Where all my money goes…
Whatcha been up to SAJ, you ask? Well….I went to IKEA today and bought Baby Bug a little wooden table with two matching chairs. I’ve been hankering to buy her something like this since before she was born. I used to sit around with my pregnant belly and day dream about a little girl playing with her tea set or coloring on a little table with two chairs… Silly silly pregnant lady that I was. I had so much free time.
However, I thought tables and chairs (the wooden kind) would cost me an arm and a leg. At least over a hundred dollars. I thought I would have to save up or find an old broken down colored-on one at a garage sale and paint it. I had no idea that you can buy these things for $20 at IKEA! New and clean for $19.99! IKEA rocks my poor broke pocket book.
First it was the clean simple white high chair for under twenty bucks and now this nifty table! This is great since I’m in debt all the time these days. All my money goes on toys and clothes and silly stuff for my kid!! I never even buy myself clothes any more.
I remember thinking that when I became a mom I wouldn’t let myself turn into a frump but I was so wrong. I hate shopping for myself now. I want to. I’d love to have some nice new trendy things. But shopping with a kid for clothes is horrible! Have you ever tried on clothes with a very curious toddler in a changing room full of dust bunnies and walls that can be crawled under? It’s just way more headache than it’s worth. I think if I want to have new clothes and be stylish, I’m going to have to break out the sewing machine and invent my own creations out of old t-shirts and my box of vintage fabric. I just can’t shop any more. At least not right now. You can only let your kid eat cheerios off the floor so many times before you start to feel like you must be the most horrible mother in the world.
But I sure can shop for baby stuff. Toys! Clothes! I live to see Baby Bug get excited about new things. My money just flies right out of my wallet like bats out of a cave at twilight.
Baby Bug loves her new table. Unfortunately, she thinks it’s a jungle gym and not a table. She’s very excited about climbing up on the chairs right now. I know it’s going to be a problem. I’m probably going to have to hide the chairs somewhere (where, I do not know). We’ll see.
Thankfully, I also bought some new wooden blocks when I was at IKEA (See what I mean with the flying money?) and she seems to be temporarily distracted by them. She holds them up to us one by one and grunts out these really long sentences of very earnest sounds. She’s really really really trying to tell us something that is super important to her but I don’t have a clue what it is. I just smile and nod and soak up her happiness.
She makes being broke and frumpy not so bad.
27 Comments
Wendy
I can so relate…I wanted a nice wooden table and chairs for my kiddos, but couldn’t find anything for under $100. Then, we made a trip to IKEA (3 hours from our home) and I found one for $35. I painted it myself to give it some personality, but I just LOVE it and still rave about my bargain. And shopping for me….HA! I usually just buy stuff and wait to try it on when I get home. Then just return stuff the next time we’re out! I guess it’s a good excuse to get out of the house.
jo
maybe she’s trying to tell u she sees many similar shapes but they’re in diff colours, cos i see her picking up two sticks, then two rectangles, and then 2 circles. She’s a clever girl!! :)
I LOVE Ikea!! loads of lovely cheap stuff.
Abbey
She is a determined little thing, huh? She wants on that table so bad she can’t see straight (to quote my husband’s grandmother).
I cannot believe that the table set was only $20!! I thought for sure that it would be $20 and the chairs were sold separately…as things always seem to be. Good Shopping, SAJ!!
miss virginia
Well…here it is, my first response ever….on any blog. I adore reading your blog and totally live vicariously through you. although my kids aren’t THAT much older (7, 5 and 3) I get so much joy reading about all the trials and tribulations of being a first time mom…it brings me back to the happiest time in my life. Not to say, it’s still not fantastic every single day, because it is and I couldn’t love anyone more than I love my kids… But it’s certainly not the same. There is nothing like experiencing everything the FIRST time.
Seems so silly for me to “de-lurk” with such a goofy response but seeing this post brought back all the memories of getting my first baby her first table and chairs. I got it at IKEA, too. Put it all together and then painted it light pink and dark pink. In fact, it had finally seem the end of it’s days LAST WEEK…and would you believe it… I CRIED when we had to throw it out. The memories. Oh, the memories. Now I can start all over again with BB. Thank you so much for letting me “relive” all these wonderful times through you.
You are an amazing mom (and obviously such a creative and talented person,too) and I’m just so happy I stumbled across your blog. Thanks!
Kuky
Wow what a deal!! I HAVE to go to Ikea for sure now. This weekend we were at a friend’s and they had a kiddy table and chair. It was old and plastic and had stickers all over it. They said we could have it. But for $19.99 we can have a spiffy NEW table and chairs!!
Alissa
I love Ikea too! What model are the tables and chairs? I’ve looked at our local Ikea online but can only find small tables for about $60.00 and chairs for about $40.00 each!!!! Please let me know as that set is sooo cute.
OMSH
Okay, here’s the million dollar question – did they put your wood blocks in a plastic bag? Has your IKEA began “charging for plastic bags” yet. I just love that they are taking that environmental stance, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t start ’til March.
