IKEA FAMILY is coming!!

IKEA FAMILY is a FREE customer loyalty program that will be coming to IKEA Twin Cities in late September.

What does IKEA FAMILY membership offer?

·         Discounts on select products in each department, in the IKEA Restaurant and the Swedish Food Market

·         Discount on all products in the IKEA FAMILY department

·         Free coffee and tea in the Restaurant – all day, every day!

·         Extra 30 minutes in Småland during non-peak periods

·         A chance to win a $100 IKEA gift card in a monthly sweepstakes  (one card per store!)

·         Access to a special IKEA FAMILY website where members can check out things like current offers, receive news about promotions and events, receive tailored savings offers based on their profiles, and view product recommendations based on their purchase history

Customers will be able to sign up in-store, as well as on-line.

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One of the most exciting parts of IKEA FAMILY will be the new IKEA FAMILY shop, located after Children’s IKEA.  The IKEA FAMILY product range offers items from safety products, to luggage, to books and bath robes!  Here are some preview photos of new products to get you excited!

See more IKEA FAMILY products here!

Playtime in the Work Shop

Small hands love to be busy hands.  Taking time with your child in a workshop atmosphere can teach them a world of skills:  tool safety (and respect for tools), eye-hand coordination, problem solving, measuring, and the value of completing a task with tangible results!



A toy work bench lets your child create on their own
time safely, without supervision.



Start small and slow:  a younger child’s contribution may be as simple as sorting hardware into sizes or types, or working with some sand paper.  Older children may be comfortable cutting on a scroll saw, or painting/staining finished projects.

Give them the right tool for their age:  If your child is 4 and up, there are “real” tool sets available, scaled to the size of their hands.  For the younger set, a plastic set of tools will allow them to safely “help” by banging away at most anything.

Ask and Answer Questions:  What type of wood is this? What kind of grain? What is its texture? What else in the house is made of wood? How is the lawnmower motor the same as the car motor?



A tool belt of their own gives them
a sense of excitement and ownership!



Research it:  Have magazines, photos, and books available for inspiration and inquisitive minds.  Have them write down their questions and take a trip to the library, or a local museum to find the answers.

Be open:  your child will decide how “hands on” they want to be in any project.  If they are content to sit and watch the magic happen, let them (as long as its a safe process.)  Their interest may grow the more they watch, and the more questions they ask.

Remember:  Safety First!!

Choosing an Extractor Hood

An extractor hood doesn’t just keep your kitchen cool, clean, and odor-free during cooking – it keeps your walls grease-free, helps your carpeting resist fading, and keeps moisture down to prevent peeling paint.  They can also add dramatically to the look and value of your kitchen. Extractor hoods come in a variety of styles: from wall-mounted to integrated to suspended.  Deciding which is best for you can be challenging, but here are some things to consider.

What am I venting?

Range hood power is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute.)  If you have a gas range or cooktop, you will want 100 CFM for every 10,000 BTU your stove generates.  (If you have a 50,000 BTU gas stovetop, you’ll want a fan with 500 CFM.)  If you’re working with an electric, the CFM needed is decided based on the size of the stovetop.  Shoot for 100 CFM for every 10” of stove width.  So, a 30” stove/cooktop would require at least 300 CFM.  Choosing one with an extraction rate higher than you need can result in a higher energy bill and excessive noise.

How much do I want to pay?

The most important consideration is the power you need, followed closely by your budget.  Once you know your power needs, it’s time to start shopping!  Many vendors offer a wide range of styles and prices.

What style am I looking for?

Are you looking to match/coordinate with your existing appliances?  Are you looking for a bold, “designed” look? Would you prefer that your cabinetry is the focus in the kitchen, not the appliances?  These are all important questions to consider.

Some other things to think about...

How long are you using the stove while cooking?  Are you canning or bottling?  Do you use stock pots in your meal preparation?

Do you have ductwork already in place, or will that limit your choices? (These hoods are often called “ductless” or “re-circulating.”)

How much space do you have?  This is especially important if you’re fitting a new hood into an existing kitchen layout or cabinet.

*Energy-saving tip!*

Clean the grease filter often. Many are dishwasher safe, so it's easy to do!  Keeping the filter clean helps it run more efficiently, saving you money.

Check out the full range of IKEA extractor hoods here.

The Never Ending List #13

A flat-packed sofa? All that comfort, now
in a smaller box!

Big Sofas that Travel Smaller

The EKTORP sofa is one of our most popular products. It’s also one of the bulkiest, making it hard to transport in an efficient and environmentally sound way. Recently we made EKTORP a customer assembly piece, or “Flat Pack.”

We don’t design flat packs to sell more but to save more. Flat packs mean optimized loads and fewer transports, which reduces emissions. Our use of recyclable packaging requiring minimal raw material helps, too. Brown cardboard is one of our best friends – it saves costs and the environment.

