4 Ways to Pin it Forward
Today, Jane (also of see jane blog) shares her four favorite ways to pin it forward:
Some people consider Pinterest a bit of a narcissistic time waster. After all, it tends to be all about the things you love, right? So I was utterly surprised when a dear friend recently used my Pinterest board in a most thoughtful, unselfish way (more on that in a second). It made me think about how to use Pinterest for reasons other than cataloguing my own wants.
1. Feeding your guests. Entertaining Pinterest-loving guests anytime soon? Take a peek at their boards for food/menu inspiration. This is especially useful if you have friends who have special diets (e.g., gluten, dairy, or sugar free) or food allergies. Since my kids don't have dietary restrictions, I'm often unsure of what recipes to use for guests who have restrictions. I experienced the loveliness of this approach earlier this year when a girlfriend hosted a birthday brunch and used my Pinterest food board to plan the menu! And when it came time to open gifts, one girlfriend made me sugar-free cookie dough dip via a recipe also on my food board! She packaged the dough in a clear container and made a label for the top. I was completely overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness!
2. Gifting your loved ones. Many Pinterest users love the platform as a way to catalog their wish list items. It's a major win in that it takes the guess work out of your gift giving and you know the recipient will love the pin-worthy item.
3. Learning about awesome people. Pinterest allows you to create boards and highlight the efforts of individuals who stand out in their communities. I was touched reading about Susan Niebur, an astrophysicist and mom who started a Pinterest board to raise the profile of women in planetary science who are often overlooked. She created a highly customized mini-network of her own to connect all of these women.
4. Learning about causes. Using the Pinterest search I looked for pins tagged "Charity, Good Will, Service, and Volunteer." I found the most touching pins linked to sites that were motivating, and created by inspiring individuals trying to create positive change in the world. For example, this pin led me to The Shine Project. I adore the positive, youthful approach that emulates from their mission: The Shine Project's purpose is to inspire you to live the highest quality of life obtainable, and to motivate you to join our efforts in making this world a better place.
Have you used Pinterest in a unique way? I would love to hear other ideas for one of the greatest online tools of this generation! If you are a pinner, change your pace this week and use Pinterest for selfless reasons -- something other than finding your next craft project. Make it pinteresting!
Image credits: 1 (Chocolate/peanut butter acorns via Christine's cooking/baking pinboard); 2 (Jane)