Warning: If you have deadlines approaching, avoid clicking the links below. The social media network discussed in this post is highly addictive and should be visited with caution!
Sometimes, we don’t know what we’re in the mood for. Sometimes, we just want whatever looks good. For these occasions when you’re not even sure what recipe to search for, I present to you Pinterest.
Pinterest describes itself as “an online pinboard” where you can “organize and share things you love.” This site isn’t dedicated solely to baking, as it is a place to collect all of the things you love, but there is usually at least one yummy-looking recipe within the top few rows of posts. If you’re not in the mood for scrolling, you can also select the category “Food & Drink" by hovering over the “Everything” title at the top of the page.
On the “Food & Drink” page, you will find recipes of all sorts. There’s savory and sweet and healthy and guilty-pleasure-worthy. With pictures included for every recipe, it’s just like window shopping, but for food! There are plenty of options to browse through, so something is sure to strike your fancy. This browsing method is what led my roommate and I to this (speaking of guilty-pleasure-worthy).
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| Too Good! |
One of my favorite features of Pinterest is that you can “repin” things to your own boards to save them for later. I can’t wait to try these and this!
A word to the wise: Many pins on one page of Pinterest will catch your attention. For this reason, I suggest opening the links to each pin in a new tab by right clicking on them. This way, you won’t leave the main page. If you leave the main page and then return, new pins will have been posted and you may not be able to find the original pins you wanted to check out.
Another perk of Pinterest is that you can follow boards. When I find a recipe I like, I usually take a look at what other types of things are included on the board and then decide if I want to follow or not. Sometimes I like users’ pins so much that I follow all of their boards. This is a great way to connect with like minded individuals with taste similar to yours. You can also comment on pins and tag other users in your pin explanations.
Pinterest isn’t only for when you don’t know what you want. Say you’re hungry for something pumpkin-y (as we all are since the leaves are changing and autumn is upon us). Just type “pumpkin” in the search bar and see what yummy treats (and dinner options too) come your way.
You’ll have to request an invite in order to start pinning, but happy browsing until then! Consider yourself warned: Pinterest and procrastination go hand in hand, so only pin when you’ve got some time to kill (like when your cookie-oreo-brownie concoction is in the oven!).
To start off, you were right on point when you said this website would likely become our next obsession. It is so addicting; it is my new procrastination tool of choice. I started looking at Pinterest on the "food and drink" page but after beginning to salivate, I switched to the "women's apparel" page. There seems to be a different pin page to follow no matter what your interest is or what you are looking for. Also, thanks for the tip about opening new windows because I almost lost the pin of a zipper bracelet that I am now scouring the web to find to purchase. I am hoping to get an invited so that I can start pinning, but a little concerned that it will be even more of a distraction! I think this social media tool is great because it expands sharing past just friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter into a community interested in the same things you are.
ReplyDeleteThis site is incredible! I have never heard of Pinterest, or anything like it before today! This online bulletin board is perfect for anyone with a niche interest, or even someone who is just interested in browsing.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that the topics are all posted on a general board so that people can stumble upon new and exciting things they would have never known otherwise. Anyone who visits the site will check out the top pins, even if they are visiting the site for a more specific reason. I can absolutely see this idea taking off and becoming increasingly more popular in the near future. Thanks for sharing this great find!
This is a great find! This is a really unique site to add to the realm of personalized blog and social media sites. I love that the photos under the Food and Drink section are high-quality. I agree with Maggie, I definitely can see this idea taking off with more users in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis site is amazing! To be honest with you I never even heard of half the social media sites until I took a social media class. I have been introduced to so many amazing sites and this is one of them. It is great to browse through the site and be able to find pins by people that have similar interests as I do. This is also a great site to find things you may not have been introduced to before (for example that amazing looking cake you posted!).
ReplyDeleteI love Pinterest!It definitely has become my new obsession lately. Especially with the holiday season approaching I use it to find crafts that I could make as gifts or as a way to find recipes to bring to family gatherings. It is a great way to browse and find ideas that are similar to my interests.
ReplyDeleteI have recently fallen a slave to Pinterest as well! I love organizing pins for food ideas, style and beauty ideas, and wedding ideas even though that’s way WAY in the future (don’t tell my boyfriend I do that!). I got the idea from my sister who was addicted; a horrible idea before finals!! It’s super fun to see what all your friends are pinning, it helps get ideas on everything from designing a home, to pictures that put you in a good mood! Also, great advice on the opening new tabs, thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the posts above, Pinterest is an awesome site and extremely addictive! It is great that there is a place you can go to look at things that you are interested and see what other people are saying and posting. It just shows that social media is really changing the way we act online and changes the way we research and find information. Pinterest is such a great tool.
ReplyDeleteI never looked into Pinterest until recently. I actually was introduced to it through Stumbleupon. The best part about Pinterest to me is that it motivates you to be creative and leads you to ideas and topics you were not necessarily looking for to begin with. I have quite a few crafty ideas for around my apartment that I found through Pinterest bookmarked on my browser. Speaking of food, have you ever heard of foodporn.com? It's a website where you can get recipes to all sorts of foods and you'll pretty much want to eat your arm off while you browse through the photos!
ReplyDeleteYou have gotten not only myself, but all of my roommates hooked on Pintrest, thank you. I love being able to save pins for later. I have never looked into the food and drink section, definitely not something I'll ever do when I'm hungry again, hahah. Thanks for the tips on using Pintrest and for the new method of procrastination (food and drink will entertain me for hours.) Let me know when you make the caramels, yum!
ReplyDeleteThis seems like this could be a very addicting website. I too love to bake, although it seems like I don't have as much time being in college. I love how with social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, I can always find new recipes because people are always posting new things to try and make. I will definitely have to check out Pintrest to see if I can find any new concoctions to make. I could use a real treat after finishing up my classes!
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts! I have yet to get involved on Pinterest, but I've only heard people say good things about it. It sounds like a fantastic resource, although I'm so much more of a crafty-and-cooking person in my imagination than real life :)
ReplyDeleteAlso: I love how the graphic design of this blog reflects your confectionery theme. Nice job!
One of my friends told me about Pinterest a while ago and I had been meaning to check it out, but forgot the exact name of the website until now... so thanks for reminding me! You do a great job of describing exactly what the website is about and providing examples of how you used it and what to and not to do on the site (opening things in a new tab vs. just clicking, I probably would have just clicked items). As someone with an addictive personality, I will now probably wait until after all of my finals are over to really dive into Pinterest as the last thing I need is another distraction, however I am anxious now to try it out and see what I can discover.
ReplyDeleteI don't actually use Pinterest myself, but recently my Facebook page and Twitter timeline have been inundated with links people have found on pinterest and decide to share with their non-pinning friends. I think pinterest will be the new up and coming thing!
ReplyDeleteAnd in terms of the food, I completely relate, I have Food as one of my interests on StumbleUpon, and it is very hard to resist the temptation that is food blogs.