Ikea opened near where I live only about 3 years ago and I hadn't heard of them before then. Since then I have bought a large range of furniture and homeware from there.

The overall layout of the store actually makes it quite easy to shop despite it's huge size. Basically the store is laid out as a series of rooms displaying how the furniture could look in your home. You are guided through these rooms by markings on the floor. This is excellent if you need inspiration or are not sure what you want but you do need to be careful as not all items are always displayed.

You can browse to your hearts content, sit on the furniture, try out the bed and nobody is going to complain. At Ikea they actively encourage youto try out the furniture. On quite a few occasions I have seen guys lounging in a leather armchair reading a book while their other half does the shopping and the staff don't mind at all.

If you have children with you then you are definitely in for a treat. Their is a kiddy creche area which I cannot comment on as I do not have young children but it seems very popular, always has numerous staff supervising and I believe is free. This means you can leave the little ones safe and shop without them nagging.

If you decide to take the kids around the store with you then you should still have a relaxing time as scattered around the store are play areas such as playhouses or a chalkboard that the children are allowed to play with.

The range of goods at Ikea is incredible, and for the most part, the prices even better. Whether yo are looking for kitchens, bathrooms, office, textiles, electrical (best lighting range I have ever seen and cheapest energy efficient bulbs anywhere) or decorative items you will find something to your tastes and price range. Their is also a huge range of plants in most Ikea stores.

Ikea are not a brand to miss a marketing opportunity either and always stock seasonal goods so are worth a look at Christmas, Easter or most other events.

It can take absolutely hours to have a good wander around Ikea so it is just as well that they also have a cafe. Now most stores would take advantage of their worn out shoppers and charge over the odds for basic food. Not Ikea!!! The food in the Ikea cafe is excellent both in price and flavour. They have something to suit all tastes including those on diets and in Cardiff (probably the same elsewhere) they are even licensed so you can have an alcoholic drink with your meal should you so choose.

Prices for meals start from less than a pound going up to about £3.50. For this you get a tasty, substantial meal that is not all dried up (try the meatballs, they are a must). Drinks from the main cafe include free refills so no worries about the kids nagging for more pop, they can just help themselves.

There is a kiddy play are with cartoons on TV in the cafe with tables surrounding it so parents can have a meal or cuppa while their kids have fun. There is also a microwave for warming baby food, free to use plastic baby cutlery etc and screened off areas for breastfeeding. If I remember rightly you also get a free piece of fruit with all childrens meals.

Again, Ikea marketing is working overtime and most of the food and drink that you buy in the cafe is available in a grocery store which is located after the main tills. Worth a visit even if just for something a bit different from the norm. Again the pricing is very reasonable.

OK, so you have had a wander, rested and satisfied your appetite and know what you want to buy. Small items such as mugs, rugs & lights an be picked up in the appropriate departments. Larger items such as bookcase have to be picked up from the warehouse. You take a note of the code displayed on the item, and then go to the warehouse and help yourself. It's a bit daunting the first time but you soon get used to it. There are normally some staff floating around to provide assistance if required.

One thing you can rely on in Ikea is queues. The place is massive and very popular so be prepared to queue if you go on the weekend especially. Anything upto an hour is the norm, at Christmas or during sales it can be far more.

Paying is just like anywhere else. Cash, cheques or cards are accepted but be warned that Ikea charge a small fee for paying by credit card (less than £1) which given their prices doesn't really hurt. Once passed the tills you haven't quite escaped yet. You still have to get past the grocery store (mentioned earlier) and he fast food.

If you have kids with you you are probably dreading this bit but there really is no need. You can buy hot dogs, drinks & ice creams amongst a few other things but take this opportunity to treat the kids or yourselves without breaking the bank. Hot dogs cost about 35p Ice creams only a little more. Fantastic!!

Hopefully your purchases will fit in your car but if they do not Ikea do offer a delivery service but I have never utilised this so am unable to commet on it. Most of their goods are flatpack and are designed to fit in your average family car though. To give you some idea I purchased 3 large chests of drawers, 2 bedside cabinets, a double bed frame, an overbed shelf on wheels and a few other bits and pieces and fitted them in my car in 1 trip.

Once you have your furniture home you will be even happier. I have purchesed 20+ flatpack items from Ikea, I have never yet had a piece missing from the kit (take lessons B&Q) and every items has been far more solid than you would expect from flatpack.

One word of caution though. Try not to damage the packaging. If you change your mind about the item (i.e don't like colour) you are entitled to return it but if the packaging is damaged then you will pay a handling fee. I don't remember the exact amount but it is substantial 20 - 30% or thereabouts.

Assembly is usually straightforward enough and the instrictions are always excellent. Once assembled you have furniture that in my experience will provide years of reliable use. My bedroom furniture is in as new condition some 3 years on. Not like the MFI stuff I got previoulsy which didn't last 2 years.

All in all Ikea are an excellent store which provide more of a shopping day out than any other store I know of. Just be warned, you may come to like it too much!!!