First off, this post wasn’t sponsored by Ikea — we just wanted to share a recent pilgrimage. We’re big fans (especially after their renewable energy announcement). People say you can learn a lot about someone by peeking in their purse or closet; for us, you can get a pretty good snapshot of our lives by opening the car trunk after an Ikea run.
This was the jumbled scene after our most recent trip. It was our first Ikea visit since my parents moved away from the area (the store is about 90 minutes from us), so we no longer have the luxury of quick pop-ins after family visits. Not knowing when we’d be back, we grabbed more than usual “just in case” while we were in town visiting friends. Here’s what ended up in the trunk:
1. Two Retur recycling bins that we plan to use as shoe cabinets in the laundry room — one of the main reasons for the trip.
2. Boxes that will become an Effektiv file cabinet for the office.
3. Cute disposable napkins for big family gatherings when we run out of cloth ones — we picked them in green.
4. A new doormat. Long story short: a rainy night plus a full-bladder Chihuahua who hates getting wet meant our old mat had to go. We’d hoped the rain would clean it off, but our dog had other ideas. The new mat is currently unscathed (thankfully) while the dog prefers to sunbathe with his tongue out.
5. Two woven planters — we can’t resist natural textures and we need more indoor plants.
6. A blanket that looked perfect for the living room, but turned out a bit scratchy even after several washes. Because of those washes it’s tricky to return, so we’ll either find another use for it (like re-covering an ottoman) or layer it over a softer blanket so it won’t irritate skin during winter.
7. A light kit. We already used one spare for a clothespin light and grabbed another while we were there. Someday we’ll hang the paper lantern we bought for the playroom — they’re super affordable and we don’t want Ikea to stop making them before we get around to it.
8. Several white picture frames. We use these all the time for displaying photos around the house — especially baby and pet pictures — so it’s handy to keep a few on reserve.
9. A white king-size duvet cover with two shams that seemed like a good deal at $50. We’re still undecided, so it remains in its packaging until we make up our minds (Ikea won’t accept opened bedding).
10. Toys for Clara: a soft farm-animal set (she loves farm animals) and a soft tool set (we’re trying to encourage an interest in tools). She adores both — especially the goat and a little ruler — and yes, buying toys for her is a slippery slope.
We also picked up a couple of items that didn’t make it home in the trunk. For example, the morning before our trip I received an email about the Ikea Family rewards program, so I grabbed the free membership card from a kiosk in the store:
I’m not entirely sure of all the perks, but the free coffee or tea at each visit sold me. It would have been more time-efficient if Sherry hadn’t waited twenty minutes for her drink to cool (she’s a bit of a diva), but that gave us time to take photos of Clara “drinking her tea.”
On that visit the Ikea Family card also scored us a free ice cream cone. Saving that dollar practically balanced out our other purchases, right? Clara expressed her gratitude by smearing ice cream all over her face, which was utterly adorable.
Do you have a recent shopping trip that says something about your life right now — a grocery run for an upcoming party, or a spending spree at a home store? We used to practically live at Target, but lately our receipts are more likely from Lowe’s, the ReStore, or Ikea. Share what your trunk (or shopping bags) would reveal about you.
Psst — we picked this week’s random giveaway winner. Click to see if it’s you.