Lifestyle

Making Time for Living

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In the fast pace lives of everyday living in 2013, we seem even more stressed and over committed than ever before.

Even though we have useful gadgets in the modern age to make our lives simpler, our lives seem to have become more and more complicated, over scheduled and over worked.

This isn’t just adults either! Kids go to school, then they may have one (and I know some who have 3-4) after school activities a week, homework, sport on weekends…. It’s nearly a full time job running them here and there and everywhere.

Families are becoming stressed out and life isn’t fun anymore, so IKEA are aiming to change that.

IKEA have a fun new campaign reminding families that time together is more important than being stressed out and overscheduled.

Every minute of our shrinking spare time is spent doing something that needs to be, or should be done. It’s all part of the intricate mission that is modern life. And it’s bonkers when you think about it.

IKEA believes it’s time to shake things up a bit: to make room for what really matters and take some time to enjoy what’s so great about living.  In fact, it’s time we put living right at the top of our lists.

The campaign encourages families to do just that, by being playful and creative.

By making better use of liveable spaces, we can bring families closer together.

And only when they’re together can something spontaneous occur. Family happens.

Diaries, emails and plans be damned. It’s time to make time for living.

Of course, I don’t want my boys missing out on time with me, so I schedule in time to do fun things with them and really it isn’t hard.

Make chores fun and do them together, even menial things like folding clothes can be fun if done together.

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Have meals together. Preparing meals together is also a fun way to get the family to spend time together.

Positive family preparing lunch together

Maybe a bbq or picnic in the backyard, during the upcoming warmer months for dinner?

alfresco dining

Gardening! Kids love to dig and plant things, get the kids out into the garden with you.

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Make exercise fun as a family and go to the park or the beach and run around with the kids.

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What do you think? Do YOU need to spend more time as a family?

So you can spend more time with your family, Mummy of Style and Substance and IKEA are giving away a $50 IKEA voucher to two lucky readers.

In the comment section below: Tell us what you would buy from IKEA to make family time more fun for your family. Competition closes Sunday 22nd September at 5pm.

*This was a sponsored post for IKEA. All opinions are my own as per our Disclosure Policy.

86 thoughts on “Making Time for Living

  1. A Mala Drawing Paper roll, some Mala paints, brushes and Felt tip markers. Plus a big fluffy rug like the Gaser so i could lay down on the floor with the kids and roll out the paper and things to draw and colour with them. 🙂

    1. I would love a garden set watering can etc. for a 5 year old she loves being outside with me, and this would encourage her.

  2. Duktig Mini Kitchen so our Children can join in with Cooking along with Mum and Dad. We can all Learn and Have Fun Together.

  3. The Cirkustalt tent would be fantastic, with some bright Skarblad cushions to sit on while we have tea parties, and read books in the garden.

  4. We have wanted to plant a vegie garden,
    and a ikea voucher would do the trick,
    buy a garden set, watering can, it would be bliss.
    We could dig, plant, learn, water, have family fun, while watching the produce grow,
    then at the end of the day pick, then cook and eat our vegies while sitting on a new soft rug,
    we would create special family memories, have a laugh, and it would be so much fun.

  5. Of course I’d buy an Ordning Timer from Ikea. I could keep track of how long things take so I don’t overcommit myself, therefore being able to spend more time with my family.

  6. I would get the Skylta Market Stand as playing ‘shop’ is a favourite game at the moment. He just loves selling us things but fortunately hasn’t got as far as demanding money in return yet. Throw in the Duktig fruit and vegetables basket sets and finally we may get to eat real fruit and vegetables that haven’t been battered and bruised through play first.

  7. We love to eat out in the garden in Summer, and the SOLVINDEN Solar-powered bird shaped lights would be lovely to look at and make the space chirpy, cheery and colourfu…..

  8. I’d buy matching and colourful plates and cutlery and make meal time fun because a happy family is a well-fed family.

  9. I would buy a dining room table for my sons so that when I go to see them we can sit around the table and catch up while we are eating instead of balancing plates on our knees

  10. I would buy some cushions, and a print to brighten up our lounge room.

  11. My young ones are budding gardeners and love gardening with us, brings us all together in nature with plenty of fun and laughter, we would buy a variety of your gorgeous Ikea gardening plant pots and plants to make our garden even more Ikea beautiful. Thank you x

  12. I saw some cute pretend play items last time I was there that I’d love to get for my daughter. She loves playing ‘shops’ together.

