First off, this post wasn’t paid for or perked by Ikea. We just wanted to share a recent pilgrimage. And we like them (especially with this cool announcement). Anyway, some people say you can tell a lot about a person by looking in their purse, their closet, maybe even their iPod. But what may give you a good peek into our lives is a look into our car trunk… after a trip to Ikea.
This was the scene after a recent trip. It was our first since my parents moved out of the same area as the Ikea (which is about 90 minutes away) meaning no more quick stops after a family visit. Clearly, we’ve already become hoarders. Not knowing when our next visit will be we found ourselves grabbing more than usual “just in case” since we were up there visiting friends. Here’s the breakdown for ya:
1. Two Retur recycling bins turned shoe cabinets for our laundry room, as you’ve already seen (they were one – er, two of the main reasons for our visit).
2. The boxes that would become our Effektiv file cabinet for the office, as you’ve also already peeped here.
3. Cute napkins for big ol’ family gatherings at our house (when we run out of cloth ones). Specifically these, in green.
4. A door mat. Why? Long story short: rainy night + full-bladdered chihuahua who hates to get wet = need for a new mat. We did let the rain rinse it out and planned to continue using it. Problem is Burger had the same plan (guess it was still “marked”). The new one is so far unscathed by this silly dog (who much prefers to sunbathe with his tongue out).
5. Two woven planters. Because we’re suckers for natural textures. And in need of more indoor plants ’round here.
6. This blanket. We were so excited about this purchase. We’d been hunting for a spare blanket to keep in the living room, since our current brown one doesn’t jive with Karl as much as we’d like. This one looked perfect. Problem is, it doesn’t feel perfect. Despite a couple of washings, it’s still a bit scratchy. And because of those couple of washings, it’s a bit unreturnable. Shucks. At least it still looks good! Maybe someday we’ll use it to recover an ottoman or something. But warning: this is not a blanket that you want to get cozy with for very long (Sherry plans to layer it with the softer one underneath it during the winter months for extra warmth without the scratchy texture touching her skin).
7. A light kit. Since we used our other “spare” for our clothespin light, we wanted to have another on hand. Someday we’ll get around to hanging the paper lantern that we picked up a while back in the playroom. We were just paranoid that Ikea will stop making them when it finally comes time to tackle that room (and at $3.99 they’re cheaper than any others we’ve encountered).
8. Various white frames. Do we even need to elaborate on that after this and this? We just figure they’re always good to have around, and we still have a lot of bare walls and about five million cute baby and dog pictures. Yikes, we’re those people.
9. A white duvet cover that we thought could work in our bedroom. Long story short, we’re still on the fence. So it’s still sitting in the packaging until we’re sure (since Ikea doesn’t take back opened bedding). At $50 for a king sized duvet and two shams it was a pretty good deal (we just wanna be sure there’s nothing else out there that we love more) so we’ll keep you posted.
10. Toys! Since we’ve admitted in point #8 that we’re quickly turning into “those people”, we couldn’t resist getting Clara this soft set of farm animals (she loves farm animals) and a soft set of tools (we desperately want her to love tools). The good news? She LOVES them both (esp. the goat and the ruler). Bad news? It’s not teaching us a lesson about buying her too many toys…
We also scored a couple of other items while there that didn’t make it home in the trunk. For example, thanks to being on the catalog mailing list I got a random email about joining this new “Ikea Family rewards program” the morning before our trip. So I picked up my free card later that afternoon right in the store from this handy little futuristic kiosk:
I don’t totally understand exactly what it gets me, except for a free coffee or tea at each visit. Sold. Except that it would have been a more time-efficient idea had we not had to linger in the restaurant area for twenty minutes while Sherry waited for it to be cool enough to sip (my wife is such a diva). At least it bought us plenty of time to take pictures like this one of Clara “drinking her tea”:
And on this particular visit thanks to picking up that free Ikea Family card we also got a free ice cream cone. Guess saving that buck really makes up for all the money we spent on everything else, right? Clara demonstrated her appreciation by smearing it all over her face. And it was adorable.
