If you’ve been following This Mom Loves for a while (or even a week), you know that I’m a big fan of Pinterest. That’s why I thought it would be the perfect topic for my latest article for Peterborough, Northumberland and Lakeridge Kids Magazine, entitled: 

Get Pinning!

The basics of the site and advantages for busy parents are covered in the article, but here are a few more personal notes:

-If you want to follow someone, you don’t have to follow ALL of their Boards. Just because you love their decorating stuff doesn’t mean you want knitting or motorcycles. (Just a couple of examples.)

-If you get a message that someone is following you, definitely check her out, as you likely have something in common. (I have my settings so that I get these “follow” notifications through email, and I moved the first one to my Spam folder so all subsequent ones would filter there as well, to be viewed later.)

-Install the “Pin It” button in the toolbar of your browser, so that when you’re on ANY website (not just Pinterest) you can “Pin” the things you like, to be saved to your boards and shared with your followers.

-I also went through my “Favourites” on my computer, and “Pinned” the sites instead. This way I can access all of my saved stuff from any computer, anywhere there’s an Internet connection (plus others can find these great ideas on my boards.)

-If you sign up for an invitation on the site, you might be waiting a long time. Try to find someone you know on Pinterest (like me!) and she or he can invite you to speed up the process. (Leave a comment below with your e-mail address and I promise to invite you ASAP!)

-If you’re looking for ideas for Boards, here’s how I’ve organized my pins:

  • Father’s Day
  • Mother’s Day
  • Fashion
  • Blogging
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • Easter
  • I Guess I Need a Recipes Board
  • Haven’t (Yet) Been There, Done That (places I want to travel)
  • Halloween
  • Organization/Cleaning
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Christmas
  • Decorating/Home
  • Kids
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Education (this one will need to be sub-split into subjects eventually)

As I have completed some one-time-shot home projects, etc. I have removed the pins from my Boards (kind of like taking something off your to-do list) but some things like seasonal crafts for students will need to stay on as yearly reminders for me, and other ideas are just inspirational and will remain on the Boards indefinitely.

Check out my article for more tips and tricks, and the Peterborough/Northumberland/Lakeridge Kids Magazine site for tons of other parenting information and resources. (They’re on Pinterest, too!)

One last note…if you follow me on Pinterest, I will follow back any Boards that fit with my interests (i.e. no cooking, sewing, or martial arts!) and remember, if you’re still waiting for an invitation, wait no longer! I’d be glad to get you in!

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