When I opened my coworking space in Totnes for female entrepreneurs and women in business back in 2020, I designed it with the principles of biophilic design in mind. I wanted to use an earthy colour palette, texture, natural materials, organic shapes, and incorporate lots of plants. I wanted the users of the space to feel good in the work environment and wanted it to be a space that supported their mental health and physical wellbeing.
We moved into a new space last summer and our new female coworking space is so much more biophilic. It is a converted barn with vaulted ceilings and huge roof lights so it is flooded with natural light. It also has lots of exposed brick and textured walls and there are expansive views of the countryside on all sides. Our neighbours are cows and pheasants, we have a little bird who comes and knocks on the windows and we’ve had visits from squirrels and regular fly overs of geese. It couldn’t be more perfect. So bringing in the principles of biophilic design has been a breeze.
When I took over the additional studio space upstairs, the previous tenant had some huge plants that they offered to sell me for many hundreds of pounds. Knowing myself and how bad I am at looking after plants I knew that this would not be a good investment for me. So instead I opted for faux plants and I knew exactly where to get them from. Blooming Artificial is a company I have used for many years when it comes to artificial plants and trees. I’ve already featured a Blooming Artificial review years ago when I got some faux houseplants for my home and then again when I used their plants in the first coworking space.
But what I really love about having faux plants is the lack of guilt. I never have to feel bad for not remembering to water them. I never have to watch them wither and droop because they are not getting enough light, or they are getting too much. I never have to watch them slowly get pot-bound because I am seemingly incapable of repotting my plants. Plant care is something I find extremely overwhelming. I try my very best, but it is just so hard to know what plants want and need. Online advice provides very little clarity. The very same symptoms could be a sign that you are not giving your plant enough water…or that you are overwatering. I feel so bad when a plant dies because I have neglected to meet its needs.
Luckily, over the years, I have learnt to buy super hardy plants that thrive on neglect, but even those plants grow and need some ongoing maintenance, and I am just not nurturing enough for this. So faux plants have become a staple in my office. They look wonderful, give us all the good feels and I do not end up crushed under the cripling weight of guilt.
That’s why I wanted to share this Blooming Artificial review—because these plants have solved a problem I didn’t even realise could be solved so beautifully.
What I’ve Learned Since Discovering Biophilic Design
I have been writing about biophilic design since 2019, when I first became aware of the concept and wrote my first article on the topic for designer magazine. Back then, it wasn’t such a hot topic but since then we have seen the emergence of more human-centric design and a willingness to put the needs of people first when creating spaces. We now recognise that biophilic design has an important role to play in counteracting some of the more negative impacts of urbanisation and the persistent disconnect from nature that many of us are experiencing. With the rise in mental health problems and the prevalence of stress in our modern society, biophilic design and its associated benefits are one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to counteract the worrying developments we see in society.
Biophilic design gives us the opportunity to support and nurture one another in a way that reduces stress and increases productivity. According to the report Human Spaces: Biophilic Design at Work prepared by environmental consulting and strategic planning firm Terrapin Bright Green for Interface, environmental psychology research tells us that being connected to nature actually assists with, psychological restoration. It also states that biophilic design supports multiple organizational outcomes, including well-being, productivity and creativity.
Key global figures that were gathered in the report found that:
A third (33%) of office workers say that the design of an office would affect their decision to work at a company.
Two-thirds (67%) of respondents report feeling happy when walking into bright office environments accented with green, yellow or blue colours.
58% of workers report having no greenery, in the form of plants, within their work environment.
The research also identified that visible connections to nature can have a positive effect on an individual’s reported stress levels. Further analysis showed that perceptions of well-being can increase by up to 15% when people work in surroundings that incorporate natural decor elements, providing a connection to nature, in contrast to those who have no contact with nature in their workplace.
I feel so lucky that I knew all of this before I decided to open my coworking space. I had previously worked in a unit on an industrial estate when I first graduated, and I was selling metal alloys to the French aeronautical industry. There was no natural light in that unit because there were no windows. There was nothing natural about that place and my well-being took a nose dive. I can’t tell you how unhappy I was spending eight hours per day in that kind of work environment. Needless to say, I didn’t stick around because my wellbeing and mental health mean too much to me. I need light and views of nature to do my best work.
