On Saturday we drove the 45 minutes to Ybor City to visit the brand new and much touted Ikea store that opened the first week of May. I read a few online reviews of the new store that described the parking situation, or lack there of. I was scared. We arrived at the store only to be greeted at every entrance by police cars and workers directing us away from the parking lots and around the Ikea building. We traveled completely around the building where they had one entrance open. The parking lot resembled Raymond James Stadium on Superbowl Sunday, it was packed. Disney's parking lots are less packed. Wal-Mart on Black Friday: less packed.

We get inside the store and it really is marketing genuis. The store has two floors and since we were hungry we stopped at their 'restaurant' first. It too was packed. Since I had heard so much about their meatballs, both Tobey and I ordered them and Simba had the chicken fingers. We all ordered their apple pie with vanilla sauce, which was devine. The meatballs, not so much. I expected so much more, but they were very bland. For the money, if you are going to buy frozen meatballs, stick with Armour.

We looked around the store with 3,000 of our closest friends complete with shopping carts and strollers galore. One lady cut in front of me and then proceeded to talk trash about me not being used to crowds. I didn't think she was talking about me or you know me, I would have said something back to her. For the record, there are currently 8 humans, 1 cat and 3 dogs stuffed living in our spacious 1,400 square foot house. I know crowded Lady!

The prices at Ikea were incredibly low. I purchased 3 new cutting boards for less than $10. I also picked up a nice wooden lazy susan for $8 and 10 glass ice cream bowls for a dollar each. They have sample rooms set up and a price tag at the door stating how much you can buy the entire room for, furniture and accessories included. For the design challenged it is a great concept. Personally, I found the majority of the furniture to modern for my tastes.

When we checked out we picked up a couple of packages of their cinnamon rolls. Again, I had heard and read good things about their rolls. Tobey and the boys said my rolls were much better. I thought Tobey was just being kind but when the boys agreed I felt wonderful. Even if my cinnamon rolls aren't really mine, they belong to Ree over at The Pioneer Woman. If you want my, er her, recipe for Just To Die For Cinnamon Rolls, click here. I have made her, er my, rolls with the maple frosting and plain frosting and either way, you can't go wrong.

Opps, I got distracted by the rolls, anywho. The store is designed like a maze. There are a few, what they call 'shortcuts' but in essence you have to walk the entire store to get from the beginning to the end. Think Chutes and Ladders and you get the idea. Again, couple that with 12,000 of your closest friends. What I did find interesting were their shopping carts. The wheels on their carts must also have the Swedish design flair as all of the wheels turned 360 degrees. Add that to their slick polished concrete floors and it was like ice skating with a shopping cart and 18,000 of your closest friends, kinda like Bambi on Ice, but much less graceful.

Despite all of the pitfalls of the new Ikea I would go back. Without Tobey and 12 million of our closest friends. When I could spend an entire day just leisurely looking around. If you go be sure to bring your own shopping bags as Ikea doesn't supply bags for checking out, kinda like Sam's Club. They do sell a .59 cent shopping bag that I thought was a good price point and I am sure I will use it over and over. I actually have it in the back of the Shrekmobile now to tote groceries into the house. For the environmently conscience, Ikea is donating proceeds from the Blue Bag sales to American Forests, which is always a nice thing.