Pinterest

I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.  And it's not what you think.  I don't hate it because it takes up too much time just ogling over every single idea.  I hate it because literally every pin, (and I LITERALLY mean LITERALLY in the purest form) has the 7 ULTIMATE MOST AWESOMEST TIPS TO OUTDO EVERY PERSON YOU'VE EVER COME ACROSS AND MAKE THEM FEEL INADEQUATE AND THEREFORE REASSURE YOURSELF THAT YOUR SAD LITTLE LIFE IS WORTH SOMETHING BY FREAKING DIY-ING EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOME WHILE TRAINING FOR A MARATHON AND COOKING ZERO FAT MEALS THAT YOUR KIDS ALWAYS EAT AND REDOING YOUR FRONT DOOR AND HANDSEWING COSTUMES FOR YOUR 1-YEAR-OLD'S BIRTHDAY PARTY AND 50 OF HER CLOSEST FRIENDS WHILE YOU'VE GOT SOME HOMEMADE YOGURT PROOFING IN THE CROCKPOT IN YOUR FRIDGE UNTIL DAY 12 WHEN IT'S FINALLY READY TO EAT. Pin now, read later.

Sometimes I am inspired by Pinterest and I find really good ideas on there.  That is why I love it.  The irony is not lost on me though when my kids are tapping me saying, "Mom! Mom! Come play with us! Mom! Can we have a snack?" while I am impatiently shooing them away so I can repin beauties like 100 of the Healthiest Super Snacks for Your Toddlers or How to Teach Your Kids to Stop Whining or How To Show Your Kids You Really Care.

I would just like a little moderation.  To be honest, I'm betting the chicken entitled, "HOLY COW.  THE BEST. CHICKEN. EVER." is really not the best chicken ever.  I bet it's tasty.  It's probably worth making once.  I'm betting it's not going to make me take my careful, purposeful compilation of recipes from 4 years of college and 8 years of marriage out to the firepit in the back yard and burn it.  I'm kind of tired of salted caramel everything.  I don't think I'm going to take the time to learn to make fondant cupcakes that look like iPhone apps.  Because really, if you make them for age-appropriate teens, they are not going to eat them anyway because no teens eat in front of their friends, and if you make them for your toddler's birthday party because that's what they wanted, you've got bigger problems.  I would love to see a pin entitled, "Pretty Good Chicken."  (And I'm betting that would quickly morph in 2 pins or less to "Pretty Darn Good Chicken", then to "The Best Chicken Ever" to "The Ultimate Best Most Amazing Chicken...Never Make Another Chicken Recipe Again".)

I admit, I repin a lot of stuff.  I do.  I tend to pin in spurts once a week.  I will go for 7-10 days without checking it at all, and then I will pin 30 things.  It probably drives Followers crazy. I have repinned stuff that I will never make or do.  And I am just as guilty as the next person for feeling validated when I have 12 people repin my pin.  It's just when the panicked, reckless pinning has taken over that "the ULTIMATES!!!!!!!" lose their credibility.  I feel like sometimes people think the more things they pin, the better the mom they will be.

Most women I know are really great moms.  They have different talents and abilities and most are much more creative than I am.  I just think people tend to lose sight of the fact that they don't have to be (nor will they ever be) amazing at everything.  There is nothing wrong with simplicity.  It's ok to say that you are only going to plan a birthday party for your kids every other year because that's all you can handle.  It's ok to (heaven forbid!) BUY your cupcakes.  It's ok to not run marathons.  It's ok to make your kids the same thing for lunch every day because that is what they will eat and you are lucky to be able to switch around carrots and applesauce and sometimes the only fruit they get is fruit snacks, and sometimes it is healthy enough.  Sometimes enough is enough, and the things you do every day, just plugging along, not drawing attention to yourself, are the things that are the best for yourself and your family.  My ultimate message: don't let Pinterest get you down.