I LOVE little tables for kids. They need things at their level. I bet you’ll find you don’t have to hide the chairs, but my kids RARELY sat in chairs at her age. They may for a short while, but it seemed their feet were better suited for the seat.
I saw those wooden blocks when we were there last – right next to a train set. I love their kids’ section.
IKEA rocks the house – I wish it wasn’t 1 1/2 hours away. I truly despise shopping, but IKEA is different.
BeachMama
If you look closely around our house you will see tidbits of Ikea everywhere. I had wanted a table for J for three years and he finally got one this Christmas (Ikea of course). We have the old blocks from when A was a kid, a bed for J, lamps, shower curtains, drapes…. and the trains, oh the trains. Ikea rocks and it is so stylin’ for so littel money.
Heather
You’re not the only frump out there. The only newer clothes I have are my maternity clothes and I’m not ready to break those back out. I usually just live in my jeans and my husbands t shirts, which he hates for me to do by the way. I tell him if he doesn’t like it he can give me some money and do some babysitting. Oh and I love the little table.
Liane
Hurray for frumpy, broke AND Ikea! I must have that table now…if only I can find a place to put it! I love BB’s ‘talking’ too.
gorillabuns
nothing wrong with frumpy, broke and happy!
josephine
It’s the LATT model and it’s only $19.99 with chairs too. Where do you live Alissa? I thought we lived in the most expensive place on earth but maybe not…
OMSH: They didn’t charge for the bags but while we were there my friend told me about it and I checked my receipt twice because the guy gave me four bags and I only needed one. (You know how they give you bags and then you bag your own at the end of the register…) I guess it starts in March.
Jenifer
I’m in love with IKEA as well. Since I moved to Houston LAST MONTH, I’ve made four trips. This weekend we get bedding! I saw that table and chair set on display and told my boyfriend that it was the darlingest thing I’d seen in a while.
I love the video. I also don’t know how you don’t cave into the look on Baby Bug’s face when you told her no. I melted!
stavroula
wow… I REALLY miss IKEA (got so spoiled when I lived in California, but now I have to do without). what great finds!
I strongly identify with the frump-ization problem, since I am definitely a frumped out mom. (Although, I’ve got to say, I seem to recall some pictures in the last few months in which you look very nice (like the haircut one). So maybe you are not as frumpy as you think.)
DeeJay
You are a comfortably casual mom with a sense of style and taste. As long as you are having fun I say go for it….do what makes you feel good!
What was that Hang Ten saying? If it feels good…do it.
Sara
My daughter loves her tin tea set (she even feeds the tea to the cat!). This is the one we have: http://www.myfancyprincess.com/vichtintease.html
It’s not too expensive, won’t break and washes up well. Since you got such a good deal on the table…
Lin
SO CUTE! Baby Sophie’s rocking chair spends most days sitting in the middle of the dining room table since she’s more exciting by standing on it rather than sitting.
otter
Ok, here’s the plan. Mommies goes shopping together! One tries on while the other herds the Mexican jumping beans. Then switchy…voila! Now if I just didn’t live halfway across the country, we’d be set :~)
Gretchen
I love IKEA. Unfortunately, we have one 10 minutes from our house.
It did come in very helpful when I cleaned out my craft room (finally). My next project is to do the girls’ bedrooms. My seven year old is ‘begging’ for a bunkbed. I need to get my two year old out of the toddler bed – she’s getting too big.
For what it’s worth – I’m finally getting over a little of the frump. I’m still not very good at buying things for myself, but getting better.
Alissa
SAJ thank you so much for the model details. They do have that model in our local store (15 mins drive) according to the online information. The best part is that is £10.99 which very well may be less than $20.00 depending on the exchange rate :) !!
comfortablycrazy
did anyone else notice she went for the pairs? If so I apologize, I haven’t read the comments yet.
josephine
Yeah, someone else pointed that out too. I didn’t notice it but she does tend to like to have two like things in her hands at all times. In the bathtub she has to have two cups or two rubber ducks or two boats… it’s a funny thing about her.
Jennifer
She loves that table and blocks. Very cute. My oldest was a matcher of toys also. She was a little nutty about it though, haha. I think I would hide the chairs for a bit also. I get nervous when my youngest is climbing all over chairs and small plastic tubs.
nikki
i just got the cutest kids rug for my son’s room for $30! and it’s machine washable. i heart IKEA.
Amy
Quikie
teach her to push the chairs around then she wo’t clinb on them for awhile ;-)
Swistle
I. want. that. table and chair set. so. bad. But no IKEA close to me (or even far-but-reasonable), and the shipping is So High. Oh, the pain! the pain!
Marilyn
Just catching up on a bunch of your posts… She is SO darn cute! That video though? That’s how I feel some mornings after only a few hours of sleep….”Uhhh….uhhhh…where do I do again?!…” She’s adorable.