Home ownership here I come

It's been absolutely hectic at the moment - CRM newsletter is about to go live, we've started a new relationship with Shelter which is fantastic and we're reviewing all our site and email content too... not only this but I've got to sit down and think about my 2009 CRM/content plans. End of year madness - made all the better by the fact that I'm going on holiday next week!

'What am I going to be doing on holiday?' I hear you question. Well, dear reader, I'm sort of 'between houses' at the moment. Looking to rent in the very short term (which could prove costly) but then if I'm lucky, I could manage to get a place to buy! In either scenario, I'll mostly be spending my holiday surrounded by parcel tape and cardboard boxes/bin liners, deciding what out the multitude of cosmetics and clothes I can donate to charity or throw in the bin.

Entering the world of home ownership - the thought of owning an actual mortgage is terrifying! However my Mum's going to help me with the decoration - it's OK she's got good taste (or at least has the same tastes as me) and also has the most wonderful way of getting houses decorated and sorted - the perfect nester. Very well experienced in making a house a home, because she's done it so often, I have complete confidence that my Mum will be able to create ultimate IKEA fashion like some whirling dervish of style.

And yes, IKEA it is as every first-time buyer should know. If it weren't for IKEA, we'd all be crafting makeshift furnishings and tea-lights. I definitely won't be able to walk out of IKEA without one of those pointless bags of 100 tea-lights for £1. Potentially the ultimate impulse buy?