  13. I just love candles. I would make my home fun with candles. We also love as a family to cook together. Love kitchen ware.

  14. MARKET STAND & the FRUIT & VEGI KIT so we could pretend to go shopping before heading outside for a picnic in the CIRCUS !

  15. What a great campaign! Love, love, love it! My boys and I love getting messy in the kitchen so I’d buy some new mixing bowls and utensils. Mine are looking a little worse for wear since my youngest decided they would be good for mudcakes!

  16. Definitely a huge chest of drawers & 2 bedside tables to replace the broken ones for when all the little ones come & sleep over

  17. I’d buy the DUKTIG 7 piece baking set, so my budding Masterchef could create beside me in the kitchen

  18. Oh I love shopping at Ikea.. It is difficult to choose just one thing. we have a huge extended family and we love getting together often. I want to buy some new glassware to serve juices and mock tails in the the summers. Also I liked the laundry basket in the pics above.. My little girl would love it. She helps me folding the clothes.

  19. I’m a full-time mummy that is extremely price wise,
    Having the opportunity to spend a “WHOLE” $50 without worry would be a wondrous surprise!
    I spend hours surfing the Ikea site,
    Many ideas that epitomised fun family delight!
    “The Great Australian Bake off” the whole family watched in admiration,
    To compete with one another would be a sensation!
    May the best family member win!
    Oh….this game would create sweet sin!
    Pastry Cutters! Muffin Tray! Measuring Spoons! Heart Baking Mould!
    For a total of $22.99 these items are “already” instantly sold!
    Summer is near,
    Outdoor fun, is guaranteed cheer!
    The “Multi-Use-Hanger” is ideal for my BIG plan!
    But it “MUST” include the practical watering can!
    A season for sweet strawberries to grow!
    AND an opportunity for our “fruit” to creatively show!
    The 3-piece-garden set to maintain,
    An abundance of fruit we can genuinely gain!
    Whilst the family are busy gardening, bubs can play with water,
    The kitchen colander complimented with bath toys is idyllic for my 10 month old daughter.
    She can happily splash and play!
    Feeling excited about all these wonderful family-time ideas; making our year not just our DAY!
    Did I mention that after purchasing ALL these items I still came under???
    Ikea! You truly deserve the THUNDER!

  20. The new SKYLTA children’s market stand with the DUKTIG 14 piece vegetable set looks just perfect for my little girl who is into role playing and very much enjoy her grocery shopping trips with us! It will be so much fun introducing and teaching her about money, numbers, shopping as well as introducing her to a range of different vegetable plus other food products that we commonly encounter during trips to Woolworths or Coles. Also the TROFAST storage combination is just fantastic for her to keep her play area clean and teach her about putting things away after play time!

  21. Family time becomes more fun with outdoor lights,
    As we sit outside on some hot Summer nights,
    To enjoy The SOLVINDEN Solar Powered Birds shine bright,
    Making more time for living with my family would delight

  22. UPPTÄCKA, Suitcase on wheels – it can only mean one thing – TRAVEL!

  23. I would buy a cheap table and accessories to convert my spare room into a craft room that we could spend lots of time in!

  24. Everything which is on special but we need rightly

  25. I would buy the Ikea Junior Chair. Our kitchen bench is quite high. My toddler usually sits up there with me and ‘helps’ me prep dinner. However with my other bubba growing bigger there isn’t room for the both of them. However problem could be solved with an Ikea Junior Chair. In funky green of course.
    🙂

  26. I’d buy a TV stand from IKEA, because in my household, Friday night movie night is a family tradition. No matter how busy our schedules are, we always make time to watch a movie together with the children and play a board-game every Friday night.

  27. Since it’s spring, love to buy colourful plant pots plus array of plants for the kids to spend outdoors.

  28. A picnic set would be ideal for summer outings to our local park – a great family way to enjoy our time together!

  29. IKEA range of paints, paintbrushes, paper rolls, coloured paper, sissors and pens would be awesome for my three busy bees! Time to don the smocks and go crazy creative with mum!

