WCW One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

My husband is a big fan of the standard chocolate chip banana muffin, and so I wanted to make a healthier option for lunchboxes during the week. I came up with this recipe as I was trying to make muffins and cook dinner at the same time, and I wanted something quick and easy. This recipe only uses one bowl, no fussy measurements, and healthier options.

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tray with spray or liners.

In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, then add the bananas, yoghurt and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder, and mix to just combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the muffins are golden and cooked through. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack.



These muffins are moist, delicious and decadent, and my muffin-mad husband gave these two thumbs up.

Denim Jacket Perfection

It has probably been too early to start hunting down a denim jacket, but with Autumn upon us and new season styles hitting stores, I have been on the lookout for a functional yet fashionable jacket. One that can go from brunch to school pick ups to date night- without being too stiff, short or baggy.

I finally found a perfect Denim Jacket that was fitted, a very good price, and also not frumpy.

I have shared some ways of styling this jacket, that would look great with any denim jacket this season!

The first way is simplistic, with black jeans and a touch of leopard. The high boots and textured t-shirt add some elements of interest as well.

Demin Jacket- Leopard by laurenmoore-ii featuring skinny fit jeans

Midi skirts are in this season, and a plain black midi skirt paired with check, denim and gold accesories is a sure way to turn heads. Monochrome keeps things classic, while the shoes add a fun touch.

Denim Jacket- Midi by laurenmoore-ii featuring a gold multi chain necklace

This dress is such a gorgeous colour for the cooler months, and I love it paired with tan accessories. This would be great for a trip out during the weekend, or even to a casual party.

Denim Jacket- Weekend Wine by laurenmoore-ii featuring a chiffon dress

I never used to wear pink, but now I am experimenting with shades of pink including hot pink and pastels. Vamp things up with these heels and you have a great date night outfit.

Denim Jacket- Pretty in Pink by laurenmoore-ii featuring a teardrop pendant necklace

This dress from the new Boohoo Petite range is perfect for thse of us who are vertically challenged! The stripes elongate your lower half, and the dress is proportioned for those of us 160cm and under. I love the orange pops in the necklace and clutch, and these boots are great with or without tights.

Denim Jacket- Striped by laurenmoore-ii featuring a black dress

I hope you have been inspired by some ways to wear a denim jacket this Autumn- I would love to know your favourite look!

St Patrick's Day Family Fun!

St Patrick's Day this year falls on a Tuesday, so my eldest will be at school for most of the day. However, I still plan on having a fun breakfast and dinner, as well as some activities for my 2 year old during the day.

Breakfast starts off the day, and I have discovered a healthier option than dying pancakes green- check out this adorable Lucky Rainbow breakfast from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons. I will use toast instead of a pancake though, as it is a school morning so I will be a bit rushed.

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Lunch for Lucas is going to be green grapes, green jelly, a four leaf clover sandwich made from four hearts, lime yoghurt and some pretzels.

Lucas wants to take a gift to his teacher- I know that this is common in America but not sure if it is widely done here in New Zealand. If we do go ahead with a gift for his teacher, it will be similar to this one with a few green items.

 When Lucas gets home from school, these printables will be the perfect homework for him!

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I have a fun craft planned for Adam during the day as well, and I will be making green Play-Doh for him, adding in green and gold glitter.

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Dinner will be Irish Nachos- yum!

After tea, I plan to do this gold coin treasure hunt as they boys will get a kick out of watching the leprechaun rocks dissolve. I will prepare these in the weekend so that they have time to dry, and hide them while the boys are finishing their dinner.

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If you need some ideas for St Patrick's Day, check out my Pinterest board!

Chocolate-Free Easter gift ideas for young children

Easter is now a month away, and I have rounded up some great ideas for kids that do not involve chocolate- and best of all, most of these are handmade or New Zealand made for that extra personal touch.

Easter is getting bigger in New Zealand, but I do not like to give my kids too much chocolate. The boys usually get one big chocolate egg, with some sort of book and toy attached, as well as a personalised letter from the Easter Bunny. Below are some of the items that I have been looking at for this year's Easter Bunny loot.



1. The Royal Doulton Bunnykins 3 Piece Set is a classic for any Kiwi kid, and these items are sure to be used. My youngest son received a Bunnkykins plate and cutlery set for his first Easter, and still uses them. These will last for years, and are a well known gift for new babies at Easter or any time.

2. These adorable Bunny Bibs are handmade and waffle backed, which is fantastic for baby spills!

3. When I saw these Knitted Hot Cross Buns I may have squealed, as they are super cute and would be fantastic for role play. My boys are loving hot cross buns for breakfast at the moment, so these will be a perfect addition to their play food.

4. Every new baby needs a cuddly soft toy, and the My First Peter Rabbit is perfect for a gift that will be appreciated for years to come. I still have my first bunny!

5. With winter approaching, this Babu Bunny Cotton Blanket is both practical and stylish. The soft colours make it ideal for a unisex baby gift, and littlies will enjoy cuddling up with this on the sofa when it is cold outside.

