Review - Oxygen Oasis DIY Miniature House from Rolife

I received this kit in exchange for a review

Oxygen Oasis is a brand new miniature house kit from Rolife. This advanced miniature kit is a beautiful glass house, packed with luscious tropical plants, flitting butterflies, and filled with gorgeous tiny details. The kit contains 1168 pieces, is recommended for ages 14+, and comes with a six star Master difficulty level. 

You can find full details of the kit here - Rolife Miniature House - Oxygen Oasis.

The Oxygen Oasis kit was definitely the most complex miniature kit that I've assembled. In my Rolife reviews I always say that before you attempt one you should check the difficulty level because there is a large variation. My first kit was Cathy's Flower House, and I've since discovered that it is one of the most difficult Rolife kits along with Elsa's Tailoring! If you are new to miniature modelling kits then this might be one to save until you've gained some practice.

Building the Oxygen Oasis took me several weeks, working on it almost every day. Almost everything is built from scratch, with tiny leaves to be glued to twisted wire stems, delicate wooden pieces that slot together, and plenty of opportunity to put your own stamp on the build.

I must admit that I felt quite intimidated when I opened the box! There are lots of pieces, including plenty of plastic sheets that form the windows. Some of the pieces are very intricate, and I could tell from the contents that there were going to be lots of plants to make - something that I've found very fiddly with these kits in the past.

However the instructions are clear, easy to follow, and lead you in gently. The first part that caught my eye in the main picture was the dome - it looked so complicated with all the curved grass and detailed frames! However by the time I reached it I had already built the simpler back door and the slightly more difficult front door, and so I felt ready to tackle it. And of course it was fine in the end, I just took it slowly, made sure that I had all the parts that I needed ready, and followed the instructions carefully.

The next part of the kit involved making the main base. I always enjoy this part of the kit because you begin to get an idea of the size and shape of the finished piece. As always I got all the parts ready before I started, and there are lots to prepare for this section. It is mostly constructed with wooden pieces but there is also some paper cutting to be done carefully by hand - you'll want a pair of sharp scissors with small points for easy snipping.

Just a note on the glue that is included - most of the Rolife kits that I've worked on aren't supplied with glue, instead you adhere pieces using tiny strips of double sided tape. This kit does include glue and it's fantastic - it has a tiny little nozzle to help with the application and it dries really quickly. Double sided tape is still used for some areas, and again this works very well.

Here is the base section made from the pieces on the tray above:

Next come the various components to add to each side of the base. Some of the work on this kit is quite fiddly and I often found that I needed to use the included tweezers. But there is so much more satisfaction to be gained from building a tiny set of stairs from scratch than just slotting in a pre-made plastic piece!

One the main base is complete it's time to return to building the actual greenhouse, this time by assembling the two side pieces. These were straightforward to put together - the pieces for this section are made of plastic and they snap together easily, then you add plastic sheets to the inside to form the windows. You also add some tiny strip lighting underneath the roof, and all the wires are neatly hidden inside plastic tubing which is glued to the inside.

Now that the structure is assembled it's time to move on to the plants and trees. I knew that this would be the most time consuming part of the build, having spent a lot of time making plants for the Cathy's Flower House kit. You are provided with lots of sheets of pre-cut, double sided paper printed pieces, and some of these leaves are very tiny!

The plants are assembled in groups. Some are fitted into their final sections straightaway and some need to be set aside for a later step. They are labelled by letter and so I found it helpful to lay them out on a sheet of scrap paper against their letter so that I could easily identify them later on.

These plants did take a long time to make! Each of the sections above took several hours. The assembly can be very fiddly - first you have to bend wire into the correct shape, then fold tiny leaves and petals and glue them carefully into place before leaving them to dry thoroughly. I was really grateful here for the excellent glue included in the kit. 

Once I got going the process did speed up. I worked in batches, first getting all the wire bases ready then gluing on the leaves one plant at a time. I used a long strip of Blu-tak on my desk to hold the plants upright while they were drying which was really helpful. 

