I Survived Ikea – Barely
Woman in the Middle | May 15, 2017I am a woman of simple tastes, and my daughters know that. So, when they proposed taking me to Ikea for Mother’s Day, I was all for it! Shopping and eating all in one spot! And I just love all those rooms Ikea decorates with everything you can buy right there. It is like a home decorating magazine come to life! There isn’t an Ikea near our house, so it is not a place I get to very often.
After Youngest Daughter had bell choir rehersal at church, off we went. The first thing we did was get lunch in their restaurant/cafeteria. It amazes me how inexpensive their food is. The total for all four of us, which included four meals, some garlic bread, a cup of coffee with free refills and two desserts, was under $27. I would seriously eat there more often if Ikea was close by.
Then we set off to explore the display area. Included in the rooms they set up were three “apartments,” all filled with Ikea furniture and storage units. One was a little over 500 square feet, the next about 350 square feet, and the third about 270 square feet. It was amazing what they managed to cram in such small spaces. The middle one, with about 350 square feet, even had a bedroom and a second bedroom nook. Amazing! Would I want to live like that? Probably not. But, still, I could appreciate how a space that size could be arranged to allow for decent storage and living space.
My enthusiasm began to wane a bit when, after about an hour, we were still making our way through the showroom. More like a show-warehouse of never ending ailes. Then came the sales area, which we lingered in less than might be expected, only because the showroom had eaten up most of our energy. However, in spite of being worn our, I still managed to buy a set of two magazine holders(only $4.99) and three tealight holders (just 49 cents each! What a bargain!) Youngest bought a French coffee press (only $10) and some colorful straws.
We checked out, finally, and I got a small second wind when I spotted the packaged food area. There I bought jam and a fountain drink, as I was very thirsty by then! We got in our car (which seemed oh so far away by that point) and made our way to the closest Starbucks, which was having the last day of half off happy hour. A round of Frappuccinos for everyone renewed our vigor enough to get home. Whew! I never new shopping in ONE STORE could be such a workout. I think they could have 5K runs in that place.
Later, we took advantage of the free meal for moms Wienerschnitzel was offering, and had dinner there. A chili dog tastes even better when it is free!
Our “local” IKEA is 45 minutes away so it’s also a special trip. I bought a chair there for a bedroom. I saw one I liked but wanted to look more. When I decided on the first one, it took us almost an hour to figure out where the first one was so I could get the information to pick up in the warehouse part. I swear I will drop corn next time so I can find my way around. I love the kitchen departments. Sure wish they had that when I started out housekeeping. The chair I bought was under $200 and is very comfortable and sturdy.
Our local Ikea is about the same distance away. I know there must be some short cuts, but I have no idea how to find them. My feet and legs were so tired by the time we got done all I wanted to do was sit!