DIY Spring Wreaths

With the appearance of the bright colors of spring, I've been thinking of spring door decorations. The following images are linked to my Pinterest board devoted to such projects. Please note that while there are many lovely wreaths out there, my style is "cheap and easy," so the projects I pinned had to require minimal investments of time, talent and money. With that in mind, I present to you a wide array of DIY (do it yourself) spring door decoration ideas, using everyday items such as tissue paper, coffee filters, cupcake liners, and even a used (ok, that's how I would do it) umbrella.

Source: lovelycraftyhome.com via Mikki on Pinterest

Source: mynameissnickerdoodle.com via Mikki on Pinterest

Source: thestrayerohana.blogspot.com via Mikki on Pinterest

Source: 11magnolialane.com via Mikki on Pinterest

Source: lizmarieblog.com via Mikki on Pinterest

Source: thethriftymama.com via Mikki on Pinterest

Source: cindis.blogspot.com via Mikki on Pinterest

We chose the Easter egg one, and here's how it turned out:

The tutorial was very helpful, and we had a great time making this, but it would have been even more enjoyable if I wasn't such a reckless crafter. I should have...



• purchased 6 dozen eggs instead of only 2, which would have saved a trip to the Dollar Tree in the middle of it
• followed the tutorial's advice about stuffing the grass in with a pencil and not your finger, which would have saved my finger from a nasty little burn
• purchased ribbon to match the grass or grass to match the ribbon, as the instructor did. In an effort to be frugal, I used grass I already had on hand and picked up ribbon at the Dollar Tree for only $1. But now I'm out of grass for the kids baskets, so I'm going to have to buy some anyway :)

 Drop a line with a link to your Spring wreath. I'd love to see it!

Flock Together Blog Hop 3/6

Originally published in 2012 as part of a weekly blog hop — a kind of online meet-and-greet where everyone shared a post and wandered from blog to blog.

Welcome to my "no rules" button blog hop! To participate, simply...

1. Link up: Click on "Click here to enter" at the bottom of this post and follow the Linky Tools directions. In step 4, I recommend selecting "Auto Crop" and "From Web."
2. Find new friends: Click through the blogs and follow the ones you love (Linky Followers, Google+, RSS, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, etc.). Kindly pass by the ones you don't.

I try my best to follow EVERYONE who joins the hop, but it helps if you leave a comment letting me know you're new here. Also, please, please, please sign up for Linky Followers! It's turning out to be my favorite way to follow your blogs!!!

This week's "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host is CJayMom at

A Glimpse of Normal!

I am a Stay At Home Mom to 2 kids. We homeschool and although it has been an adventure, I love it. I also love to craft and cook. I love saving money and getting free stuff by couponing. I am a child of God and He guides my path.

CJaymom's blog is fairly new, yet it has wonderful posts for mothers of young children, as well as delicious recipes and words of encouragement. I hope you'll stop by today and see what you think!

Want to be next week's Fine Feathered Friend? Click here to find out how. It's free and easy.

Need a little help?

• If this is all new to you, click here.
• If your goal is to find friends and gain followers, may I recommend that you also set a goal to find and follow a minimum number of blogs that interest you. Check back throughout the day to visit late entries that might be just your cup of tea! Leave a comment if you follow, and consider following back those who follow you.
• If you see empty boxes with red x's instead of pictures in the linky, try clearing your cache (Go to Tools > Internet Options > Under the General tab and Browsing History section, click "Delete"> check Temporary Internet Files > Delete > then refresh or reload Mom's Best Nest).

IMO Fridays: My fave shampoo for thinning hair

Source: Uploaded by user via Mikki on Pinterest

Introducing IMO (“In My Opinion”) Fridays at Mom’s Best Nest! These posts will be 100% unsolicited opinions about things I like and use. Hmm…I guess I can kiss goodbye any review opportunities I might have had with these companies…Oh, well! Let’s get started!

My Favorite Shampoo: Nioxin
This is a hair care line for those with thinning hair, so if that isn't a concern for you, go check out my post about crock pot meatloaf - it's sooo good! For the rest of us...

Balding or thinning hair is a sensitive subject for women. My husband sports a shiny half-bald head handsomely, but I'm quite certain I wouldn't want ot try it myself. I've never really had a head full of hair, but it never was a concern until my mid-twenties. At that time, I began noticing how much of my scalp could be seen in photographs of me, and it was alarming. I think it might have accelerated during my first husband's illness and passing, but I can't be sure. I dealt with it by keeping my hair permed, cut short, teased and shellacked. Then I learned that color adds volume and helps hide the scalp, so I added that to my regime. Eventually perms went out of style, and I tried to froth my hair up as much as I could  without them.

Several years ago, my scalp seemed to get increasingly more obvious. I'd heard of Nioxin, and I began reading about the experiences of real people on several consumer opinion websites (like epinion.com). It seemed to have really good reviews. Upon asking my hairdresser about it, I was surprised to learn that she'd been using it for a long time and wouldn't want to be without it. Here's how she described it to me: "It's normal for scalps to shed hair and regrow hair daily. This product helps you shed less hair, so you  have more hair on your head at any given time than you would without it."

I decided I'd give it a try. Because several of the consumer reviews had stated that one needed to give it at least 3 months before seeing results, I committed to do just that. I've been using it for over a year now and, like my hairdresser, I'd hate to be without it. It didn't reverse my balding and miraculously produce a full head of hair, but I did see positive results. I now have enough hair to feel comfortable growing it to below my shoulders - something I haven't done in 15 years! While I can still occasionally see my scalp, especially when my "roots grow out," it is remarkably improved from before.

IMO, this stuff is pricey, but I purchase mine at Ulta because of their points card and coupons. I think I can usually get a bottle of shampoo for around $11, but I actually try to buy the biggest unit I can afford, in order to save money. Don't do that until you figure out which level you need - there are several lines for specific hair needs. I use the shampoo and conditioner regularly and occasionally purchase and use the third component, which is a scalp treatment, I think. My hair dresser says the follicle booster is much better than that, but I haven't tried it yet.

Hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions or if you've found someting for this condition that you like. I'd love to hear about it.

One more time...I am in no way affiliated with Nioxin or Ulta. I purchased everything reviewed in this post, and all opinions are my own.