So I discovered my life’s newest, greatest time suck today – Pinterest.
From what I can tell it’s StumbleUpon, meets Facebook’s "Like" button, meets Google Reader, meets bookmarking, meets…everything that’s right in the world.
It’s awesome!
Basically, in a nut shell, when you find something you like online and want to keep it in one place (instead of emailing yourself the link or something) you "Pin It" to Pinterest.
You organize your pins by adding them to "boards" with different themes like food & drink, travel, home & furniture, kids, fashion and weddings, etc.
Then you share your pins/boards with people that follow you, and you can scan the pins/boards of all the people you follow, on one page that’s constantly being updated.
(did I explain that clearly? Probably not – here’s Pinterest’s explanation.) 
As I scrolled through the hundreds of items that had been pinned by the people I follow, I oooo’d over recipes like S’mores Milkshakes,
ahhhh’d over clever ideas like gutter gardens,
giggled at pictures of hysterical children,
and got some good (although maniacal!) workout ideas…
Finding out about Pinterest actually came at a great time because lately I’ve been getting a ton of emails from people planning trips to Des Moines in the upcoming months (yay!) asking what they should do and where they should eat when they’re in town.
As an easy way to show them everything I’d recommend, all in one place, I created a Des Moines Board to point them to! It’s full of awesome places to go, fun things to do, great places to eat & drink, and everything in between.
The only places I couldn’t pin (for whatever reason) were:
Monterrey – my very favorite Mexican restaurant EVER
Proof – an insanely delicious cafe/restaurant downtown
Star Bar – home of my favorite veggie burger
The board is not complete by any means, but it’s a good start and only contains places that I have personally been to and eaten at. There are dozens (underlined, bolded, italicized and capped – DOZENS) of other restaurants in town that are simply spectacular, but I didn’t add them if I haven’t eaten at them. Maybe I should…I’ll think about it.
Anyways, checkout Pinterest, and say goodbye to your free time! 
In other news, it was another scorcher today – 99 degrees with a heat index of 115 degrees – and I couldn’t bear to turn the stove on to cook the Chicken Piccata I had planned for dinner tonight. Instead, I took advantage of the truck-load of produce I picked up on Saturday and made an "it’s too hot to cook dinner" dinner of Fruit & Feta Salad!
A candy-sweet peach, tart plum, fragrant basil and creamy feta joined forces with a bit of baby spinach, crunchy walnuts and homemade balsamic vinaigrette, to create an unstoppable, beat the heat meal.
The tart balsamic vinaigrette, made with a splash each of balsamic vinegar and EVOO, then seasoned with salt & pepper, was an amazing contrast to the sweet fruit.
The cheese was the perfect finishing touch. Oooo this was good!
For dessert, Ben and I are going to go get some ice cream. I think we deserve a cool treat…
You see, our AC stopped working last night around 9pm (horrifying) and this afternoon we had to pay a repair man $107 to tell us that the unit had just overheated, and everything is actually fine.
Really?
At any rate, it’s back on now and sloooowly cooling our 89 degree home minute by agonizing minute, so we’re outta here until it comes down to a reasonable temp!
BTW, I still say I’d rather be hot than cold!
See ya!
~~~~~
What’s the one website you can’t live without? The one you check every single day?
So what’s your pinterest handle? Gotta see what inspires the cook that inspires me!
I *think* it’s just IowaGirlEats (sorry I’m still new at it!) Here’s the link to my boards http://pinterest.com/iowagirleats/
I have yet to join Pinterest for this very reason. During the school year, I get no “me” internet time during the workday at all, and I barely have time to blog, email, pay bills, etc….when I’m home, Pinterest would mess it all up!
Glad that you found the answer to your A/C dilemma!
My friend introduced this site to me a few weeks ago. At the time, I thought, hmm, IGE would probably find this site useful.
I started following your boards.
i’m drooling over that smores milkshake!
