So, apparently, according to the media, Pinterest is causing stress for moms. Last week I read the story online on the Today show website and heard it again on the news this morning. The Today Show conducted a study and found that 42% of moms claimed Pinterest stressed them out. The only thing I can think of to respond to that is: priorities.

I understand the idea behind why the show did the study. Most women I know will agree they are their own harshest critics and the stress they put on themselves is worse than stress from outside sources. I am by far my own worst critic. The voice in my head can be overwhelmingly negative and hard to silence at times. But never will I say looking at Pinterest is my biggest source of stress, or any stress at all for that matter.

When I go to Pinterest the word that comes to mind is better. I'm inspired to put better food on the table, hopefully take better pictures one day, be a better businesswoman, become a better blogger, dress better, give better gifts, throw better parties, get better at organization and so on and so on. I don't go to Pinterest because I think I'm deficient in these areas. I go because it's fun! There are so many amazingly talented and creative people out there, why not use the resources they've given us (for free!) to do things we normally do, only make them better?

That's the way I approach the site and I hope you do, too. If Pinterest or other creative outlet sites are making you feel inadequate in any way, I think it's time to take a step back and examine your priorities. No social sharing sites should have the power to make you feel like less of a mom, wife or anything else. Social media is supposed to enhance our daily lives and relationships, not make us feel bad.

YOU need to be the one using the sites and not let them use you. Also? This is not a competition. You do you, I'll do me and everything will be alright. Also, also? Don't play into the media's hands. We're better than that. If you're not having fun online, perhaps it's time to step away from the computer and re-evaluate what you hope to get out of participating in social sites like Pinterest.

Pinterest Test Drive | Paper Pom Poms

My son's hockey club had a Fun Fest this past weekend at a local park. Each team could do whatever they wanted to try winning a team spirit award. I wanted to make decorations but not spend a lot of the team's money to do it. I liked the idea of hanging pom pom poofs from the canopy but I didn't like the prices I was seeing at the party supply stores for the pre-made ones. Naturally, I turned to Google and Pinterest to find a DIY version.

Source: bigboxdetox.com via Christine on Pinterest

I ended up using this one from Kristen at Big Box Detox. I loved the way mine turned out but it is not quite as easy as it looks in the tutorial. If you give this a try, here are my observations:

*Cutting through that many sheets of tissue paper is tougher than it seems. The paper might tear if you're not using your sharpest scissors.

*In the post, it mentions using pipe cleaners in place of yarn to tie off the center of the paper. Don't. Instead, use the pipe cleaners to make a nice loop at the end of the thread. The pom poms will be easier to hang.

*I had two different sizes of tissue paper 16 1/2 x 24 and 20 x 20. The smaller sheets were much easier to work with. (The orange paper is from Target, the blue from Party City)

*Make your creases as sharp as possible. 

*Tie the center firmly, but not too tight.

*After you make the fan and tie it off, separate the fan blades a bit. This will make it easier to peel up the tissue paper pieces with as little tearing as possible.

If I do this again, I'll try three colors instead of the two. I also think I'll cut the tissue paper in half and try making mini poofs. Happy crafting!

Pinterest Test Drive | DIY for Cleaning Oven Racks

Apologies for not taking 'before' pictures for this post.

I found a list on Pinterest for easy DIY cleaning solutions and decided to test one out this past weekend. Since I've only removed our racks once since we've owned the stove, I figured it was past time they got a good cleaning.

Source: picklee.com via Jordan on Pinterest Pinned to my Green Living board

The directions call for overnight soaking. We had plans to spend the night away so the timing was great. I already had the dryer sheets (Target Up and Up brand) and Phil picked up the Dawn brand of diswashing liquid for me. At the last minute, I also put my stovetop racks in the tub hoping the formula would work for both.

We left home around 4:30pm this past Saturday and didn't return home until around 2:45 Sunday so the four racks were soaking much longer than required.

This method definitely worked on both types of racks but not quite as easily as the directions indicate. If your oven racks have been cleaned more often than mine, meaning more than once in the past five years, your results will probably be better.

After the soaking, I used the dryer sheets to scrub the racks but also had to use a sponge for some really stubborn debris. The racks left rust spots on the bottom of the tub, but elbow grease removed them. When it's time to do this again, I will put the dryer sheets on the bottom of the tub and lie the oven racks on top of them and see if it helps keep the rust away.

I still had to give the corners of the stovetop racks a good scrubbing with a coarse sponge, but the grease was a lot easier to remove than it has been in the past. My only complaint with this method would be that I had some silver flakes on my fingers that came from the coating to my oven racks. Since I left the racks soaking for so long, that could be my fault but it's something to be aware of.

Since the oven racks were out, I smeared baking soda paste on the bottom of the oven, too. It worked like a charm. While the racks aren't in like new condition, this is the cleanest they've been in five years. My oven looks great and hopefully this will help eliminate the burning smell we sometimes get. Pinterest success!