Yesterday, my meals weren’t all that exciting. There was breakfast.
Then there was yoga and lunch.
Instead of showing you a couple handfuls of almonds and dinner, then calling it a day wiaw post, I figured I’d share with you the truly exciting part of my day- IKEA!
I hadn’t been to Ikea in forever, despite it being a mere 30 minutes from my house. Being in need of some new frames, I packed Hailey up and headed over. Do you know how many cool things Ikea has if you have the time to peruse it all?! Here are my favorite 12 things I found yesterday..
1. Ikea Kid’s Play Kitchen. I happen to see this before we even went in Madeline’s adorable new playroom. Hailey ran right to it and it took a while to tear her away. Possible 2nd birthday gift?
2. Ikea Mesh Tea Steeper. I’ve been wanting to get more into tea. Similar to how I always wish I knew more about wine, I’d love to have a favorite tea besides green. I long to wander into Teavana and create a personalized blend. I figured the first step is having a steeper, right?
3. Ikea Coffee Frother. Sticking with the beverage theme, the FIRST thing anyone staying overnight with us ever notices is our coffee frother. It whips up the cream before you add the coffee, making it a frothy, fancy treat at home. People always ask where we got it. You can get one at Bed Bath and Beyond for about $30 or from Ikea for $2.37.
4. Ikea Kids Apron. This adorable number was only $4.99, but Hailey screamed when I put in on her. I plan on returning to get it at some point when aprons aren’t so scary. And can you picture it monogrammed? WANT.
5. Ikea Stuffed Vegetables. Only the essentials, folks! Who doesn’t need an incredibly soft, plush broccoli?
6. Ikea Woven Rug. This rug made me believe I might just be able to make my house feel like a Pottery Barn catalog.
7. Ikea White Desk. As you saw yesterday, our office is quite the disaster. It started with the horrible Tiffany blue paint I accidentally picked out when we were moving in and has gone down hill from there. I have visions of redoing it in a beautiful gray with a white desk like this. But, oh yeah, I’m cheap. Tiffany blue, it is.
8. Ikea Ornate Frame. I loved this fancy schmancy frame. I could imagine it in a baby nursery or little girl’s room with a cursive initial inside of it.
9. Ikea Mini Chandelier. Also great for a little girl’s room? Not sure if Hailey is this girly, but it made me awwww regardless.
10. Ikea Toddler Bed. With all this big girl room talk, is Hailey ready for a big girl bed? Probably not, but she LOVED playing in this one. I had to finally pretend I was leaving her to get her to chase after me. Don’t question my parenting methods; they work.
11. Ikea Pottery. Sure, I could probably find this at Michael’s or Walmart, but it does look like a fun activity for kids!
12. Ikea Crazy Light Pendant. (<—Obviously the official name 
). Made famous, I’m sure, by Young House Love), you can’t help but smile when you see this pendant. I want one. I have no idea where I’d put it, but it sure looks happy.
We had a really fun afternoon at Ikea. Hailey did great with a combo of riding in the cart and running alongside it. I figured she deserved a treat, so I got her a lingonberry juice.
Despite the face, she liked it.
I didn’t leave with much besides the tea steeper and the 3 frames I went ito get for our master bedroom.
I was going to go for the gallery wall look, but didn’t think my basic, traditional self could pull it off.
Oh, then there was dinner.
Have you been to an Ikea?
Love it or hate it?
What’s the best thing you’ve ever gotten there?
(And it’s ok if you say meatballs).
Jessica @ SweatismySanity says
Ahhh, your food pics are making me ready for breakfast. Love all the Ikea pics, I guess I’ll make the trip and pick up some decor items that have been on my list for a while. Love the lighting! Found you over at WIAW, but I know I’ve been to your blog before. 🙂 Laters, Jess
Brittany Dixon says
Thanks for stopping by again, Jess 🙂 And yes, their lighting options are all so much fun!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
Aww, those stuffed vegetables are too cute!! The vegetarian in me loves those ;).
Lindsey says
I love Ikea, we were there on the weekend picking up things for the nursery. I saw & loved that chandelier too! I always wanted one in my little girl’s room but now we have a vision and colors picked out it does not really go with it, oh well!
Their frozen yogurt 😉 For real, it would be the Expedit shelving unit we have I love it or the rug we just bought for the nursery,
Brittany Dixon says
Oh, what are your colors?? I love hearing this stuff 🙂
The chandelier wouldn’t work in H’s room either. It’s green with trees and birds and stuff!
Lindsey says
Me too! There are a few colors, orange, blue, green and yellow. Sorta keeping it fun and bright 🙂
Hanna says
The closest Ikea to me is in Atlanta, and that is about 4 hours away 🙁
Brittany Dixon says
I used to go to the one at Atlantic Station in ATlanta when it first opened. I lived about 10 minutes away 🙂
But yeah, 4 hours is quite a drive!