Just did a similar post last week! Love Pinterest! http://blackbirdideas.com/2011/06/23/what-i-am-pintrested-in/
I’m loving Pinterest! It’s giving me such great ideas for our nursery.
I think I’m going to re-create your dinner tomorrow night since we have a ton of plums right now.
Love the idea of Pinterest. I am constantly emailing myself links to things I like, that this would solve so many things in my life.
That salad looks superb! Love feta and fruit.
can’t live without my gmail!!!!!
Love the Pinterest info! I’m definitely checking it out.
I love your blog Kristin…makes me smile every day!
Thanks for sharing about Pinterest!! This’ll be great for wedding planning…. wait, need to get engaged first
but still. I too can’t live without gmail and my google calendar. LOVE.
add me on pinterest please!
Will do! Just send me your email addy!
I already have about 8 different things to get sucked into–I probably should stay away from Pinterest! The one website I can’t stay away from is probably Gmail. I’m obsessive about checking my email!
Oh my lord, Pinterest is SO addicting. Just followed you:)
I finally got on the Pinterest bandwagon, too! So addictive!
FYI – LOTS of heating and cooling companies offer maintanence programs for a fairly minimal amount monthly. Ours is just under $20 and it includes cleaning and servicing our AC in the spring and our furnace in the fall. Plus with that we get free service calls. Until we had trouble with our air I didn’t know that was even an option. Just something to think about!
My can’t live without website is for sure facebook lol I always have to see “whats going on”!
I love pinterest!!!
I love Pinterest! It saves me from saving every cute/funny/hot man picture onto my computer and lets me share my vices!
AHAHAHAHHA. I am such a Pinterest addict. I love you.
That milkshake looks to die for!
I always check gmail, my baby board, and your site!
Oh, Pinterest. I’ve been avoiding it like the plague because I know once I join-up, there will be no.going.back.
I would have to say that beyond the basics, like Twitter-Blog-Gmail, my can’t live without site would be The Royal Family section of The Telegraph online. I’m a shameless Duchess of Cambridge fan so, what’s a girl supposed to do?
I am also obsessed with Pinterest! It is dangerous! I have already done a few projects I found on there and have literally hundreds more “pinned”.
I check hotmail and twitter every day and of course my blog
Will you add me to your pinterest plz!?!? Jennvogelaar@yahoo.com
Oh Pinterest, how do I love thee? I AM OBSESSED!! I will definitely check out your Des Moines board–we are planning a girl’s road trip for next month and maybe it will help us decide where to go (besides Jordan Creek, of course!)
I LOVE Pinterest. It is so addictive! But it’s a great way to keep track of stuff form the internet. I even have some of your recipes pinned! BTW the lemon chicken and rice- DELISH!
Will definitely be following you on Pinterest. Follow back if you like! http://pinterest.com/MelCr/
Mel
Totally obsessed with Pinterest and I love that I made the blog tonight on your first photo…says that I started following you.
Sounds creepy! LOL!
So glad you’ve discovered pinterest! I’ve been obsessed for weeks
That is 1 heck of an amazing salad!!
I’m signed up for pinterest, but I don’t get it!! I am computer illiterate though!!
I’ll keep playing with it and see if I can master it!!
i love pintrest! i just signed up the other day actually
that sounds dangerous! seriously.. i don’t know if i should even look! i already waste enough time online
Mine used to be StumbleUpon….I have a feeling Pinterest will easily take over!!
YOURS!
Also- Pawley’s Island Posh
DEFINITELY can relate to the air conditioning incident but I would’ve LOVED it if I had the same problem you did. Paid $104 to have them tell me that I had to pay $800 more! In the end, I called another company that quoted me $400 to fix it so I would say the company I first went with was a total rip off! Glad to have my air conditioning back – our house got to 82 before we got it fixed. It was hard on my little puppy even at 82!
Question for you – do you have a method of picking peaches? Seems like I only get ones that are sour or too hard?