The coworking space I have created is the office of my dreams. Every day I come to work and am overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to work in such a beautiful space that makes me feel so good. It is flooded with natural light, has beautiful views of the landscape outside, and the biophilic office decor incorporates natural materials and earthy colours, and I have filled it with a mix of real plants and artificial plants.
I understand that even the most realistic faux plants don’t offer quite the same benefits as living plants, but I have found that mixing the two provides a great balance for me with all the wellbeing benefits I need, minus the guilt.
The faux plants I have both downstairs and upstairs are primarily from Blooming Artificial and the reason I get my faux plants from there is because the quality is incredible and they actually look real. I swear if you didn’t know they were faux and you were looking at them across the room, you would have no idea. I would even go as far as to say you probably wouldn’t guess they were unless you reached out to touch them.
They have brought so much joy, colour and texture into our coworking space and they really are the star of the show in all my photos as they bring the space to life no matter what the season. Writing this Blooming Artificial review has made me appreciate just how much these small touches have contributed to the feel-good atmosphere of our coworking studio.
As for whether they are worth the money. It’s a resounding yes from me. Whilst these large artificial plants aren’t cheap, they actually cost roughly the same price as a similar-sized real plant. Considering the huge potential there is for a real plant not to survive my neglect, I would much rather spend that kind of money on a large faux plant knowing that it is guaranteed not to die. So given that the costs are comparable, the benefits of artificial plants actually make them the better investment for me. And I would gladly pay that money to alleviate myself from the guilt of being a plant murderer!
Today I am sharing with you my Vortex Air Purifier Review. As you know, heating our homes and workspaces has become a major preoccupation for us this winter as energy prices have soared. The tough economic climate has seen people turning down their thermostats in an attempt to save money, looking at more energy-efficient appliances and seeking alternative ways to keep warm and cosy.
I own and run a coworking space for female entrepreneurs in Totnes, Devon. It’s in a really old building and there is no central heating so keeping it warm is a real challenge. I currently use two electric heaters but it can take hours to heat up after the long weekend. During the last cold snap, I really noticed how cold it was on a Monday morning. The heating had been completely off over the weekend as it just didn’t make sense to heat an empty space.
I’d started to get a few subtle complaints about how long it was taking to heat the room up as it could take until midday to get warm. So when Hotsnap contacted me and asked me to write a Vortex Air Purifier review I was immediately interested to test it out to see if their claims that it could heat a room in minutes were in fact true.
As the name implies, this model not only has the cool and hot air fan function, but it also has an integrated air purifier.
Size and Weight
As I took the product out of the box and stood it on the floor I noticed how sturdy it is. It felt good quality and really robust. It also wasn’t overly heavy at 5kg so it was easy to carry around. The unit is a reasonable size at 26.42cm x 16cm x 85.6cm so it really doesn’t take up much floor space at all. This makes it easy to move around the building and for use in different rooms depending on where you need it.
Remote Control
I was glad to see that it came fully assembled so there was literally nothing for me to do except plug it in. It comes with a small remote control which is very straightforward to use. There are minimal buttons and it is quite obvious what all the buttons do. I really don’t like tech that is too complicated so the simplicity of the Vortex Air Cleanse Bladeless Air Purifier was very pleasing.
Digital Display
The display on the base of the actual unit is also super simple and very streamlined. From left to right the buttons are: on/off, speed control, sway, and hot & cold mode. So there really is no room for confusion. No matter how techy or not techy you are, the Vortex Air Cleanse Bladeless Air Purifier is super easy to understand and use.
The digital LED display on the unit also shows the temperature and the timer functions. It illuminates when you switch the unit on and it will automatically switch off after 60 seconds. It will come back on again as soon as you press any key on the remote control.
Energy Use
The unit uses 1900W of energy and has an energy efficiency rating of A+ which is extremely important now that energy prices are through the roof. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you how much this costs to run as I do not have a smart meter in the office.
Control
The Vortex Air Purifier has a 120c oscillation function meaning it will swivel around projecting air right out into the room in various directions.
The unit has 10-speed settings which really surprised me. I was expecting maybe three or four. As can be expected, the noise levels got increasingly higher as the fan speed increased. By the time the fan was on setting 10, it was quite loud but I personally did not find this offputting at all. In fact, it was a small trade-off for heating the room so quickly. I found it no problem to have it on the noisiest setting for a few minutes to get the room up to temperature. Once it had reached the desired temperature I simply turned the fan speed down to a lower and quieter setting. It is a very small price to pay to get the room heated in minutes. So the claims really are true.