6. Crayons are always popular with toddlers, so why not get some Easter Bunny Crayons for little hands to easily grasp?

7. Books are another staple in our house, and the If I Were The Easter Bunny book has some amazing illustrations as well as a fun story that will be appreciated by children as well as the adults.

8. Lastly, these amazing Fabric Bunnies come in a variety of colours and patterns, and are handmade by the lovely Creative Mama right here in Christchurch.

Any of these options would be an amazing addition to an Easter basket, or perfect for a baby who isn't eating solids yet- although I know for my son's first Easter I didn't mind tasting the chocolate myself.

Which one of these gifts do you like the best? I would love to know what your Easter basket plans are for this year!

WCW Strawberry Lemonade Teacake

I am sure most of you have seen the lemonade, cream and flour scones that are floating around on Pinterest? I decided to take this idea a step further and create a lemonade flavoured teacake, which also includes strawberry jam as well as lemonade.

Strawberry Lemonade Teacake
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup strawberry jam
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 cup lemonade
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups Chelsea lemon icing sugar (prepared with 2 tablespoons hot water)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder in salt in a large bowl. Place the butter cubs evenly around the mixture, and then rub in with your fingers until the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

In a sperate bowl, heat the jam in the microwave for 20 seconds then allow to cool slightly. Stir in the egg, lemonade and milk.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mix, and bring together to form a dough.

Shape into a circle, and place on a prepared baking tray. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool, then cut into 16 triangles. Drizzle with prepared lemon icing and serve.



This teacake is also delicious warmed up!

Linking up with Time For Mom and Wow Me Wednesday.

Autumn Essentials from Ezibuy

I always love getting the Ezibuy catalogues in the mail- flicking through them with a cuppa, I mark each page that has something I like and then make a wishlist.

Today I want to share some Ezibuy items that I think are essentials for the upcoming colder months- and they are all well within my clothing budget.

Ezibuy Essentials for Autumn by laurenmoore-ii on Polyvore

The zip fleece is perfect for sports days or school runs in the cooler months, and comes in a variety of colours. I chose Navy as it works with most of my wardrobe.

The grey elbow patch sweater is just a bit different, and grey is a great shade for Autumn paired with jewel colours or a mustard yellow.

Scarf prints are big right now, and this beautiful shell top would look great underneath a blazer for work, or paired with jeans, heels and a pendant necklace for a night out.

I have seen joggers everywhere, and these light grey cargo joggers would be so comfortable for my day to day lifestyle.

I am a sucker for skirts, and this tartan one is fabulous. Paired with a navy jersey and brown knee high boots, you have a perfect autumn outfit.

Lastly, I am still on the hunt for a slim fit pair of boyfriend jeans and these ones might just make the cut. A nice wash, straight leg and not too distressed.

You can check out Ezibuy's new catalogue online, and also stop by Kimba's post on Ezibuy shoes. Also, check out my Ezibuy under $50 post for more budget friendly inspiration!

NB: I was not sponsored to write this post, I just like the new collection from Ezibuy!

Book Nook Roundup- our Favourites!

This month marks the end of my first year with Poppins Book Nook, a virtual book club for children of all age ranges. This experience has been amazing as it is not just about reading some fun books, but having experiences as a family.

Here is a roundup of each theme we have done throughout the year, as well as links to each individual post for further instructions.

Our first month was exploring the world around us, where we made a kiwi snack, a chicken craft and a tuatara!



Next up was Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which saw us take a trip on a steam train as a family.



Folktales was a very fun theme, and we learnt about the real reason the tide goes in and out after reading about taniwhas and the tide.



Winter was well and truly on out doorstep when we had The Great Outdoors theme, so we had a fun week of snow related activities. Our PVA glue snowmen were a huge hit!



The boys made their own parrots when we read about pirates, and we also had a pirate themed dinner.



Things got a bit more serious when I asked Lucas what he would like to be when he grew up. He thought for a while and decided either a policeman or a clown! We ended up looking into what policemen do and had fun creating our own police badge.



By far, the most popular theme for the boys during this round of The Poppins Book Nook was The Wild West. We don't have a desert in the south island of New Zealand, but the boys were fascinated by some photos I showed them of me in the Atacama desert. We also watched some movies about cowboys, made our own Wanted posters, practiced pasta threading and also made some puffy paint.



Beyond Our Planet got the boys thinking about the moon, planet and stars. We invented a new outdoors game, made swirling planets from milk, and explored the phases of the moon with Oreos, as well as making our own starry sky painting using a cheese grater!



The kitchen is a great place for cooking, but we also used this theme to explore science recipes using common kitchen items such as baking soda and vinegar. This was a messy theme but made both boys extremely excited as they love to bake and make things blow up.



The boys also got to do some science experiments involving movement and force for the Poppins Book Nook, which was right up their alley.



Our last theme for this round of the Poppins Book Nook was reading some poetry, and one of our books was all about different types of dogs. Noodle the Poodle was our favourite dog, and so we made our own poodles out of noodles!



I have loved being a part of this round of the Poppins Book Nook, and can't wait to be involved for the next installment!

The themes have just been released, so if this sounds like something you would be interested in participating in, simply come back on the last Monday of each month where there will be a linky provided for you to share your reading creations with the other co-hosts and bloggers.