Chez IKEA

I was first introduced to the giant blue box at IKEA-Paris. I was a senior in high school, but I was in love with the giant blue box, the colorful fixtures, the good eats (a requisite in France) and the overall feel. Nearly 20 years later, I still have the same feel-good reaction to IKEA. As you know by now, I go fairly often with the kids, but these outings do not usually include the whole family. But today, I dragged The Dad with me to IKEA.

The purpose of our visit was to try out kitchen chairs. We only have 4 right now, which leaves an odd bum out. Plus, they are no longer made (they were a circa-1999 California Cost Plus purchase), and The Dad has been complaining about them since we moved to Chicago. So after The Boy and The Girl were happily ensconced by Smalland, we sat in kitchen chairs.

We were both quite fond of the padded IKEA Stockholm chair, but at $99/pop, it's a bit steep for our needs at the moment. Plus the oak finish doesn't go with our blonde wood and veneer Scandinavian kitchen table, and while it should be replaced, getting a new table isn't in the budget plans right now. I can't really see buying another table for small children to destroy. The Ingolf was another option on The Dad's list. Although my American Foursquare is not even remotely modern in design or function, I also quite liked the Tobias and Jakob chairs.

For the first time ever (probably because The Dad was with me), I walked out of the store buying only dinner (mac & cheese and mashed potatoes for The Girl, chicken tenders and fries for The Boy, meatballs and mashed potatoes for The Tot, meatball platter for me, and chicken Caesar salad for The Dad), ice cream for the kids at the end, and some fabric for my bags. It was quite crowded when we got there just before 5 p.m., but by the time we left around 7, the place was practically a ghost town. This confirms what I already knew: the best time to go to IKEA is on an early weekday afternoon or a Saturday night.

Spring!

I love spring in Chicago. It's fickle -- 72 degrees and sunny can turn into 45 and rainy in less than 12 hours and back on its head again soon after -- but after a long winter of snow, ice, salt spray and brown-yellow grass stubble, I'll take whatever I can get!

Today, The Boy went on a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, arriving back to school just before 4 p.m. We missed gymnastics, but ran around with the rest of our crew on the Disney II playground until we were all too thirsty and too tired to continue. At which point, we walked the 1/2 block up to Smoque BBQ for some pulled pork (me), fries (The Boy), brisket (The Tot) and mac & cheese (The Girl). Yum! What's better than a spring afternoon? A spring afternoon capped off with super yummy barbeque from the celebrated (it was featured in Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) local spot.

After dinner, we returned to the playground, where I ran into Beth T. and her young'uns, letting the kids run off whatever steam they'd just built up at dinner.

Six Corners

It seems odd that in this economy, customer service would continue to be on the wane. But this morning, I discovered that poor customer service is alive and kicking back at the Sears in Six Corners. I went in to purchase a vacuum, as The Boy ruined our first one in 2004 and The Dad's chosen replacement for it, a canister vac, is not such a great choice for our tiny 1400 sf Chicago house. I've purchased basically the same vacuum in different versions since our initial vacuum purchase back in 1999. Today, I went in to get the same one in an upright, bagless version, which happened to be on sale for just under $160. None in stock and they couldn't order it. When I asked if another store would have it, the gal simply said, "I doubt it." She didn't offer to check or look online. Um, thanks. I am sorry for wasting 10 minutes of your time, lady. Good grief.

And this is probably why I buy most of my appliances either directly through GE or at the expansive Abt Electronics in Glenview.

GIPNA Fine Craft Fair

Combining my nascent crafting and Chicago happenings, I'm participating in GIPNA's Fine Craft Fair (page 7). I'll be selling some handsewn items, primarily reusable shopping bags in funky patterns free from stores' own logos, as well as bean bags for babies and some initial shirt-and-skirt combos. My stuff is joining wares from some wonderful neighborhood artisans, whose works include stained glass, pottery, knitted hats, cocktail aprons, sketches, and block-printed baby tees. The Girl promises to help me make change. If you're free on May 3rd, I'd love to see you at the Independence Park fieldhouse.

From Chicago Mama

From Chicago Mama

From Chicago Mama

Saturday in Seattle

The real purpose of our visit to Seattle was Baby N.'s baptism, which took place on Saturday evening during St. Stephen's Easter Vigil. The service started at 8 p.m., so The Girl and The Tot were ready for bed even before it began, but The Girl and The Boy managed to get through it OK.