I need to preface today's post with this - what you are about to read is not an advertisement. The place I'm blogging about today has no idea they are the topic of my blog. They are not paying me to tell you about it, and there is nothing in it for me other than sharing my love of something with you. I simply want you to see it through my eyes and feel my excitement. Why? Because it makes me happy. And maybe it will make you happy too.
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Today I’m in the mood to tell you about one of my favorite places on earth.
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Today I’m in the mood to tell you about one of my favorite places on earth.
Bright colors.
Magical words.
Great food.
Free childcare.
Spectacular displays.
A feast for the imagination.
Have you guessed yet?
I’m talking about Ikea!
Have you ever been to Ikea?
Let’s start with what I see as I drive up: a bright blue
building with bold yellow letters, flags waving in the breeze announcing the
name of this magical place. Already, I can feel the excitement!
So I park and go in.
Inside, the first thing I see is an escalator that will take
me to creativity on display. But behind the escalator is a special treat – free
childcare! I can drop my children off to be cared for by conscientious,
screened Ikea employees while I shop!
So, child-free, I ride the escalator. I hold my breath in anticipation
the way a child does walking through the gate at Disney World.
And then I reach the top to find display after display of
the most cleverly designed items ever!
There are bedrooms, dining room, home offices, kitchens, and
even patios on display.
The chairs and light fixtures have shapes I never could have
imagined. The practicality of every piece is genius!
Then there are the names! Every item Ikea sells has a
distinct name. Most are names I’ve never heard of. I’m convinced that some of
the names are an attempt at humor, and some are just letters put together at
random. Here are a few of my favorites:
- A rug called Soften
- A flashlight named Ljusa
- A throw blanket called Gurli
- A pot with a lid called Favorit
- A brandy glass named Optimal
- A screwdriver dubbed Fixa
- A trivet called Heat
- And my brother-in-law’s favorite – a spatula named Skrapa
I could wander Ikea for hours. I love to see all the new products and imagine them in my home.
But my time in the childcare is up. They only give you 90 minutes, then it's time to pick up the kids. And I promised them 50 cent hotdogs for lunch (Ikea makes a really good hot dog!).
So my wandering is over. I'll have to come back another day.
Want to enjoy your own Ikea moment? Click here to go to Ikea's Locator site.
Linking up with Calm My Crazy.