the FIRST IKEA Sydney sleepover

Greetings all,
Well what can i say, this was SO MUCH FUN!!  Thank you One Green Bean for inviting me & IKEA for the awesome hospitality at the sleepover last night in Sydney.  10000 ladies across Australia entered & 25 lucky girls were chosen to attend the party with their best friend, for the ultimate sleepover party in everybody's favourite furniture department store. 

 After changing into pyjamas & gowns, we were invited into Smalland where we got to play up like our children in the ball pit, see saws & just go nuts, it was a blast.

 I might mention now we had male models to wait on us all night & play with us too!!

 The night was filled with television cameras & interviews, IKEA will be making a movie & the Today Show will televise it on Sunday morning (channel 9) - their sweet reporter was very brave in the ball pit in that dress!! 

 Then we went on a treasure hunt to find the bedding we'd be sleeping in (& get to keep in an Oprah style "you get a doona" kind of fashion) so a haul of sheets, quilt cover set + doona of our choice (warm for Canberra) & pillow to suit how you sleep (i'm a side/ belly sleeper - i slept like a baby with my new pillow).

 While my bedding was being delivered to bed number 11 . . . we dined at pretty tables with flowers & heard from the volunteer manager of Bear Cottage (the hospice for terminally ill children which IKEA Family supports - they donated $5000 to them on the night, $100 for every lady at the sleepover).

 I was behind a queue of hungry meat ball lovers, but i went for salmon & vegetables, oh & a muffin & a chocolate mousse & a bread roll & a slice of cake & an organic juice - no, i didn't eat it all at once!!

 After dinner we were escourted to the bedding department which was about to be transformed into a massive sleepover party by making up all the beds!!

 Check it out, Johnsons&Johnsons bags filled with incredible products . . . i'm sharing my bounty with my daughters (my son has already taken the toothbrush) & my darling Shop Handmade girls!!  Thank you J&J - loving it all.

 Now where are these guys when i'm making up all the beds at my home??  They seriously took love & care with my hospital corners (they found out my husband was military & knew i'd have standards) & even turned down my bed like seasoned housekeepers at the Intercontinental.

 Oh yes, really, sleeping in the bedding department!!

 It was very well organised, we felt very welcome, thanks ladies!!

 I was bam smack in the middle of all the beds, so guess where the cameraman on the ladder was . . . RIGHT above me, taking all the shots of us ALL in bed at the same time.  I was thinking about the most flattering chin angle i could pose while fake sleeping!!

 Complimentary slippers, check.

 There were activities all night . . . this fortune teller was hilarious.

 Oh heavenly, massages for everyone.

 Manicures were very popular late into the night.

 There were best friends having a great girlie catch up.  Lots of pyjama chat too - i went into Peter Alexander in Chatswood at lunchtime to pick out a new set of jammies & a robe, only to find another lucky IKEA sleepover lady doing the same thing - what are the chances??  So we made sure we chose different sets & caught up at the event - turns out, she teaches as my old school!!

  Girls giving midnight DIY a go, as you do!!

 These lucky ladies had a full room set up as their bedroom for the night, ah serenity (these mummies have 9 children between, a tranquil night off indeed).

 We were all settling in & making new friends, talking late into the night.

 The male models brought around chilled bottles of water & sparkling apple cidar. 

 Mmmm midnight snacks.

 It's not a girlie sleepover without chick flicks - first up "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" & "Valentine's Day" which amazingly are girlie movies i was happy to watch.

 This chill out zone was popular, what better way to spend a Friday night, flopped out with girlfriends in front of big screens - i had a neat view of both from my bed!!  Look at this lovely lady in her pretty night gown, she was gorgeous, truly a night for girls of all ages.

 Oh, more food . . . a full breakfast & no, couldn't finish all this either!!

 Oh yes, we all ROLLED out of IKEA in the morning, so well looked after, filled bellies, whole new range of bedlinen & every possible toiletry a girl could ever want for + new friends. 

 This was how i left my hire car at sunset on Friday night, told you i hired the smallest car possible!!

So there you have it, the first ever sleepover at IKEA in Australia, a huge night of fun & freebies . . . rumour has it Melbourne is next??!!  Stay tuned, love Posie
EDIT: yes, i did get some sleep, about 2-6a.m. - i can't watch Valentine's Day with the soldier reunion part without crying my eyes out so i went to sleep early & . . . yes, i was on my own, i was the only solo girl there, my gal pal Abi couldn't come at the last minute (some excuse about not leaving an 8y.o. home alone, her husband was working, & responsible parenting, whatever) but there will be a GIVEAWAY of lots of IKEA goodies!!