HOT: IKEA, Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre, Cnr Victoria St and Burnley St, Richmond, 3121

So it's Easter long weekend, what are your plans? Facebook tells me that 'Jane is going to Paris', 'Michael is heading to Munchen', 'Ev is eating mochi in Japan' 'Caroline is getting ready for Stockholm' and 'Isabelle is in the Alps'.

And Jetsetting Joyce? She is going to IKEA. I've officially checked out of Life.

Being unemployed means that this is my third trip to IKEA in a week - but only because I wanted to lay the groundwork for RM's visit so he wouldn't have to deal with my in-depth specification, colour, style and price analyses. By my third visit I could just say 'what do you think of that' 'NO' 'and that?' 'NO' 'what about this?' 'YES'. It made for a remarkably argument-free furniture shopping first date.

IKEA does have some cheap, good stuff if you're setting up home. Like the Malm headboard, the Norden gateleg table, Solsta sofabed, Expedit TV unit, Lamplig chopping board and Idealisk colander. Unfortunately, it seems that everyone else wants to set up their home to look just like ours, as almost 50% of what we liked wasn't available by the time we got to the self-service section. Humph. Guess it'll be a fourth trip to IKEA then.