Do you guys have any recent shopping trips that are particularly indicative of your personality or a particular moment in time? Perhaps a recent grocery store run for a party you’re throwing? Or a spending spree at Bed Bath & Beyond or Office Max? Do you have more Ikea, Home Depot, Lowe’s or Target receipts than you can even count these days? We used to feel like we lived at Target, but lately it has been Lowe’s and the ReStore.
Psst- We (finally) picked this week’s random giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Rachel says
Thanks for the reply — it’s back on the site now (or my cat lady eyes just found it). Anyway, I reeeeeally don’t want to be a stickler but it says to “come right back here on Thursday morning…” so I just thought…
Anyway, I do L-O-V-E you guys and your gracious givings-away all the time. Nix pixelation of Burger’s boy parts, too; it reminded me of the “modesty heart” you did a while back.
Katie says
Ok, so this isn’t anything to do with Ikea (although I do heart Ikea), but I was wondering if you ever get any requests, here or on Babycenter, for a post about your experiences using the Baby Led Weaning approach with Clara? If you do, here’s another request :) I didn’t use BLW with my daughter, I made all my own baby food and loved doing it, but I’m thinking of using BLW with future babies. Seems like it would be easier when you’re already feeding one toddler (and parents), rather than making a separate pureed meal for the baby….I would love to hear all the good, bad, and the ugly (in as many words as possible since I know Sherry likes to be thorough!). P.S. I did buy the BLW cookbook to get some ideas for my daughter and it’s got some great kid-friendly (and adult-friendly too!) recipes…fun to browse through if you don’t already have it :) Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I wish I could figure out how to make that a long juicy post! We just bought the book from amazon.com and did it and Clara loved it pretty much from day one. She’s a great eater (she’ll literally eat anything- even kale and capers) and she enjoyes feeding herself (and we enjoy feeding ourselves at the same time, instead of spoon feeding her purees). We also think it helped her develop great hand-eye coordination and she never had gag reflex issues (which we hear can be an issue when a baby is used to purees and then gets bigger chunks of food to eat). It’s definitely one of those might-not-work-for-all-babies-and-all-families things. We just got lucky and it was a big hit with her!
xo,
s
Holly@loveoflifeblog says
Oh My I’m loving the celebrity blurring of burgers man parts…er..doggie parts…
And look at all that hair Clara has!
Are y’all still limiting the collection of your receipts from stores after shopping, at least when you know you won’t need to return anything? I saw an article recently about BPA and store receipts and remembered y’alls post on that a while ago!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, if it’s from Target or Home Depot or anywhere that keeps it on file we don’t take the receipt (or take it, toss it, and wash our hands). We do keep things like Ikea ones just in case (although most times things that come home from there are here to stay).
xo,
s
Rachel says
Whoops – not nix! Not nix! Nice!
Can you tell I have problems with confrontation? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! No worries, Rachel. Sorry we were slow picking the winner – we’re running a bit behind thanks to our blog issues yesterday. But the winner is officially posted now! Here’s the link to check it out: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/08/fab-freebie-talk-about-home-improvement/
-John
Lindsay says
seriously laughed out loud while reading the last couple sentences of this post!! the hardware looks great!
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints says
just moved to richmond, VA this past month from minneapolis. one of my readers told me you guys live here too!!! i let out a little squeal of delight and then decided to squeal again. maybe you can be a resource of where to shop for cool stuff. so far i’m a little discouraged. being from the midwest we had a plethora of good “junking”, little occasional shops, repurposing stuff, flea markets etc… please tell me there are spots for that? LOVE IKEA! half my house is from there. i’m guessing dc is the closest??
