’t know I needed. My husband likes to know exactly what he’s shopping for, figure out which store has it, then he gets in and gets out. No browsing. No discovering.

Pinterest can be used the way my husband shops. You could search for a specific thing. But, you’d probably be better off just using a generic search engine to direct you to a particular website.

Or, you could start off searching or browsing, maybe with something in mind, or not. And you could discover something completely amazing. Something mind-blowing. Something “how in the world did someone come up with that?” Yes, Pinterest is really that wonderful.

And, Mormons love Pinterest. It’s like it was tailor-made for the Mormon mom. What this results in is an endless amount of Mormon-themed, LDS life pins.

The most fun FHE ever? You could find it on Pinterest. The best sharing time? Pinterest. Gospel object lesson? Oh, yeah. Pinterest! YM camp, scouting, Relief Society, youth activities, ward parties, Primary, Gospel Doctrine, seminary – all on Pinterest, baby!

Pinterest has made me a better wife, mom and homemaker. It has made my church calling easier and a lot more fun. It has helped make my housework more efficient. It has inspired me to be a better friend, to be thoughtful, and more creative.

If your kids are back in school or starting school for the first time, or if naptime is sacred in your home, I pray you may discover the blessings of Pinterest.

Of this, I testify.

 

The Cultural Hall is on Pinterest! Its boards are a great place to start your Pinterest journey and, hopefully, make you a Cultural Hall-Pinterest convert.

www.Pinterest.com/TheCulturalHall

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  • the emily says:

    Amen, sister. About sacred naptime, and about pinterest. It’s just the best thing ever! I’ve had one or two pinterest fails, but mostly the recipes or ideas I’ve used from pinterest make life easier and better. I LOVE it.

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