Kawaha Point, Rotorua

1259 days ago

Always finding your neighbour’s cats in your garden?

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

Even though we all love animals, we are not always fans of other people’s cats doing their business in our gardens. Luckily, there is a handy, and animal-friendly, trick for this!

Cats are wonderful and cute animals, of course, but they’re a bit less cute when they pee, poo and dig all over … View more
Even though we all love animals, we are not always fans of other people’s cats doing their business in our gardens. Luckily, there is a handy, and animal-friendly, trick for this!

Cats are wonderful and cute animals, of course, but they’re a bit less cute when they pee, poo and dig all over our garden. This can cause a lot of trouble for you and your garden, so you might be looking for some tips to help prevent this! Because we are animal lovers, we don’t like the idea of scaring off cats with chemicals or nasty methods that aren’t animal friendly. We believe keeping cats out of your garden can also be done in a natural way.

There are several ways to discourage cats from coming into your garden that are in no way harmful to the cat but do give the required result. For instance, cats don’t like certain scents, which means you can use those to keep them out.


After asking around for a bit, we found out that a lot of people have trouble with neighbourhood cats in their garden. Some people love seeing those cute animals wandering around their garden, but other people would rather chase them away immediately. Everybody has their own methods for this as well. The most common method seems to be trying to scare the cat by yelling and waving your arms. Others go outside with a glass of water to try to pour over the cat. Of course, these methods don’t have the desired result. Some people get so frustrated that they end up in the newspaper because they tried shooting at the cats! That’s not what we want, so we’ve got a few tips for you instead.


Cats don’t like the smells of vinegar and citrus peel.


So, you can keep cats out of your garden pretty easily by putting bowls of vinegar or citrus peel in various places around the garden (in particular those places the cat likes to visit). The cat will then definitely stay away from those places. Another thing cats hate is cayenne pepper. So, it may be worth scattering a generous amount of cayenne pepper in places the cats like to visit. Then again, this may cause the cat to start sneezing violently, which make us feel a bit sorry for it.

If you don’t have any of these products at home and don’t feel like going to the supermarket, you could also try using garlic, ground coffee or chili pepper. Did you know about these natural, cat-resistant tips? Share them with your friends!

Image
1259 days ago

Toastmasters New Zealand North District Conference

Toastmasters

Toastmasters New Zealand North hosted the highlight of the Toastmasters year, “UNMUTE Me,” the 2021 Toastmasters New Zealand District 112 Conference. The District Council elected Stephen Budai DTM as District Director effective 1 July 2021.

The four annual contests were also held during the… View more
Toastmasters New Zealand North hosted the highlight of the Toastmasters year, “UNMUTE Me,” the 2021 Toastmasters New Zealand District 112 Conference. The District Council elected Stephen Budai DTM as District Director effective 1 July 2021.

The four annual contests were also held during the conference. Bradley Thompson (Hamilton, Division P) was the winner of the International Speech Contest and will go on to represent Toastmasters New Zealand North in the International Region Quarter finals.

Winners of the international region semi-finals will take part in the World Championship of Public Speaking.
Find out more

Image
1260 days ago

Confidence.

NumberWorks'nWords Rotorua

With a confident attitude, you can reach great heights.

Image
1261 days ago

RMHC® New Zealand Annual Appeal

Ronald McDonald House Charities

Help us house families with hospitalised children. Join the fight to fund a night. Find out more

Image
1262 days ago

Colour Forecast 2021

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

There is a preference coming through for warmth and comfort in our colour choices with the aim of bringing nature inspired hues back into the home, whether that be through browns shades, greens or blues, replicating our outdoor landscape.

SUNBAKED ORANGE - We are loving how this colour brings … View more
There is a preference coming through for warmth and comfort in our colour choices with the aim of bringing nature inspired hues back into the home, whether that be through browns shades, greens or blues, replicating our outdoor landscape.

SUNBAKED ORANGE - We are loving how this colour brings a sense of the Mediterranean to our homes, embodying a wholesome reassuring vibe. Use in decorative elements throughout the home or go large through drapery or wall colour.



Full article with pictures: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

Image
1263 days ago

Benefits to Lining Your Curtains for Winter

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

If you are in the market for a new pair of curtains or are potentially looking at getting your existing curtains lined, this blog will cover why it is advantageous for you to be lining your curtains, especially this winter.

