Crunchy AND Crafty...Oh My!

I have recently started looking for an amber necklace for baby boy. A few friends have little ones who wear them and supposedly they are great for teething. While I was looking online for one, I came across lots of mommy necklaces. There are a lot of different styles out there. Some are actually made for teething babies like the ones found on chewbeads. Others are just designed to catch baby's attention while he or she is nursing. You know that age when little nursling's start to get distracted and want to look around, pull mommy's hair or pinch your arm fat? My little guy just got there. I found a few cute designs I liked and decided I would try and make my own! Well I am not crafty in the least but I really wanted one of these necklaces. So off we went to the craft store, where beading supplies were 50% off this week.

Here is what I started with:

Super basic but this is the style I was going for. Plus, I am a beginner and I wasn't ready for a crazy challenge.

Here is the finished project:                                                                                                                

Like i said, totally basic but I love it! I even have enough supplies left over to make a few for friends. The best part? I spent $2.68!

The Pinterest Obsession

Isn't it fascinating how so many people can become "obsessed" with the same thing? In my social circle, pinterest spread like wildfire. The site gives an inside glimpse of people's thoughts,dreams and inspiration. For me, I love getting new recipes, finding fun activities for my kids and discovering new blogs to read. Here's the thing, do we spend too much time "pinning" ideas that we never get around to trying them out? Does looking at other mom's boards give us unrealistic expectations for ourselves? Maybe its just me but it takes much less time to pin something to a virtual board than it does to actually do something. Personally, I have tried out quite a few recipes I've found on pinterest and I have done a few craft projects with my kids but most of my pins never see the light of day. I wonder how many moms out there feel guilty about never getting around to doing half of the ideas they pinned. I know a few times when I have looked back at the boards I have labeled "kids" and "homeschool" I feel a little guilty about the lack of follow through! Luckily, I have enough other mommy things to feel guilty about, so the feeling quickly passes!