IKEA… not for the faint hearted

Hello hello! Grace here.

How have you been? Good I hope!!

Remember I told you I was going to have a chillaxed weekend? Well we did! We hardly left the house… except for that fancy grocery story on Saturday (exciting!).
And then on Sunday we ventured out again… to IKEA!

Oh boy. Somehow I’ve managed to avoid going INTO an actual IKEA all of my 30 years. I love IKEA (disclaimer!) but have always done my shopping online. That made sense to me, you know… since you have to put the ruddy thing together yourself, at least have it delivered TO you.

I quite enjoy the putting-together-of-things though. Desks, beds, trolleys, tables. I’ve done the lot! And if it doesn’t work out with ol’ Clarity, I might have a future as a general handyman 😉

Anyway, we needed a few things to organize our kitchen. Specifically some sort of cabinet and/or trolley for an array of condiments, spices & snacks that have been gathering dust on top of the fridge and counters. Need more cupboard space!

So off we went… of course I tried to order them online for pick up (creature of habit). But no no, mister Mark insisted that going to the store and ‘seeing what they have’ would be much more fun! Alrighty then.

So Sunday morning we found ourselves queuing up in the carpark to get inside. Masks on, 6ft apart etc etc. with a little woman yelling at everyone about ‘How to IKEA in COVID’.

I suppose if you’ve never been into an IKEA, you wouldn’t know what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect this…

Hahaha! Pretty spot on really. Talk about using space well!

Anyhoo, we wandered, and we wandered, and we wandered… in what felt like small decorated circles. Eventually I figured out how it all works see: Find product you like, take photo of label on said product, continue wandering until you eventually find the ‘warehouse’ section downstairs where ALL said products are available boxed up and ready to buy.

Glorious!

We’d taken about 50 photos of various furniture before deciding what we really wanted. But it was decided! And I was finally excited about it! We loved cabinet #302.797.84 with door 002.756.07. In the colour ‘Birch Veneer’. Job done!!

I was well and truly ready to get out of there, so I was chuffed to have fiiiiinally found what we were after, and ready to pick up my bits downstairs and BOUNCE.

Until we got to aisle 42,000 and bin 387,002.

See that big ol’ gap on the left? Yep, that’s where cabinet #302.797.84 with door 002.756.07 in the colour ‘Birch Veneer’ shoulda been!

OUT. OF. STOCK.

Hahahaha! I can laugh now, but I wasn’t laughing then… stood in front of the only gaping hole in the warehouse wall.

I hate to say “I told you so” to Mark… but he was very quiet on the drive home 😉

Oh well… at least we had a laugh! And grabbed a plant and a trolley.

Meet Ike 😉

TOP TIP: Just buy it online.

Please say a little prayer for my Oma as her surgery is today 🙂
And you know how I feel about collective positive energy. It does wonders!

Hip Hip Hooray 🙂

Lotsa love, Grace xo

Clarity – The Home of Art, Craft and Well-being.

21 thoughts on “IKEA… not for the faint hearted

  • 16th September 2020 at 8:37 am
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    Hi Grace
    I feel your IKEA pain, it’s happened to me too and the blueprint is so true!
    Sending love and best wishes to your family today. It will all be ok so keep breathing.
    With love
    Zara

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  • 16th September 2020 at 9:06 am
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    Grace, sending lots of best wishes and positive energy to you and your Oma! Hoping all goes well with the op and a speedy recovery!
    Hip, Hip, Hooray!

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    • 16th September 2020 at 10:22 pm
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      We’ve been to Ikea a fair few times now, mostly for my craft storage. My Pete hates it as there is no quick way out, you have to walk around and around and around until you are giddy. Worries you about what would happen in a fire. My thoughts have been with your Oma today and I did say a prayer for her last night. Her op will obviously be over by now, but our thoughts are with her and your family, we wish her a speedy recovery. xxx

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  • 16th September 2020 at 9:26 am
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    Hi Grace we don’t use IKEA much. I was very excited when one arrived in Southampton. Our first visit was a disaster. It was so busy and we couldn’t find what we wanted. Though when our daughter and son-in-law moved into their home we found out all about the spares section just before the exit. I hope your Oma’s operation goes well. Would you like us all to make cards for her? I am sure lots of people would be happy to. Hugs xxx

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  • 16th September 2020 at 9:43 am
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    Hi Grace, I love their paper napkins which for the money are quite luxurious but unfortunately they won’t deliver these (even in bulk). So until things calm down we’ll have to do with cheaper ones. Sending all the family positive wishes. I’m sure your Oma will come through with flying colours.

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  • 16th September 2020 at 10:11 am
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    Oh Grace, I feel for you. A colleague of mine had this experience and I decided then and there that IKEA was not for me.
    Sending good vibes and best wishes to your Oma and the rest of the family.

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  • 16th September 2020 at 10:38 am
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    Oh my Grace! Did IKEA once – never again!!!!! Glad you got the plant though.

