Illuminated Nightstand DIY

Simple DIY idea: a fiberglass planter turned upside down with a hole drilled through the back and a light fed through.
Posted by curbly.com.

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins

Holy Cow, doughnut muffins - muffins made to taste like your favorite doughnut warm from the oven! So glad the kids were there to stop me from eating ALL of these myself!


I was all set to make these babies, the Glazed Doughnut Muffins (aren't they just yummiful?)

but it was getting late so I decided to go with the Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins

because the recipe looked to be a bit less complicated.

We *never* get to eat donuts because C has an allergy to eggs. She's never had a donut so these muffins at least give her an idea how yummy cinnamon sugar donuts taste.

Ener-G egg replacer, Whole Wheat Flour (3/4 c), Organic Rice Milk and Earth Balance vegan butter were all perfectly fine substitutes; and you can use the healthy sweetener of our choice as a refined sugar substitute.I used mini muffin tins (to aid in portion control) and baked for about 14 minutes. They were in-credible! I highly recommend.  I can't wait to try the Glazed and will post results when I do!

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

(Adapted from Muffin Mania)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (or melted butter)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk

For the coating:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In another bowl whisk together oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Divide the batter among a 12-cup silicon muffin pans if you have them. Otherwise, divide batter into 12 thoroughly greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Combine sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Shake muffins out immediately and while hot, dip in melted butter, then roll in sugar and cinnamon.

Itty Bitty Kitty Shoes

Would LOVE to have Mom & Daughter matching Hello Kitty Vans!

That Summer Glow

Stumbling upon the Solar Powered Fireflies in a jar led me to lots of  beautiful pics of glowy lights.
Some are DIY that I'd love to try myself. Here are just a few for your viewing pleasure.

My 7 year old son loves origami and has made a "water bomb". Here is a neat take on the water bomb. Simply insert stringed lights (sans water) into the water bombs!  Isn't that a beautiful glow? I can picture this hanging from the deck umbrella or inside our screened in porch on a warm summer night.

Click here for the tutorial.

I'm Very Pinterested!

So I joined Pinterest today and quickly became obsessed with pinning the objects of my desires.

My DIY board that represents projects I'd like to tackle someday is, so far, the board that holds the majority of the pics!  Hopefully within a year or so, my "Crap I've Made" board will  hold the majority!

Here's a new one I found today. Click here for the tutorial.

What happened to the good old days?

 Solar Powered Fireflies in a jar 

Wouldn't these be beautiful on summer evenings hanging under the tree? I can just picture my 5 year old daughter bringing this jar up to her room at nights as a night light.
But what happened? Isn't it sad that the firefly population has dwindled since we were kids? Or is it that we are so technologically advanced now that our kids can't imagine running outside barefoot after a long day of summer play to catch lightening bugs in a jar?
I hope its neither and that this is just the adorable magic lamp that the manufacturer says it is!
Find yours here.

Next post, I'll cover this awesome, cruelty free Butterfly in a Jar!