Madeline @ Food Fitness and Family says
I seriously have a love affair with IKEA. It’s a good thing the closest one is Atlanta! And Em’s playroom was her 2nd birthday gift – just 3 months early. HAHA. I figure she’s not old enough to know the difference? We were just going to give her the kitchen for her birthday but decided we’d rather let her have it now lol.
Alex says
I love IKEA!! We have one right down the street and their prices can’t be beat. I love the kiddo section – too fun!
Heather @ Fit Mama Real Food says
Oohhhh I love ikea! We’re maybe 15-20 minutes from it, but I always seems to have a hard time actually making it there. Maybe because I have to cross the bridge from WA –> OR?? LOVE that oval frame! I’d definitely want it in my little girl’s room (eventually).
Emily S says
I loooooove IKEA. And getting random kitchen gadgets for super cheap is my favorite part! We have a huge Expedit bookshelf downstairs, and use the 4-cube Expedit bookshelves as a changing pad base in both kids rooms. I haven’t gotten any kids stuff there yet – but wow – how fun! My mom is going to be getting a Sundvik crib for her house
It’s also fun to go get breakfast there! I think it’s just $0.99!
Parita says
LOVE Ikea but don’t love the crowds of people who seem to make their way over on the weekend. My favorite purchase was the floating bookcase that we bought last year. It’s a fun illusion and I love how it keeps all my books organized!
Brittany Dixon says
Yes, the idea of going on a weekend is terrifying! Especially with their terrible carts that can’t roll in a straight line.
Heather says
I’m a big IKEA fan and we’ve got a bunch of IKEA furniture in our house until we’re ready to spend the money on higher-end items. I love that even though the prices are cheap, the furniture doesn’t necessarily look it. I agree with a previous commenter, though – the weekend crowds are a nightmare.
Gcroft says
I love IKEA. We’ve bought a few things over the years, but recently Hubby found gorgeous topiary plants and he bought at least 8 for around £50, and that’s a bargain compared to our garden centres. Regular purchases are scented candles and good quality paper napkins.
Kari says
I LOVE Ikea. I have a huge gallery wall full of frames from Ikea. It seems intimidating, but I promise it was a lot easier to pull off than I thought. We also picked up a toddler bed not too long ago from there. Our girl was breaking out of her crib nightly.
Brittany Dixon says
I think I’d love a gallery wall if someone came in and did it for me. I just don’t trust myself and I’m such a freak about symmetry. Haha 🙂
Amy says
I too live within 30 minutes of ikea. I was just there two weeks ago. It is so dangerous due to how low prices items are. I want that kitchen also but must wait until we move. Claire loved the store also – so much to watch and see!!
Erin @ Sugar Magnolia says
I have never been to Ikea!! And I think that breakfast looks pretty fab!
katie says
I love your finds! But I never go to Ikea, it stresses me out! Too big, to hard to maneuver, and things that were cute in the store are always too much for me to handle at home.
Danielle says
Somehow, I always leave there with candles and napkins–neither of which I needed. They have great stuff for kids. When C turned 2, we bought him a small table and chair set so he could eat his meals “like a big boy.” It’s been a huge hit!
Brittany Dixon says
I usually buy napkins, too!! Weird because we NEVER use them. They’re just so dang cute. And I love the idea of getting a mini table and chairs. I might have to look into that…
Danica @ It's Progression says
I haven’t been to IKEA for such a long time but we’re going there (along with the MoA) with some friends this weekend! It’s always just fun to be there, whether I buy anything or not 🙂
p.s. Do you eat the fuzzy part of the kiwi?? I hear that some people do that but I didn’t know if it was nutritious to?
Brittany Dixon says
I do eat the fuzzy skin! Mostly it’s out of laziness, but I’ve heard there is some nutritional benefit. I’ve just never looked into it 🙂
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
I think Ikea is kinda hit or miss… Depends on what I’m looking for. I’ve found some great treasures in their accessories/utensils area, and we got our entire bedroom set from there. But then other times I’ve looked and it seems like everything is just kinda “cheap” looking. I sure am loving that white desk though!
Maria says
I’d say we go to Ikea once a year…and it’s only 20 minutes away. The Ikea in our area is jam packed – all the time – so it makes looking around a bit hard. Regardless, I love my cheap white frames from there and my DVD storage baskets. Most of our apartment furniture is Ikea, but we are hoping to upgrade this year to something a little nicer if/when we buy a house. I have Crate and Barrel giftcards burning a hole in my pocket and World Market has some great furniture that’s a bit more affordable than C&B, West Elm, etc.
(In regards to the office – the blue isn’t as bad as you think. I think a white desk and lighter colored furniture would make it work. Like this office on Bower Power: http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2012/05/office-reveal/ )
Brittany Dixon says
We just bought new bedroom furniture (that we DESPERATELY needed), so I think if I told David I wanted more furniture he might hurt me. Every time I walk into that room, though, I cringe. I love the office you linked to and that was actually the color I was aiming for. Clearly I have trouble with paint samples or maybe I’m just flat out colorblind.
