. I usually hit Ikea just once or twice a year; it's about a 50-minute drive from my home, and although I like much about the store, I often forget about it when looking for certain basics.
I'm still transitioning from plastic food storage containers to glass. No excuse for not completing that changeover; while I have been using all glass food storage for handling leftovers or lunches, I was still using plastic for larger purposes, like storing flour, sugar and oatmeal.
So I decided to go there today and spent about $60 on 6 glass containers with lids as well as a very nice flatware set (4 five-piece place settings of stainless steel with wood handles for $30).
I've been using my grandmother's silver-plated flatware for years, but on a few pieces, it appears the silver plating is flaking off, and it would seem prudent to not use it if it means possibly ingesting any of that.
I took some photos of the flatware and have sent them off to a place online that will help you identify what pattern you have and possibly purchase your silver-plated or sterling silver pieces.
Though it seemed like a pretty good deal when, earlier this year, I purchased a nice glass pitcher with lid on amazon for $9, I found a comparable pitcher at Ikea for $5. Hmph.
I was also tickled to find small desk lamps ($20) that require no electricity, as they are solar-powered! Given my recent 6 days with no power after Storm Sandy, this seemed like a fantastic idea. Ultimately, I decided not to buy one as the description said it would only produce light, fully charged, for 3 hours. And then you'd have to remember to put it in a place where it received strong sunlight, if you wanted it to charge.
The other item I almost bought, but didn't, was a rustic looking large box covered in banana leaves. I admired its functionality, as it folded flat and was made very cleverly, I thought.
Did I mention I watched Forks Over Knives the other day (Netflix)? If there weren't a more compelling case made for not eating meat, I don't know of it. I decided to purchase a copy of the DVD for my friend with prostate cancer. I suspect, sadly, that he would rather prepare to die of prostate cancer than change his diet.
I do really like Ikea's kitchen and lighting sections, and their storage stuff, but am not so keen on their textiles; Scandanavian patterns on bedding or linens just don't resonate with me.
I had another $40 worth of Amazon gift cards, and i couldn't resist ordering 2 books and a DVD: Wheat Belly, a book on punctuation and the Forks Over Knives DVD, for my friend. Wheat Belly is that book written by a cardiologist about why eating wheat is making us fat. His claim is that the "whole wheat" we eat today is very different than the bread our grandparents ate, and it's really not a natural food. I'm always interested in anything diet/nutrition related, and I got interested in this particular book after the guy I've been driving to work read it and was talking about it. As for the punctuation, I am getting more interested in the nuances and subtleties of punctuation and grammar now that I'm editing my third manuscript/book for a client.
I also won a $25 BP gas card through my participation on a BP forum. Yeah!
Christmas shopping at Ikea
November 10th, 2012 at 09:58 pm
November 11th, 2012 at 06:22 am 1352614932
Congrats on winning the gift card !
November 11th, 2012 at 06:06 pm 1352657218
November 11th, 2012 at 07:16 pm 1352661403
I have heard some criticisms of Wheat belly, mainly that the author is a cardiologist, not a nutritionist, and that some of his reasoning is faulty. But I'm still curious enough to read it. Have you noticed any weight loss since going vegetarian, Dido?
I have seen many of those titles at Amazon and will likely explore them all eventually, one by one.
I want to steer clear of all the vegetarian processed meals out there, in favor of cooking my own, which i pretty much do now anyway.
November 11th, 2012 at 10:52 pm 1352674367
That's good to steer clear of the processed/pre-made vegetatrian dishes/foods and work on making your own creations. I really try to do that myself, but sometimes fall back on the pre-mades - especially ones I *REALLY* like (i.e. corn dogs, Wham, tofurky, etc.) But in reality, the pre-mades are probably just as bad for health as any meat product due to sodium content and other chemicals.
November 12th, 2012 at 12:37 am 1352680647
November 12th, 2012 at 02:10 am 1352686231
I've been doing the glass for plastic swap out over the past year, too.
Just got home from a local vegetarian potluck with a group that has been meeting monthly for the past 15 years. My town had "Veg-Fest" in September & that's how I found them.