The unit features an intelligent thermostat that senses the temperature in a room. It ranges right up to 35c and once it senses that the room has reached 35c it will stop temporarily until the temperature in the room falls back below 27c.
The Vortex Air Cleanse Bladeless Air Purifier boasts a timer function that can be programmed to turn off at set intervals. It allows you to set it to heat or cool for between one and nine hours. This means you can have nine hours of continuous use if necessary.
So far, since I have been using the Vortex Air Cleanse Bladeless Air Purifier, I haven’t needed it to be on for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. I’ve mostly been using it for a quick blast to heat up the room quickly.
Hot Mode
As I said, the reason I wanted to do the Vortex Air Purifier Review was to try out the heating functionality. To get this function working, you simply have to switch the unit on and press the hot/cool mode button. I was honestly shocked at how quickly the hot air was dispersed into the room. Initially, I used the heater function on setting 3 and I could feel the benefit almost immediately. It only took 10 mins to noticeably take the chill off the room and bring it up to a comfortable standard.
The unit produces a high-velocity airflow that is projected smoothly into the room. Because the unit can be set to swivel, the heat can be nicely dispersed around the entire room and not just in one direction.
Cool Mode
Now as it is still winter and really rather cold, I haven’t tested cool mode as well as I could have. I have tried it out though briefly and it was equally as impressive as the hot mode. I can imagine that this will provide a welcome relief in the hotter summer months.
Air Purifier Mode
The air purifier function is a really nice added touch on this multi-functional unit. The Vortex Air Cleanse Bladeless Air Purifier cleans the air inside your home with its high-intensity medical-grade HEPA 13 filter. This apparently allows it to capture 99.97% of airborne particles such as dust, allergens, bacteria, and viruses as well as remove allergens, odours, smoke, and pet dander from the air.
According to the instruction manual, the filter can be used for 6 months or 4300 hours before it will need to be replaced. The cost of replacing the filter is only £14.99 which I think is very reasonable indeed. It is very easy to access the filter so I have no worries about changing this when the time comes. But obviously, I have only had this unit for a few weeks so I haven’t needed to actually change the filter yet.
Overall I was really pleasantly surprised with just how well the Vortex Air Cleanse Bladeless Air Purifier performed. The unit is high quality, sturdy and robust. It feels incredibly safe as there are no fast-spinning blades, no exposed heating elements and it will automatically cut out should it for some reason topple over.
I was shocked at just how quickly it could heat the room and it now gives me peace of mind that a quick burst of heat can bring my office up to temperature within minutes rather than hours. And I am looking forward to seeing how well it will work in cool mode this summer.
I hope that you have found this Vortex Air Purifier Review useful and that it has given you a good idea of what to expect if you buy this product. If you own it yourself, please leave your own personal opinion of the product in the comments. We’d love to hear your view too.
Sustainability in the home cleaning industry is not really a new topic as the first eco-cleaning brands appeared back in the 1970s. However, the past few years, thanks in large part to the Pandemic, have seen an enormous surge in interest in eco-friendly home cleaning products.
Pandemic Fuels Home Cleaning Industry
As we all sought to keep our homes clean and hygienic sales of household cleaning products have soared. Spending more time at home and working from home has also led to an increased need for a clean and tidy space in which to live and work productively.
This interest in home cleaning has been further fuelled by the likes of celebrity ‘cleanfluencers’ Mrs Hinch, Courtney Cox and Kris Jenner championing the home cleaning industry and the advantages for our mental health and wellbeing of living in a clean home.
The increased consumer engagement and the elevated spending on home cleaning products brought about by the Pandemic may be starting to wane, but concerns about the environment and sustainability are stepping in to fill the void. We are seeing consumer behaviour and attitude changes as people realise the impact of their purchasing decisions
The Impact of Non-Recyclable Plastic Sponges
As we realise how damaging our cleaning equipment is, it’s easy to see the need for eco-friendly alternatives. Some of the statistics are just mind-blowing. For example, every minute of every day we bin 1,000 kitchen sponges, the majority of which are virgin plastic.
A recent survey and found that on average people in the UK change their sponges at least once every month, with some changing them after every use. A quick calculation puts this at roughly 600 million sponges being thrown into landfill in the UK each year and that’s only from domestic use.
