Cookies
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. This page lists every cookie this site can set, what it is for and how long it lasts, as of 21 October 2026.
What we set today, which the site cannot work without
| Cookie | Who sets it | When | How long | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The basket | ||||
wp_woocommerce_session_ (and a code) |
WooCommerce | When you put something in the basket | 2 days; 7 days while you are signed in | Holds your basket and the details you give at the checkout. |
woocommerce_items_in_cart |
WooCommerce | With the basket | Until you close the browser; removed when the basket is empty | Tells the site your basket is not empty. |
woocommerce_cart_hash |
WooCommerce | With the basket | Until you close the browser; removed when the basket is empty | Lets the page see that the basket has changed. |
| Signing in | ||||
wordpress_logged_in_ (and a code) |
WordPress | When you sign in to your account | Until you close the browser, or 14 days if you tick "Remember me" | Keeps you signed in. |
wordpress_sec_ (and a code) |
WordPress | When you sign in to your account | As above | The secure part of the sign-in. |
wordpress_test_cookie |
WordPress | Only on WordPress's own sign-in page, not on our account page | Until you close the browser | Checks that your browser accepts cookies. |
| The payment | ||||
__stripe_mid |
Stripe | On the basket when it holds something, and at the checkout | 1 year | Helps Stripe take the payment safely and prevent fraud. |
__stripe_sid |
Stripe | On the basket when it holds something, and at the checkout | 30 minutes | Helps Stripe take the payment safely and prevent fraud. |
| Your choices | ||||
vl_nocount |
Velena Lifestyle | Only if you choose "Do not count my visits" | 2 years | Remembers that choice, so that your visits are not counted. |
vl_consent |
Velena Lifestyle | Only if you make a choice in the cookie strip, which appears only when we run adverts (not today) | 6 months | Remembers your cookie choice, with a random number that matches its record (proof of consent, nothing that names you). |
vl_qb |
Velena Lifestyle | Only if you ask for a quote as a PDF on a product page | 1 hour | Lets the same browser download the quote it asked for. |
| Security | ||||
__cf_bm |
Cloudflare | Only where Cloudflare's protection against robots checks a visit | 30 minutes | Tells people from robots, to keep the site safe. |
What we never set from a plain visit
Opening a page sets no cookie. Our visitor counter uses none (see the privacy policy, section 3).
What adverts and affiliate links add, only with your consent
Three kinds of cookie can be added if you allow them, each on its own: measurement (which pages and adverts work), advertising (so our adverts can reach people who visited, on the platforms we advertise on) and affiliate links (so a shop we link to knows you came from us). You choose in the strip at the bottom of the page, and you can change your mind on the cookie choices page at any time. Until you choose, they are not set; if you take a yes back, we remove the measurement and advertising cookies we know of from this site.
Affiliate links: some of our articles link to products at Amazon, AliExpress and ShopStyle. No affiliate script runs on our pages without your consent. When you follow such a link, the shop sets its own cookies on its own site, under its own policy and its own consent request.
We keep a record of each choice, as proof of consent: a random number, the time, your three answers and the page, and nothing that names you. It is kept for 2 years.
Video and booking
Videos and the booking calendar load nothing until you press them. When you do, YouTube or TidyCal may set their own cookies, under their own policies.
Your choices
- Cookie choices: allow or refuse measurement, advertising and affiliate cookies, or change your mind.
- Counting visits: switch our visitor counter off for your browser.