IKEA® is one of MDM ‘s favorite shopping destinations in the Twin Cities, but it can be very hectic to shop there on the weekends because of the crowds.Well, MDM found a great time to shop the IKEA store across from the Mall of America yesterday at 6:30 PM–or so she thought.  However, more than likely it was due to the Twin Cities being under a Tornado Warning that had something to do with limiting the number of customers since most had sought the shelter of their homes rather than a store.  But neither snow, nor sleet, nor dark of night can stop the intrepid bargain hunter! 

After parking the car in the ramp just as the sirens went off, we went up to the restaurant for some good old swedish meatballs with lingenberry sauce and small, red boiled potatoes.  No sooner had we got our food, then we were asked to exit the restaurant and follow the employees directions to the tornado shelter. Parting a Minnesota from a scandinavian dinner can get ugly and it was only with the utmost assurances by IKEA employees bordering on a sacred vow that our food would be there when we returned, that we reluctantly shoved ourselves from our tables.  However, the more skeptical and brazen among us brought their food with them anyway. 

Like troopers, and Garrison Keillor can probably affirm that Minnesotans at one time in their young lives were either girl scouts or boy scouts, we followed their  orders and were herded through a blocked out path created by the employees to the "shelter."   We soon found out  there were more of us than the shelter could hold and so it was children and pregnant women first.  By choice,  the rest of us stood outside the shelter area hoping that nothing would happen since we were standing next to the warehouse shelves with stacked inventory including boards, furniture, and anything that could become a projectile.  One customer asked if a couch fell on her, would they give it to her for free?   Now there’s the heart of a true bargain hunter!

The employees mentioned that this is about the third time that this situation had occurred since IKEA’s Minnesota store opening and the other times involved employees only.  They may have to revamp emergency preparations should  this happen when the store is filled with customers.  As mentioned before, the weather and time of day had kept the number of customers down, but still there were too many to provide adequate shelter for.  After the "all clear,"  we returned to our cooled dinners, but were treated to cookies and chocolate–see, IKEA knows sweets and chocolate cure everything –even eating a cold meal. 

Notwithstanding all the excitement, MDM recommenced her shopping, briefly interrupted,  and noticed that IKEA had just received a new shipment of bamboo plants from $1.99-$4.99/each.  Additionally there was a large selection of woven scatter rugs for $1.99 and the "As Is" section had a number of furniture pieces, lighting, rugs, drapes and slipcovers.  Also, for the DIYer many furniture parts were available anything from computer tops, glass cabinet doors, to shelving. 

Now is the time to pick-up the new free  IKEA  2008 catalog, or wish book as we call it .

It was an eventful day and all MDM can say about it is Uffda!