  30. I would buy some cooking utensils to teach the little ones how to cook

  31. I would love to buy the kids some of their very own baking equipment from the Ikea range! I would love to see them mixing and baking up a storm and having their very own set of baking gear!

  32. I basically love everything about IKEA. But if i have to choose only one, i would choose BJURSTA/ INGOLF dining set to make dining room a cozy place.

  33. They have awesome arts & craft supplies that would make for hours of fun

  34. The children’s tent and some fun cushions. Reading to our kids is important and enjoyable! We could make it even more fun by climbing into the tent at reading time with a couple of torches and snacks and having a ‘reading campout’.

  35. I’m choosing a LILLABO trainset, extra tracks and a PYSSLINGAR storage box for it all.
    Nothing beats imaginative play, tough toys and something children AND parents can construct together!

  36. Mini buckets / pots so that each type of pencil / texta / crayon has it’s own home…..

  37. Storage containers for the kids playroom. Get their room sorted, organised and labelled so that they send less time finding ‘lost’ toys and packing up and more time playing!

  38. I will buy a comfy sofa because every Friday and Saturday is family movie night. It will be great to have a comfy sofa so my family can sit comfortably and have popcorn while enjoying the movie.

  39. A bookcase so that everyone can sit around and read, It’s the perfect family bonding time with books and knowledgeable for everyone! 😀

  40. I’d put the voucher towards more BILLY. You can never have enough bookshelves! I love getting the clear glass doors for them!

  41. i would love more outdoor seating as when we get together there is 11 of us and never have enough so outdoor eating with family is soo hard

  42. I would buy some colorful storage boxes! and some bright pillows 🙂

  43. NORDDAL Bunk bed, they’re so much fun! And it would make getting the kids into bed, a lot more fun for us grown ups!

  44. Definitely a ÄDELSTEN Lazy Susan. So now when we play games, we can spin them around making it fair for everyone.

  45. Hi Kellie, thanks for leaving a link to your blog today. Some great content you have here and i love this post. I have been thinking about this a lot lately actually. My kids are so full on being 1 and 2 but i have come to not worry about many things anymore and have stopped trying to have everything clean and organised. It’s much more enjoyable relaxing a little and having fun days out as a family so we have opted to do that much more lately.
    I love Ikea and have my eye on a few things. Would love to get some outdoor chairs or some kids activity things so we can draw and paint together some more.
    Thanks, Bec

  46. A mydal bunk bed for my son, we plan to paint it blue!

  47. Lots of little nick nacky items like vases or pic frames to make fun craft items

  48. Cirkustalt tent – I’d ‘Canvas’ opinion that we’d be in’Tent’ on having fun as a family!

  49. A bookcase – to show the kids the beauty of reading, and hopefully they’ll turn over a new page when it comes to entertaining themselves!

  50. I would have to say some bright colourful pillows and colour cubes to bright ing up the room

  51. The amazing Skylta Children’s Market Stand, plenty of fun for everyone, including great grandma and then the Drommar cutter set and baking items (ie the family that cooks and eats together, stays together!)

  52. Hide and seek and kings of the castle and much more with the Cirkustalt tent will bring heaps of great family time instead of the dreaded chores

  53. Some new comfy couch cushions with cute covers like the Lapplung Fagel or the Gulort, or (dream time!) an Expedit desk for computer gaming, board gaming, studying, and to put lovely decorations on the shelf! Perfect place for a pot plant, definitely.

  54. One of the gorgeous SKYLTA Children’s market stands because we just love imaginative play! Not only would it be super fun to set up our very own shop, but it would perfect for using with the gorgeous finger puppets from Ikea as an impromptu theatre. Shows are fun for the whole family!

    Thanks for the chance 🙂

  55. It would be lovely to purchase festive activity products to bring the Spirit of Christmas into the home.
    Crafty items such as sketch books and coloured pens, not forgetting the glitter.
    Many thanks for this opportunity.

