It’s already started: that muggy heat that makes staying inside sometimes preferable to attempting to breathe the sticky air outside. But what to do with these long summer days when you’re stuck inside? You could always draw the blinds and watch reruns of “Jersey Shore,” while enjoying the nice air conditioning, but one can only take so much Snooki before the desire to set yourself on fire outweighs the desire to have a nice summer. So what to do? I have one word for you, my friends: Pinterest.

I quickly became addicted to the do-it-yourself site. I’m not very crafty, but I have made some potpourri, sugar scrub, homemade vanilla, a Crayon picture and a plethora of food and drinks. Some have been wonderful, some not so much. But the site gives you just enough success so that you just can’t stop. It’s like crack, but legal and it increases your appetite.

See I can make things taste good, but making them pretty – that’s another story entirely. I’m sure you’ve seen the fail sites for people who try the recipes and crafts, don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about! I once attempted homemade pop tarts. They took ages to do, and cost the equivalent of 10 boxes of store-bought pop tarts. Plus, while they were tasty, my kid was upset with the lack of frosting, and said they tasted like “pie and poop.” Then there was the time I saw the recipe for a cake that required only a bottle of Sprite, a yellow cake mix and some frozen berries. That was one sloppy mess. Thank goodness for self-cleaning ovens or I would probably still be cleaning that gunky mess up.

But what does Pinterest and my various fails on it have to do with entertainment OR summer? Everything, duh!

For all the fails – which actually are kind of amusing – there are tons of wins. I might not be good at crafts (just ask my snitch of a pre-schooler), but I am always enthusiastic, and kids don’t care if it’s pretty as long as it’s fun. Bring out some paint, glue and glitter (otherwise known as the bane of my existence, along with Play-Doh) and it’s several hours of fun. Make a game out of cleaning up too, or just threaten them like I do.

No kids? Then make wall art out of pallets. I totally have some pallets (they’re mine, hands off!) that I intend to attempt to make art out of. Or cook something that is totally outside of your comfort zone. The Sprite cake might have been an epic fail, but I have made some pretty incredible things from Pinterest. Ask my co-workers about the Irish Crème cake I made for St. Patrick’s Day if you don’t believe me, or the strawberry bread, or peach cake. And what a perfect time to make things like that, because you can go pick your own fruit for the recipe! It’s like Paula Deen, Martha Stewart and a pioneer woman had a baby – you feel so delightfully smug and efficient when you do it, I promise.

So instead of being bored and staring at Snooki pre-baby, or just re-pinning items and never actually doing anything with them, get your behind up and make me something yummy to eat or a lovely trinket for my house. Our address is on the website; just drop it off for me. Thanks!