Stuff Cobbs Like #13: IKEA

Cobbs like IKEA (aka "Stuff Mart").  The Cobbs also love shopping (yes even Erick), but that might be another future post.  Today we had the joy of visiting this consumer mecca.  It is such a cross cultural experience at IKEA.  We enjoy learning new languages as we read the labels on all the merchandise.  Did you know that SYNTES KONST is Swedish for paper napkins?  They have the strangest names for their products.  My parents love ethnic food, so for my dad's birthday I got him a basket of very unusual food (horse shaped chocolates, jams made out of fruit I didn't know existed, we skipped the Swedish meatballs but he probably would have liked them too...).  We love IKEA's cheap furniture too.  Erick thinks that it is cheap because they are making the kids in the play room make IKEA's furniture.  We have never left our kids in their childcare area (our kids like to shop too) so we don't know if they really are using child labor.  Their stuff is not only cheap but often very unusual.  At Christmas time, their wrapping paper and decorations are very different, in fact it is hard to even recognize they are actually for Christmas.   We find the place very interesting and we always end up leaving with something.  Aside from the goodies for my dad, we bought a cheap ($79) mattress for the top of Miles' bunk bed.  I find the whole place just very unusual, even how you walk through the store.  It is like a maze and you have to go with the flow of the people in the right direction or you make everyone irritated or you get run over.  When you are on the top floor and you just stand still for a minute, you can feel the floor moving (I find it kind of freaky).  This place is gigantic.  They have everything you need for your house, well actually it is mostly stuff you don't need but it is sure a fun place.