New Room Makeover Pictures, Peanut Butter Banana "Crowns", Labeling Foods to Convert Others, When Friends & Family Don’t Want to Eat Your Way

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Hi Gang!  Can I get a big OMG.  Make that an OMfG.  I wanted to tear my hair out yesterday.  As you know, I am re-doing Skylar’s room and was waiting for the furniture to be delivered.  Well, yesterday at 11am I called the Ikea delivery service just to check on things proactively, and they said that because my delivery window was between 12-4pm, they couldn’t give me any real info but to sit tight, they would be there sometime between 12-4pm. 

At 4:15pm yesterday, there was still no delivery.   At 5pm I finally was told that the driver’s truck broke down and they were able to get 60 of the 62 deliveries out for the day but I was 1 of 2 deliveries that wasn’t going to happen.  What?  WTF?!  The day of our move from Arizona to San Diego, the moving company’s truck broke down on the way to our house and at the 11th hour, I had to find a replacement moving company to complete our interstate move.  Just a little bit stressful.  Do I make trucks break down or something?

Why couldn’t the Ikea delivery service have called mid afternoon and told me this so at least I could have left my house! They obviously have no idea what it’s like waiting around your house, being held hostage the entire day, with a 3 year old, no less! 

So this morning, I was told they would be here between 9am-11am.  At 12:30pm they arrived.  And it took them nearly 3 hours to assemble everything.  So two entire days spent in waiting-around-the-house mode, but it’s worth it for a new room!

Here’s pictures of the newly made-over room!
The Armoire with clothes loaded in.  Note the siderails for the bed in the long box that were delivered an hour after the first delivery and assembly crew left, so I still have to get the actual bedframe assembled.  Oy.Vey.

White Wardrobe

Open wardrobe showing shelves and hangers
Box with headboard and footboard
Bed Headboard and Footboard inside

Toy Organizer System.  I can tell I am going to love this!  It’s 5 separate “units” pushed together, and each unit can be customized with shelves or bins of a variety of sizes.

Toy Organizer SystemYoung girl standing in front of Toy Organizer System
Books with lots of extra room for more
Books in the Toy Organizer System

A Drawer for Purses, Heels, and Accessories.  She’s only 3, but she’s all girl.

Drawer for Purses, Heels, and Accessories

 

A Drawer for Purses, Heels, and Accessories and doll paraphernalia

Drawer with dolls inside
And there’s a Barbie Drawer and it’s going to be so nice to have this stuff all organized!

From yesterday…
I had asked you to Vote on Choice A

Multi-colored flower bed spread

 

Black, white and teal flower bed spread

 

Striped purple and pink bed spread

Choice C got the least amount of votes.  One person told me they thought Choice A was ugly, however it did get about half the votes.  Many of you said you liked Choice B for yourself even, and that’s the one I went with.  I was pretty much going to go with it anyway, but it was great to hear your thoughts!

I am definitely returning Choice C, and because Choice A was so inexpensive, I may just hold onto it to have as a backup or to change things up if I get sick of Choice B.

Here’s how Choice C looks on the actual bed!  Again, the bedframe needs to get set up and there’s a dust ruffle in a cute black and white pattern I will put on, too.

White, black and teal bed spread on bed
Side view of bed spread on bed next to wallClose up of design on pillows
The print is actually reversible and one side is more black-on-white, and the other is more white-on-black which I thought was cool. 

 

So far, Skylar seems really pleased with her new room!   All 1 hour we’ve had it partially set up.  I am more pleased than she is I think…lots of money, time, and effort went into these digs!

Young girl standing in front of toy bins smiling
Young girl standing in front of book shelves smiling

And yes, many of you have been held hostage by the Cable Company or Phone Company with their ridiculous delivery windows.  I work part time and so thankfully I didn’t have to take time off work, but I would have been hoppin’ pissed had I taken a day off work, sat around all day for nothing, and then had to turn around and do it again today!  And oh yeah, part of the bed isn’t here so I have to wait for that to be delivered on Friday.   Remember when I asked if you get what you pay for in lifeYep, you do.  It may be cheap, but they certainly make you “earn” that cheap furniture in the form of time and patience!

And a few of you told me you were sentimental and like to reminisce.  I like hearing those types of stories.  Awww, Hallmark moments aplenty!

Snack Today: Peanut Butter Banana “Crowns”

Peanut Butter Banana "Crowns" on plateClose up of Peanut Butter Banana "Crowns"

As a mom, I call the Raisin the “Crown”.  I get creative with simple, cheap, readily available ingredients.  Sometimes just labeling a food in a fun way makes it go down the hatchet better!  Not only for kids, but for adults, too.  Call something “blended green vegetables” versus an “Energizing Green Smoothie” and one will have more fans than the other, trust me.  It’s all in the presentation!

