Pinterest you say

When I signed up to Pintirest at first it was with mild curiosity and not a very clear idea as to what I might use it for. This was back when it wasn't hitting the headlines and 'pinning' had not yet joined tweeting and blogging as part of our daily techno lexicon. 

Now that I have been actively using it for quite a while I have a much better handle on its potential.I definitely think that it has and will continue to change how we search the internet. I now save ideas and inspirations to my Pinterest boards. I catalogue my blog posts and ideas on Pinterest. It is a visual smorgasbord (you've got to love that word) of all that inspires me. It is also a really handy way of remembering clever tips and tricks.

My Pinterest fundamentals 

1
 Only follow those boards that you are REALLY interested in following,you don't need to follow someone just because they follow you. BE PICKY, pick and choose the boards you like. 

2
  I like to upload or find as much original content as possible. This one is a personal preference of mine and not a hard and fast rule. Some of my boards have more original content than others. Some are a gathering place. Always link and give credit where credit is due. 

3
  Go off-line Some of my favourite 'off-line' pinspirations are 

-Fashion shoots/magazines which mainly go onto my  Fashion Photography board 

- The natural world onto my board The Nature Table
 

- and showing off my love of books on my Books; How I love thee board

Tear it out - scan it in - Pin it = Never lost + always at your finger tips

4

Pin about what you love and others will love it too.

One of the first boards that I created was my Light me up board. It started out as a way for me to catalogue all the blog posts on lighting that I had written. It was only as I started looking that I realised just how much I loved lighting.

One of my most popular boards is my Words to live by board. I love quotes and have always scribbled them down on the pages of my notebooks. Now I take these words and every Monday pin a new Quote. I have started to design backgrounds and use photographs, maps and colour to compliment the words. 

 I think it really taps into something that all people love,the inspiration that words can provide and a visual way of recording them.
 
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So that is the end of my Pinterest chit chat, If you have a pinterest account leave a link in the comments below and I will hop on over and check it out.


xx V  

Time: A precious commodity

Time is ever constant, ever passing and we never seem to have enough of it. But if we add up all those moments in the day where we throw away our time we might be surprised at what we are missing out on.

There are 86,400 seconds in a single day. What did you do with yours?

That extra half an hour we kept hitting the snooze button on our alarm this morning instead of just getting up = 1,800 seconds

The hour we spent channel hopping on the TV, too much of which was spent trying to figure out if the latest adventures of honey boo boo was reality or fiction.
= 3,600 seconds

The 20 minutes we surfed the net, checking out everyone else's facebook stats. (You know you do it)
= 1,200 seconds

 That is nearly 2 hours. It is not about wasting time or even saving time, but rather about being more concious of how we spend our time. You can take those hours and really use them. Read a book, go for a walk, start a new hobby, take up an evening class, write a letter or simply spend time with someone you love. Or watch Honey Boo Boo. But the point is to BE AWARE of how you are spending that time.

 In order to practice what I am preaching this is what I have done. 

Started going for a short 20 minute walk at lunch time listening to a Podcast and leaving my phone at my desk.

Taking the time to make myself a salad for lunch instead of eating another sandwich 

 On Sunday: 

 instead of lying in I arranged to go for a walk with a friend. 

I sat down and sorted through the giant pile of 'important things' that had piled up on my desk. Much of which ended up in the bin

I started a knitting project that has been sitting in my Craft basket for months.

And most importantly I stayed away from my laptop all day (a big time waster for me) 

---------------------------------------------------

 Start small, incorporating a small change into your daily routine until it becomes a habit.

Make plans for your days off, they can be as simple as trying out a new recipe, meeting a friend for coffee or taking a few hours to read a really good book. But make a plan and stick to it.

 xx V