While leisure generally reminds me of activities such as reading books, cooking, making crafts, listening to music, lately, I’ve been spending more and more time on the computer just browsing websites. It’s great because I’ve seen so many great restaurants or places that I had no idea existed and been able to evaluate a product before jumping into a purchase. While some sites are a complete waste of time, some sites I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Here are my latest obsessions:
Etsy.com – this website is basically a mini eBay. However, unlike eBay, you can buy and sell more unique, crafty items. It’s like an arts and crafts show or market, but online! I’ve come across many shops whose artisans are clearly very talented. From jewellery to clothing, to furniture, many of these items are one-of- a-kind and handmade. I personally really like the handmade jewellery and if you find a particular shop you like (for example, one that specializes in making gold rings), you can add the store as a “favourite” and be updated whenever new items are listed. I’m not much of a person to sell items on Etsy, but if you have some hidden talent for making one-of-a-kind items, it’s a great way to set up a virtual store and sell your crafts.
Pinterest.com – Have you ever come across many cool pictures or items on the internet that you just wanted to print out and cut to file into your scrapbook of magazine pictures? Pinterest lets you do that, online. It’s essentially a large board for you to pin online pictures that inspire you, clothes that you like, cool ideas etc. I personally can spend hours pinning pictures that I’ve come across from blogs or websites. It’s much faster than physically cutting out pictures from magazines and pasting them onto a cork board.
You can organize your different “pins” into board categories such as design, crafts, food & drink so you won’t forget those great ideas you came across on a certain website. What I love the most is seeing what other people pin; since everyone’s boards are public, you can see all of the unique things that people pin onto their boards. The only con is that you do need an invite to create a Pinterest account, but it’s easy; you can request one from the site. Her Campus also has Pinterest – if you ever register for an account, be sure to follow Her Campus’ boards!
There you have it. These sites are bound to keep you busy and entertained during your spare time, or perhaps keep you relaxed the night before a midterm or a paper is due. In any case, have fun surfing the internet!