The Break-up...

I was one of the first.  I didn't need to get on a waiting list, or be invited by a friend.  Heck, I was on it before my company blocked the page as "social networking." Mind you, about three days later, it was blocked - Coincidence? Probably not!

Pinterest. It was love at first sight. One place to organize, categorize and drool over ideas for the perfect party, dinner, or gift. I was pinning cocktail ideas for the summer, 1st birthday party themes for the baby that wasn't born yet, decorating ideas for the house I can't afford, and endless craft project ideas for Colin.

Pinterest and I spent many hours together at first. It was the perfect storm
. I was on maternity leave and had all the time in the world to pin, craft, and make four trips to Michael's a week!

So I got sucked into a world where you make everything by hand...

I started with the obligatory yarn wreath, then graduated to the mod-podge initial door hangings, followed by the ABC book for Colin with a picture of him on every page (A is for Apples with a picture of Colin apple-picking), and on and on...

I didn't realize people didn't just buy a pack of Valentines at Target anymore?  So I handcrafted 16 Valentine's for Colin's school party.

Then, made Valentine's from the boys to their Dad

Those little stickers you put on onsies to show how old your baby is?  Well, Pinterest had about 200 additional ideas, and I panicked thinking that I needed to document these monthly milestones multiple ways! So I started three different monthly photo shoots!

Jack with the "traditional" monthly stickers purchased from Etsy

Pintrerest Idea:  Take a picture on a calendar each month

Pinterest Idea:  Write out monthly age in magnetic letters

Unfortunately my full time job, two kids, and husband got in the way. Pinterest came to a crashing halt on March 20, 2012 - the day I went back to work after three blissful and craft filled months.  I'd log on once a week or so, but quickly close the browser window.  The website that inspired me to get crafty was now a harsh reminder that I didn't have time to do anything more than just survive the weekly grind... 

4:30 - Wake up
5:00 - Jack up, feed, dress
5:45 - Colin up, feed, wrestle, bargain, and bribe to get dressed
6:45 - Drive to day-care
7:30 - Finally leave day-care after unpacking one infant, and un-clinging one toddler from my leg
8:00 - Arrive at work, realize I'd already been awake for almost 4 hours. Squeeze in the work of a 14 hour day into an 8 hour day.
5:00 - Rush out of work to get to day-care before they close
6:00 - Get home
6:05 - Start microwaving dinner

Then the chaos of dinner, bath time, books, putting the boys to bed, cleaning up the house, laundry, sweeping the gigantic pile of crumbs from the kitchen floor, making bottles for day-care, and then crawling into bed...attempting to get enough sleep to do it all again the next day and praying that both kids sleep though the night.

Somehow, I wasn't able to find time in the day to follow the tutorial on "how to tie the perfect bow", or make a new wreath for the front door to coordinate with the season. I'd be standing over the mac & cheese on the stove wistfully thinking about the Tuscan pasta with sun dried tomato cream sauce that I'd pinned the week before. Was I less of a mom because I didn't arrange Colin's food into the shapes of animals, cars, or monsters? 

I'd had enough. So, I took a break. Cold turky...no more Pinterest. 

I was not about to let a website make me feel guilty. I get enough of that being a working mom. And..for the record, Colin LOVES mac & cheese (the kind from the blue box), and he loves a mom who spends time with him, not her hot glue gun. 

So, while every once in awhile I peruse the site for a new recipe, photo idea, or to plan Jack's "birthday in july" party next year, I refuse to let it get to me.  While I will continue the triple monthly photo shoot, my house is not perfectly decorated (and probably never will be), the boys will eat what I put on their plate, and next year they will take their store bought Valentines into day-care and like it!

I'm ok with all of this.  Just like Corporate America has to outsource, so do I...  Isn't that what Etsy is for?