The Amazing IKEA Maze

Mark and I went to IKEA yesterday to buy furniture for Robert's empty room, now my sewing and guest room.  If you've never been in IKEA, it's an experience. There is a childcare area, complete with buzzing light up mommy notifier if baby needs a parent. Up the elevator everyone goes to start shopping!  Bring comfortable shoes, because you can't just run in for the items you plan to pick up, instead you follow a flow chart, big arrows on the floor and all.  First you walk through the couch and chair department, then office setups, kitchens, dining, bedrooms, etc.  Once you've run the maze, you can go downstairs for gadgets and doo-dads (I bought a new silverware drawer tray, a coffee scoop, and a chocolate bar). 

We originally went in to look at trundle beds, but chose instead to get a sofa bed - a couch-sized cross between a futon and a click-clack couch.  It has a five-inch thick firm foam mattress, and unlike a futon, this feels nice to lay on.  I plan to purchase a mattress pad and pillow cases that will accent the pretty mural on the wall behind the sofa.  Total price $237 plus about $15 tax.

Here are the links to the items we purchased:

Ransta sofa bed in dark gray with two pillows $200

LACK side table in brown/black $8

Uplight floor lamp $7

A paper lantern table lamp $10

Two bed pillows $1.00 each (I got these are for decoration and not to sleep on)

While we were there, we had dinner, $1 for ten Sweedish meatballs in sauce, mashed potatoes, and a taste of lingonberry preserves. Mark paid a dollar for five additional meatballs and a dollar for a bottle of water.  He couldn't pass up a big slice of apple pie, $2.  Six bucks for two delicious meals!

I love visiting IKEA and want to go back to buy some sort of artwork or maybe material to stretch on the opposite wall of the guest room for decoration.  There are also some ambient lamps I would like to look at, but Mark was anxious to go.  Next time, I'll arrive earlier and leave Mark behind!