The Ikea Syndrome

I just got back from my first trip to Ikea, and I've got to say, they have a very cool thing going there. They have pretty much ignored any of the standard practices for laying out a store that we are used to here in America. It was a bit overwhelming at first because I got the feeling like there was a 'right' way and a 'wrong' way to shop there and I didn't want to look like a tourist. After a few minutes though, I realized that whoever designed the shopping experience for this store had a wonderful sense of humor and really meant for this to be fun. I loved the little 'shortcuts' that would take you quickly through the store to other departments. I loved the 'play areas' for the kids and the way they arranged 'bedrooms' and 'bathrooms' so you could really get a feel for how it would look in your home. One problem was that it was very easy to get lost. The maps were helpful, but when looking at them you still needed to have a pretty firm grasp of where you were and which direction you were facing.
Once we had picked out everything we were planning to buy, but before heading to the warehouse, we dropped by the cafeteria for a bite to eat. I don't know how often they do this, but today they were running a special where you could order a pasta combo and get a second entrée free. That sounded pretty sweet to us, but it was only going to get better. I noticed to the right of the first deal, another post on the board that said 'kids eat free today'. I was really interested then! Bottom line is that we got two meals and two kids meals for less than $6! That's freaking cheap! The food was OK, nothing I will crave... well... ever, but it was fine. I imagine I probably would have enjoyed the $.50 hotdog I saw on the way out a little more.
After our meal, we picked up our purchases and were on our way. When I got home, I realized that one of the screws that came with my shelf was bent. I envisioned having to pack everything back up and haul it back to the store in the freezing rain we are getting today, but after a quick phone call, the screw is on it's way. Good thing is, it wasn't enough to keep me from putting the shelf together, so when it gets here I can screw it in and that will be that! Overall it was a fun and successful trip and I can definitely see us revisiting.