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, we drive up to the DC one every once in a while (and usually visit family while we’re there!). As for where we love to shop/eat in Richmond, here’s a post all about it: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/02/five-richmond-top-fives/
xo,
s
heyruthie says
the Ikea family card also buys you something i’ve been DYING to have for some time: an extra 30 minutes in childcare!!! i got mine in woodbridge on my last visit, and it was awesome! just wait another year or so, you’ll be so happy for the 60 minutes, instead of 30. trust me!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’m sure that’ll come in handy someday!
xo,
s
Hillary says
You know it’s back to school season when I’ve spent more money than I care to count at the local teacher/learning stores and Target. Every year, without fail!
Sara says
OMG the burger picture totally made my day! I’m very glad I wasn’t the only one cracking up over that. Thanks, as usual, for the comic relief along with the good info!
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
I just signed up for the IKEA Family card about an hour ago. The email just showed up. LOL! I love Ikea and need to go back again soon. I do have a lot of receipts from Lowe’s, HD, Target, Home Goods and Ikea. ;)
Well my last trip to Home Goods showed that I love white ceramic and turquoise things. ;)
ruthie says
Oh how I wish there were an Ikea even 90 minutes away!! I think Nashville needs one! Although I have been known to spend an entire day making the roundtrip (6 hours total!) I get so excited every time I go though. Last time I bought a bamboo plant. Best buck I ever spent!
Kelly says
We just went to IKEA for the first time a few weeks ago – it’s about 90 minutes from our house. Our trunk and backseat looked just like yours! We also bought things “just in case” because they were too inexpensive and cute to pass up! But now we have two things to return, which we weren’t anticipating, so it could mean another big trip!
Barbara says
Let me give you a word of advice regarding this scratchy blanket.
I usually fill liquid glycerin in the compartment dedicated to fabric softener when I wash scratchy wool garments. They are less itchy after all…
YoungHouseLove says
Never heard of that. Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Ashley says
Hearing about your carefully orchestrated IKEA adventures makes me feel even more fortunate to have one just 15 minutes away. I’ll pop in some days just to pick up some of their food, specifically the Krusballs(chocolate covered marshmallow wonderfullness). Have you tried them? They are to die for! http://www.flickr.com/photos/94393434@N00/3348018020/
YoungHouseLove says
Um, where have those been all my life? So excited to take them for a spin next time we go.
xo,
s
Rebecca says
Love the pictures! I haven’t had much fun at Ikea, my DH hated it when we went so it is hard to convince him to go back. It was crowded that day, maybe that is why…
Natalie @ Queen of Whirled says
Our closest Ikea is 5 hours away. I seriously envy your 90 minute drive. I’m counting the days to my birthday…because I’m getting a trip to IKEA!!!
Does clara enjoy those shopping carts as much as my toddler does?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! She thinks they’re a go-kart ride or something. Grins whenever we put her in ’em! And hold on tight as if to say “ok, somebody better start pushing me and running like the wind.”
xo,
s
Natalie @ Queen of Whirled says
Try spinning it in circles. Those swivel wheels are just made for entertaining kids.
http://youtu.be/OpOmcqL2oqs
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- cute!
xo,
s
cristina s says
After 6 months we finally had our housewarming last weekend so my purse is FULL of receipts. IKEA Home depot homegoods ROSS and Target are among them… the good news.. we scored over 500 bucks on gift cards… guess we’ll have alot more receipts coming our way!
We absolutely LIVE at Ikea, no joke lol
I was also wondering if you guys have a post on converting the IKEA lightbulb kit into a non-plug connection. I am DIYing a twine fixture for the office but need to figure out how to convert the lighting “/
YoungHouseLove says
It’s kind of hard to explain/photograph, but if you cut the cord it will reveal some internal wires that can be connected to a ceiling fixture box. Maybe someone has a youtube video of it? I think Jenny at Little Green Notebook might have blogged about it recently?
xo,
s
Zoe Feast says
Haha I had to laugh at your trunk full of Ikea goodies. I have had three major runs to Ikea since June and filled my Honda CRV almost to breaking point then driven over 300 miles to construct everything and furnish a town house in St Louis.
