Why we still love IKEA

It seems we just can't get enough of assembling furniture ourselves and always having some small quirk in it (a drawer doesn't quite shut, the knob is a bit loose, the shelf is only slightly tilted) to give it a personal touch.

Only at IKEA can we get that and so much more.

However, since Peanut's arrival that 'so much more' has taken a new meaning. There simply is no escaping the fact that IKEA is knows children and parents, and is very child-friendly.

1. When you first walk into any IKEA store you see the Smålland (or such) mini-playcare center where shoppers can drop off their much smaller non-shoppers for a few hours of romping.

2. The bathrooms - oh, the special bathrooms just for babycare! When Peanut was just a few weeks old, we took her to the IKEA in Vantaa, Finland. Naturally she gets hungry & needs a diaper change. When i headed for the bathrooms, I found ones marked with a milk-bottle. 'This is for us!' Inside was a chair I figured, perfect for nursing. Also a small step-stool and little potty seat. Diaper changing table - naturally. AND, our Mutsy stroller fit in and we still had plenty of room to manuveur.

3. The restaurant - just recently we went to our TEXAS IKEA in Frisco, just outside of Dallas. Here too Peanut got hungry - as did mama & papa. So, all three head for the restaurant. Peanut's new to solids so mama didn't think to pack any along. No worries! The restaurant sold jars of organic baby bananas and applesauce. In the condiments area there were small plastic bowls, utensils, cups and disposable bibs. Peanut sat in an IKEA style high chair. Very Nice. I noticed for the slightly larger babies, you can order child meals and portions of the famous meatballs dish.

4. The children's section! I can hardly wait for Peanut to get older so she can enjoy all the fun stuff just for kids. In the meantime, there is plenty of baby-sized fun and practical things to be had from affordable cribs and changing tables to inflatable travel diapering pads and rattle toys.


We'd been looking at the Löva giant green leaf since even Peanut was born and finally decided to bring it home. It now hangs over Peanut's bed. When I go get her when she awakens its like finding your own little fairy under a lily-pad :-)