These non-recyclable plastic sponges are made with polyurethane and do not biodegrade. Sponges that promise anti-bacterial properties are also often coated in toxic chemicals which pollute our water and are deadly to marine life.
Then there are the microplastics that are shed from these sponges which are often too small to be removed by the filtration system. They end up in our rivers and oceans and are then eaten by fish and other aquatic animals. These microplastics have now been discovered in the human bloodstream which is quite frankly petrifying.
And that is just the plastic sponges and doesn’t take into account plastic brushes or all the various synthetic cloths that are being used and disposed of. It really is no wonder that more people are waking up to the urgent need to adopt more eco-friendly, plastic-free cleaning products.
Consumers Want More Plastic-Free Cleaning Products
According to the UK Household Cleaning Equipment Market Report 2022, 55% of UK consumers agree that there should be more sustainable cleaning equipment products available. Furthermore, 35% of UK consumers agree that it is acceptable for sustainable cleaning equipment to be more expensive than regular equipment. Consumers are now actively seeking out brands that are highly engaged in climate and sustainability initiatives.
Seep Offers a Plastic-Free & Biodegradable Household Green Cleaning Range
This is where brands like Seep (affiliate) come in. Seep is a female-owned B-Corp that supplies plastic-free and biodegradable household green cleaning equipment and is “on a mission to clean up the way we clean up”.
Seep Founder Laura Harnett had become frustrated with the fact that whilst eco-friendly cleaning liquids were readily available, there seemed to be a distinct lack of plastic-free, non-polluting cleaning equipment with which to apply them.
Laura, who had grown tired of waiting for someone else to solve the problem, decided she needed to be part of the solution and not part of the pollution. She set up Seep, which stands for Sustainable Everyday Essential Products, to offer products that are designed to look good in your home and be better for the planet.
The products, which include sponges, scourers, dish brushes, rubber gloves, washing up cloths, tea towels and bin bags, are designed to be plastic-free, compostable or easily recycled. They are also designed to provide a quality clean.
Now, this was one of my main concerns when I agreed to work with Seep to try out their plastic-free cleaning products. Will they clean as well as synthetic products? My other concern was of course the cost. But since we got a dishwasher, we don’t wash up by hand very much so the increased cost of such products is less of a worry these days as they will last a lot longer.
Eco Cleaning Starter Kit
I was sent the Eco Cleaning Starter Kit (affiliate), which is basically a plastic-free washing-up bundle. It is quite pricey at £32 but what you get for your money is really good value. Let’s take a look at what is included in the bundle.
Firstly, these sponge scourers are a hell of a lot more attractive than those hideous-looking yellow and green plastic sponges and they are much nicer to touch. They are made from sustainably sourced and renewable cellulose wood pulp and raw loofah fibre. Both cellulose and loofah fibre are natural materials making these sponges fully compostable and biodegradable as they break down into harmless organic waste.
They contain no harmful toxins and because they are plastic-free cleaning products, they won’t shed any harmful microplastics.
There are also practical benefits to using these sponge scourers. Not only are they non-scratch which is important for all our non-stick pans, but these sponges also require less washing-up liquid as they retain more of the soap.
When I first started using the sponge scourers, I did worry that they weren’t as durable as synthetic sponges, but my worries were quickly dismissed. They can stand up to heavy scrubbing and do last for a month as Seep claims. I’ve been using mine for over a month now and it is still going strong.
These cloths are made from a blend of loofah and wood pulp fibres and a trace amount (1.5%) of polyester which is needed to bind the fibres. Sadly this means that the cloths are not compostable or fully free of plastic. However, Seep says that they will be discontinuing this product and replacing it with a more sustainable alternative once they have found one.
They are great for everyday cleaning around the house and I really like that they can be popped in the washing machine at 30c once they get dirty. Because they are white, they do tend to get dirty quite quickly but they are much easier to keep clean than the poly-cotton cloths I was using previously. I’m not yet sure how often they can be washed in the machine but so far after two washes, they are still holding up well even if they are a little discoloured.
These come in medium or large and are made with fair trade, sustainably sourced rubber from responsibly managed plantations in Sri Lanka. The lining is 100% natural cotton flock and when I was using them my hands felt a lot less sweaty than when wearing other gloves.
