very cute book of home inspiration! $13.99 |
I thought I would start our shopping guides with a recent shopping trip I took with mom (mor mor) and the kids... over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend no less...
My mom came to visit from Minnesota, and although she went to Ikea before she left, I said maybe we should take the kids to Ikea on Saturday (after Thanksgiving)? YES! (how does she love this place so much...) - so there we were driving the one and half hours to Ikea on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (they call this blue and yellow day!). These days my mom is very upset with Ikea because they are making changes to their food section, getting rid of the Abba swedish caviar and sardines, they long ago stopped selling Felix Lingonberries, and now they have even replaced the Marabou chocolate with their own brand name... are they learning too much from the Americans!? Yes, maybe so... at any rate she is not going to take this lying down, she is going to complain like a true Swede...
She whispered to me at the checkout "they don't even have Bilar anymore..." it's all gone the way of their own brand. Since this may be hard for many of you, as it is for us, we decided to have a taste test and give you the heads up on what is still worth it and what you will just have to learn live without (unless the ladies of Minnesota all revolt against it, and make them go back to the loved and cherished brands of their home Sverige!). Don't even bother with the chocolate.. NOTHING comes near Marabou!
Last year at Christmas (at my sisters) my mom had the job of meatballs, she makes the best (or so I thought). My mom is a very gourmet type cook, she loves a good recipe, follows it to the T, when I was a kid and the neighbors would come over she would serve Stuffed Peppers! (what the heck!?) anyway... at Christmas, she whispered to me "I just heated up the Ikea meatballs, nobody will know the difference" I just about fell over! So this Christmas, follow our rule, Swedish meatballs, lingon sylt and mashed potatoes and you can get them ALL at Ikea... DONE!
And just a few of our favorite non-food items... CANDLES... the ikea candles are the best and they don't have the dirty lead wire inside (that's what makes all that SMOKE) - Swedes would never do that! The best cards and Christmas paraphernalia you can imagine!
So there you go... now run off to Ikea, and the best time is for HOLIDAYs!!