Hi Friends! I drove to New Hampshire and back yesterday. My sister and I took the kids to Santa’s Village. Actually I did not drive, My Brother-in-Law did which made it even better LOL! This was a rather impromptu trip. We had planned going a month ago but on the day we could go there were freak tornado touching down and lightning storms and it was a 4 hour drive so we did not want to get there and have it be closed or get swept into OZ by a tornado! Yesterday was one of those days where you go from having the heat on in your car, to the AC and heat again in one day. That is how I know summer is ending. I am feeling a bit sad to see this summer go. Usually I am looking forward to the crisp days of fall and having the days free to work on my projects while the kids are in school but this year I am feeling a bit sad about it. I also wonder if the kids will even be interested in going to Santa’s Village or Storyland next year (sniff, sniff.) Oh well, all we can do is try to enjoy every moment, right? We have perfect beach weather today so I am taking them to the lake for one last hurrah before school starts. I think one of the things that has given me the end-of-summer-bummer feeling is screens. If we are home the kids want to play video games. We set a time limit on all screens but I feel that they would have a screen in their face all day if we let them. The games are designed to keep players on the websites/app/devices longer and you know what. Our favorite websites do the same thing. That gave me the idea for this weeks Vlog: Is Pintrest bad for you:
What do you think? I know I can get sucked into a void when I am online. I need limits as much as my children do so I can use the computer as a tool and not the other way around. Let me know what you think in the comments! Happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
I do agree with your comments on Pinterest, I just use it for painting inspiration and to view the lovely scenes.
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I couldn’t agree with you more! We should enjoy the Internet, but we must set limits and set priorities in our lives, and actually learn how to interact as real people. Thank you again for your honest opinions, and insight.
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Right on! I’m retired now so I love spending a couple hours there every once in a while but I have working friends who spend way too much time there and even know and agree but it’s almost like an addiction for them. YOU are a great inspiration and I love your videos and you leaving mistakes in–you’re human and so am I so we make mistakes!! Oh well!!
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So true, we have the ability to click the off button, however, sometimes it’s hours later when I realized how much time I’ve spent. Yes when I I’m determined to do and not open the computer until after dinner, I find I’ve accomplished so much more. I never thought about how I feel when that happens, but you are right there too. It FEELS so go to have crated something, or just regular things that need to get done. Spot on comment.!!!!!
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I do agree with you also. It just creeps me out when I get email from amazon after I have pinned something. I do find when searching for craft ideas or inspiration I seem to get more variety on Pinterest vs a straight internet search. On the other hand I find if I go to a few trusted websites for recipies or technique instruction (like yours) I am more successful when I attempt to make it! Thanks for putting out accurate info and uplifting videos!
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A very good, well-balanced approach to all this stuff on the Internet, Lindsay. I am a bit of a Pinterest addict, I suppose. I suffer from a chronic condition which forces me to rest a lot, and if there’s nothing on the TV, I do love to hop around Pinterest which I find so inspiring, and I love to see how incredibly creative people are out there. It doesn’t make me feel bad, because I am not them, and I know I am creative in my own way. As a source for inspiration and just for the “feel good” factor, I love it! I use Youtube in the same way. However, when I am well enough to do things, after I’ve finished my chores you will find me in my ARTHaven!
Shoshi
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When I first found Pinterest, I did just what you described. Now I use it for ME. I pin cards, artwork and knitting projects that I’m interested in trying. I pin recipes I find elsewhere that I want to try. I pin products that I want for a future remodel. I search it if I’m looking for a particular project or thing. I do go to my boards to check for inspiration periodically but only when I feel like making something and need ideas
When we were getting ready to remodel our bathroom, I spent a lot of time on Houzz getting ideas and inspiration. Once the remodel began, I haven’t been on there since. It is a tool, and I use it as such.
Facebook? I check once a day to see what’s going on in my friends & sons lives (they are all grown). It keeps me connected and I love it but I spend very little time there.
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I think you have it right–we need to use these as tools, not be used! These days I find myself using Pinterest just as storage and organization for good ideas I find on blogs that I follow (like you!). It lets me keep bookmarks to techniques or projects I want to try. I rarely browse Pinterest anymore, unless I’m looking for something specific.