Overhead of Peanut Butter Banana "Crowns" on plate

Green Food:  Mixed Field Greens, Sugar Snap Peas, Brussels, Baby Red Chard, Tomatoes, Cukes

Green salad with mixed vegetables in bowl
Close up of mixed salad dressed with Vegan Slaw Dressing
 Dressed With my Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing

 

Open jar of Vegan Slaw Dressing
Side view of lidded jar of Vegan Slaw Dressing
Mixed salad with Vegan Slaw Dressing

Dessert: Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies
These aren’t vegan or GF, but my taste testers rave about them!  I haven’t tried them but they sure smell heavenly!

Overhead of Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies in muffin tin
Close up of one Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookie 
Hand holding one Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookie
Stacked Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gym & Weights Workout Today From This Tab: Arms/Back/Legs and Abs.   
Used my Home Gym/FreeWeights & Bowflex
Did Abs with my Exercise Balls from This Post

Tip of the Day:  Did you see Who Won my Give Away for 3 Boxes of Cereal?

Box of Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal with Mixed Berries
Click Here to see Who Won!

Questions
1. Do you like Skylar’s room so far?  If you say no, I’ll probably think you’re lame, but you can tell me anyway…haha!
I love it so far!  And for everyone who asked what her choice for a bedding set was, her comment was, “Mommy, they’re all cute!”  I asked her about 10 different times which one she liked the best, and she would choose a different one each time.   No help.  So I gladly chose for her.  There will come a day soon enough where she won’t want or wear anything I choose, so I will savor the choosing duty,  for now.

2. Is it hot where you are?  
Scott and I have a knack for moving on the hottest day of the year.  Moving out of Myrtle Beach, out of Phoenix, into San Diego the first time, you name it, just plan the day we choose to move that it will be 100F+. 

And today, with all the deliveries and manual labor and trips up and down stairs organizing, decluttering, getting donation boxes ready, it’s hot and humid here.   It’s only the second time all summer I turned on my A/C! 

Woman flexing
Woman flexing other arm showing tattoo
Good thing I have These Arm Muscles.  There’s been a lot of manual labor going on for me the past few days.  One of the side benefits of lifting has been when random life stuff comes up that requires real strength, I feel more capable.

3. Have you ever labeled a food in a certain way,  or label things in a “cute” way for kids, i.e.  the Peanut Butter Banana “Crowns” in order to have others get into that food?  Or have you maybe not ahem, disclosed exactly what the ingredients were in a recipe, in order to get some doubting friends or family members to try it?  But that after they tried it, and loved it, you told them what was in the recipe?

I am not a fan of sneaky chef stuff, i.e. sneaking pureed veggies into kids meals as the only way they eat their vegetables, but let’s be honest, sometimes in order to help push an adult partner, friend, or family member over the edge and just try something new, it may be in everyone’s best interest to not disclose the entire recipe list upfront.  

Speaking of which, my Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse is one of those kind of desserts!

5 Minutes, 4 Ingredients, and you cannot “taste” the secret ingredient.  At all.  It’s a dessert though, so don’t get all skimpy on the sweetener and you will be in heaven!
Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Close up of Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Do you ever omit exactly what’s in a recipe so others will try it and not be scared off?

4.  Where do you draw the line with trying to help others help themselves and make better choices versus saying, their choices, their body, their life, they can do as they wish.
Had I told Scott 5 years ago that “green stuff” in his salad wasn’t just “unique” looking romaine and had said it was raw kale and mustard greens, he would have picked around it.  Now he knows what it is and eats it.  So my slight stretching of the truth worked.  Sometimes you have to do what it takes to help others help themselves and get on board, gently, with healthier choices.  

Then again, sometimes you just have to say, who cares if you don’t want to try new foods or eat more healthfully.  It’s your life, your body, your choices and you’re a big boy, do your own thing because I am not here to “change” anyone. 

Where do you draw the line?  I lead by example and just keep on doing my thing, living my life, cooking and eating this way, and if others around me from my spouse and child to friends and family want to come talk a walk on the raw vegan wild side, great.  If not, great.  I don’t care.  I am only here to please myself and live my life and they can do theirs.  I really honestly don’t care!  I don’t care what anyone eats, does, exercises, believes, etc. That’s their deal.  I can’t worry about that.  I can only worry about me!  Of course I want to do what’s best for my family, but with strangers, naw, I don’t waste my energy anymore trying to “convert” anyone.

How do you approach helping others?  Does it bother you if your significant other, friends, family or others don’t share your eating/dietary/exercise principles and beliefs?  What are you doing to reconcile this in your own mind?

Stay Tuned For Some Health & Beauty Must Have’s…

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Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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