IKEA...

I've just spent 2 hours at IKEA looking for stuff for my room, you know, plates, pots, pans. In the end everything was way more expensive than ASDA so we came away with a free pot pouri bowl, a frying pan, and four bags of amber coloured pebbles and two scented candles. The candles and the pebbles were 10p each. And that sums up my family's outlook on money perfectly - shop around so you pay as little as possible and, if it's 10p, what are you waiting for! Actually, you can't really blame us considering Mum's a single parent and Brother and I remained at our high school through bursaries and scholarships.

It's so weird though, buying things for my room, in my flat (did I tell you - I have room!!!!!). There are so many little bits and bobs that we still need, like graters and chopping boards. And I know that I'm coming back home during the holidays but it feels like I'm setting up house, and really, really flying the nest. I get all giddy, and giggly and walk round with a huge smile on my face whilst trying to carry three large plastic boxes that I'm using for underbed storage. But at the same time I'm looking at Mum and seeing past the smile on her face to that part of her that really, really doesn't want me to go. Her eldest child leaving the home we've lived in since I was born, leaving her. I know she'll still have Brother but we're best friends and have spent almost every day of the last 18 years together.

Now I'm getting tearfull.

But back to IKEA. Dreadfull store. I felt like I was being herded like cattle through these huge, white Denmarkish (it is from Denmark, isn't it?) rooms on the way to the slaughterhouse. And it was soooo busy I kept losing my Gran in the crowds.

On the other hand, if I had £100 quid to spend and none of the family money policy hanging over my head I would have gone wild!