Apparently the majority of the western world choose Ikea for furniture needs, so I figured I'd have a look. A quick browse of their website showed me that their flat pack furniture probably isn't much better than anyone elses- but I saw a dresser I liked.
It's actually a convertable changing table. But, that doesnt matter much, as the changing table part converts into shelf space. Perfect. And the price was right as well. A browse of their storage options showed me something else I liked and it was decided, first thing Wednesday we'd head up to Croydon- the closest Ikea to us.
Rafe had a 10:30 appt. for his shots so after that we were on our way. Or so I thought. Having never been to Croydon before I really didn't know what to expect. Had I known to expect to sit in a horrible traffic jam for a full hour, in the middle of a disgusting, dirty city- I never would have gone. The traffic was the worst part of the day and by the time we got to Ikea, both DH and I were in a foul mood. However, the store was air conditioned and they had a cheap restaurant. Before anyone even so much as said "Mommmmy, I'm huuungry" they were sitting at a table with a plate of swedish meatballs and chips in front of them. And for both kids, including drinks it only cost us £4. Bloody hell, that's cheaper than McDonalds! Unfortunatley adult meals are not so cheap and I elected to go without. DH, however could not resist the call of meatballs in gravy- so I left them to it while the baby and I browsed.
I didn't go anywhere really except the childrens area, and I was pleasantly surprised. The store was well laid out, and well lit. I found the dresser I wanted right away, and the storage options were all close by. The one I originally wanted looked cheap and flimsy so I chose to go with a smaller, more sturdy and nicer looking option. I wanted two, one for each kids rooms, but they only had one left. Plenty of the other one, though. So, I suppose I'm not the only one who liked the smaller one better.
I had found what I wanted and done a little browsing and was back out to meet the horde in about 10 minutes. Amazing. I had been prepared for 2 hours of trudging around a huge store trying to find what I wanted and shoving through crowds of people, while the kids whined and acted up. This was awesome. I was so happy that I practically dragged the horde out of the store before things could go horribly wrong. Poor DH didnt even get a chance to see the dresser and storage unit on display, so lets hope he likes them! The only bad thing about the store was that I didnt get the hot dog I wanted, as they seem to have 500 restaurants and cafes and bistros, and the ones I went to, were never the ones with the hot dog deal. Oh, well.
Leaving meant venturing back into the traffic and our moods soon turned black. As we inhaled the fumes from the guy in front and sweltered in the 39 degree c heat, DH and I soon descended into bickering about his driving and ended up not saying a word to each other the whole way back.
The kids were extremly well behaved, however. And on the way home, I saw a parrot in a tree. Apparently an escapee from Bird World. That was great. :)
So, overall Ikea seems to be a nice place and I would like to go back. They even have a childrens centre, which I love, but it was full when we arrived. But, we won't be going any time soon, as I'm just not willing to sit in that bloody traffic again, it was horrible. I'd love for Ikea to build a store in Portsmouth. Apparently they were planning to, but local residents campaigned against it. Knowing how long it takes to get to Portsmouth (25 minutes to drive down there and park) and how long it took to get to Croydon (2 hours to drive up there and park) I have decided that I really hate those people.
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