I found that the labels for the plants were so tiny that I couldn't read them, so I didn't worry too much about making sure that the correct one was attached to each plant. I also tried not to get too frustrated if I was having trouble with the fiddly parts, I think they still look good even if some parts are a little wonky.

Next came some larger plants and trees to build, each of which involves winding together different sized pieces of wire to create stems, trunks and branches, wrapping with coloured tape, and then gluing on the leaves. These pieces took a lot of time to complete, especially waiting for the glue to dry on one side so so that you could add leaves to the other side. It took me over an hour to build the two monstera plants! But I really enjoyed making them, and they all look amazing when they are complete!

When all of the individual pieces had been built it was time for the final assembly. First you need to attach all the plants to the base piece. I'll be honest, this part wasn't easy. Some of the leaves fell off and needed to be reattached, and there was a lot of fiddling around to make sure that the plants all fitted neatly around each other. The kit comes with plenty of a green filler type material that you can add around the base of the plants, but I found it so difficult to get to stick that I didn't use as much as I should have. Luckily you can't really see it from the outside anyway!

Finally you need to fit the glass house structure around the plants, make sure that it all firmly glued down, and add a few final touches around the sides. The wires for the lighting need to be connected to the battery box, a large tree is positioned to the side, a cute cat with a butterfly stuck to its nose stands at the front and some paper parrots add some extra colour.

Adding the vine across the top was one of my favourite parts of the build. I left it until the end, and I really enjoyed placing the last leaves and making it all look exactly how I wanted it to.

The lighting in this kit is rather magical. As well as a larger central light there is also a small light strip underneath each side section. The lights are bright, and I love the way that you can see everything inside really clearly. The clear windows also cast gorgeous shadows on the space around it. The lights are powered using two AAA batteries which you need to supply.

I really loved the opportunity to get stuck in to working on this kit. I found that I could sit for ages carefully twisting wire into the required shapes, adding the leaves with dots of glue, and even just sitting waiting for the glue to dry while admiring what I had built. 

This is probably not the kit to start with if you are new to miniature kit building, but I would absolutely recommend it if you fancy something a bit more challenging. It will definitely feel like value for money when it comes to the time taken to complete it!

What puts a Rolife kit into the more advanced category?

This kit definitely falls into the category of the more difficult Rolife kits. Here are some of the things that make a kit more difficult:

The kits contains a lot more pieces, and most of them are very small and delicate.

Some of the paper cuttings and other materials are not pre-cut, so you need to cut and measure them yourself. There are few, if any, stickers and so most paper pieces need to be glued together.

Overall there is a lot more gluing involved, sometimes quite fiddly. Most of the components need to be built from scratch by attaching tiny pieces together.

Most of the kit is made of natural materials like wood, paper and fabric - there is very little plastic.

There are a lot more steps to the assembly and some stages can take a bit of time, for example if you need to wait for glue or paint to dry.

Note - some of the older kits have been re-issued and are now less challenging than the original kits. 

What I like about working on a difficult kit

For me a craft is all about the process, so when a kit takes longer to put together you have plenty of time to enjoy it. I don't mind waiting for something to dry, it feels much more satisfying than just snapping pieces together.

I feel like a have a little more creative control, for example when it comes to the shaping of plants or the positioning of individual pieces.

Tips for working with a more complex kit

Don't get overwhelmed, and take your time. You will initially open the box to see a huge number of pieces, but each step only uses a few at a time.

Stay organised. Don't remove things from the numbered bags until you need them, and get all the pieces ready for each section before you begin. Set up a workspace with an area to store completed components until you need them.

Work on one step at a time and don't be tempted to skip ahead unless you are completely confident in what you are doing. 

If you aren't sure which piece to use you can double check them against the parts guide. This is very important as some pieces can look very similar.

If you fancy trying one of the more complicated Rolife kits you can find a good selection here - More difficult kits from Rolife.