I have really small hands so these were a little on the large side for me and kept rolling down. However, I don’t wear rubber gloves often so not a huge inconvenience for me.
Firstly, how much prettier are these than the steel ones? I do love copper as it has the added advantage of being naturally anti-bacterial. Also, as it is a non-ferrous metal, it doesn’t rust, so no dirty brown puddles on the worktop. They are also endlessly recyclable. I need to check if my local council will take copper in my recycling box, otherwise, I will need to take them to the local recycling centre to dispose of them.
At first, I thought they were a little more flimsy than the steel scourers I am used to, but they can be reshaped quite easily and have enough flexibility to shape them into what you need them to be to get the job done. They are great at tackling those hard-to-clean, crusted-on stains that the sponge scourer can’t handle. They cannot be used on non-stick pans though.
I think this is by far my favourite product of them all. The washing-up brush is made from sustainably sourced bamboo with bristles made from sisal and it is finished with biodegradable varnish. Not only does it look much better than equivalent plastic brushes, it is a lot nicer to use.
It feels really durable and hard-wearing and actually, it cleans so much better than the plastic brush I was using. According to Seep, it may start to show signs of mould after six months but I’m hoping that because I rarely wash by hand it will last a lot longer than that.
A final bonus when investing in these plastic-free home cleaning products is that they all come in sustainably sourced, recyclable packaging using natural inks.
Now I definitely do not class myself as any kind of eco-warrior. I subscribe to the approach that millions of people doing zero waste imperfectly is still going to have a massive impact. So for me, it’s all about making those small incremental changes and staying consistent. Things like no longer using single-use plastics where possible, taking a water bottle with me wherever I go, taking homemade lunch to work in plastic-free lunch boxes bags and accessories, and now using plastic-free cleaning products.
This feels like progress to me and whilst it’s not world-changing, maybe if we all make these tiny steps we could make massive change together.
I realise that these plastic-free household cleaning products are more expensive than plastic alternatives so they may not be within budget for everyone, but if you are able to pay slightly more for something that does less harm to the planet and the people and animals who live on it, please do.
The experience of using eco-friendly, natural cleaning products was a really positive one for me, and because I mostly use a dishwasher, I anticipate that these products will last as long, if not longer than the plastic alternatives I was using before. The performance is comparable if not better and my conscience feels a lot better knowing that these products can either be composted at home or recycled.
When I received a press release about the Aura Digital Photo Frame, I responded straight away and asked if it would be possible to do a review of the product. I often do this if I see a product that intrigues me and that I think would be an excellent fit for my lifestyle or add some kind of value to our home life.
The Aura Digital Photo Frames stood out to me specifically because they had some functionality that I had not seen before and that I was keen to try out. Aura has revolutionised the digital picture frame by making it social. Not only is Aura WiFi-connected but it is powered by Aura’s photo sharing app so that family and friends can effortlessly add photos and videos from anywhere in the world and have them beautifully displayed onAura’s premium connected frames.
We do already have a digital photo frame, which if I’m honest, we haven’t really used that much. It was gifted to us and we loaded it with images, but after a while, we stopped noticing the photographs and we didn’t keep it updated with new images. It ended up being retired to the tech drawer of doom.
I had a feeling that the additional features of the Aura Digital Photo Frame might just make it attractive enough to help overcome some of the reasons that our previous device ended up in the drawer. So let’s take a closer look at the Aura so we can decide if it is worth the money.
Why Should I Buy a Digital Photo Frame?
So, I guess the first question is why would anyone want a digital photo frame in the first place.? I don’t know about you, but I capture a ridiculous number of moments every single week. I currently have almost 4k photos and videos languishing on my phone not to mention the tens of thousands that we have stored on hard drives, in the cloud and which we have uploaded to Back Then (a baby photo sharing app that allows you to document your child’s journey and share it with a select number of friends and family).
I’ve written about my desire to set my photos free before as it makes me so sad that so many special moments are trapped on devices never to be seen again. My kids absolutely love looking at family photos and recalling or building memories. They are always asking to flick through the gallery on my phone.
Digital photo frames are a great innovation and a delightful way to access and view your digital photos quickly and easily. It allows you to show hundreds of photos in a slide-show of memories.
It is also a great gift for friends and relatives. It makes a perfect wedding present, a gift for a christening, a present for a young adult heading off to university or a fantastic Christmas gift for family members who live far away.
