pinned it. did it. {with meg}
liz lamoreux
Today, I'm delighted to introduce a new blog feature with my friend Meg Brothers: Pinned it. Did it.
Meg and I are kind of like Pinterest penpals. We have similar taste in things (from DIY ideas to quilts we want to make to tattoos to quotes) and realized we were often repinning almost everything the other person pinned. As I continue to integrate how I use Pinterest and share more here, I asked Meg if she wanted to share a few of her Pinterest escapades with us. Lucky for us, she said yes! Every other week, she'll be posting about the ways she uses Pinterest, DIY ideas she's tackled from Pinterest, how it's changing how she cooks, and other good things.
Read on for Meg's first column.
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Pinterest has been game changer for me. When I first heard about Pinterest, I decided I was not interested in joining because I felt like I spent enough time on other various forms of social media and didn’t want to get “sucked in” as some had warned against. But, curiosity got to me, and I signed up for an invitation and waited to join just to see if I’d like it. I started out slowly by pinning clothes I liked and decadent food items I dreamed of making. But as time went by, I realized that Pinterest was a platform to help organize, enhance, and improve the life I was already living. A game changer indeed.
One organizational way that I use Pinterest weekly for is meal planning. If meal planning were an Olympic sport, I think I could medal in it. I have it down to a science in my home. I grocery shop on Sunday mornings. It’s my favorite time to shop because the stores are quiet and I like to get a fridge full of food ready for the week ahead. So on Saturdays I sit down and browse my Pinterest boards for meal ideas. I have gorgeous boards organized by meals, health content, even dietary needs. And I sit down and meal plan from beautiful pictures and map out the week ahead.
When I find a meal that I want to make, I go straight to the recipe. I open an app on my phone that holds my grocery list, and I start adding ingredients that I will need for that meal to the list. I repeat the process and choose a week’s worth of meals - each time being careful to open the recipe, add the ingredients that I don’t already have on hand to the list, and create my grocery list straight from the meals I have chosen cook for the week.
This Week’s Sample Menu
Monday: Greek Chicken Hash
Tuesday: Holy Yum Chicken
Wednesday: Lettuce Wraps
Thursday: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Friday: Cilantro Chili Chicken Skewers
Saturday: Cannellini Bean Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Sunday: Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats
I love to try things I find on Pinterest and I like to share my experiences with other people. I created a board called “I Pinned It and Then I Did It” where I can re-pin items after I try them and can include a little information about how it went. That way in the future I can go straight to it and read my quick notes on how it turned out or how I’d change it the next time around.
This whole system allows me to stick to a tight food budget and only grocery shop once a week. I know I have all the items I need for a whole week’s worth of food and I never have to search the cupboards for something to whip up.
Meal and grocery planning is one simple way Pinterest has made my life easier. Is there a way you use Pinterest when it comes to meal planning or grocery planning? I’d love to hear about it. (Leave a comment and let us know!)
Meg Brothers is an artist, photographer, mama, and dreamer. She loves cooking, tattoos, and sporadic dance parties in the kitchen. She prefers dark chocolate, black coffee, and flip flops when weather permits. She is a lover of Pinterest and truly believes in integrating ideas and inspiration - big or small - into normal life. Meg lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Dustin and son, Julian. Meg writes about photography, family, and creative inspiration at megbrothers.com. Find her on Pinterest here and on Twitter here.
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Note from Liz: Over here in my corner, I'm trying to "use Pinterest for good." I really see it as a community of people trying to see the beauty and possibility in their lives. I'm adding a few new features here on my blog inspired by or directly about Pinterest as a way to invite others to look for this beauty within a social media community. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds. Connect with me on Pinterest here.