The number of shipments of the EKTORP sofa dropped, and transport costs and carbon dioxide emissions decreased...

But it’s still the same comfy, cozy EKTORP that’s been loved for years.

Read more about the Never Ending List from IKEA here.

Crayfish Traditions

Imagine a summer cottage near a small lake on a moon-lit night, somewhere in Sweden. Then imagine the back garden where a table is set with serving trays overflowing with bright red crayfish. Paper lanterns that look like smiling moons glow in the darkness. One can hear laughter, slurping, songs and an occasional “skål!” The guests are wearing paper hats and bibs with colourful crayfish motifs. Everyone is equipped with crayfish utensils, paper plates and a compilation of songs to accompany the ice-cold schnapps.

Who could have imagined that the once unlikely crayfish would become such an important celebration, marking the last days of summer? At one time, the lakes of central Sweden teemed with crayfish, which were exported to high-class restaurants in Paris, London and Berlin. Swedish aristocracy also relished on the delicacy, while most of the middle-class regarded crayfish as common feed.

In the end of the 1800s the large export made the crayfish population extremely scarce. The government imposed a law limiting fishing to only two months a year in the early autumn. Crayfish became a rarity and due to this, each crayfish season became marked by celebration. But in the 1960s, the crayfish enthusiasts were struck with a new disaster: “the crayfish plague” that eliminated most crayfish from Sweden’s waters. Sweden, once the world’s largest exporter of crayfish became the world’s largest importer. Today, crayfish are imported in huge amounts from Turkey, Spain and the United States. While the seasonal ban on fishing and eating crayfish was lifted years ago, crayfish feasts in August remain a tradition that is stronger than ever.

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As usual, both of our Crayfish Parties at IKEA Twin Cities have SOLD OUT!  Don't you worry -- we'll be having them again next year, so get your tickets early!  Follow us on Twitter to be the first to know, or check our website for more information next year!

One Bedroom, a Million Looks

Don't underestimate the power of some new bedding, textiles, and accessories. 

It can make your bedroom a whole new place, with not a lot of investment!

(See these pictures in action here.)

Dorm Room 101 - Art and Accessories

If there was ever a time in your life when you made decorating decisions for yourself:  This is it.  No parental involvement.  No spouses or significant others.  This is your space!  (Okay, you might want to get your roommate’s buy-in before you go crazy… but you’re still number one!)  You walk into your new home-away-from-home, and you’re faced with four blank walls.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re making the room yours:

Make it fun!  Give yourself a smile. 

Make it inspiring! A favorite quote, destination, or superstar that reminds you of your goals and aspirations.

Tie it together! Choose frames of a similar style, or color.

Go Bold, or Go Soft! Choose bright primary colors for a pop, or go natural or pastel for a more soothing space.

Remember:  It’s all temporary!  If you don’t love it after month, change it out.  Maybe a friend or classmate wants to do a décor switch! Donate to your local charity, and shop for a new solution.  The possibilities are endless, and so are the opportunities.

The most important thing is this: Make sure you love it! 

The Great (Writing) Escape



(I just really liked this picture!)
It looks like some really great writing has been done, here...
...and now the writer has fled the scene.



Working with the Work Triangle

Even the smallest kitchen can have smart solutions. A "landing pad"
made from a movable cart is there when you need it - tucked away when you don't.

There are three major areas in any kitchen:  the cleaning area (sink), the cooking area (range or cooktop) and the cold storage area (refrigerator.)  You spend more time walking between these three areas than anywhere else in your kitchen.  Because of this, you want to make sure that your layout is the most efficient it can be. Try to plan the placement of your appliances so that the distance between any two of them is no less than three feet, but no more than seven feet.  The total length of the triangle sides should not be more than twelve feet.  Too much space, and you’re taking extra steps.  Too few, and you might have too cramped of a work space.

Keep often-used items nearby and easy to reach in upper cabinets
and top drawers.  Place less-used tools and items in bottom drawers.

If you have a galley or corridor kitchen:  The ideal work triangle plan tries to keep outside traffic from crossing the triangle.  Obviously, in a galley kitchen this is not possible.  Most designers recommend that the sink and refrigerator be placed along one wall, with the range or cooktop placed on the opposite wall.  Make sure your aisle between cabinets is at least four feet.

If you have an L-shaped kitchen: The two joining walls form a natural triangle which is an ideal building block for your work triangle.  If activity can be kept as close to this area as possible, it frees up the remainder of the kitchen for natural household traffic.  This shape is also ideal for adding an island, and therefore an additional work space.

If you have a U-shaped kitchen:  You’re on the right track already.  The U-shape prevents the kitchen work area from being a main thoroughfare in the house, therefore allowing the most flexibility in placement of the three work areas.  Take care that your work triangle doesn’t get too stretched out – twenty two feet is the maximum recommended length of all three sides of the triangle.  More, and you’re wasting steps!

Plan in prep space next to your sink. 
You'll thank yourself every time you clean up!