This is what attracted the Aura Digital Phone Frame to me. I thought it would make a fantastic Christmas present for my husband’s parents. They live in Poland and we don’t see them very often so they are missing out on so much of my children’s childhood and upbringing. A gift like this would ensure that they get to see so many more of those special moments that get missed because we are not physically together.
How do Digital Photo Frames Work?
Aura digital photo frames are much easier to use than other models of digital photo frame. Normally you’d have to download your photos from your phone onto your PC, copy them onto an SD card or USB memory stick and insert that into the frame.
With the Aura frames none of this is necessary and the process for getting your photos onto the frame is much more straightforward due to the app.
Why Choose a Digital Photo Frame with an App?
The app, which is available for iOs and Android, allows you to upload images directly from your camera roll or you can select a different location such as shared albums or Google Photos. There is also a web uploader so that you can share photos directly from your PC or laptop.
Once you have the app set up you can invite other members to join the frame. This is where it gets interesting. So imagine we send the frame to my husband’s parents for Christmas. If it is a gift, you can pre-fill the frame with images so it’s already loaded and working once they receive it. You don’t actually even need to open the box to make this happen as there is a QR code on the box that lets you set the frame up as a gift without needing to use the frame itself.
To invite friends or family members to upload photos you simply need to add their email address or phone number or select them from your phone contacts. They then have to download the free Aura app, create an account and accept your invitation.
Once complete, they too will be able to share photos directly to the frame from wherever they are in the world. So that means my husband’s brothers, who live on the opposite side of Poland, could also upload photos for their parents making the frame a beautiful way to share memories with the family.
It was the fact that the Aura digital photo frame can be updated remotely that really attracted me. No more downloading photos and uploading them to an SD card. You can share the photos to the frame as and when you take them so family members get to see them almost in real-time.
What’s more, all members of the frame can see the uploaded photos on the app. This means that my husband’s brother can see our photos and vice versa which will help keep us in touch better too without the need for our own frames. And this is much, much safer than sharing photographs of our children on social media, which we don’t do.
How Many Photos Can My Digital Photo Frame Display?
As the Aura digital photo frame uses cloud storage, the number of photos that you can upload is unlimited. This is another huge bonus for me. I didn’t like the fact that we would regularly need to clear off the SD card to add new photos to our old frame. It just made the whole task of updating the frame too time-consuming.
Can My Digital Photo Frame Play Video?
I think this is possibly the feature that I like most about the Aura frames. As well as displaying photos it will also display videos with sound coming through the built-in speakers. Photos are nice but there is something so powerful about video. The connection is just so much more personal.
I think this will be great for us as we can get our children to practice Polish by asking them to send video messages to their grandparents. They are often too shy and embarrassed to practice live on a video call but I think they would be much more likely to practice a message, record it and send it to the frame. I’m definitely up for giving this a go. Anything that will get them to practise their second language is a bonus in my book.
Does My Frame Need WiFi?
As Aura is a WiFi-enabled digital picture frame, it must be constantly connected to a WiFi network (2.4 GHz band only) and plugged into a power outlet to operate and receive new photos. You can unplug the frame from the power source without issue, as long as the same 2.4 GHz WiFi network is still available when the frame is plugged back in.
Will My Frame Use a Lot of Power?
The Aura frame’s power consumption is 10 Watts when awake and 2 Watts when asleep.
That means that if the frame is on for 8 hours a day, that will cost 4.16p when calculated using the UK: Price Cap for October 2022. That equals roughly £21 per year in total.
In order to reduce energy consumption, Aura will automatically go to sleep and turn off the display when you turn off the lights in the room or when you have set a schedule for your frame.
For anyone who is wondering whether the Frame can run on batteries, the answer is no. Aura frames don’t have a built-in battery and need to be plugged in all the time.
Are My Photos Secure on the Frame?
When you upload the photos to the Aura digital photo frame they are stored in a secure cloud database powered by Amazon Web Services. This uses the AES-256 advanced encryption standard which is the industry standard. If you add other members to the frame, they will only ever be able to see the photos you have uploaded to the frame. They won’t be able to see other photos in your phone gallery or on your PC.
How Much Does the Aura Digital Photo Frame Cost?
This depends on which model you get. I was sent the Carver Luxe which is currently on sale for £189 on the Aura website.