Insulation: There are many different materials that can be used for the … View more
If you are in the market for a new pair of curtains or are potentially looking at getting your existing curtains lined, this blog will cover why it is advantageous for you to be lining your curtains, especially this winter.

Insulation: There are many different materials that can be used for the lining of your curtains, and each one can provide a slightly different result in regards to insulation, etc. For instance, polycotton lining (cotton and polyester) is naturally resistant to heat and still allows a good flow of air, making it suitable for warmer environments and even winter as it can provide reasonable insulation.

When simply looking for insulation for the winter period (or if you reside in an area which is typically colder year-round) it may be more beneficial to look at curtain linings such as the blackout and dim lining or thermal lining. Blackout lining is made from a thicker material, and is, therefore, more beneficial for those who are looking for more of a private and insulated lining. This fabric also allows you to keep in all of the heat in the winter period, and keep out the heat in the summer period, due to the sun being blocked out more from the dimmer and thicker fabric. An additional benefit of this is that you will have a difference in the amount of noise that enters our room/house (wherever the lining is applied).



Visually Appealing: Depending on what fabric you decide on, many of the lining options can add to your room. For example, bonded interlining is....
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

Image
1265 days ago

RMHC® New Zealand Annual Appeal

Ronald McDonald House Charities

Help us house families with hospitalised children. Join the fight to fund a night. Find out more

Image
1266 days ago
1266 days ago

Cleaning 'Hacks' that Actually Make Things Worse

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

When it comes to cleaning there are tried and tested hacks you can rely on to make sure your house is spotless.

However, according to Good Housekeeping Institute there are some widely known household hints that are actually causing more harm than good.

While some hacks can make cleaning … View more
When it comes to cleaning there are tried and tested hacks you can rely on to make sure your house is spotless.

However, according to Good Housekeeping Institute there are some widely known household hints that are actually causing more harm than good.

While some hacks can make cleaning easier, the experts say you can’t believe everything you have heard will work – like using salt to lift red wine, immediately pouring water on carpet stains, or using vinegar as a makeshift cleaning product.

Here we have revealed which of the well-known hacks could make your clean-up job harder, not easier…

Don’t pour water on carpet stains: It may seem like logic to use water to mop up a spill, but there’s a danger that adding more liquid can over saturate a stain.

The excess water could cause long-lasting damage – soaking through the carpet fibres and into floorboards.

Good Housekeeping says that patience is key and advises gently blotting out as much of the stain as possible, then follow with a “light spritz of sparkling or soda water to rinse followed by more blotting”.

A clean dry cloth or paper towel is all that’s needed, and to make sure the stain doesn’t remain use a special removal cleaner.

Forget reaching for the salt for a red wine stain: There’s nothing worse than red wine splashing on your plush carpets – but don’t go reaching for the salt to try and soak it up.

Salt can lift the colour out of the carpet, but the consumer experts say that it can actually ‘set the stain’ because of the abrasive nature of the substance.

There’s also a risk that salt grains can stick in the carpet and become a dirt magnet for everything else.

Using vinegar as an all-purpose solution: While vinegar is regularly counted as an all-natural cleaner and can tackle grease and mould, the kitchen cupboard staple does contain acid and is abrasive.

The acid can affect wood and natural stone, so Good Housekeeping suggests keeping it away from marble counter tops or tiles.

Keep window cleaner away from your computer: The ingredients in a regular window cleaner can permanently damage a computer screen if used to shift marks.

According to the consumer site the ammonia and alcohol mixture used to remove stubborn stains on a window can actually strip anti-reflective coatings off screens, as well as cause clouding.

It advises using a microfibre cloth with a specialist LCD or plasma screen cleaner with no alcohol.

Image
1266 days ago

It's over to you

The Team from Homed

How's retirement treating you? Maybe you're in the midst of planning your retirement but haven't quite settled on your forever home yet.

If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! The Homed team is giving you the opportunity to show us the home you've retired to and … View more
How's retirement treating you? Maybe you're in the midst of planning your retirement but haven't quite settled on your forever home yet.

If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! The Homed team is giving you the opportunity to show us the home you've retired to and tell us why you love it. If you haven't quite left your career behind and you're planning your retirement we want to hear about it on Stuff Nation.

