It is truly starting to feel like summer thanks to the soaring temperatures we’ve been enjoying in the UK lately. The past few years have shown that our summers can get very hot, sometimes even a little too hot. But I’m a summer child at heart (and by birth) and there is nothing I love more than summer garden living: sitting in the garden, chatting with a cold drink in hand, until it starts to get dark. Having a comfortable outdoor space where you can relax, entertain and enjoy those long summer evenings is everything. That’s why I was very (pun intended!) excited when Very asked me to demonstrate how I would create a picture perfect summer day at home using their must-have summer tech picks. What a fun challenge (and an easy one to answer), as I consider myself something of a summer entertaining expert by now.
Our Garden — The Outdoor Dining Room
Our summer garden dining setup with a portable Shark Flex-Breeze High-Velocity Hybrid Fan
A picture-perfect summer day always starts in our outdoor dining area. During the summer, our garden patio becomes our main dining room. We spend so much time out there eating, socialising, gardening and relaxing. It’s such a lovely way to spend more time outdoors and unwind. Of course, it only makes sense to make this space as beautiful, functional and comfortable as possible. The garden didn’t always look like this either. We’ve had to put a lot of work into creating the space we have today (you can see recent garden updates here). Luckily, our outdoor dining area links directly to the kitchen, which is incredibly handy. Once the double doors are open, it almost feels like stepping into another room of the house. All of our summer entertaining happens here and it’s something I look forward to every year. It’s also a space that I’m constantly looking to improve and add to whenever I can.
Stay Cool in the Garden
The Cordless Shark Flex-Breeze High-Velocity Hybrid used as a Desktop Fan
I guess the only issue with outdoor living is that it can get remarkably hot, even in the UK these days. I’m not complaining, I love the heat! But it would be nice to have a regular breeze on some days. This is where cordless fans come in handy. It’s actually something I hadn’t thought of before. We have a few indoor fans, but nothing portable that can be charged and moved around easily. All of our fans are pretty standard, fixed-length models. We tested the Shark Flex-Breeze High-Velocity Hybrid Pedestal to Desk Top fan and, oh my goodness, what a difference it has made already! It’s the most versatile indoor/outdoor fan I’ve come across and a total game changer for outdoor entertaining. First of all, I love that you can charge it so that you can move it around the house without hassle. It also turns into a table fan, which makes it perfect for outdoor dining or simply relaxing in the garden. It’s quiet, effective and blends in nicely with the dining table. This has definitely been the missing piece of the puzzle for us. I honestly don’t know how we’ve survived this long without a portable fan.
From the Garden to the Gym
Shark FlexBreeze High Velocity Hybrid Fan with Pedestal Stand in the home gym
The great thing about the Shark FlexBreeze hybrid fan is not only that it’s portable, but also that you can change the height. This means it doubles up brilliantly as a pedestal fan too. We tend to use it as a floor fan indoors and it’s been a lifesaver during summer workouts. I don’t think I’d be getting much exercise done if it weren’t for this fan. I also love the mist function after workouts, which gives you a much-needed refresh. Size-wise, it couldn’t be more ideal and it fits seamlessly into our home gym setup. There are no excuses for skipping workouts during a heatwave anymore!
Capture Every Moment With The Instax Mini Evo Camera
Loving my Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Instant Hybrid Camera
I’ve always been a bit of a photography geek. I think I have around 40,000 photos on my phone now, which shows just how bad it is! I’ve always been a sucker for an old school camera, though, especially one that prints instant photos. I’ve been testing the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Instant Hybrid camera for a week now and it has exceeded my expectations in every way. At first, I thought it might be a bit of a gimmick, but it’s been out and about with us pretty much every day since I got it.
First of all, it looks incredibly chic and comes with a lovely strap, making it easy to carry around. It’s also super lightweight and feels really comfortable in your hand. But what surprised me most was the quality of the photos, and perhaps how easy it is to use. It combines the fun of an instant camera with the convenience of a digital camera, giving you the option to adjust exposure, crop your images and pair the camera with your phone using the app. This means you can keep digital copies of your photos and even print them from your phone. I also like that you can select the photo before you print, which saves time and film. The memory isn’t huge, though, so it’s worth buying a memory card if you use it a lot. I also love using the filters, which are very similar to Instagram filters and make taking photos even more fun. I’ve been enjoying photography so much more since getting this camera and I can’t wait to use it at summer parties. It’s such a lovely way to capture memories and give your guests little souvenirs to take home!
Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Instant Hybrid Camera prints photos instantly, even from your phone!
What else is on my Summer Wishlist?
We’ve done a pretty good job decorating the garden, but there are always a few things I’d love to add. I’d love some new garden sofas and a coffee table at some stage. We also plan to extend the decking further into the garden, giving us even more space to enjoy. There are always little finishing touches I’d like to add too, from ornaments and tree lights to lanterns and other garden accessories that make the space feel even more inviting.
And, of course, our new tech additions from Very have definitely improved our summer garden living. I honestly never thought that a cordless fan would make such a big difference, but it has proved incredibly useful and has quickly become one of those items we use all the time. Thanks to our new Instax camera, we’ll also have plenty of new memories to look back on. I’m already planning a fun project with all of the printed photos, so stay tuned!