This is what you get for your money:
10.1″ Full HD 1920×1200 screen with best-in-class image quality
Intelligent Photo Pairing: intuitively pairs two related portrait photos side-by-side
Unlimited photo and video storage
Effortless photo and video uploading from anywhere with the Aura app on iOS and Android
Adjustable slideshow speed so photos change as fast or slow as you want
Show photos and videos in chronological or randomly shuffled order
The built-in speaker lets you hear sound from your videos
Review of the Aura Digital Photo Frame
When I received the frame the first thing that struck me was how premium the packaging was. This was really reassuring given how premium the price is for this frame. The box felt special to open and the branding also felt extremely premium.
Inside the box, the user manual was short and concise and very easy to follow. It contains all the information necessary to set up and operate the frame.
The power cable comes with the UK plug attached but included in the box are European and US attachments that can be swapped out depending on the country where the frame will be used. This is brilliant if you are sending it as a gift to loved ones in another country as there’s no need to worry about how they will power the device once it arrives.
The frame itself is very high quality. I received the white quartz version but it also comes in graphite. I really like the shape of the frame and the textured finish which gives it a premium feel. The rubber stoppers on the base of the frame make it feel very secure when you place it on a surface and the design of the power cable means it is easy to hide away behind the frame.
The set-up couldn’t be simpler. Plug the power cable in, download the app, set up your account and the rest happens quite seamlessly on its own. At first, I had a slight issue connecting the frame via Bluetooth and my phone didn’t locate the device. However, an on-screen alert prompted me to turn off my Bluetooth and turn it back on again and this immediately solved the issue and enables the frame to connect to my WiFi network.
I was then prompted to start adding photos and videos from my phone’s gallery and it was as simple as selecting which images to upload and hitting the button. From the app’s settings, you can then set how long you would like each image or video to display in the slideshow before it changes.
Once set up I was able to invite another member to the frame by simply adding a phone number. Within minutes of doing this, I received feedback in the form of likes coming through from my husband while he was at work. So obviously he was alerted to the fact that new images had been added.
This function makes the frame more interactive and similar to what you might experience if you were sharing images on social media, but obviously in a much safer, private environment.
The display is super sharp and clear. The image quality is brilliant on the frame and the sound quality is more than adequate for sharing personal videos.
Is an Aura Digital Photo Frame Worth it?
From my experience with the Aura Carver Luxe digital photo frame, whilst it is a little pricey, especially as a gift, you really can’t put a price on sharing memories with your loved ones. The fact that it is more than a photo frame and will show videos too makes it worth the extra money in my eyes. If you do have the budget to spend, it is a good investment.
I love the fact that it comes with an app which makes it easy to update remotely. And the unlimited storage is such a real bonus.
I really think this is a wonderful innovation, with a premium design and an excellent user experience even for those who may be less tech-savvy like myself. I can’t wait to see how we will use the frame to share special moments for our family.
The results of our woodwork course at The Woodlab at Dartington in Devon
When I first started my blog way back in 2009, a time before blogging was an actual career option, I wanted it to be like a digital magazine. I wanted to share all the exciting products, projects, designers, collections, events and design news that I was discovering on a daily basis. I had no intention of ever sharing my own home upgrades or DIY projects (affiliate).
The majority of successful interior blogs do just this. They take you along with them on their home renovation journey, sharing their tips and advice along the way and teaching you how to do similar. But I’ve never been one for DIY. I didn’t think I had the skill or the ability to make things or even use tools. And this has stopped me from doing any kind of DIY projects at home for years.
Last year though, as I worked on my growth mindset I realised that this is just a story I have been telling myself and if I wanted to, I could learn how to use tools, make things and do DIY. The thought was quite scary though, and whilst I know you can learn everything on YouTube, the thought of learning how to use power tools (affiliate) scared me half to death. No, I needed a course, run by professionals who could teach me in a safe environment and make it fun.
Woodwork Course in Devon
So when a lovely woman came into my coworking space in Totnes and told me about a woodwork course near me, I had to find out more. She told me about The Woodlab in Dartington, a maker-space and wood-hub designed to help reconstitute regional wood-processing chains, and make the domestic timber industry more resilient.
Based in a tractor shed on the edge of the North Wood at Dartington Estate, the Woodlab offers facilities and tools to local makers and woodworkers and has now launched a series of woodwork courses for beginners and those who are more experienced but maybe want to dabble with some new machinery or techniques.
