I’m sick of celebs like Stacey Solomon flogging tacky autumn decor – it’s just tat & us mums can’t afford it

LUCY Baker, 48, who lives in Lincoln with her daughters, aged 14 and 11, and her son, five, says the pressure to redecorate for every season – with home ranges like Stacey Solomon’s – puts too much strain on cash-strapped families.

She tells Lynsey Hope all about it.

EVERY time I open TikTok or Instagram these days I’m bombarded with pics of pumpkin-orange bedspreads, spooky Halloween ornaments and cute autumnal cushions.

If it’s not store ads pushing me to buy plastic tat disguised as festive fodder, it’s celebs such as Kourtney Kardashian and Stacey Solomon promoting their new autumn homeware ranges and showing off their professionally decorated mansions.

It’s impossible to get away from — and easy to see how anyone could be convinced into spending £50 on stuff they really don’t need.

It will sit in homes for a few weeks before being bunged into the loft to make way for Christmas decorations.

A total waste of money.

I’m a busy mum of three and have enough to do without worrying about how to get an Instagrammable doorstep ready for trick or treating.

I’ve barely paid off the bills we racked up in September for new uniforms and school shoes.

And now parents like me are under pressure to decorate the house before fright night.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve almost fallen for the seasonal shopping con a few times.

While shopping in my home town recently, I nearly bought a pumpkin-shaped make-up brush holder.

I had to have a word with myself before placing it back on the shelf.

And I’m not alone.

One in five of UK adults say they plan to buy, or have already purchased, autumn decor this year, according to a YouGov survey.

It’s not surprising given that tempting seasonal wares are everywhere.

Stacey Solomon has a full autumn range at Asda, featuring bat-print duvets, skeleton mugs and decorative boucle pumpkins.

I like Stacey but I nearly unfollowed her as a result of her posts.

Her ideas for decorating the home for Halloween are too much — plus she is making money out of it.

I’m all for women being successful in business, but this “Do your house up for Halloween” vibe makes other parents feel like they are not good enough.

They try to convince us our lives will be enriched if our homes are on trend.

It’s so far removed from my childhood when you’d be lucky to get your bedroom decorated every five years.

'MASS PRODUCED AND OFTEN NOT RECYCLABLE'

When I was a child, things were made to last.

No one had the kind of cash to do up their homes for each and every celebration.

Now it’s Halloween, then Christmas, you might get a glitter ball for New Year then Easter trees, decorative bunnies and even Easter crackers. It’s getting to be the norm.

And of course, if you don’t get involved, the mum-guilt takes over.

Just this week, my 14-year-old daughter filled an online basket with things she wanted for her room — pumpkin cushions, autumn-coloured bed throws.

It amounted to around £50. Much to her disappointment, I put my foot down and told her it would only last two weeks.

We live in a household with two working parents, and while we’re not on the breadline, this sort of thing isn’t manageable on our budget.

It’s not only the cash — it’s bad for the environment, too.

What happens to this stuff once the celebration has ended?

They’ll want new stuff next year. It all feels so wasteful.

Stacey has previously spoken about the importance of sustainability but these temporary ranges fly in the face of everything we have been encouraged to do to look after the environment.