Remember - this doesn't have to be a one off. You can ask your neighbours for business recommendations for DIY products, advice on home improvement or even to invite your neighbours over for a house warming when your forever home is completed.

To share your thoughts and photos with Stuff head to the Stuff Nation page, we prefer submissions between 350-800 words; otherwise email homed@stuff.co.nz.

Remember to send through lots of photos.

Image
1266 days ago

Learn te reo Māori!

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

Te Pōkaitahi Reo

Meet Parminder Singh (Punjabi) who shares his journey with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi: “Studying in the Pōkaitahi Reo programme has allowed me to develop a totally beautiful and unique relationship with Māori communities. The learning has helped my work to bridge … View more
Te Pōkaitahi Reo

Meet Parminder Singh (Punjabi) who shares his journey with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi: “Studying in the Pōkaitahi Reo programme has allowed me to develop a totally beautiful and unique relationship with Māori communities. The learning has helped my work to bridge gaps between Māori and others in our multicultural communities. When I look back, I feel really proud. It’s a great feeling when I speak te reo Māori. It’s a privilege.”

Share in Parminder’s experience and enquire now for 2021.

These programmes are tuition fee free!
Find out more

Image
1267 days ago

Luggage trailer

Rory from Ngongotaha

Age Concern have recently purchased, through some generous Lake Council funding, a covered trailer to go on the back of our new minibus and enable us to take walkers and wheelchairs. Our problem is that the trailer is in Wiri, near Manukau Auckland, ready for pick up. We were wondering if anyone is… View moreAge Concern have recently purchased, through some generous Lake Council funding, a covered trailer to go on the back of our new minibus and enable us to take walkers and wheelchairs. Our problem is that the trailer is in Wiri, near Manukau Auckland, ready for pick up. We were wondering if anyone is going to Auckland during June and would be able to pick the trailer up for us. We are a charity and would be eternally grateful if some kind person could do that for us and we will give a small koha. If you are able to help please ring 07 347 1539 or message us. Thanks in anticipation.

Image
1267 days ago

What's your coming weekend looking like?

Beds4U Rotorua

We love a "hot cup of coffee, a book, and curled up in a comfy bed" kinda feel!

We are looking forward to the weekend!

What about you? Comment below what your weekend is looking like?

#colddays #snuggleup #warmandcomfy #weekendsoon

Image
1267 days ago

Coming soon: CHICAGO. It’s showtime!

Clarence St Theatre

CHICAGO, the second longest-running musical in Broadway history, is coming to Hamilton. It is a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery.

Bringing the show to life will be one of New Zealand’s most experienced and talented directors, David Sidwell. … View more
CHICAGO, the second longest-running musical in Broadway history, is coming to Hamilton. It is a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery.

Bringing the show to life will be one of New Zealand’s most experienced and talented directors, David Sidwell. He’s assembled a cast of seasoned local performers and musicians who are all itching to get back on stage. He’ll be backed up by Music Director, Nick Braae and Choreographers Sonja McGirr-Garrett and Alexis Holmes.

CHICAGO opens at Clarence St Theatre on June 25th and runs for two weeks. Tickets are on sale at Ticketek.
Book now

Image
1268 days ago

Nominations for the Women of Influence 2021 Awards are now open

The Team from Women of Influence

The Women of Influence programme is back! Nominations are now open for the 2021 Awards.

The Women of Influence programme celebrates the incredible wāhine of Aotearoa, so shine a light on the passionate Kiwi women who are creating a real impact in your community and nominate them now.

We’re … View more
The Women of Influence programme is back! Nominations are now open for the 2021 Awards.

The Women of Influence programme celebrates the incredible wāhine of Aotearoa, so shine a light on the passionate Kiwi women who are creating a real impact in your community and nominate them now.

We’re pleased to bring you two new awards categories this year: Environment and Primary Industries. You can also nominate the inspirational women in your life in the Arts & Culture; Board & Management; Business Enterprise; Community Hero; Diversity; Innovation, Science & Health; Public Policy and Young Leader categories.

Nominate here: www.womenofinfluence.co.nz...

Thank you to this year’s illustrator Tess Costil for her inspiring artwork.
#womenofinfluence

Image
Top