Needless to say, I signed up for a weekend woodwork course immediately. Now, I didn’t think too much about it, I just signed up without really knowing what I was getting myself into. I knew if I started to overthink this I would chicken out…because power tools are scary!
Woodwork for Beginners
When I received the information about the woodwork for beginners course I was a little apprehensive to learn that I would be using a router (affiliate) to create a shelving unit. Firstly, I had no idea what a router was and I had to Google it. And secondly, a shelving unit sounded way more advanced than what I believed I was capable of creating in a weekend.
But I put any negative and critical thoughts out of my mind and vowed to just go along and give it my best shot.
When the day came, I headed off on the 30-minute drive excited and scared at the same time. Upon arrival, I was super happy to discover that there were only three other people on the course and they were all women. This somehow made it feel a lot less scary and more manageable.
The instructor, Sam, instantly made us all feel very welcome and put us at ease. He gave a very thorough introduction to the Woodlab, shared the background, the idea behind it, the vision and mission and helped us to understand why it’s so important that we work with our natural woodland and stop just seeing it as a resource that we can take from over and over again.
Crash Course in Using a Router
In the next segment, Sam introduced us to the router (affiliate). He explained what it can do and showed us how to put one together and use it. It was at this point that he let us loose with the router and allowed us to try it out. Whilst I did feel quite scared having to operate this scary bit of deadly machinery, I also felt very confident that Sam had given us enough information and training to use it safely.
And my god, how proud did I feel afterwards? I didn’t do a bad job either. The line I routed out of the wood was even reasonably straight to my surprise.
Next, Sam showed us the prototype shelving unit he had whipped up earlier and explained that we were all going to make one of these for our own homes. I couldn’t quite fathom how it would be possible in the remaining day and a half that I would be able to create something quite that complex. But I trusted Sam and his expert knowledge and decide to just do whatever he told me to do without hesitation. He clearly believed we could do this, so why shouldn’t we?
Making an Ash Wood Shelving Unit
Sam took us through every process and procedure slowly and step by step. With each new process, he allowed us to set the machinery up and have a trial run to make sure we knew what we were doing and could do it safely. There was never a moment when I felt in danger or that I couldn’t do something and Sam was always on hand for extra guidance if we needed it.
Using Other Tools in the Workshop
Whilst this particular woodwork course was all about using a router, we did get to work with other tools as well because there were other processes that could not be achieved with the router alone. We also had the chance to work with the band saw, the table saw, the oscillating spindle sander and an orbital sander.
A Steep Learning Curve
Given my very limited experience with woodwork and DIY, this woodwork for beginners course was very much out of my comfort zone and a very steep learning curve. There was so much to learn and it really made me chuckle when I saw the professional photos taken by local photographer Lucy Wallace. My face was a picture of focus and concentration as I tried hard to take it all in and operate the machinery safely.
An Empowering Experience
I am so pleased that I signed up for this woodwork course. It has boosted my confidence so much and has left me wondering why it has taken me so long to get on board with woodwork and DIY. Now that I know what I am capable of there are so many simpler and smaller DIY jobs that I feel confident enough to take on around the house.
Overall, this was an amazing weekend. I learnt so much from our wonderful teacher Sam, met some lovely women and came out of the experience with a shelving unit that I am extremely proud of. I haven’t yet put it up at home as I forgot to bring the brackets home with me but once it is up I will update this post with a photograph of it in all its glory.
If you live local to me in the South Hams, I can’t recommend The Woodlab enough. They now have a selection of woodwork courses for adults that you can book online. Whether you want to use a router to make a shelving unit like I did or you’d prefer milling wood to make a serving board or whether you’d rather make a picture frame on the table saw, there is something for everyone.
If you are more experienced in woodwork, there are also regular sessions for those looking to improve their hand tool accuracy, learn new techniques and joints and practice them. There are also tool care sessions where you can learn to sharpen your tools.
If you don’t live near me in the South Hams there are bound to be woodwork courses near you too. Simply search online for “woodwork courses near me” to find one close by. Even if, like me, you are convinced you are not capable of using power tools, step outside your comfort zone and give it a go. You never know what you might end up making.
Have you ever done a woodwork course? Would you consider doing one? If so what would you like to learn and what is holding you back? Let me know in the comments below.