    Sending prayers and Healing Angels to Oma for a successful outcome and speedy recovery xx

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  • 16th September 2020 at 11:27 am
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    I had to smile at your plan of IKEA so true until you work out the shortcuts but unless you go frequently they are not always remembered. The restaurant is the best bit although now having gone gluten free I can”t have the meatballs. Our local shop has being closed so it will have to be a planned visit to one further afield but with the regulations in place at the moment I think it will be a while & we will opt for the online shop for our daughters house move needs.
    Will be thinking of your Oma today, hope all goes well & you will be able to update us on Friday.

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  • 16th September 2020 at 11:41 am
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    My in-laws live 500 miles away and when we would drive down there, the IKEA in Elizabeth New Jersey was about the halfway point. At first we would just stop to eat as their Swedish meatballs were better than any fast food that you could get on the turnpike. Then we decided to check out the store. Wandered around for quite a while and picked up all sorts of things that I never knew I needed. We finally have one only an hour away, which is fab as shipping costs are very expensive. I have a few of their big shelving units in my craft room and we bought beds, desks and dressers for college apartments. I love putting together those flat packs!

    I’ve been thinking about your Oma. She seems like someone I’d love to meet. I know several people who have had hips replaced and everyone was very happy with the results. Prayers and good wishes for her and your family.

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  • 16th September 2020 at 12:52 pm
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    Not good at flat packs! Usually find the the last nut/ bolt/ screw is the one that should have gone into step three, this is when I arrive at step 20😂😂. Lots of positive thoughts for the whole family as well as your oma.😘

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  • 16th September 2020 at 4:13 pm
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    Hi Grace, I’ve never been into IKEA or bought anything from there, well, not yet anyway. Been okay with the few flat packs I’ve bought and made up, its usually another pair of hands I need, when another pair of hands aren’t around! Best wishes to your Oma, and all the family. xx

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  • 16th September 2020 at 4:30 pm
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    I love their furniture and totally agree with you – buy online it’s easier and worth the money to get it delivered too! Sending hugs and good wishes to your Oma xx

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  • 16th September 2020 at 4:35 pm
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    Oh, yes, that’s IKEA! My sister used to live near one, so we would walk down, go to the café, work out if it was worth getting a car there, carry back everything else. They have some good stuff but I decided not to bother when getting there became more difficult.

    All good thoughts to your Oma. May she be relieved of the pain today and on her feet soonest.

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  • 16th September 2020 at 7:51 pm
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    to Ikea a few years back and stayed for lunch – but there was a fire call! So everyone joined the queue to leave, carrying plates of food etc!! Haven’t been since! Prayers for a swift recovery for your Oma. Gruss Gott.

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  • 16th September 2020 at 8:54 pm
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    Just read your blog. Had to laugh. Ikea really is a maze. It drives me crazy that I have to walk round the whole shop to get what I want. Fortunately, I have never met with a gaping hole at the end of it!! Lol. Anyway, prayers said for your Oma. Lots of love. Hxx

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  • 16th September 2020 at 9:33 pm
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    Ya can’t beat a Billy bookcase and I do my crafting on an Ikea desk, have to do it by mail order though as the maze is a pain. Hope Oma is well after her op. xx

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  • 16th September 2020 at 9:52 pm
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    We promised my 15 year old daughter that we’d go to Ikea this Sunday as it’s her favourite shop🤣. I’ve categorically said we’re not buying anything we don’t need …. don’t think that will happen. I do like the veggie meatballs though. Wishing your Oma a very successful operation and speedy recovery.

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  • 16th September 2020 at 11:47 pm
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    Ya can’t beat a Billy bookcase and I do my crafting on an Ikea desk, have to do it by mail order though as the maze is a pain. Hope Oma is well after her op. xx

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  • 17th September 2020 at 7:02 am
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    I can see Ikea from my bedroom window and often used to pop in for their paper napkins and frozen rosti, a guilty pleasure! I know the shortcuts, so could make a quick getaway. However, since the pandemic, the queues are horrendous, stock is sporadic and shortcuts are blocked. It is a good job I don’t need anything large, as it would be crazy to pay for delivery, when I can see the store from home! I do miss the rosti though😂
    So good to hear that your Oma has come through surgery well and I wish her a speedy recovery. XX

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  • 18th September 2020 at 6:55 am
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    Hello Grace, sending love and healing prayers for Oma, glad that the op went well. I am sure that is a huge relief for the whole family. I really laughed with your Ikea experience. During lockdown, we had part of the house re-carpeted, we had ordered furniture from Ikea online the weekend before lockdown in March, it arrived at the end of May! However we were still going to use a lot of Ikea units for the newly decorated rooms, so because of the delivery issue we had experienced, we decided to go to the store a few days after it re-opened. Yes we queued for nearly 2 hours, but we were first in the queue! By the time we got in there must have been about 200 people queued behind us. But for the first time in a long time, it was an absolute joy in Ikea, because it was actually empty and pleasant to walk around and look at what we wanted. Other times, yes, I share your pain, and in our store if the item is out of stock, they remove the little red location tag out of the label on the display, which is good. Glad you at least got the plant and trolley. Take care and stay safe. Bx

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  • 18th September 2020 at 6:47 pm
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    Just catching up. In all my nearly 61 (next month) Years I’ve never Been to IKEA ! X

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