You can spot a few elements of my Ikea haul at
http://www.creativeinchicago.com/search/label/Town%20House
Ikea is fantastic for furnishing a house on a tight budget.
Have you ever bought any of their lamp shades? I bought one on my last trip but it doesn’t fit a single lamp in my house …annoying, it’s going to have to go back!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man that stinks! We once bought a lamp there only to learn no light bulbs fit them except for Ikea ones. Wop wopppp. But we stocked up the next time we went. Haha.
xo,
s
Zoe Feast says
Luckily I live just 25 minutes from an Ikea here in Chicago … I have been know to visit just for their meat balls!
annabelvita says
I think Ikea In the UK their lampshades come with (or you can buy separately? maybe?) a metal ring that you use if you ever want to attach an ikea lampshade to a non-ikea fixture. Might be worth looking out for…
natalie says
would you consider using a 2nd panel for the door? me thinks you need a little extra fullness for scale.
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry! I can’t figure this question out for the life of me. Are we taking about the file cabinet doors? The front door? The shoe cabinets?
xo,
s
Peggy says
Sounds like the IKEA family card is something new in the States. Here in Germany we’ve had it for ages, I think I’ve had mine for 15 years now.We got it when IKEA opened about 15 minutes away from our home. We get special Family offers every Tuesday, free coffee, cheaper meals, bithday gifts for the children and somethig I really like: everything that brakes during transport can be given back / exchanged if it was payed with the IKEA family card.
YoungHouseLove says
Woah- love those perks! I wonder if ours does that too!
xo,
s
Hilary says
I LOVE this! For a while I had 2 door car and I would fold down the back seat to fit my furniture items through the trunk area… I’ve also been known to leave there with my BFF scrunched up to the side of an SUV window, holding the ‘as is’ [already assembled] items! I love living smack dab in the middle of the College Park & Woodbridge Ikeas! Off to see what the Family Card is all about…
Val says
Ah yes, the incredible long-distance-travel-to-Ikea followed by stuff-cram-and-hoarde. It’s difficult to resist grabbing one of everything when you live hours away. I’m admiring your restraint.
Michelle says
I LOVE me some IKEA but since I live a good 8 hours away from the closest one, I’m in KC and it’s in Denver, I have to control my urges and wait until they have Cyber Monday free shipping. Two years ago I ordered a platform bed for my son and one of their cool media centers and saved $1300 in shipping charges.
BTW, my boxer Lucy would like to invite Burger to become a charter member of the my-tongue-is-too-big-for-my-mouth club. She has been known to sleep that way as well as just plain walk around letting it all hang out.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m in.
-Burger
nancyo says
I live in Denver and the Ikea opened about 2 months ago. If you go into Ikea on a weekend, it’s like Black Friday. Traffic starts backing up miles on the highway. There are more traffic control and police officers than at the Macy’s Day parade in NYC. And, speaking of parade – walking through the store, there were people on my toes and heals. When we finally made it out alive, the parking lot was full of license plates from TX, WY, KS, NE and NM. CRAZY. So, I’m sure there were a lot of cars packed just like yours at the Denver Ikea!
Maureen says
I have now added (2) of those doormats to my online shopping list. :)
Chrissi says
We have an Ikea about two hours away and when we go–we go for 6 or 7 hours. I know…crazy! But the best part is seeing all the creative packing of trucks and cars with all the loot that has been purchased by everyone. We have seen some of the best ‘discussions’ on how to pack it best. Gives us something to laugh about all the way home!!
Molly P-H says
Blurring Burger’s Business. Triple B. As in “Almost ready to post, honey. Just gotta Triple B.” I crack myself up.
Kacie says
We are off to IKEA this Saturday. We are redoing our kitchen from there! I didn’t know they had free coffeeeee?!?!
