Was the Unicorn Poop Worth the Trouble?

Behold… these are Unicorn Poop cookies. Very cute! My friend’s daughter ran across this idea and was very excited about making them.

A very cute idea indeed… until the project became A NIGHTMARE!

As it turns out, you have to dye all of the different colors of dough in individual containers, roll them into ropes, chill the dough, twist them together, bake them, decorate them, and well… by then you’re wishing you’d just eaten those vanilla wafers in the pantry.

My friend’s daughter, a very talented and patient young lady who is dedicated to her art, was reduced to tears by the end of it all.

What can we learn from the Unicorn Poop Incident, and why am I writing about it?

Many people are compelled to collect information and are overwhelmed by it– I call this affliction “Information Gluttony” (and wrote about it here and here).

Even with the tremendous guilt and anxiety they feel as they survey the stacks around them, they continue to collect more and add more to the piles.

It used to be paper that I would see as the problem in clients’ homes. Stacks of magazines that needed clipping, stacks of clippings that needed filing, and so on.

Now we also have Pinterest. Pinterest has become a new addiction for those who are either formerly or still currently magazine “clip-aholics.”

I love Pinterest just like everybody else, and it is really a great organizing tool that is lots of fun. It can be a smart choice to pin things and save them electronically vs. trying to manage all of that paper.

So you see all of these cute projects on Pinterest or in a magazine– like UNICORN POOP– and you collect them on your boards or clip them out. The idea is that someday you’ll get to do those crafts, make your home look like that, or cook that dessert. But will you?

Please do “pin away” and enjoy– but make sure that you have realistic expectations of yourself about being able to Do It All. (See my “Overdoers Anonymous” 12-step program blog post here.)

Remember, many of the projects and recipes you see out there are created by professional pastry chefs, food stylists, and people with a lot of time on their hands. That’s probably not you!

If you LOOOOVE doing stuff like this, you make the world a happier, more unicorny place, and that’s great! I have just seen a lot of very anxious clients who are wondering when they’re going to get time to do all of the cool ideas they have collected, and at some point, they have to be inspired, enjoy, dream and swoon, and then… let it go.

Catch and release, just like fishing. Appreciate these clever ideas and move on with no guilt. Save them where you can find them, but you don’t have to add them to your mental to-do list.

(If you MUST KNOW, there is a YouTube video here about how to make Unicorn Poop. Just heading off the inevitable question.)

Have you had a Unicorn Poop Incident? Are you a die-hard clipper and pinner? Share in the comments!

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