You may like to see my other Rolife Miniature Craft Kit reviews:

Cathy's Flower House - another complicated kit with lots of plants and flowers to build

Elsa's Tailoring - an intricate kit with lots of fabric pieces to measure and display

Corner Bookstore - a lovely bookshop with assorted tiny books to put together

Silent Corner Study - a really sweet book nook, perfect to display on a bookshelf

Super Creator Kits - Fascinating Bookstore, Lovely Pink Bedroom and Sweet Sips Tea - some simpler kits which are great for older children and those new to this hobby

Gingerbread House - a gorgeous festive shop filled with Christmas treats

Christmas 3D Frames - lovely Christmas decor frames with intricate details

Rolife Corner Bookstore kit

How crafting can help people in recovery

This is a collaborative post

Recovery is, as they say, a journey. And, like most journeys, it’s rarely simple. Most people in recovery need to find coping strategies that replace the bad habits they’ve used in the past to cope with hard times. As such, you may or may not be surprised to learn that the crafting community contains quite a lot of people in recovery. Through drawing, painting, knitting, pottery, or other creative outlets, people in recovery can find a way to express their emotions, build self-esteem and focus their minds - all of which are vital components of the recovery process. 

Let’s take a closer look at the ways crafting can help people to recover from substance abuse disorders:

The Power of Crafting

Head into any rehab today, and you’ll find a wide range of crafting materials and classes on offer. This is because successful rehab usually prioritises a holistic approach to recovery - seeking to treat not only the physical symptoms but also the mental and emotional aspects of addiction. Every experienced addiction worker knows that crafting can be a helpful addition to traditional recovery therapies in ways that go far beyond just physical creation. When someone connects with a craft, they also experience emotional, cognitive, and psychological benefits that can be hugely beneficial to someone on the journey to recovery.

Emotional Benefits of Crafting

Crafting can be a cathartic experience. It provides an outlet for expression and a way to channel feelings that may be too difficult to voice verbally. For those dealing with addiction, trauma or mental health issues, being able to express themselves creatively can help to lessen the burden of emotions they may be carrying. Studies consistently show that crafting can also stimulate positive feelings, reducing feelings of depression or anxiety, boosting mood and promoting relaxation.

Photo credit Marina Ermakova via Unsplash

Mindfulness and Concentration

Crafts that require relaxed focus, like knitting or beadwork, can have a meditative quality. This promotes mindfulness - the practice of concentrating on the present moment. Instead of being preoccupied with past regrets or future worries, individuals can centre their thoughts on the task at hand. This can be very healing for those in recovery, who often struggle with rumination and worries about past actions or future uncertainties. 

Enhancement of Self-Esteem and Achievement

The process of creating something tangible - even if it’s something as simple as a knitted square or a scribble drawing - can boost self-esteem and provide feelings of achievement. This is important because people in recovery often grapple with feelings of guilt, shame and low self-esteem. Through crafting, they can regain a sense of control and see tangible evidence of their accomplishments. The satisfaction of completion can be a powerful morale booster, contributing to a positive self-image and reinforcing the belief that recovery really is possible.

Social Connection 

Crafting can also act as a social connector. Joining a local art class or craft group provides the opportunity for socialisation, mutual support and a sense of community. Forming positive relationships and social networks is often a key aspect of recovery. As well as tackling any underlying issues related to loneliness, it can also provide much-needed motivation and encouragement on the often challenging journey to sobriety.

A Tool to Supplement Traditional Therapies

It's important to stress that crafting is not a replacement for conventional therapy or medical treatment. It should be utilised in conjunction with other interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy, 12-step programmes or medication. Crafting is a supportive tool, another weapon in the arsenal in the battle against addiction or mental health challenges. It’s by no means a cure in its own right.

Crafting may appear humble and inconspicuous at first glance but as we peel back the layers, we discover its profound potential in aiding recovery from addiction or mental health issues. It provides emotional release, a focus for the mind, a sense of achievement, and a bridge to social connections.

