I'm a bit of a coffee addict; so much that I've recently been second-guessing my aversion toward home coffee makers. I suppose I assumed that if I didn't have a coffee maker, I wouldn't drink coffee. Clearly, I didn't factor in the massive Starbucks right around the corner...

Anyway, I learned this simple coffee maker cleaning tip over the weekend and couldn't wait to share it with you! Each week, grind a 1/4 cup of dry, white rice. Not only will your blades rid themselves of coffee bean grime, but the appliance will smell fresher, too! And I have a funny feeling that a fresher appliance means fresher coffee. And fresher coffee means a fresher morning! See how that works?

And of course, for coffee recipes, tutorials and related DIY how-to's, check out Make's caffeinated round-up of DIY Coffee tricks and tips! Careful, though; you'll be getting jitters in no time.

I have a horrid coffee addiction. For some reason, I can't quite focus in the morning without my daily cuppa. I usually stop there, but it's not pretty. Needless to say, at one point, I had dozens of these frappuccino bottles rolling around in the backseat of my car (did I tell you I'm a reformed slob?). If only I'd saved them for a tutorial as good as this one...

What You Need:
(1) Starbucks Frappuccino bottle
(1) White and (1) Clear can of spray paint
(1) Set of colored paint for your letters
(1) Fine paint brush
(1) Pencil
(3) Sheets of carbon paper
(3) Print-off sheets of your choice words

That's it! A quick and easy tutorial with a big result. I'd love to use these for as party centerpieces, as they're cheaper than most vases, and come on -- the coffee inside is just icing on the proverbial cake!

And while we're talking spray paint, don't forget to check out Kelly Edward's foolproof spray paint tips right here!

With a toddler and several dogs to transport, I feel like I can never get that lived-in smell out of my car. And summer heat makes it so much worse.

Does your car stink? Obviously, the first step is a thorough cleaning of the interior using a vacuum and fabric shampoo. Beyond that, however, I've discovered lots of clever budget-friendly little tricks for removing persistent odors. Try them out yourself ... and keep your vehicle smelling fresh.

1. White vinegar. Half-fill an open travel mug with vinegar and leave it in your cup holder for a day or two. Just don't forget and take a swig! Or soak a rag or piece of bread with vinegar and keep it in an open container under a front seat.

In a world of larks, I have the misfortune of being an extreme owl; if it were really true that the early bird catches the worm, I would probably have starved a long time ago. So on days when I have to get up at the crack of dawn, I usually find myself needing a nap... even if I've had a full night's sleep.

With the recent news that a 20-minute nap appears to help people stay alert for the rest of the day better than caffeine or extra sleep at night, it seems I'm not alone. So it stands to reason that an article that was in the Boston Globe this week, "How to nap," has been making the blog rounds for the last few days -- it explains all the most vital information on the topic in a small, visually-appealing package.

For example, it tells us that there are certain lengths of time that are better for napping than others; morning people (the aforementioned larks) will probably need a nap earlier than night people might; a light blanket and an eye shade can be extremely helpful in getting the most restful sleep, and so on.

While the Boston Globe article lays out all the basic details you should know about napping in a handy info-graphic format, you may also be interested to read a similar great post that Francesca wrote here last year: Power Napping Made Simple.

[via both BoingBoing and Lifehacker.]

Dandelions can be eaten in many ways, from leafy greens to fried flowers to drinking wine; I almost imagine them as lettuce gone wild. Making coffee from dandelions isn't new, but trying this unusual drink is an interesting way to spend a few hours -- and, if you haven't sprayed them with herbicide in the past, an organic way to get rid of those dandelions in the yard.

Tools and supplies include: a weed popper, knife, cookie sheet, oven, coffee grinder, and of course a coffee machine. Follow along in the gallery to get a better idea. Instructions are after the break!

Pamper her this Mother's Day with a luxurious breakfast in bed. Older children can probably manage it on their own, but for most families dad will need to coordinate things. The three most important things to consider are the planning, preparation and presentation.

Planning

Take the time to plan a breakfast that you know she'll enjoy. She won't mind you trying something new, but if you're more comfortable, stick with recipes that you already know how to make. Buy all your ingredients ahead of time, but stash them away carefully so that she doesn't suspect her early morning treat.

Prepare as much as you can ahead of time; set your coffee maker on a timer, cut fruit, and pre-mix any batter that can sit overnight.

After the break I'll cover some suggestions for a delicious breakfast in bed:

Long meetings require many of us to resort to "performance enhancing substances" to keep awake. What happens, though, when you run out of your bootleg energy drink or the double mocha latte light with 3.5 pumps is all gone? We are faced with having to drink the swill that the bean counters have decided to pass off as coffee.

To call this liquid bile disgusting is too soft a term. It is invariably blacker than the pits of hell, has been kept heated since the late 50's, and long ago sold what little flavor it had to the devil in exchange for a Twinkie-esque shelf life. rather than burst into tears at the thought of either having to explain the snores coming from you chair or choke down this vile brew, I would suggest taking a page from the MacGyver handbook.

There are so many elements to creating that perfect cup of coffee. Everything from bean selection to roasting, storage to preparation, each stage as crucial as the last and each stage significantly impacting the flavor of that final cup. I am a coffee junky, but have very little during my pregnancies. OK, I had none with my first, a bit with my second and now, expecting our third, I cheat more often than I should! Anyway, this isn't about my guilty relationship with coffee but my quest for the perfect cup. If I'm only allowing myself one cup a day then I want to enjoy it. I have a favorite company and have found my perfect roast, but still find that the quality of the cup varies depending on how I've stored the beans.

