So, in an attempt to win some much-needed street-cred, I turned my attention to internal lighting.
It shouldn't really have been a big task, in truth.
The floor lamp in the kids' playroom was banjaxed and needed to be replaced.
What they had was a bit dull and a playroom is supposed to be fun so I thought, hey, let's add a bit of colour!
Well, what do you think?
They are colourful, even my harshest critic would have to give me that.
But there is perhaps a more obvious downside, which this photo might better illustrate.
That's right. They're f***ing ginormous. Much taller than me, in fact. They go almost right up to the ceiling (such are the perils of ordering from Amazon and not properly checking the dimensions before chucking it into your massive basket).
And there is another minor issue. Both of the kids think they're "ugly." You may agree, you may not. Vanessa's only smugly muttered comment was: "Well, you ordered them."
The other problem with the Amazon aspect is that they're going to be expensive buggers to send back. Plus, I can't be arsed.
I only put them together yesterday morning and, as the day went on, I couldn't help but ponder on what our new friends reminded me of. And last night it came to me.
Do you remember the Triffids?
Yes, them. They sacred to bejeezus out of me back in the day. Let's hope our new lamps don't eat us alive.