Vanilla Cupcakes for Baby's First Birthday

Photo courtesy of niner bakes

I adapted this recipe from the niner bakes blog. I was looking for a healthier cupcake recipe, and these came out delicious!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups of whole wheat or white whole wheat flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 a cup of applesauce + 2 tsp of oil

1/2 cup milk + 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar

sprinkles (optional)

I'm pretty much the laziest baker ever, so I didn't follow her steps. I mixed the milk and vinegar separately, and then combined all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then I added the milk mixture to the batter. I mixed everything by hand, and it worked out well. Munchkin helped out as well, so it was a great bonding activity for us. I baked them at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

They taste really good! Baby E is not a huge fan, but everyone else in the family is definitely enjoying them. I put some whipped cream and a candle on top when we sang Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday Baby E!

Top Picks for 1st Birthday Gifts!

Baby E turns 1 this week! I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. I have been trying to come up with some good gift ideas that will get a lot of use. We have plenty of toys already, so I have been trying to think of some other ideas. Here are a few of my top picks:

Ride-on toys: I think this is my favorite gift idea for this age set. Riding toys have so many different uses, and are often loved well into the toddler years. These are some of my favorites:

 Little Tykes Push and Ride Racer



 Scuttlebug



Radio Flyer Scoot About







Push Toys: Kids just love pushing these toys around, and they are great for cruisers and early walkers. I have this walker from Playskool waiting for Baby E:

Playskool Walk n Ride



I also think this is an adorable Push toy!

Melissa And Doug Rattle Rumble Push Toy




Toddler Chair: Toddlers love having a special chair that is just for them. A toddler-sized chair is a great place for reading books and relaxing. The Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair is very pretty but also pricey.



For a more affordable option, I found this P'kolino chair on Amazon that comes in a variety of pretty colors.



Toddler Size hooded towels: Most babies are outgrowing the smaller hooded towels by 12 months. I love hooded towels, and want to use them as long as possible. There are so many cute designs that would make a great gift.

Skip Hop Hooded Towel


Books: We have so many books, but if you are looking to build your collection, books make a great 1st birthday gift. Baby E loves touch and feel books like this one:






Zoo or Museum membership: This is a great opportunity to buy a membership to fun places like the Zoo or children's museum. Baby is still too young to be upset if there are no presents to open, and will have lots of fun exploring new places.

What are your great gift ideas?

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