My Ideal Self: How I Would Like To Consume

Blake Lively: gorgeous, great actress, married to Ryan Reynolds.
Enough said.

This semester, we have discussed at length what the ideal self is, and how we try to find him/her. Since a picture is worth a thousand words (who even came up with that phrase anyway?), I'll share an assortment of photos from my own Pinterest boards, and why they represent my ideal self. In other words, these pictures represent how I wish I could consume.

My ideal self would purchase one of these bad boys.
Which also means I would have a pool so that I could
actually use them.

Ideally, I'm mega rich and have my own balcony off of my bedroom. And a giant bedroom that I don't actually NEED.   

I have this for my pool too.

My hair naturally has this much volume.

I wear party dresses everyday, just because.   

I also spend my weekends casually ziplining into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Keurig: Thoughts and Product Review

Since I'm convinced that coffee is the single greatest invention on planet Earth, I finally caved and bought myself a Keurig. I've wanted one for so long, but could never justify spending the money on one, because when it comes down to it, the $8 coffee pot that my roommate picked up at Walmart last year does just fine.

But.... It's a Keurig. Who wouldn't want one?

I still can't entirely justify spending the money on one, but my Christmas shopping for everyone on my list was MOSTLY done. And sometimes you just can't help but buy yourself nice things because, well, you deserve it. Plus, I got a free $20 Target gift card with the purchase. Double win.

I've had mine for about 2 weeks now, and I think it's the bees' knees. The only downside is having to spend anywhere from $9-$12 on a pack of the K-cups that are needed to brew your cup of coffee, but I've found that if I don't use my Keurig every single day, I won't burn through my K-cups as quickly (obviously), and that I'm cutting back on my sugar and caffeine consumption at the same time. It brews a cup of coffee (or in my case, I've been really hooked on chai lattes) in 90 seconds, which if you ask me, is pretty impressive. And your coffee comes out piping hot, and stays warm for a relatively long amount of time, which can't be said for the $8 coffee pot (sorry, Julie).

Though I haven't had my Keurig for long, I can honestly say that I have no complaints thus far. The only thing that would have been nice, though not necessary at all, would have been a wider selection in the color of the Keurigs at the local Target. However, I went with basic black over the silver or the red.

Though this purchase was definitely spur-of-the-moment, I wouldn't say it was an impulse buy because I had wanted one for so long, and I have no buyer's remorse. All in all, an expensive purchase, but one that I know will end up being well worth the money.

Pinterest: What It Says About Its Users

Aside from coffee (which I previously mentioned in my About Me post), I am absolutely obsessed with Pinterest. Anyone who says that the site is dumb is just kidding themselves, my boyfriend being a prime example of this. However, I have noticed that the percentage of females relative to males who use the site on a regular basis and have an account is extremely high. 

I think this may be due to the fact that while females typically like shopping more than males do, Pinterest also heavily features pictures of fashion, weddings, and babies, which are three things that males have little to no interest in. (Not to say that males don't LIKE those subjects, but looking at picture after picture of them probably doesn't peak their interest very much). At least not the guys that I'M friends with. 

This Pinterest pattern consumption relates well to gender roles in today's society. Females are typically softer, gentler, and more sexualized. They tend to take a deeper interest in fashion and makeup because they value their appearance, and how they present themselves to the world, as per social norms. Males are more aggressive and tough, which is the opposite of Pinterest, to say the least. This may be why very few males use Pinterest and engage in the site.

The ideal self is also represented through the boards of Pinterest users. Speaking on behalf of my own boards, I have "My Style", "Dream Home", and "People" boards that I frequently pin to. While some of these pins relate very well to my actual self, many of them are more associated with my ideal self, whether they are pictures of clothes I wish I owned, or celebrities whose hair I really admire. While I am happy with my actual self, Pinterest highlights aspects of my life that do not actually exist, but that I sometimes wish did. 

Pinterest is a great time killer and an excellent source to use for inspiration for just about anything. It allows users to share recipes, DIYs, and products that they love, and store them all conveniently in one place so that they can reference them later on. It is a great indicator of what we consume, why we consume, and how we sometimes wish that we COULD consume. In other words, Pinterest is Consumer Behavior Central.