The only way to stop scrolling that resonates with me

Over the years I've tried many ways to break the urge to aimlessly scroll on my phone. Some have helped, for example removing the majority of my notifications made a big difference. But from articles that I've read and podcasts that I've listened to, it seems that most of the typical advice given to reduce scrolling (switch screen to greyscale, set up screen time limits, keep the phone in another room and so on) is not really effective long term. 

The evidence for this mainly comes from a recent research paper from JMIR Publications which you can read here - Interventions for Digital Addiction: Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.

The only piece of advice that I've found to work for me was something that I heard very recently from Cal Newport in his podcast, and it's something that seems obvious but needs a bit of work to implement. 

I'm paraphrasing, but it was all to do with making your offline life more interesting than your online life. If your life is filled with easy to access and enjoyable activities, then you will always turn to those rather than scrolling aimlessly.

So I've been thinking about how I can create that life for myself. Here are some things that I already do:

I try to always have an excellent book on the go. This is the most important thing, and I am very discerning about the books that I read. Some books grip me more than others, and I've noticed that when I'm particularly enjoying a book I'll always choose it over my phone.

I love doing a quick puzzle on paper. You can buy puzzle books really cheaply at supermarkets and they can keep you going for ages. My favourites are word puzzles like Codewords or number puzzles like Sudoku.

Photo credit Bozhin Karaivanov via Unsplash

I'm not the most sociable of people, but I'm lucky in that the people I do choose to spend time with are generally also happy to keep their phones out of sight while we talk. When I'm chatting with someone I never feel the urge to look at my phone, I just get irritated when it beeps at me.

I almost always have a jigsaw puzzle on the go. I love it when a jigsaw puzzle reaches a stage where you have all the remaining pieces laid out and you can easily drop by for a few minutes and place a couple of pieces.

Similarly, I like to have a simple craft that can be worked on a little bit at a time. Personally I enjoy cross stitch, or also miniature house kits which are broken down into lots of smaller steps that each only take a few minutes. 

Another activity that takes me away from my phone is doing exercise, whether that's going for a walk, a swim or just a quick exercise video that occupies my phone while I follow it. 

Finally I try to keep as much as I can paper based. I do use an app for the grocery shopping list, but I have a physical planner for my daily jobs. I keep a scrap notebook where I can write down things that pop into my head, as well as a collection of journals and hobby notebooks. If I was picking up my phone to tick something off a list I know that I would easily get distracted. 

I'm not perfect by any means, but now that I've got this idea in mind I'm hoping that I'll find it much easier to avoid the doomscrolling! Please do leave a comment if you have any other tips to share.

Batch prepping craft projects like you do meals

Recently this video ended up in my feed and I really enjoyed it, so I thought that I would share it:

It's all about batch prepping crafts in advance, so that when you have some time for a crafty project you have everything that you need all in one place to get started. The video shares a few examples of simple craft kits that the creator has put together, including a cross stitch embroidered journal and a paper garland kit. 

I remember a similar idea from back when I used to lurk on scrapbooking forums - people would discuss preparing their pages in advance by gathering together photographs and co-ordinating supplies in a plastic sleeve, ready to put a page together when they had some spare time. 

I thought this was such a great idea! But for me, it's not so much about preparing some new crafts that I want to try, but rather using this technique as a way to use up some of the craft supplies that I have lying around. 

I have my craft supplies stored in various locations around the house - fabric in drawers in my wardrobe, beads in little wooden drawers in my study, patterned papers in the toy cupboard and so on. As well as various unfinished craft projects, mainly cross stitch kits, that are waiting to be continued. When I want to do something I often need to gather things from all over the house, and then return the leftovers once I'm done. 

Photo credit Eric Prouzet via Unsplash

I've been having a think about the craft supplies that I have in my stash, and brainstorming some projects that I can work on to use them up. Some ideas that I have so far - bracelet making using my enormous bead stash, some kind of project that will use up tiny scrap pieces of fabric, finding a use for my patterned paper and collage supplies. 

I'm going to challenge myself to bag up five craft projects, as far as possible using only supplies that I already own, and then complete them by the end of the year. I'll include all the materials that I'll need, as well as any printed instructions or templates. As we head towards Christmas I'll try for some seasonal theming, and I'll attempt to choose projects that will leave a noticeable dent in my crafting stash. 