Beth Sheridan @sugarcoatedsheridans says
Oh Ikea, I love thee. The problem I have is that the closest Ikea to me is about 6 hours away 🙁
christina says
When I finally get to Charlotte, I want to 1) MEET YOU and 2) go to Ikea. Done and done.
Brittany Dixon says
Would you just get here already?!? There are still plenty of boating days left to be taken advantage of. And we could go to Ikea, too, of course.
Lee says
You forgot the frozen yogurt. Ikea has the best froyo and it’s only a dollar.
Brittany Dixon says
How the heck did I miss that? Guess I gotta go back 🙂
Lauren says
We’re an Ikea family too… love it there, especially the kids toys. I love basic wooden toys and their selection is great (and cheap!). The best find I’ve discovered are those cheap wood frames that come in packs of 3 for like $5. I bought about 100 of them and created a huge collage of my photography on my bedroom wall.
Chantal says
I love Ikea. We’ve never lived near enough to one for me to actually buy stuff though 🙁
Nicole @ FruitnFitness says
My dog loves big stuffed toys, I can picture him loving that big stuffed broccoli. It looks like the two of you had a fun day at the store!
Sarah says
We have the stuffed plush vegetables- Barry the Broccoli and Curtis the Carrot. My son Sam was kind of obsessed with Curtis for the longest time- we have videos of him hugging and kissing the crud out of that carrot.
Elle @ The Clean Project says
We’re getting an IKEA early next year. I seriously cannot wait. Right now, the closest one is in Chicago (8 hours away), so I’ve only visited them on vacation, but I’m in love!
Katie says
So 1. Why do you cut your kiwi like that? Do you eat it with the skin on? I’m intrigued! I generally cut in half & eat with a spoon, but that gets annoying!
2. We went to Ikea (the Atlantic Station one!) a couple of months ago and Claire saw the big stuffed carrot and HAD to have it. First time she’d ever really done that in a store, and it was cute, so I gave in & now we have a giant stuffed carrot in our house :-).
Great post – thanks for sharing!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast says
They have some awesome kid stuff! In Houston, the IKEA was only 15 minutes away… we still didn’t get there all that often, but we have a few of the items above, including the toy kitchen and tea steepers!
Paige says
Fun (slightly awkward) fact, our bedrooms have the same paint color….and I need to take a trip to Ikea pronto…or maybe in August
Giselle@myhealthyhappyhome says
Love Ikea but haven’t been in so long! I need to go in and check out that kitchen! What a deal! We almost got a kitchen for our son’s second birthday but went with the train table instead. Now I want the kitchen!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
I went to IKEA yesterday too! I got some shelves and frames for the girls’ room. And don’t feel bad about pretending to leave so Hailey will follow you. I do that with Aubrey all the time. The only time that didn’t work was when we went to Destination Maternity and she was playing with LEGO’s. Instead I had to tear her away and listen to her scream for five minutes. Perfect. 😉
Kaitlin says
I haven’t been to an Ikea since I moved into college about four years ago. Even though I get overwhelmed after awhile, I love wandering the aisles. 🙂 I might have to make another trip soon for my future apartment goodies.
Tiff @ Love, Sweat, & Beers says
Haha, no one’s questioning your parenting! 🙂 Though I’m not a big Ikea fan, I have to admit, I did our guest room in white Ikea furniture and gray paint. Looks pretty good, IMO.
Matt @ The Athlete's Plate says
Everything I’ve purchased at IKEA has fallen apart in 12 months. Not a fan.
Mer says
Cute play kitchen- she likes to cook just like her mom!
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
I’ve been to IKEA 3 times. And I really love it. Except… When it’s SUPER DUPER crowded! I never really actually bought anything, but I love to just LOOK! I am like a kid too shocked to get anything at the candy store – LOL… Wait is that even possible?
Ksenija @ Health Ninja says
How cool!!! I always wanted to have a play kitchen when I was younger… actually I chose the flat my parents and I moved in to just because of the play kitchen, which the girl who lived there before had. Can you believe how sad I was that the flat was empty when we finally moved in 🙂 ?
Ashley says
Your crazy light is the one we used in Emily’s nursery – and I love it! (I only learned later that it was on Young House Love!). Emily LOVES staring at the patterns it makes on the wall!
char eats greens says
I love a lot of those things you mentioned. Especially the frother and I’m pretty sure I looked at that desk when I was getting a new one last summer (for school). We ended up going with a black one that had a built-in bookshelf attached to it because I figured I did need a space for my clunky textbooks that I inevitably can’t escape haha.
This is why picking a paint colour is sooooo tricky. You think it’ll go on good and then BOOM! it doesn’t. We need a colour for the main floor, but if it doesn’t work then that will suck because all the walls flow so there’s absolutely no way to break the colour up into different ones if we do pick a horrible colour haha
jodie says
I have that steeper 🙂 and ironically need to go for frames like yours! I like Ikea.
Haley says
Thanks for the post, I mostly buy all my things in ikea stores.