=)
Kacie
http://www.acollectionofpassions.com/
Whitney Dupuis says
I was just making my shopping list to visit my IKEA (6 hours away). I am headed up there in just a few weeks and I can’t wait!!! My biggest purchase will be picture frames, though I am sure I will leave with a few other things as well. I always do…
Melissa says
Ha, I love Burgers blurred out little thing.
Our boy beagle hates going outside in the rain. The little girl could careless!
Hayley says
A few weeks ago we scored two Henriksdal bar stools for the price of one in the As Is section at our Ikea. We left as a torrential rainstorm moved in, and we couldn’t get the bar stools in the car without leaving one window down. So we drove about 15 miles home in utter downpour with the back window down…in a rental. Because hubby’s car is in the shop for hail damage of all things.
Oh, and the bar stools? Are two different heights. By 4 inches. Didn’t discover this until we broguht them inside.
YoungHouseLove says
Ohhhh man. That hurts. And I feel your pain.
xo,
s
MJ says
If soaking the blanket in woolwash doesn’t help, you can buy soft fleece or flannel fabric to back it, then sandwich the both layers like a quilt and bind it. I can see it with a soft gray or even a contrasting green…..
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
Haley says
I hope to have some extra money this month to stop by Ikea on my way home to visit my mother. I really want to get a couple of the Retur recycling bins for our place. I figure one will be great for shoes, the other will be great for dirty towels (they will live right outside the bathroom door).
Karen says
We recently went to IKEA. We bought a long tabletop / feet for our 13′ wall in our eat in kitchen (my part time home office). We stagger a pax wardrobe on special for $39 to create more storage next to the desk. We’re going for the built-in look without having built-ins.
Amanda says
I glanced at my credit card statement earlier this week – you can definitely tell we’re in the middle of something big (kitchen renovation)…everything is Home Depot, Lowes, and Ikea. And the grocery store to feed all the volunteers…
Burger seriously cracks me up!! I almost choked laughing at the blurring :-)
Leila says
Where can I see the winner of the contest?
YoungHouseLove says
Check out the p.s. of this post. It’ll take you to the original post with the winner announced at the top!
xo,
s
Leila says
I was having cache issues :)
YoungHouseLove says
Gotcha! Glad it’s figured out!
xo
s
Lindsey d. says
I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of my ALVINE STRÅ duvet in white. It’s not opaque enough — unfortunately, my not-bright-white down comforter makes it look a little dingy.
Deidre Remtema says
I REALLY enjoyed my trip to Ikea too! Frozen yogurt, Swedish meatballs, slow walks down long isles of inspiring accessories, oh boy!
http://deidredesign.tumblr.com/post/7672572443/ikea-without-children
Katie says
Isn’t the IKEA return policy 90 days? I could be wrong on that. Hope you decide what to do with that duvet soon!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, three months isn’t bad though! Surely we’ll figure it out by then! Haha.
xo,
s
Lauren says
I have more Crate and Barrel/Bed Bath & Beyond receipts than anything else right now, just because I recently got married.
As far as a sort of “recent” shopping trip that is indicative of my personality…Just before Christmas a couple of years ago my condo building had a wine tasting party. My husband, best friend and I all attended. Then I needed to go to BB&B to order my mom her Christmas present, with two pretty tipsy people tagging along.
After I finished my order I couldn’t find my husband (then boyfriend) or my best friend. Until I heard giggling. I followed the sound to find them sitting in one of the aisles laughing at something stupid and eating a bag of Ghiardelli chocolates for which they had not yet paid.
I paid for the chocolate and got the two idiots into a cab and home because I somehow always end up being the person that takes care of everyone.
Wow that was long. Love the blurring btw. It made me snort a little at my desk at work.
Monique says
One of the downsides to living in a small town in Maine is that unfortunately, we do not have an Ikea nearby. In fact, the nearest Ikea is about 2.5 hours away. :(
justy says
You two are hilarious (Burger photo). Any idea how to get that family card? I just went to the site and couldn’t find anything about it. When I typed in ” I’d like to find out about the rewards card”, “Anna” answered “Good. Initiative should be encouraged”
John, my son looks very much like you. When I visit him in Houston and we go to Ikea, people always come up to him thinking he works there. I guess it’s because of his Scandanavian looks (kind of rare in Texas):).
