Ikea Ikea Ikea Ikea

Oh my... the new Ikea opened up today, not 2 miles from my house. First, let me say that I am proud of myself - I am NOT there on opening day fighting crowds and television cameras. This is a HUGE event here. People have been camping out in the parking lot for two days in very cold weather. Of course, here I am in the middle of my quilt room reoganization, and IKEA products would come in mighty hand right now -- storage boxes, possibly a new work table... I'd like to look at living room sets as well.. furniture and fun things for Brayden... ways to organize my kitchen better... I could go on and on and on... But I'm here, I'm not there. I haven't applied for an IKEA credit card either. Close eyes... breathe deeply... I love Pier 1 Imports. There's two stores within just a few miles of my house. I haven't set foot in the store for 15 years. There's a wonderful World Imports store about 5 miles from me. I stopped going about 5 years ago. We have an ice cream shop with a drive-thru less than 1/4 mile from me. I've been once in the 20 years it's been opened. A Dunkin' Donuts shop opened right next door to the ice cream place -- again, with a drive-thru. It's been open about six months and I *love* Dunkin' Donuts. I've not been to it yet. Seems weird, right? Well, it's because I know my weak spots. I'm an impulse buyer through and through. Peir 1 and World Imports are just too easy to spend way too much money on items I don't need. It's better not to go. The ice cream and donuts -- well, if I ever let myself go through those drive-thru's ONCE, there'd be no stopping me. Every time I so much as went to the post office, I'd be shoveling a donut or an ice cream cone into my mouth on the way home. But if I don't go that first time? I'm fine just driving by! So strange! But IKEA.... ahhhh, IKEA.... IKEA has USEFUL things at LOW prices. That's my kind of thing! Things to get me organized, which I love. Things to make my house look pretty, which I also love... I think there will be enough items that I do need or can use to counter the buying of things I don't need... Yeah... that's it... I can do this... My list for today. 10 Good Reasons not to go to IKEA:

1. Money
2. Money
3. Money
4. Money
5. Money
6. Money
7. Money
8. Money
9. Money
10. Money

But ONE better reason why I'm planning on going next week:

1. Because I really really WANT to!