If you liked it then you should have put a Pin on it...

Last week on twitter, I went on a mini rant about the new CrockPot I picked up and how I was about to go crazy because I saw so many great recipes on Pinterest that i want to try immediately. I then got a barrage of questions and comments in my mentions and inbox about it. "I have a Pinterest but how are you finding recipes on it." "I never really used Pinterest " or even "What is Pinterest?"

I want to say I'm shocked but I am not. There was an article that came out the other day saying that Pinterest was the least used social media by the African Americans. You can see that here. Basically, because of the lack of interaction (commenting, @'ing and messaging), black people have no interest in Pinterest. 

I thought this was so sad. Pinterest has been on of the best things to happen to me since Google! And y'all know I'm the Google Queen. But black people haven't gotten into it. So I decided to do a quick post on a Pinterest tutorial. So, even if you decide not to partake, you know the greatness that is Pinterest. 

First- What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a social media forum (yes it's socially media because people join and share) that allows people to put a pin on things that interest them. Pin + Interest = Pinterest... get it ? 

What can you find on Pinterest? 

There are a plethora of categories you can look through if you are looking for ideas, you can also search for specific people, places, things, or topics. 

You have things you found interest you, now what? 

You also can create boards... So you can sort your pins by topics your most interested in. My boards include Health and Beauty, Random, Food, and Inspiration. You can also create group boards so if you have an event coming up ( like a wedding or party) you can share pins and bounce ideas off of each other. You also have the option of creating private boards that only you ( or anyone you grant access to) can see... So private things can be pinned too and no one would be the wiser!

Can I only pin things from Pinterest? 

Nope, if you see something on the Internet, many sites have the red "pin it" button that allows you to pin and share on the site.

So, wait... Why is this so dope again?

If your still wondering what's so dope about this site ( I really can't understand why you would be) let me give you an example... So I bought my CrockPot (yes I'm still talking about it). I typed in "slow cooker" in the search engine on Pinterest. THOUSANDS  of recipes came up. I was amazed. And because their pictures unlike google, you can look ad see what you interested in versus reading it ( I love visuals). I learned not only can I make these easy meals, but I can make hot drinks like egg nog latte, which I love... And bake bread. Yes there was a recipe to bake bread in a slow cooker. Who knew!?!?!?

Also, with pinning on the boards, you can see something and basically have a place to store it. How many times have you seen something online that was investing but got distracted and when you tried to look at it later, could not remember where you saw it or what it was entirely about?

One of the best things I think was when Oprah ( all hail the queen) started using Pinterest for vision boards. If you don't know what vision boards are... A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life. I am a strong advocate for vision boards . Waking up every day last year and seeing what I wanted on some oak tag got me going every day until I reached my short term goals. Some people don't have the time to sit down and cut out pictures and magazine clippings... Plus this is 2013. This is much easier, and thorough. And I'm all for anything that's fun and can make you a better person.  

Hopefully this was helpful. Follow me on Pinterest or on Twitter @KingSio_ to see my pins or hit me with any questions! 

Happy Pinning!