Trip to IKEA

I love going to IKEA, and I almost never leave without a little souvenir. This time, I bought a plushie from their new collection, AFTONSPARV.

This adorable little green alien will make a great companion to my... ugh... ChatGPT, help me out.

🤖: That plushie is adorable — and yeah, it definitely gives off Halloween mascot vibes, but here’s the breakdown:

• Pumpkin head with a carved face: Classic jack-o'-lantern look.
• Black outfit with green accents: Kind of witchy or spooky, but not specific to any one character.
• Green stem on the head: Reinforces it's meant to be a literal pumpkin, not a decapitated head.

So what's the verdict?

Your plush is almost certainly a jack-o'-lantern-themed character, not the Headless Horseman specifically. It's not headless (it’s got a big ol’ pumpkin head), and there's no horse or obvious riding gear — so it's probably just a Halloween creature designed to look festive and spooky-cute. Think of it like a fun, friendly version of a jack-o'-lantern brought to life, kind of in the spirit of "Stingy Jack" or general Halloween mascots — maybe even something you'd see in a Halloween special or toy line.

Jack, let's call it Jack for now. Anyway, the plushie was surprisingly cheap. A little over $9. It could be I just don't have a proper frame of reference, and this toy is massively overpriced. Nevertheless, it made me happy, so I bought it. If I could, I would buy all the plushies there. I appreciate that their tried-and-true classics are still available. Such as the golden retriever plush, that one little teddy bear in a blue shirt with a red heart stitched in the middle, or the heart with two arms and no legs. That one always felt a little uncanny to me, but still cute in its own way.

Ikea is such a magical place for me. All the furniture on display inside small fake apartments. Just like TV sets. The food is okay. To be frank, I never had anything beside potatoes with salmon and a slice of chocolate cake there. Not on my last visit though, or the previous one, or the one before that. Actually, I didn't eat anything from their cafeteria for some time now. Regardless, I'm sure it's still the same.

The candle section, oh the candle section. I really like the red ones. I believe it's a strawberry flavor, but I could be wrong. That's also one of the items they haven't changed over the years. At this point, the smell is nostalgic to me.

And finally, the garden section. I by no means have a green thumb, but I always enjoy that small space, full of flowers and pots of all shapes and colors. It’s a cherry on top before heading to the checkout zone.

It’s strange how something as simple as a candle scent or a goofy plushie can tug at your heart a little. But those small things stick with you. It’s a warehouse of simple joys.

And what about you, dear reader? Do you also have an unconventional place you like to visit often? You are welcome to shoot me an email.