Recipe || Easy Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

{via}

I love muffins.  Any kind, any size, flavor, you name it. I was searching on Pinterest for an easy banana muffin recipe to use up some bananas I had hanging around...Ok, I'm lying.  I threatened told my hubby that the browning bananas were off limits!  Those babies were going to good use.  Anyway, I found this recipe and it was super easy and yummy!  I adapted it slightly, using less butter for the streusel and it worked out perfectly.  Also, I think whipping the bananas really worked so much better than just squishing them with a fork.

Here is the recipe from Katrina's Kitchen:

INGREDIENTS:

Muffins:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 ripe bananas

Streusel:

• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F and lightly grease your muffin tin/baking cups with cooking spray.Muffins:
2. Whip up bananas using the paddle attachment on your mixer for 3 – 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. It should end up being about 2 1/2 cups of banana fluff. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of the mixer (there is no need to wash off the paddle or bowl from the bananas). Add eggs one at a time and then incorporate the whipped bananas until well blended. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredientsto the wet. Spoon batter into prepared cups.

Streusel:

1. Melt butter in the bottom of a medium microwave-safe bowl. Add the dry ingredients on top. IMPORTANT: Incorporate the dry ingredients with your FINGERS until the mixture is moist and crumbly. If you try to use a spoon it will congeal into one huge ball of goo.
2. Drop the crumb topping onto the muffins and bake.

6 jumbo muffins: 20 – 25 minutes
12 standard muffins: 15 – 18 minutes

I ended up making about 18 standard sized muffins.  Olivia loved them, minus when I broke apart the muffin so she could eat smaller bites.  Toddlers...gotta love their emotions ;)

All was well in the world once she was able to get another whole muffin and could eat both ;) Just snacking and reading books, her favorite activity!

Let me know if you make these!  They're so yummy and perfect for breakfast or a snack on the go.

*Don't forget to enter our current Shop Feature Giveaway here! Winner receives a $15 shop credit to Stamps and Charms!  Perfect for an initial necklace, charm bracelet, Grandmother necklace and more.

*The Birds Nest has a brand new Instagram to follow:  @thebirdsnestblog

Shop Feature || Stamps and Charms

Hi everyone!  I'm so excited to share our featured shop with you.  Stamps and Charms is an Etsy shop featuring hand stamped jewelry, which you can completely customize and personalize to make a truly special gift.  The shop owner, Emiko, is so sweet and provides great customer service!  Shipping is very fast as well, for those of you looking for holiday gifts;)  Emiko made me a beautiful cuff bracelet, with a very special message about being a mom.  One thing I absolutely love about it was that it can be sized to your wrist.  I have very small wrists and I always find that bracelets fall off because they are so big, and this cuff was perfect!  I also love how delicate and stylish it looks, hand stamped jewelry is so sweet.

Stamps and Charms has a huge variety of jewelry to choose from.  From necklaces, bracelets, and keychains to Christmas ornaments, there's something for everyone.

How adorable are those keychains?  What a cute gift for newlyweds, right?

With the holidays around the corner, these are so cute for a baby's first Christmas or if you give an ornament each year.  Everything is completely customizable!

Another type of jewelry that you really don't see too often are stylish medical bracelets.  This is so cute for a little one (or adult) who has an allergy or medical condition...what a great way to allow others to know in case of an emergency, while being stylish, right?!  

Lastly, if you're like me and give your pets a Christmas stocking, these would be a great little gift under the tree!

Be sure to check out Stamps and Charms here on Etsy to see more!  Emiko was so generous and offered to give one lucky winner a $15 shop credit to her shop!  Perfect to shop for gifts or a little something for yourself!  Winner will be chosen and announced Thursday morning.  The lucky recipient will have 24 hours to respond and claim their shop credit.  Good luck!!

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The Winner Is...

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Congratulations to Madison!  So excited for you! Please check for an email from me shortly.  If prize is not claimed within 24 hours another winner will be chosen. Thank you so much to all who entered! A very special thank you to Keri from GuguBerry for this giveaway!  Be sure to check out GuguBerry for new holiday items being added!

18 Month Favorites

Hello!  Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.  I wanted to share some of our favorite products with you that we use daily.  Some are more practical and some are just for fun!