Ugh that sucks!!!
I pick the ones that smell “peachy” and are just slightly *slightly* soft. Then I let them sit and ripen even more on the counter!
That looks like a pretty cool website! I’ll have to check it out!
I usually check my email, facebook, twitter and blogs of course!
Your blog is one site that I must check out every day along with the usual Facebook and gmail.
Thanks!! ashleylynn8888@yahoo.com
If you’re able to send Pintrest invites, I’d LOVE one from you! It looks like an awesome resource for crafts for my daycare children!
Thanks for your pinterest explanation. I’ve noticed it recently and wondered about it.
Your salad looks fantastic!
I am a total Pinterest addict! It’s bad! But I love it!!!
It’s a totally ‘pinterest’ing article!
I loved the way you’ve presented it.
I’ve just broswed though the Pinterest website.
It’s really a great site to “catalog the things we love”!
My “can’t live without it” website is Facebook. I am so addicted. I check it whenever I get bored at work, which lately is about 10 times a day. Yep, it’s bad.
Believe it or not I check your site every morning first thing. Keeps me connected to my family in Iowa, plus your parents are just like us, and my kids are your age.
Pinterest is great! Have been checking it for nursery ideas as I get to be a Grandma again! My daughter is having trouble with the running though and being newly preggers, she said it really hurts to run. It’s driving her crazy. Hopefully she’ll pass through that stage soon. She hates to not be active. And the 105 heat here is awful, although we don’t have the humidity.
I’m very excited about your Des Moines Pinterest board! I LOVE Pinterest, plus my husband & I are moving to Des Moines in August and I know nothing about the city, so I’m really excited to learn more (though I’ve already learned so much from your fabulous blog)!
Thanks – can’t wait to follow your pins! 
I live in Granger so it’s great to see a fellow Iowan’s blog! It has been death hot here lately and doesnt look like its ready to cool down quite yet either…hope your AC holds up for tomorrow’s high!
Thanks for the extra time waster, like I need one.
That site looks perfect for me though, as I am always emailing links to myself to save for later…
Banking, email, etc. (You fall under etc.)
Pinterest looks really great and I can’t wait to see your new website. Will it be a blog or a site?
See, no more brownies / casseroles in hot weather! YOU overloaded it! LOL
It’ll still be the blog, just with an updated design!
I like Pinterest but it confuses me so much so I’m not quite sure how to use it haha…so sorry about your AC! That really really blows.
I love Pinterest! So addicting though. I’m following your boards!
My pins made your screen shot!! I love Pinterest… definitely my newest addiction! So many great ideas, now to find the time/money to do them all! ….off to repin the s’mores milkshake! Yum!!
When I read the title of this blog I chuckled for two reasons:
1) Does there really need to be any more distractions (on top of Facebook)?!
2) I’m intrigued to see this tutorial… haha
Of course, within the week I will probably be signed up and pinning away!!
On another note…a good friend of mine in WDM is a huge fan of Monterrey. I ate there once and wasn’t blown away, but I wasn’t feeling at the top of my game either. It brings me to the main point of my comment, though…
You MUST try La Cabaña (I believe…) in Grinnell!!!! It’s downtown next to their theatre and is amazing!! Said friend and I usually get together at El Campesino in Toledo…but I recently tried La Cabaña and their salsa is at least TWICE as good and they have more of a variety on their menu!!
Let me know if you try it and what you think!!
I just got on Pinterest too. No really, yesterday. It is seriously addicting. I can’t stop pinning. My followers are going to think i’m a crazy..but I have kept so many things in emails for months that this is a great way to get them all organized. My only complaint (other than it is a time suck), is that it’s a little delayed in the timing. Happy pinning!
The Gutter Garden idea is cool. The milkshake does not look bad either.
Your site is a must read! (I’m looking forward to seeing the redesign.) I usually check Pinterest and the news, too.