Watch this space to see what I come up with!

Creating healthy boundaries in a hyper-connected world

This is a collaborative post

Being connected all the time can make life feel efficient on the surface, but it can also leave people mentally crowded. Messages arrive late into the evening, work follows people home through laptops and phones, and social media has a way of filling every small gap in attention. The wider conversation around digital wellbeing has grown in recent years because more people are noticing that constant connectivity doesn’t always feel empowering. Sometimes it can frankly be suffocating.

Recognising the Signs of Digital Overload

Digital overload often shows up before people name it properly. It can look like restlessness when the phone is not nearby, feeling mentally “on” all the time, struggling to focus on one task, or noticing that breaks are no longer really breaks because they are filled with notifications and scrolling. Particularly when working from home, blurred boundaries can make it harder to notice when stress is building. That makes regular digital pauses more useful than they may sound. Even short breaks from screens, notifications, and constant input can help reduce that feeling of mental overcrowding. 

Setting Boundaries on Social Media

Social media tends to become less draining when it is used more intentionally. That might mean turning off non-essential notifications, setting app timers, unfollowing accounts that reliably leave you feeling worse, or deciding that certain times of day are off-limits for scrolling. The point is not to become perfectly disciplined overnight. It is to make social media feel more like something you use and less like something that is always tugging at your attention. Creating a little more distance can also make it easier to notice what kind of content actually supports your mood and what simply fills time without giving much back. Practical limits usually work best when they feel realistic enough to stick.

Protecting Your Privacy Online

Healthy boundaries are not only about time and attention. They’re also about privacy. That’s why basics still matter: strong passwords, secure connections, regular updates, and being more selective about what is shared online. It is also a natural point to consider privacy tools more seriously. When thinking about how to keep personal data safer while browsing, using public networks, or managing online accounts, some people look at a vpn download as one additional layer of protection alongside better passwords and safer habits.

Photo credit Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Achieving Work-Life Balance in a Remote World

Remote and hybrid work have made digital boundaries even more important because the line between “working” and “being at home” can disappear quickly and the blurred boundaries can make burnout harder to spot. Work-life balance is rarely created by intention alone. It usually needs structure: clear start and finish times, a workspace that can be mentally “left”, proper breaks, and some resistance to the idea that being reachable all the time is the same as being productive.

Moving Forward with Confidence

The encouraging thing about setting digital boundaries is that they don’t need to be dramatic to be effective. A few more breaks, quieter notifications, stronger privacy habits, and clearer limits around work can all start to shift how daily life feels. 

Review - Rolife Super Creator kit - Pop Bubble Bathroom and lighting kit setup

I received these items in exchange for a review

A few months ago I shared my review of some new kits from Rolife in the Super Creator series. These miniature house kits are part of a modular series that can be completed as individual rooms and then stacked together to create a larger miniature world. The kits can be stacked together in a variety of ways, and you can use the roof accessory kit to add ceiling lighting.

These kits are quite simple kits and they don't take very long to build, so they are ideal for beginners or younger miniature crafters. My daughter is 15, and she loved the Lovely Pink Bedroom kit, so she was delighted to be able to work on the Pop Bubble Bathroom and connect it to the bedroom.

This gorgeous bathroom features a free standing bath with bath shelf for decor and a book - a perfect fantasy bathroom! There's a shelf unit with toiletries and other bits and pieces and a lovely raised sink. There are gold fittings, a little mirror, and all sorts of other tiny details. The kit is mainly assembled by slotting together the plastic accessories. All the sticking is done using tiny double sided adhesive dots, or you can use glue for smaller areas to give a neater finish.

I love the tiny hair dryer that sits on top of the laundry basket, and the little toilet roll perched on top of the opening and closing toilet. Although the kit suggests how the accessories could be positioned you are of course free to arrange the room exactly as you would like it. If you chose not to stick everything in place then it would be sturdy enough for an older child to play with.