1. HALO SleepSack - We still use a sleep sack for Olivia during naps and bedtime.  She loves it and I feel comfortable with her sleeping in it, instead of a blanket.  We use the fleece style for colder months and lighter version for spring/summer.  
2. Re-Play Tableware - We absolutely love these plates, bowls, cups, and utensils!  They are dishwasher safe, BPA free, and made in the USA from recycled milk jugs. Super sturdy and there are tons of colors to choose from.
3. Snap Bibs - We have the gold glitter Snap Bib and love it.  It's very durable, wipes clean, big enough to contain the biggest toddler messes and my favorite part - super glittery ;)
4. Stacker Toy - Olivia loves stacking and it's great for her fine motor skills.  Also, great for teaching colors and different sizes. 
5. Foam Bath Letters - A definite favorite are these foam bath letters.  Perfect for teaching letters, colors, and smaller words.  She loves sticking them all over the tub...a must for keeping bath time fun!
6. Story Books - Olivia absolutely loves to read!  She pretends to read to us, turning the pages, pointing out characters.  It's my favorite thing to do with her.  Those books shown above are a few of her current favorites.  I normally use Amazon to order, as the prices are low and shipping is fast.

I'm sure her favorites will be changing shortly as she gets older.  Do you have a favorite product you can't live without for your toddler? I'd love to hear!

Our Halloween || Ballerina Style

Hope you all had a great Halloween!  Last year, Olivia was only 6 months old so I was excited to see what she thought about trick or treating this year.  She really enjoyed herself and once that first candy bar was in her pumpkin bag she was hooked.  Olivia and her cousin went as little ballerinas and they were quite possibly the cutest ballerinas I've ever seen ;)

 {Platinum Moccasins}

 

Our day started with a fun, festive breakfast. It's really fun for me to create fun meals for her and she always giggles when she sees her festive plates.  Breakfast consisted of a banana ghost, greek yogurt with Halloween sprinkles and jack-o-lantern eggs.

{Our favorite plates and utensils from Replay}

She also had a spooky lunch consisting of a peanut butter ghost, frozen (peas) eyeballs, and a cheese moon. 

We changed the girls into their costumes and headed downtown to meet our friend Amanda and her super cute bear, Henry, for some trick-or-treating in different shops. The babies had fun running around and getting candy.  We were super mean and didn't let them eat candy through the wrappers so there were some meltdowns ;) It's also super fun trying to keep three toddlers in costumes sitting on a bench.  No one fell off...we can see costumes...success. 

Afterwards, we headed back home to trick-or-treat around our neighborhood and both girls were having fun taking candy to put in their bags.  

Trick-or-treat! 

Overall, the girls had a blast and I think Halloween was a success!  What were your little ones dressed up as?  Do you have any fun Halloween traditions? I'd love to hear! 

Be sure to check out the current Shop Feature Friday giveaway here for your chance to win a $30 shop credit to GuguBerry!! 

Shop Feature Friday || GuguBerry Review & Giveaway

I am so excited to feature GuguBerry today!  Keri from GuguBerry is just the sweetest!  GuguBerry is one of my favorite Etsy shops and I can't wait for you to check out all of her amazing items.  Olivia has two of the bandana bibs and a baby drooler scarf.  I can't wait to add to her collection for Christmas!

The quality of her items is what I love the most. The bibs have a super soft minky side and a beautifully patterned top side.  They have a sturdy snap, which is great for babies who like to rip of their own bibs ;) The drooler scarf is so soft and so adorable, it's one of my favorite pieces to accessorize her with.  Especially with the colder months coming up, this is a perfect staple piece!

GuguBerry has such a great variety of baby items ranging from baby bibs, drooler scarves, infinity scarves, and headwraps. I love that there are so many gender neutral items, perfect for your little man or little lady.

Some of the featured bandana bibs that I'm loving...

How cute are these scarves?!

The headwraps are great for accessorizing, perfect statement piece for littles!

Check out her shop here and be sure to comment on what your favorite item is!  Keri has generously offered to give one of you lucky readers a $30 shop credit to GuguBerry! This is perfect for new baby gifts, holiday gifts, baby shower gifts, or just to treat your little one to something special!  

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Winner will be announced on Thursday!  Winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.  

Happy Halloween!!  I am so excited to take my little one trick or treating.  Last year, she was just six months old and I can't wait to see her this year because she understands so much more.  I'll be sharing pictures over the weekend ;)