  56. Hi I donno where to apply for the $50 voucher

  57. I would buy the storage containers. I can prepare all the food with my kids and go for a spring picnic

  58. I would buy a shoe rack so we can stop tripping over our the shoes lying in the hallway!

  59. We’ve recently moved and HOORAY finally have a backyard. A BUSA Pop up play tunnel would be the perfect item for hours of rough and tumble family play on the lawn.

  60. I will buy a Knapper Standing Mirror so that my girl can be
    M=erry in her
    U=ltimate role play of
    M=imicking
    M=ummy
    Y=es…especially of STYLE AND SUBSTANCE!

  61. I need a little table which can put on my bed and i can put my computer on it.

  62. Jansjo LED clamp spotlight in White! I have a big age difference between my kids, so it’s hard to find something to do as a family that we all enjoy. One of the things we like to do is snuggle up together, on the bottom bunk of my girls bed and read stories together. It’s a tight squeeze, with my husband, me and our 3 kids, but we’ve managed to find the perfect position to fit us all comfortably. We read young books like “Hairy Mclary” and older books like “The wishing chair” to keep everyone happy. One thing I have noticed is it gets kind of dark on the bottom bunk as the light is hidden by the top bunk, so this Jansji Clamp spotlight would be a very welcome addition to our much loved tradition as it would clamp on the heard board of the bottom bunk.

  63. 24 building blocks with wagon ~ My kids love to do puzzles and this would be great fun for them to do and help them learn at the same time <3 Learning children = Happy mummy

  64. My kids love to help me cook (especially mixing and licking of spoons and beaters) so I’d definitely visit Ikea’s kitchen section for some mixing bowls for them if I won!

  65. If I won the $50 Ikea voucher I would buy a dinner set so we could have friends over. At the moment I only have a 4 place setting and can’t afford to buy another set at the moment.

  66. With my first baby on the way I will need all things baby and nursery from
    IKEA 😉

  67. I would buy some plants and teach my kids about gardening. It would be a great family time.

  68. I would love to have the Cirkustalt tent for the kids. Now that summer is coming they would have so much fun to put it in the back garden! thank you IKEA.

  69. I would buy a nice big rug for them to spead their toys out on.

  70. A cute lil bunkbed for the kids room =)

  71. Some plant pots – we could plant some flowers & herbs, water, maintain and watch them grow!

  72. I would buy a
    K ura bed tent
    E lsabo decoration stickers to decorate the inside and then
    A dventures we would have imagining ourselves in far away places.

  73. I would shout us all a family night out at the Ikea restaurant, we all love eating there (the kids love the jelly the mist!), and then I would buy some of the meltly beads thingys so that we could spend lots of time doing craft together!

  74. Ikea’s Blackboard with huge paper roll to draw/paint on…Yes, that would definitely end the school holiday boredom!

  75. Bookcase: so as a family can go through the “fun” of assembling the famous flat pack –rewarded with a place to display our books.

  76. We’ve just walked in the door from Ikea Springwood. We bought 10 x shelves to display our son’s Lego creations (and get them off the floor!)
    We saw this slide and were so tempted – it would be in the “play room” so it would always stay clean and even on rainy days we could have some climbing and sliding fun.
    http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/20167800/

  77. I’d buy a TV cabinet so we can finally watch some telly since we don’t have a stand to support it. Family movie nights here we come! 😀

    Also sorry this is late, I posted my entry earlier but for some reason I don’t think it went through. I hope I’m still eligible! Thanks very much for the chance!

  78. One of their swivel egg chairs for kids. I’m pretty sure I could squeeze in there too for a few spins.

  79. One of their gorgeous wooden highchairs so Jonty could sit up at the table with us. It would also make my life easier to clean it too.

  80. I’d buy $50 worth of their crazy Swedish meatballs and we’d all dress up and have a big Swedish themed dinner!

  81. A bag of IKEA famous meatball would be perfect for the family from little to older for enjoyment.

  82. I’d buy cushions as they would serve a number of different purposes – firstly my two year old likes to use them in her lounge room cubby house – they would be perfect for us to rest our heads on during our family movie nights plus fun cushion fights are always an option too!

  83. I would treat the kids to a mini shopping spree. They love to shop with Mummy, and this way they can pick what they want.

  84. I’d invest in an outdoor dinning set and maybe some outdoor lights so we could enjoy good weather in our backyard more.

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