Tuesday, January 23, 2018

When Grandma Assembles a Vintage Kitchen Set

I heard when Bug and her parents visited NashvilleDaughter and DrummerBoy (auntie and uncle) Bug had a blast playing with a friend's kid's kitchen set. That's all I needed to hear to make me decide we needed one here so Nashville Daughter and I looked for the one Bug enjoyed in Nashville and when it showed up on Zulily it went straight into my cart and BAM! sold! We were so excited and couldn't wait for it to arrive which took a super short time (totes unusual for Zulily purchases.) And then, it happened.

When you open the box containing the kitchen set you purchased for your grandkiddos and see this:


That's the hardware. So many screws. And hinges.
the aforementioned excitement quite quickly turns to dread and you might even utter something akin to, "O, HELL NO!" Or maybe not but still, the feeling of dauntiness (is that even a word?) will bring about thoughts of WTH?! or why me? or SERIOUSLY?

Saturday came and went without the thing so much as coming out of the box. TeacherDaughter was coming to help but ended up dealing with a car issue which is about as much fun as the assembly of the kitchen set appeared to be. Anyway, Sunday was the day.

The box inside the box. Sheesh. 
I hauled all the pieces into the living room and sat in the middle just staring at them and then thought the best place to start would be sorting out the pieces when help arrived. These two came to assist with the assembly. Can Y'all guess how much we accomplished in the hour they were here? Ha!





Afterwards, it took me another 2 hours and 40 minutes but I did it. Of course, the journey was interesting.

The closer I got to completion, the happier I got but I'm not sure if it was because it was so cute or because I was sick of the assembly process. Probably a bit of both.


These were the hardest part. I've never struggled to get something screwed in as I did with these legs. And there were 5 of them.


Almost there...
I'm guessing the vintage part of the set is that phone. Who has those anymore? But guess what? Bug knows exactly what it's used for and she just chatted away with the thing up to her ear. Go figure. 
Afterwards? It's adorable!

That's Tucker's basket beside the kitchen set because he has to
have toys wherever Bug has toys. 

But that's not why it was worth the effort. This is:





She kept saying, "Wow" over and over again with the biggest eyes.

I started doing some things around the house and could hear the opening and closing of the cabinets and Bug just talking up a storm. She loves her new kitchen set and I'm loving what I hope to be independent play on her part. Ha!

A word about the assembly: While it was worth the effort to see her enjoy the kitchen set, I would rather pay someone next time. Let me assure you the people who assemble toys are not paid enough so if you need something assembled, gladly fork over that money and make sure you include a nice tip! I will give Kidkraft credit for decent instructions though they weren't perfect they were better than others I've seen and tried to follow. If you've never tried to assemble a somewhat complicated item before, I wouldn't suggest you begin with this unless your superpower is figuring things out.

Have Y'all assembled any toys recently? Do you remember the process when your kiddos were growing up?



Help Grandma pay for the kitchen set by
visiting my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles

and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
while you fill up your cart! 😁💓

Here's a sampling of the newest creations:





22 comments:

  1. So you didn't notice the some assembly required notice? Being surprised by this requirement is understandable. Now typically I enjoy assembling stuff. Not all the time but most of the time. One of the best instruction guides was for a gas grill I assembled. Now having the space, time and no distractions is key to getting it done. You'll always to be able to tell everyone that you assembled it. Just don't mention that achievement near anyone who might buy one.

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    1. Oh, I knew it had to be assembled but dang. That was intense. And there is not enough money willing to be paid to get me to do it for anyone else. LOL I enjoy it but only for the first 30 minutes or so. :)

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  2. I love it, so cute! I remember mine when I was little. It was pink and made from cardboard.

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    1. Isn't it? She loves it! I don't remember having one but I remember nearly everything else so, maybe I didn't have one. I'll have to ask. :)

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  3. My girls played with their kitchen set for years. As they got older they used it more to play 'restaurant' as opposed to house, but definitely an item worth the cost. You did a great job and I know your grands are going to enjoy it!

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    1. My girls loved theirs, too. Marcy is already spending a lot of her time with it. I was hoping for some indpendent play time for her and a minute to myself but I find I can't resist being in there interacting with her. As my granddaddy always said, the chores will be there but babies won't stay little for very long.

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  4. Wow. You are my hero! We have done dressers from IKEA and nearly went nuts. Our son put twin beds with drawers in the base together for us and it took him almost an entire day. Pay someone else is excellent advice!! I just love that she is having so much fun!!

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    1. Oh, gosh! Those things from IKEA warrant memes. LOL Yes, paying someone is the way to do. She really is having a blast. And so am I. :)

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  5. Good evening Pam. No I did not fall off the face of the earth, I've been here lurking around just waiting for the time to chime in, guess what? It's time. I LOVE all that you post and do for your kids and grandbabies. It is just plain wonderful to read and to feel part of your life even though .... well I'm far, far away.
    I am finally getting on with life and one day will get back to my blog. I am just going to start fresh but keep the same title. However, until that day comes I'll keep lurking around.
    Take care Pam. Blessing my friend.

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    1. Thank goodness I keep up with you via FB or I would believe you had fallen off! Awww, thank you! How is your sweet Mama doing? I love those acrylic pours you're doing!

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  6. I am impressed!! What a great job you did. I have no idea how and earth you got it all together. It really is wonderful. I love it because its red.
    I bet it does make you happy to hear and see her play. I love that phone. Isn't that awesome she already knew? Great job!

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    1. I think it helped that Reni and Marcy came over for the first hour and helped me sort it all out. Red is my favorite color so that's why she got red. LOL I was shocked she knew just what that receiver was used for. She picked it up, put it to her ear, and started talking. Crazy!

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  7. How cute that set is!!! Looks so retro! She is a doll baby too, she's so pretty and her hair is growing!

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    1. Isn't it adorable? It's called vintage but you and I both know that's the same as retro. LOL Her hair is getting long and just hangs in curls. :)

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  8. I love that vintage kitchen set, and the colour. Crumbs, kudos to you for even attempting to take everything out of the box!, you did really well, so I’m giving you a compliment, and saying “well done!” Lovely that little Marcy is getting so much fun out of it! Love her hair 💕💕

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    1. Red is my favorite. :) It was so daunting, Diane! I thought about waiting and making her parents do it but that could take a while so I dove right in. Her hair is crazy, wavy, curly... I bought her a tee shirt that reads: Wild Hair, Don't care. LOL

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  9. Yeah Pam - you should be Grandma of the year! It sure is cute and you did a great job. What we grandmas will do to see those little faces glow! Thank you for sharing your experience with us at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty! Pinned to my Grandparenting board and shared.

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    1. I'm not sure Grandma of the year is in order but I do have the best grandkids around. :) So true about us grandmas do whatever we can to see glowing faces! :) Thanks for commenting and sharing!

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  10. Congrats Pam! Your post is Featured at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty 25 ♥

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    1. Wowza! TWO posts featured? I'm not sure I've ever felt so encouraged! Thank you, Dee!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It makes me feel connected to everyone even though we may live far apart! Have a wonderful day!

 
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