The Pop Bubble Bathroom comes with a side light which is powered by a USB-C power cable (not supplied). This is great because you don't need to worry about supplying and replacing batteries.

If you would like to install the ceiling light then you will either need the separate roof accessory kit, or you can install the light on the bottom of another room kit which is positioned above. We used the roof accessory kit to add the ceiling light. 

The roof accessory is pre-built and is very easy to slot onto the room kit. The ceiling light and wiring box is supplied with the individual room kit. The light slots underneath with the cable running down the outside of the house to a small wiring box attached to the outside.

First we added a roof and ceiling light to the Lovely Pink Bedroom and she was so pleased with how it looks.

Then we installed the roof and lighting kit to the bathroom. As you can see, this kit has two lights - one on the ceiling and also a wall light. The side light can be used without requiring the separate roof kit.

Then we joined the two kits together so that the bedroom now has an en-suite bathroom! You will need to supply power to the lights using a USB-C cable which is not supplied. However the kits do come supplied with a short USB-C to USB-C cable to connect two or more rooms together. So you only need to supply one power cable which can be used to power lighting to several kits that are joined together.

For now we have chosen a side by side connecting option, but it is would be very easy to rearrange the kits so that they are the other way around, or one sits above the other.

We love the kits in this series, they are simple to put together but have lots of detail and they look lovely when out on display. You can see the full range here - Rolife Super Creator kits.

How I made an Everest notebook to track my niche interest

I have a large collection of notebooks and journals that I write in regularly. There is my day to day journal, my garden journal, my book recording notebook, a small notebook where I collect quotes and a rough notebook for general thoughts and ideas. I'm also about to start a media journal to keep track of my media consumption. 

Another new notebook that I've recently added into the mix is my Everest journal, and I thought I'd share that one today. I do love when people have a niche interest, maybe Everest isn't that niche, but I would imagine that most people in my demographic aren't that interested! 

Luckily I've collected plenty of blank notebooks, so I usually have one to hand when I need one. This is just a basic lined notebook, with a picture stuck on the front to cover up company branding. 

I always leave a few pages blank at the front of a new notebook, as I find this helps me to feel less intimated. I'm numbering the pages as I go along, so these front pages will become a contents page, an index, or a place to add stickers and random images. 

I've also started the journal from the front, the back and the middle! I add new information at the front as I go along. At the back I've started writing book reviews from my Everest bookshelf, and in the middle I've been making notes on the Everest films and documentaries that I've been watching.

Here is the sort of information that I've been collecting in my notebook:

Maps - both detailed and more general. It's a really good reference to be able to look at when I see a mention of a location.

Lists - like a list of all the 8000m peaks, a list of the highest mountains on each continent, and other facts and figures. This helps when a writer refers to other, similar peaks and I can remind myself about them.

Photocopies of interesting paragraphs from books I've read - for example I have a couple of pages from Ed Viestur's No Shortcuts to the Top when he writes about all the equipment that he uses.

Pictures and photographs - sometimes from travel guides but usually ones that I've printed out and stuck in.

Reviews of books, films and other media - sometimes written as I go along, sometimes when I've finished. I find that this really helps the information that I've learned to stick in my mind.

Anything else that I've found interesting - for example I did some reading about hypoxic tents that are used for acclimatising to altitude, and gathered information about famous climbers.

Planning for hypothetical adventures - I know that I'll never hike to Everest Base Camp but I still sent off for some brochures, researched different itineraries, and watched videos from people that have done it!

As the notebook has filled up I added tabs to some sections. I've also added a pocket at the back to store any loose pieces of paper before I decide what to do with them.

During the climbing season this year I enjoyed a daily ritual where I watched a short update video and made a few notes on what had happened that day. I enjoyed reading it back at the end of the season, and maybe I'll compare it to next year!

I've really enjoyed putting together this notebook. As well as being a good reference guide it's also helping me to remember and learn from all the Everest media that I've consumed. Now I'm thinking about making them for more of my interests!