Lastly, Clara is SO cute!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- Anna sounds like a random fortune cookie fortune. As for the card, I think it’s only available in some stores, but the next time you’re in one you should ask if they have them (you can get it from the kiosk if they do).
xo,
s
Ann L says
http://info.ikea-usa.com/FAMILY/ (directions below in case my link doesn’t work when I post the reply)
If you type in “Ikea Family Card” into Google it’ll bring you to the portion of the site where you can sign up for one if it’s available in your local store. Then, when you go into the store you get the card at the kiosk. Easy peasy!
Lisa says
I’ve been meaning to ask- How many inches deep are the bins you turned into shoe cabinets? We close on our first house in a couple of weeks, and I’d love to do something similar— but my husband wears Men’s size 12.5. Plus he’s the shoe person in our house (weird, I know… he coordinates his work shoes with his slacks and has different tennis shoes for the gym and everyday use). His shoes are always a huge tripping hazard near the door. Do you think they’d fit in the bins?
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve heard from a guy who wears 13s and he can fit them! John’s an 11 and there’s some wiggle room. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Hi,
I just wanted to warn you guys that we’ve bought bedding from ikea before that we thought was the right size but ended up being the wrong length! We live in the UK but I’ve got a friend in Australia who had the same problem. I’d really recommend measuring your duvet before unwrapping the sheets as they come in European bed sizes which are all the same length (120cm)i.e. a single is narrower than a double but the same length.
Your house is looking really great!
Sarah
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the warning! We’ve heard from some folks who already have it. Do any of you guys have a king? Did it fit a king sized comforter well? (we have a queen bed but use king duvets and comforters because we’re both blanket piggies).
xo,
s
annabelvita says
Isn’t your duvet insert from ikea? if so, then you’ll be fine!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah. Duh. Thanks!
xo,
s
Alex Romano says
Last Friday I went to Home Goods while I was in the area for a work conference. My trunk had 3 lamps, a globe, and a big letter “R” for the playroom. It definitely screamed about what I am decorating at this moment. And I still need more lamps!
Lauren says
I know everyone’s said it but my goodness you blurring out Burger’s private area CRACKED ME UP. Very very funny.
Sarah says
How do you guys decide what size frames to stock up on? I always want to stock up on frames while I’m there but then I have no idea what sizes I’ll actually need later.
YoungHouseLove says
I figure frames that take 4×5 and 5×7 pics are always easy to fill!
xo,
s
Cayce says
Try washing the blanket with liquid fabric softener. I always wash our sheets in it and it makes a HUGE difference.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the suggestions!
xo,
s
Delia says
I. Love. IKEA!!! I’d never been to one before moving to Sweden (one has now been opened in Dublin since) but the only thing worse than having IKEA so far away from you is having 3 in the local area…I can ALWAYS find reasons to go there but our apartment is only 45 square meters…to reiterate, I LOVE IKEA! Yeay!
Dina says
I just wanted to stop in and say I was at my OB/GYN’s office this afternoon (10 more weeks until D-Day… yay!) and they had pictures of Clara’s nursery in a “design-on-a-budget” article! It showed me that I obviously spend way too much time reading your blog, because I recognized her room the minute I turned the page… made me feel kind of like a creepy stalker, haha. Anyway, congrats on the nice article!
Dina says
… aaaand, my pregnancy brain has me making zero sense. I meant to say that the article was in the August issue of a magazine… I was going to say it was American Baby, but now that I think about it, it could have been Parenting…
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Dina! I think it was American Baby! We’re trying to get our hands on it somehow to check it out!
xo,
s
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that’s so cool! Haven’t seen that yet!
xo,
s