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Ooohh my goodness Lindsay…you made my day with this video…I was watching it with a big smile ;o))
I’m not into this social media because I simply do not like it. And perhaps I miss a lot of things, but there is always someone that tells me what is going on. BUT I like pinterest for ideas like you say. ;o)
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I agree! I make stuff while watching videos like yours, or others and only go to pinterest if looking for an idea. And I agree about Facebook too, it does nothing for me any more. Now I have my settings set so that I actually only see the fun, inspirational stuff and the majority of people’s personal stuff is hidden unless I go to their “walls” in moments of curiosity. Works much better that way. 🙂
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Pintrest has inspired me to be more creative. there are things on there I just love. too much of anything isn’t good for you
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Your analysis is accurate according to current research. I use a few trusted websites with yours in the top five. I don’t pin or face, tweet or text. As a policy, that insures that I spend precious personal time with real paint on real paper or walking about in nature for inspiration, but it also means a kind of isolation and missing out on the good aspects of sites like Facebook and Pinterest. And, I confess YouTube would rule my life if I let it. I wish there were some kind of middle ground, maybe a type of clearinghouse! Another commenter discussed the targeted search – that sounds like a good strategy. Thanks for all you do! Jane
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Pinterest and Facebook are both time eating black holes! I fall in and can’t get out for hours! I try to use moderation with FB. Sometimes I am more successful than others. I almost never go to Pinterest anymore though. I just can’t afford to waste that kind of time. I do occasionally add a pin to my boards though!
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I never got into Pinterest. I spend my time watching your videos. And I love everyone of them
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Hi Lindsay 🙂
I agree with your comments. People should set limits on what they see and read. Your are correct, not everything is real or true and we have to remember that. Thank you for your valuable advice. You are a special and caring person. I am so happy I found your website and your daily videos.
THANK YOU!!!
Take care.
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I love Pinterest! It’s my therapy!!!
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When I get a Pinterest notice, it’s usually by an email on my phone so I wait to open it on a bigger screen. As a result, Pinterest becomes a relaxing luxury later when I have a little down time, not daily, and I find it very inspiring. As for Facebook, I totally agree with you–kind of a downer. I can use that time on another luxury–Frugal Crafter videos! Yea!
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‘Go make stuff’ Luv that!
Thanks for putting all that out there, I often thought that, but didn’t know if i was the only one, had a couple of friends encouraged me to get into Facebook & Pinterest, but I thought youtube was good enough for now lol
Guess with everything else in moderation…or careful selection 😉
Have a sweet day
*
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I just unfollowed a bunch of people on Pinterest because when I went back and looked a lot of the people had pinned the same things. I’ve actually only pinned 10 items myself and most of my FB and pinned stuff was for entries into contests. It is easy to get lost in it.
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I enjoy your comments, and also agree, I can get easily derailed! I primarily use Pininterest when I am looking for a specific something to draw…like a portrait of fancy women in hats (one of my favorite subjects) and be able to draw it accurately, or looking at doodle pages to get ideas. Good job, Lindsay. Yes, we all need to go make stuff! XO
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I use Pinterest to pin links that I would normally put on my computer, but I have lost that list twice. So this way I am not going to lose it again. But I say it is good and bad…Good because of what it does and the ideas found, bad for the time a person can spend on it just getting lost in looking at what others have pinned. So it is a toss up, if you have nothing that you need to do good, if dinner is not on the table for the family to eat not so good and time to reconsider the time spent.
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Have really enjoyed your “Vlogs”…short enough I can squeeze in the time…thought provoking…and as usual, informative! Moderation and discipline are hard qualities to find in this present society. Oh, by the way, speaking of being inspired, your dress in the Vlog would make a wonderful background for a card…! 🙂
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On kids and screens–as a taxi grama, I say that if you have a kid and a tablet in the car, you only have a tablet. It is awful..plus, the 12 yr old gran and I just co-read “Fahrenheit 451” so I see a lot of symptoms of what is to come and it is even more scary than you might think. They are in training now for what happened in the book (written in 1953). We do not want that world to happen to us. Could easily; or a version of that.
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Also–thanks for the wind sock post–I am making some for an outdoor picnic fall birthday party–good instructions!! Missed step by step designing, but was fun to make my own–also, could not find crayons (why) and used craypaws–worked crazy good!
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Oh DRAT! I just spent a couple hours trying to decide about organizing a new blog.
I do like pinterest – my sister and I love to go out together and find ideas for our gardens. Facebook is something I have done and decided it was just a place for the really bad guys to hang and get others involved in bad guy stuff. My church friends seem to like Facebook, but I decided it was not for me. I still get requests to be ‘friends’ and turn everyone down. LinkedIn is really a drag.
