Yessum. Pinch of Yum is now on Pinterest! And now you’re all like, um, why weren’t you on Pinterest before? Let’s talk.
Remember when Pinterest became a thing?
I don’t really, because I think it had long since become a thing when I first heard of it. People were giddy about it, I was clueless, and I came to realize that I was living under a rock. Or under a blog. Or under/inside a giant chocolate chip cookie stuffed with gooey salted caramel.
Readers and friends often ask me why I’m not on Pinterest. They say lots of things, like you would like it, or it would be good for your blog, or just plain old you’re, um, weird. I sort of had an explanation about it on my Frequently Asked Questions page being that it was, in fact, a frequently asked question. But I think people were still confused.
It’s one of those things that I don’t really need to write a post about, but I just feel like I want to be heard and understood before doing a fashionably late swan dive into the Pinterest pool. Kapish? Thank you.
Why I Didn’t Use Pinterest Before
It has been a very conscious decision on my part not to use Pinterest up to this point. Initially I was worried about it taking up so much time, much like any and all other social media and/or things in general in life. I already feel like every day there are so many valuable ways to spend my time, and I barely even scratch the surface with truly making the most of each day. Plus I consistently struggle to maintain deep, quality focus on important things. So why add another shallow-thinking distraction? That was reason #1.
As time went on and I started to peek at Pinterest from time to time and hear friends talk about it, I started to get this resistant feeling towards it that went deeper than just the time and distraction thing. I had (have?) this fear of being just another female American blogger that was spending hours pinning pictures of magaziney kitchens, cute bags, and pug puppies. I mean no disrespect towards anyone who has ever pinned a cute bag. Please. I love cute bags and don’t hear me wrong. Knowing myself, I just had this feeling that instead of being uplifted by all the crafty ideas and shiny things, that I would get pulled into a downward spiral of discontentment. I worried that it would fuel my love for things that don’t matter in this life and lessen my happiness with my own clothes, my own house, my lack of homemade soaps.
Throw into the mix a year-long move to the Philippines and a new reality amongst all-encompassing poverty. The tension between these two worlds reached a peak in my heart, and weirdly enough, I felt both the resistance to stay away and the pull to join stronger than ever. And this has been my battle.
Because I always have to make everything more serious than it is, now you know my heart-deep reason for not using Pinterest up until this point. I know this is all a little whoaaa and ushy-gushy, so thank you for just hearing me out. That’s what good friends do, which you are. ♥
Why I Changed My Mind
First of all, you’re all there and I want to be where you are. Simple.
Secondly, it’s the number one source of traffic for Pinch of Yum, after Google. I need to learn how to make the most of this incredible system of social sharing. Like, wow.
Thirdly and nitty-gritty, I am working with an agency that arranges for sponsorships and it was really hard for them to include me for sponsorships without having an active Pinterest account. Bum. And because we have chosen to use Pinch of Yum as a case study in how to make money with a food blog, it’s super important to me that I do what I can to open those doors. I had my stubborn moment and now I’m okay with it. This is the path we’ve chosen, so let’s embrace it.
Lastly, I have supergood friends that are helping me so it might be a tiny bit fun.
This is my best friend Angela.
Ang 1) is adorable 2) is a pro at balancing the fun of Pinterest with the important things in life 3) is helping me develop and manage the Pinch of Yum Pinterest account so that I don’t go running back to my hermit home inside the chocolate chip cookie with the gooey salted caramel. Ang is the best and I know you love her already. But remember, I loved her first.
I’m still hesitant about all the things that I mentioned before that I imagine come along with using the Big P. But I’m making intentional decisions about my time, and trusting that even though I have boards with magaziney kitchens and cute bags pinned to them, I can still seek God to grow a passion in my heart for what’s most important in this life. Like showing love to these sweet ones in the Philippines and around the world, juuust as a perfect example.
So now you know. Pinch of Yum has an active account on Pinterest. I’ll see you there!
PS. If you are planning to follow or already DID follow (muah), hop on over to enter to win this best-ever cookbook as a bonus! You have until Thursday!
Thank you for letting me say this. Yer da bomb.