Forget the bland, white walls filled with smart lighting yet no sign of greenery. As our cribs transform into smart homes, the appreciation for a well-lit, open, green, and airy space grows.

However, nurturing greenery can be a difficult task. Though, people still try to foster potted plants, in hopes of making their homes breathable and beautiful.

Fret no more, experts at Habitat Horticulture — an award-winning design firm — designed Gromeo, a copious spot of greenery attached to your walls.

A sustainable living wall system

Gromeo is a ready-to-hang, fully planted palette that has a self-watering living wall system, without the need for plumbing and electricity.

IMAGE/Habitat Horticulture

It uses Habitat Horticulture’s signature geotextile called Growtex — using 100 percent recycled water bottles — to combine soil and a hydroponic blended system. This makes plants passively absorb water to maintain their ecosystem.

IMAGE/Habitat Horticulture

In short, no drainage is needed, making it the perfect low-maintenance plant to nurture, especially for busy people.

Beneficial in the long run

Living wall systems like Gromeo can help improve a busy bee’s physical and mental well-being. The presence of natural greenery can enhance self-esteem, reduce levels of stress and anxiety, and produce feelings of revitalization.

IMAGE/Habitat Horticulture

It increases happiness, productivity, focus, and concentration — prompting a person to work smarter. More importantly, it cleans the air and removes volatile organic compounds found indoors, most of which causes headaches, fatigue, and respiratory problems.

There’s a Gromeo for every type of space

Admit it: we all check the lighting before taking the perfect selfie. The same should apply to plants if you do consider getting one. Some can handle basking in sunlight, some find it too much.

This is why each Gromeo is designed depending on the levels of light available. A High Light Gromeo is recommended for walls that get full, direct sunlight. Or at least very bright lights.

Meanwhile, walls that get dappled sunlight suits a Medium Light Gromeo. For those who have walls that get no direct light at all, consider getting a Low Light Gromeo.

IMAGE/Habitat Horticulture

Price and availability

Gromeo starts at US$ 265. It’s available at shop.habitathorticulture.com. One percent of each Gromeo sale goes to Feeding America. Meanwhile, teachers and healthcare workers can avail a 10 percent discount upon purchase.

Sharp unveils a new lineup of refrigerators and we are loving it. Aesthetically speaking, it’s pleasing to look at with its sleek coating and classy appeal. But Sharp’s focus isn’t just the looks.

Being at the forefront of innovation, Sharp’s new models come with a host of innovative features to keep you and your family in tip-top health and shape. For instance, the new lineup is powered by Sharp’s J-Tech Inverter — which helps reduce wastage of energy and saves on energy consumption.

Sharp’s unique Plasmacluster Technology also found its way to the new lineup, using its powers to eliminate 99 percent airborne bacteria and 97 percent airborne mold in the refrigerator.

Additionally, the fridge comes with a Mega Freezer which is larger than usual compared to common fridges. The extra space helps homemakers store large containers and bulk purchases — like stocking up on fresh frozen food.

In lieu of stocking up, the refrigerators run on a Hybrid Cooling System to keep the food fresh. The feature is helping prevent excessive dryness, uneven cooling, and over-cooling.

Meticulous homemakers can also keep their fridges free of odor through the Ag-Nano deodorizer filters equipped inside the appliance.

Lastly, the refrigerators come with smart features such as door alarms that alert you when you leave the door open, and an External Touch Control Panel. This makes it easy for anyone to control and regulate the appliance’s settings.

Pricing and availability

Sharp’s new lineup of refrigerators under the PG series comes in three models: SJ-PG60P2 BK/DS (Priced at SGD 1599), SJ-PG55P2 BK/DS (Priced at SGD 1499), and SJ-PG51P2 BK/DS (Priced at SGD 1399).

All models come in two colors: Black or Dark Silver. The new lineup will be available at major electronics retailers and online stores.

With the advent of smartphones and other distracting technology, keeping kids active might be a challenge — especially if you aren’t the type to engage in physical activities. But starting ’em young can help build a healthy, fit, and sustainable lifestyle.

Fitbit’s kid-oriented smartwatch, the Ace 3, comes with a special edition that will catch your kid’s attention. And it might just make them excited to do a bit of sport and exercise.

Meet the Fitbit Ace 3 Special Edition: Minions. It comes with an engraved band with an embossed Minions design that will make any kid eager to wear it. Built with a kid’s behavior in mind, the watch is comfortable and secure to wear even when using a silicone band and bumper. Moreover, it can be even submerged in water with its swim-proof design!

For those who aren’t keen on having yellow on their wrists, there are two more Minions-themed bands that kids can wear: Despicable Blue and Mischief Black.

Smart features

Just like every adult’s smartwatch, it comes with nifty features we need. There are hourly alerts to move and reminders to reach your daily goals. More importantly, the Ace 3 Special Edition: Minions ensures there are extensive safeguards to secure a kid’s privacy.

Parents, for instance, can set up a family account to have more control over privacy and protection. The Parent View in the app will let parents track their kid’s activity and manage the kid’s app experience.

Kids, on the other hand, can enjoy Minions-themed activity badges in the app. The badges serve as a reminder for kids to keep chasing daily activity goals. Along with that, the Kid View allows kids to view important data such as their activity and sleep stats, as well as parent-approved friends, clock faces, and avatars.

Price and availability

The Fitbit Ace 3 Special Edition: Minions is powered by eight days of battery life. It’s available in the Philippines at Fitbit.com, Digital Walker, and Lazada for PhP 4,790. Meanwhile, accessory bands are sold exclusively on Fitbit.com at PhP 1,390.