If you have real friends involved in a social space I think that’s fine. I’d rather read the news and write about the news. Ergo the blog. I won’t get a whole lot of hits – nobody has time to read someone whose is sorting and snorting about the truth behind the bad news – even if it means a little bit happier world when people understand just exactly what the heck is going on and what can be done to get ‘stuff’ out in the open, discussed and good solid patriots taking positive action and getting involved.
I’ll just stick to my blog, pinterest with my sister, and watching the good tutorials on YouTube – and Lindsay posts almost every day and then I run to Amazon.de and see if I can buy some of the supplies there. Stamping and water coloring in Deutschland can be a challenge – twice as expensive, and half the supplies must be either homemade or purchased online – especially when you live in the Bavarian boonies. And I do mean hinterland – backwoods full of cows and deer, and Alpine foothills.
About the only thing that’s really plentiful and affordable in Bavaria – whole raw milk, cheese, good bread, butter, and eggs. And no, we do not boil our milk – we put colloidal silver in it and drink it that way. Heck, your Greatgrandmother put solid silver coins in her milk to keep it from going sour.
Furniture for the masses – pressed wood aka cardboard and laminated surfaces – who needs Teflon worksheets with that stuff around… Don’t get me wrong, I love IKEA and hacking their stuff can be hours of fun – but for really good furniture – You’d better be ready to pay through the schnazz for anything decent. Modern or otherwise. Leather living room – try $39,800 at today’s prices. and that’s nothing to get excited about! Having a kitchen built? Try $19,900 2.5 years ago for a 10’x10′ kitchen and there’s no dining area there. Crazy! It’s an investment? Oh yes, and you’d better be prepared to live with it for 20 years. That’s how I got away with granite counter tops. Laminate just doesn’t last. You might be a Bavarian redneck 🙂 If your patio furniture used to be your living room furniture. How do I know? We pitched some 20+ year-old patio furniture at the dump this spring. . . No Joke, nastiness out the wazoo. You’d have thought we’d lost our mind and purchased a log cabin in the backwoods in Arkansas! This little adorable house had been Bubbazizzed.
Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. Enough – Watch movies if you’re up to your eyeballs in crafting – better yet watch soccer. Now, there’s something to get your dander up. And winter and snow will soon be here. When you’re snowbound, watch winter sports! Or go get into the sauna at the spa and warmup. There’s a problem there – it takes your breath away when you run and jump into the car and head home. That sauna business can be a winter sport in and of itself. . . T.M.I. – I know. Sorry. My sweet Mother-in-law knitted and crocheted till the house is now full of sweaters and doilies. More stuff to re-purpose.
Love you Lindsay – and you are absolutely on point about a waste of time. . . Crafting is much better for the soul and health. “Happy Crafting!”
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Hey !!
Great Vlog 🙂 it’s funny as I set off a bit of a discussion about apps today and totally by accident … my original post said dear all I’m not longer using blah blah …. Contact me other ways if you need to …. Whoa the response was bonkers …. And why … Folk are living their life’s on line !! It’s so weird !! Hey Ho each to there own …. 🙂 happy crafting xx
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Pinterest gives me a wonderful place to sort and save great ideas and color stories and instructive DIY so my answer is It is good for you. No wait, it is bad for me because I seem to craft vicariously through watching others do it. I realized that I watch more than do art. If I can show self control, it is good. If I have no self control it is bad.
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I spend hours when I get on there. It is addicting! Need to be more productive.
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i don’t post much on Facebook and don’t like it. but my kids and friends who are on it think it is wonderful. I get pictures of my greatgrandkids through Facebook but on my grandchildren’s pages.
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Trying thinking of Pinterest as a visual bookmark. Prior to it, I would save a bookmark of a card or knitting project I wanted to do but when going back to find it, it was lost in a myriad of other bookmarks. Now I bookmark sites that I like and pin individual projects. Both makes it easier to find what I’m looking for. The only boards I peruse are my own.
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I don’t do pinetrist, I refuse to do facebook, in fact I don’t have cable TV – I’m OLD and don’t trust ANYONE, and can’t handle all this electronic nonsense, except your ‘Ask a Crafter’, so WHEN DOES SCHOOL START??? I’m SOOOO Deprived!!! Really miss you and your hilarious guests Lorraine & Cathy. So you see, there are some of us saying – SUMMER, PLEASE GO AWAY!!! Also, I can’t paint. Will you be in Texas any time soon???