What better authority on the issue than The National Coffee Association of the USA. According to them, you need to keep the beans away from air, moisture, heat and light - in that order. If you think your beans look great in that decorative glass dish, you're just putting stale beans on display. Find a cool, dark place and you'll maximize their freshness. I always thought that keeping beans in the freezer would help them last longer. This is apparently wrong. The added moisture will only deteriorate them faster. I've also stored fresh beans in the mug cupboard which is right beside our stove, this is far too warm. They also suggest only buying 1-2 weeks worth at a time.

A quality bean, kept fresh, and ground to order will get you the best cup of coffee. In September, I wrote about some other tips to making a great cup of coffee. You'll find some pointers there about grind size, drip and filter choice. If you're savoring that single cup or drinking it all day long, you deserve a good cup of coffee. Enjoy.

To kick off the updates for my circa 1969 family room, I started with a new, built in espresso bar. I started with a new cabinet, added some plumbing, wiring and topped it off with a concrete counter top. The counter cost about $100 in materials and took about two weeks from start to finish. Rather than re-create the book in blog form, I'll walk you through the process and try to share my experience with this entertaining project.

When I was a little girl, my mother would drag out boxes of pictures of her parents and other family members from Germany. The pictures and old letters were starting to yellow with age, and I often thought that she should preserve them. All these years later, those old German letters and pictures are still in boxes, waiting for me to go through and sort them when I am ready.

I want to display the old family pictures, but I don't have enough old yellowed paper to make the displays I want, so I am glad I found DIY Maven's post on how to antique paper. Using hot black coffee and instant coffee, a baking sheet, a warm oven, paper towels, and a sponge brush, you can make your own antique paper too.

I am going to use my newly antiqued paper as a backdrop for old family photos, but also follow DIY Maven's advise and use copies of the photos. I sure wouldn't want to ruin the only existing photos of my mother's precious memories. What will you use your antiqued paper for?

We all know that coffee grounds have many uses, but did you know that coffee filters can be used for more than just holding your coffee grounds? The coffee filter is the first thing that I reach for when I need to make a new pot of java, but they come in handy for all sorts of little chores.

Valli on gomestic.com writes up a fine article on 10 amazing uses for coffee filters. They really are amazing, and I have tried many of them with success. Here is her list:

1. Cover a bowl of food with a coffee filter to prevent splattering when cooking in the microwave.
2. Coffee filters can shine your mirrors, TV screen and your computer monitor.
3. Prevent rust in your stored iron cookware by placing a coffee filter in it to absorb moisture.
4. Clean your glasses with a coffee filter and they will be lint free.
5. Place a coffee filter over the drain hole in the bottom of a planter so the soil won't leak out.
6. Cork bits get into your wine? Use a coffee filter to separate the wine from the cork bits.
7. Coffee filters can keep your fingers clean if you serve a messy hot dog or popcorn in them.
8. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
9. After deep fat frying, use coffee filters to help catch the small food remnants from the oil.
10. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

I use a coffee filter to cover my food so my microwave doesn't get dirty, and it works great. I wear glasses to read and I also need them when I am on the computer, and I used a coffee filter to clean my glasses, and was totally amazed and happy with the results. Try the uses and you'll be amazed too.

Every Wednesday is tip day at The Happiness Project. This weeks tip has a DIY spirit and will appeal to those of you who want to naturally boost your energy. She suggests 9 ways to do that in the next 10 minutes. My favorite tip is number 3, act with energy:

We think we ACT because of the way we FEEL, but often we FEEL because of the way we ACT. Trick yourself into feeling energetic by moving more quickly, pacing while you talk on the phone, and putting more energy into your voice. Also, research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up.

MSNBC brought us this article titled How to stop a headache before it starts. The tips take a little planning and some discipline, but are relatively easy to implement right away. You'll wonder why you didn't spare yourself the headache sooner.

Starting with first thing in the morning, and encouraging you not to snooze longer than an hour, they list how to avoid a headache in eight drug-free steps. The full article offers explanations behind each suggestion. It makes a lot of sense and can go a long way toward managing a pain free day. Here are the eight steps:

Summer is leaving us and with it all the lovely flowers. But don't despair, if you are an artistic and savvy DIY'er you can make paper roses that look like the real thing. This craft seems a it trickier than some and I'm not sure I would tackle it myself, but it is beautiful. If you are brave or more sure of your craft skills than I, you may want to give these roses a try.

I'm honestly not sure that I could pull off this craft but if you are desperate for roses when the snow begins to fall you may have the gumption that I do not. Either way, you have to admit that they are beautiful and the photos, at least, make you think you are looking at the real thing.

[via Tipnut]

It's time to ditch the excessive supplements and energy drinks and start using natural foods to increase energy and elevate mood. It doesn't take much, and you'll be feeling better and have more energy to take on your next project. Kick-start your day with these 11 mood-lifting foods:

1. Milk
2. Chocolate
3. Whole grain rice or pasta
4. Mackerel
5. Broccoli
6. Coffee
7. Turkey
8. Liver
9. Blueberries
10. Brazil nuts
11. Any food that tastes good

Check out the full article for details on these foods and reasons why they are each beneficial. Add some of these to your daily diet and you'll immediately notice an improvement. These incredible stress busters will have the added benefit of tasting great. After the break I'll point you to some meal ideas that easily include these 11 mood lifting foods into your diet.