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Community Corner

Isn't That Pinteresting?

An online playground for the mind's eye, a collage of inspiration, your online idea file. Where have you been all my webby life, Pinterest?

You are absolutely right that social media is a huge time-suck, and what parent can afford another expense like that? None of us, of course, but that hasn’t kept me away from the oh-so-easy, oh-so-fun, oh-so-popular Pinterest. In fact, Time magazine named the “virtual pinboard” one of 2011’s 50 most popular web sites.

Pinterest is my current online playground. I click over when I need a break, a big idea, or a little inspiration. The site lets you “collect the things you love” and share them with ease. Fashion ideas, organizational tips, quotable quotes, writing prompts, gorgeous images, mom reassurance, crafts for kids—all there. Even without an account, you can search out images, information, ideas, and inspiration about, well, just about anything.

On my last visit, here are a few things I came across in a short session perusing the latest postings from my Pinterest pals:

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Pinterest is a fun, creative outlet. It's collaging for grown-ups, without the mess of scissors and glue (because let's face it, you've cleaned up that project dozens of times already!). There’s no Facebook-like pressure to keep up with posts. No need to reply to your friends' pins (although you can!) or say what you did 5 minutes ago in 140 characters or less. Just a huge bulletin board full of ideas and images on an endless array of topics, at your fingertips whenever you have a spare moment to let your mind unwind.

When you’re feeling more directed, you can do some curating of your own. Here’s a themed board I recently created for some personal inspiration: It’s about the mother archetype. (I was thrilled every time someone repinned one of these beautiful images of mothering -- it's a really lovely feeling to get confirmation that someone else is moved by what moves you.)

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So, are you Pinterested? You can request an invite on the Pinterest home page, or leave a comment here, and I’ll send you one. And if you’re already hooked on pinning, I’d love to know what you’re curating!

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Jennifer Derryberry Mann, editor of Belly Button Bliss: A Small Collection of Happy Birth Stories, blogs about navigating the labyrinth of motherhood one breath at a time at Mamahhh.com. Her Nurture + Frolic column appears biweekly on Athens Patch.

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