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I joined Facebook to keep up with my kids who live far away. I find they don’t spend much time there. They’re too busy living life, which is great! But I do see a peep from them now and then and know they’re okay…besides the occasional phone call. I’m more into blogging and visiting with a few blogging friends. It can get out of hand if you try to follow every rabbit trail because there are millions of blogs out there. You do need to discipline yourself. But I still find myself getting that icky feeling you mentioned when I realize how much time I’ve spent online. I’ve never been part of Pinterest because I know I’m in deep enough already! lol! Good advice, Lindsay! Hit the stop button and make stuff!
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I have never been a Pinterest or Facebook addict, have always used it as a tool for finding something I needed, BUT……I got into a real time stealing habit of trying to watch every video every subbie posted and make a little comment. Yes, every ‘thank you for the RAK’ every ‘haul’ video as well as tutorials and vlogs.
I was spending hours watching what someone bought at Tuesday Morning or what they received from a sweet friend.
There is nothing wrong with any of that unless it is taking your whole day and you have done no homemaking chores, no creating and no thrift shop visits for yourself 😉
I had to make some changes and give myself permission to NOT watch every video from every subbie, with the priority being learning. Any video that will teach me something, is on my OK to view list. I will go thru quickly and then I am off to the real world.
Happy you did this one! Thank you
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Yes, I can get sucked into pinterest but I do limit myself now. Lots of times I don’t open my pinterest email notifications because I don’t want to be tempted to start browsing. On the other hand I do find pinterest to be very inspirational. Pinterest also got me started on youtube. So that’s how I found your blog and video tutorials. I do blame pinterest and youtube for my new found paper crafting and rubber stamp “addiction”, LOL. I’m a DIY and like crafty things. Facebook I’m not into at all. I’m really not a very chatty person with all kinds of things to post.
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I totally agree with you! I try to only use pintrest as a source of inspiration (and only once in a great while at that), not a comparison of my abilities and/or accomplishments. I think we are hard enough on ourselves in regards to our creative and personal efforts as it is, we sure do not need more fuel to feed our insecurities. We need to remember to just enjoy what we love to do and to leave perfection for the perfect people! I love the saying that goes something like…’art is not about talent, it’s more about passion’, and I couldn’t agree more with that saying!
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Amen!
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I am answering your question with a question. Why do you feel a need for Pinterest? You are one of the busiest ladies with kids still home that I know. You are creative and imaginative. You do not necessarily need research to see what is popular for you to create. You are a trendsetter. I feel grateful when someone ‘pins’ something I made from Etsy for a site I no longer manage. I only posted little girl dresses to raise money for the non-profit who cares for my adult disabled son. Anyway it is hard for kids to see their role model Mom on a screen even though they know you are earning a living doing that. The fact you realize this summer may be the last for favored family outings is sweet. Enjoy every minute. Mine are all grown with no grandkids. Would you miss even one minute of family fun because of Pinterest? I think not.
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Yes, Pinterest can be a big time suck. I spend more time looking for inspiration than I do crafting and that is just ridiculous imo. And it’s just to easy to click and pin, accumulate a horde of pins with no plan in mind. It ends up being a big messy board, no matter that it’s virtual, it still clogs the mind.
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Spot On Lindsay!!!!! Possibly a good tool, but your videos are more on point, as is Splitcoast Stampers…..so I by-pass Facebook and Pinterest as much as possible!
Hugs,
Jan
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I use pinterest as an idea library. And I haven’t bought a cookbook since I began pinning recipes. If I make something from a pin, I add a comment on how I used the inspiration and the date I completed the piece or dish. I am disabled and the internet is my lifeline to a world that often times passes me by. I have a routine for myself that does limit my searching time on the internet. I just wouldn’t want to give it up completely.
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I love Pinterest just love it. I think of it as an idea scrapbook with no limit to the pages. At the same time, I can spend hours pinning away. My friend said it best: we’re sitting here looking at things that other people are doing- instead of doing things ourselves. So, am trying to limit myself to one big Pinning glut a week. So far, so good. Also, a timer that beeps at me helps with the whole online time sink. Looking at a clock never happens – I have a clock on the computer, obviously, but unless something bites me or jolts me, or beeps me I don’t even bother looking.
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