April | 2014 | Mom Meets Blog

I’m certainly not one to turn away from a lovely Easter basket, but this year I wanted to make something a little different, and was inspired by a nest I saw in a tree outside my terrace. With visions of chocolate eggs and chicks gathered cozily in a nest dancing in my head, I was off to Jo-Ann’s for supplies. This is a small nest (the wreath is only 6″) so I made a couple of them to decorate the Easter dinner table. Remember, the bigger the wreath, the bigger the nest and the more candy it can hold!

To make this super easy little nest (it’s so easy you don’t need to read this, just look at the pictures!), you’ll need (clockwise): a paper plate, moss, a decorative butterfly, a grapevine wreath, and excelsior or raffia:

You’ll also need a glue gun (and don’t forget the candy!)

First cut out a circle from the paper plate and glue to one side of the wreath to make the bottom of your nest. Wad up the excelsior or raffia to and glue it to the paper plate to start lining the nest; then, glue the moss on top of that.

Glue the butterfly onto your nest, add candy and you’re done!

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Now that spring has finally sprung and chased away this brutal winter, this is the perfect time to buff away that dry, winter-worn skin and reveal the glow underneath. Reading about the benefits of coconut oil inspired me to try my hand at making a lavender-scented salt scrub incorporating this useful oil.

Here’s my easy DIY salt scrub that will leave your skin soft, smooth and ready for spring:

Ingredients:

Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt (lavender-scented)

Pink Himalayan salt

Virgin coconut oil

I took a really casual approach to making this scrub, so none of these measurements have to be exact; I just played around with it until it reached a consistency I liked. The container I used happened to hold about 1 cup of Epsom salts; then I melted about 2 tbsp of coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second bursts until it liquefied and mixed it well in to the Epsom salt; you can add more or less if you like but just make sure that it’s well incorporated into the salt. I added about 1 tbsp of coarse Pink Himalayan salt for color (again, add more or less to suit your liking) and stirred with a plastic spoon until well mixed.

The coconut oil tends to harden after a while; just stir it again with a plastic spoon before you use it. I like this scrub because it has a firmer consistency, and it’s not goopy like some scrubs where half of it slips through your fingers and ends up on the tub floor before you’ve had a chance to use it! The heat from your hands liquefies the scrub nicely and it’s easy to apply to the body – I love using it on my hands, it’s makes them super soft and it smells heavenly!

From these before and after photos it’s obvious that someone needs a manicure – what better way to jump into the season than with a vibrant nail color – any suggestions? What beauty routines do you indulge in to spruce up your winter skin? Let me know in the comments!