Community Voices for Health

By: Heather Desmond O’Neill

Pinterest: The site that can create heaps of happiness and truly make me feel like an inadequate mother.

When I first discovered Pinterest, I fell in love with it. I “pinned” all sorts of great ideas for my kids, home and fashion. I couldn’t believe the great ideas people had for decorating, desserts and dining. I mean, who knew they were so many uses for Dawn dish soap? And wooden pallets? Wow – what I could do with the corks from my wine bottles!

 So here I was, pinning away, getting some great ideas and creating some cool things: we made some delicious Oreo turkeys at Thanksgiving, created some cool crayon art, and my showerheads sparkled with the white vinegar/baking soda mix. However, there were also some not-so-great ideas: I actually went out and bought River Rocks so I could make a rock mat of my own, where I would stand barefoot and let the rocks massage my perfectly pedicured feet…at least that what I envisioned. Epic FAIL.  I have a bunch of heavy rocks now that will in no way sit flat on a mat.

And then I started saving wine bottles.  I’m certainly not a heavy wine drinker, but we hosted a few events during the holidays and it has been quite a stressful year, so I may have had a few more bottles than normal this year.  I had visions of hot-gluing words onto them, painting them to create some original vases, and maybe even make my own lantern lights. How great would my backyard look with these!! And then I did nothing with them. They cluttered my counter and I’m sure I looked like a wino to friends and family that came into my kitchen. So, I recycled them and felt empowered.

Every time I looked at the bottles, I thought, ‘I should be making time to do some of these things.’ Why was I suddenly feeling obligated to keep up with the crazy Pinterest People? I realized I have enough stress in my life. So, I decided I’m only going to try and recreate things that I could really use or need.

On a side note, I’ve also completely worked out the layout of the future house I will build when I hit the lottery. It will have reading nooks, a massive deck for entertaining and a master bedroom that will make your mouth water. The kitchen will be one that others will pin to their own “dream house” boards. The house will have the greenest grass and no mosquitoes because I will have the bug-catching 2-liter bottle contraption at all corners of the property. My garage will be organized with labeled bins and storage on the ceiling so as not to waste an ounce of space. This may never come to fruition, but it sure looks great on my “boards.”

One of the greatest ideas I got from Pinterest was filling an inflatable pool with pillows and blankets, and enjoying some relaxation time. Now, with boys who are 2 and 5, there’s no such thing as real “relaxation time” – but boy did we have fun! I purchased a $20 inflatable pool from a local discount store and filled it with pillows from various old couches. At first, the boys had no idea what I was doing, but when they realized that this was a pool for them to play in, they squealed with delight. We filled it with every pillow in the house and they piled in blankets and favorite stuffed animals. I had to place some “safety” guidelines for getting into the pool, and soon they were jumping and piling pillows that were higher than they were tall. We snuggled up and watched movies, and they begged to sleep in the “Pillow Pool” that night. How could I say no? They had so much fun! I hope it’s one of those memories they cherish from their childhood.

I remember when I was a child, my mother would bring home cardboard boxes that used to house refrigerators and stoves.  She would stand them upright and cut windows and doors in them.  We played in those for days. How I loved the days she would bring home those boxes! Thank you, Pinterest, for giving me a few ideas of things to do with my boys that they will remember and treasure. These are the times when I feel like a great mom.