Ikea must haves

[monkeysmama]

I am going to Ikea on Saturday to stock up on crockery for my new kitchen .

Frequently I see things I like in other peoples' homes and they always say "it's from Ikea" but when I go I forget what to look at and get a bit lost. What Ikea must haves/pretty stuff/useful things do you have?

TIA.

Oh I forgot about the highchairs - loads of cafes near us have them, and my mum had one for ds (he's a bit big for it now though at 2yo).

Those little plastic boxes, with lids. these. Everyone should have at least 15. For crayons, beads, things with no home that you would hoover up, food, car storage.......

Hmmm hot dog and a coke. Oh I could eat that now. Yum. Our nearest is about 90 miles which is a bummer.

We always go for weekday breakfast before shopping - its so damn cheap...

Ooo yes I too love the highchair and the bag clips.

Fizzylemonade I can trump that - I have an Ikea a mile away from me! It's one of our toddler mornings out when it's raining.

Ninedragons - how come your toddler doesn't break the china plates and bowls? Are they really that tough? I'd love to get the kitchen and teaset but was put off by the fact it's porcelain.

2nd the 365 range of crockery, in white.

Have loads of the stuff, inc big dinner plates, side plates, serving plates etc etc...only ever use the cereal bowls, small rectangular side plates and pasta bowls!

quite tough, although a tiny chip in any of it warrants another trip to Ikea to buy a replacement!

oh I just love the cheese grater, the best thing I ever bought there [next to my sofabed of course]! I think my mb is thinking about a cheese grater, never has she had a nanny before, who seems to manage to put most of the grated cheese on the floor!

I'm thinking about their 365 crockery, it looks very tough and my mum is a bit careless with the washing up since her stroke, so we might need some more crockery.

I've got the beigey coloured wavy bathmat. It is sooo comfortable, has bits on the top as well as the bottom suckers, so I feel so safe when showering. Of course I've got loads of umbrellas too. Well what else am I to use my family card on? Who cares if they blow inside out and break, they're cheap enough to replace.

Ikea couldn't you just wander round there for hours and usually do!

antilop
trofast
kritter
expedit
malm

and the ikea kids kitchen. I am going to have to buy it for DS, it's just brilliant.

all of the kids art stuff. Hama beads/coloured paper/chalk/paint etc

Kids cutlery

Meatballs in chakalacka sauce (current menu)
Family card and get free cups of tea
Free fruit with a kids meal in the restaurant

Ice cream for 35p
bag of 10 amazing doughnuts for £3

DON'T buy pillows/cushions that are rolled up in small bags, they are useless. Ignore th tealights, nobody needs 100 tealights
(buy proper candles with holders instead)

Make sure you buy a random small plant on your way out, it's compulsory.

Definitely the kids kitchen. I bought it for the DCs and the bowls etc really do stand up to toddler terrors. My toddler throws them onto the wooden floor and we've only had one breakage so far, and that was due to adult error.

I always stock up on photo frames and food storage. Last time we bought one of those fabric shade things for the garden. No idea if it is any good as it has rained since.

Yes that plastic children's cutlery with bollocks on the end of the knives.

Storage jars.
Throws.
CD boxes.
Lamps. (DH starts walking fast at the lamp bit, trying to build momentum to push me to the check-out.)

Rosali bedlinen, it's by Cath Kidston and it's beautiful. Apparently, they ran this range in the late 80's when she was an unknown and there were arguments as to whether Ikea could sell it at their cheap prices. They can. Yayyyyyyyyy

Is it blue with spots on one side and flowers on top?

We have some from waaaaay back. Wish we could stll get it.

Ours is pinks/reds with a check back. We have 2 pairs of curtains. Could do with some fabric for cot bed duvet covers

Just be careful, some of the stuff looks good but is wildly impractical;

Their potty looks designy and cool but holds about a teaspoonful before threatening to overflow.

I bought dd a child's lamp which looks plastic and safe. When it fell onto her carpeted floor it shattered into a million tiny shards which I had to use a torch and tweezers to pick out of the carpet.

Her replacement lamp (the orange one with clouds on) only works if the wire on the plug is arranged just so.

The cover on the footstool is about 2 inches shy of the bottom, exposing a titillating glimpse of plywood at the bottom.

However it is amazing for fabric and bedding. And picture frames.

Don't get the prints, everyone has the same ones.

Thanks for all your posts. I'll report back tomorrow once I'm the proud owner of a cheese grater, child step, picture frames, meatballs and of course an orchid .

Queefer - pmsl at the bollock cutlery...

their 365+ range knife for £8.99 got a rave review in Good Housekeeping mag this month

We have carpeted floors, and she is not generally a typhoon of destruction, but the china bowls etc just seem to be unusually tough. Not one broken in about a year of daily play - I'm very impressed.

Their glasses are good value.

Have also had some nice and very cheap rugs for kids' bedrooms.