Christmas in Ikea

So, a new cottage means more bedrooms and, consequently, a sudden dearth of beds, homework desks, lamps and, well, everything or so it seems.

Plan A, definitely the preferred plan, was to get all the required furniture from Age Concern, which is full of solid wooden loveliness. But I'm beginning to worry about getting anything that can't be taken apart - or bought as a flat pack - upstairs.

Thus, it seemed as though a trip to Ikea might be in order. I find Ikea a bit daunting. In fact, upon deciding that I'd be going there, my brain took immediate refuge in the fact that I could buy some tealights, thereby avoiding thinking about the bajillion other items that would be on sale.

I mentioned this to Hannah, whose immediate response was "You'll have to take Milly; she loves Ikea." And, as Dan and Abi both have in inexplicable passion for cushions, the away team was decided.

And they had a whale of a time, while I wandered through the aisles, shepherded by the arrows stuck to the floor. Here they are in what appeared to be a Christmas room, although Dan is clearly more interested in the cushions that the decorations. I followed them gamely, occasionally putting a nick-nack in my Big Yellow Bag and writing down the name of a desk or chair that one of them fancied. Very soon, I'm going to have to go back with a van :-(

Also, why does my 'phone insist on capitalising Ikea? People will think I'm insane.