Kapenga, Rotorua

1367 days ago

Pioneering Dementia Care

Bob Owens Retirement Village

Our village is a supportive and caring community with a focus on improving the lives of residents living with dementia.

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1372 days ago

Who needs a plant doctor?

Reporter Homed

UPDATE: Thank you for all your questions. We're picking the best to send off to the houseplant doctor from Kings Plant Barn and the answers will be published in an article on Homed soon.

Are your houseplants looking worse for wear? The experts at Kings Plant Barn would love to help. Send us … View more
UPDATE: Thank you for all your questions. We're picking the best to send off to the houseplant doctor from Kings Plant Barn and the answers will be published in an article on Homed soon.

Are your houseplants looking worse for wear? The experts at Kings Plant Barn would love to help. Send us your houseplant questions and problems to homed@stuff.co.nz, or leave them in the comments, for the houseplant doctor to diagnose. Pictures are encouraged.

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1370 days ago

Covid 19

Dennis from Lynmore

So Auckland goes into level 3 and the rest of us into level 2 because some people don’t abide by the rules and decide to go to work and possibly infect their work colleagues and customers how inconsiderate of them. These people should be made accountable for their actions

1369 days ago

Home hacks: Your best tips for cleaning jobs around the house

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

Most of these are free or inexpensive, and we can only assume they are tried and tested user-submitted hacks. It's interesting to note that the same everyday products crop up again and again, so let's hear it for dishwasher tabs. Here's what people to say...

IN THE KITCHEN

* … View more
Most of these are free or inexpensive, and we can only assume they are tried and tested user-submitted hacks. It's interesting to note that the same everyday products crop up again and again, so let's hear it for dishwasher tabs. Here's what people to say...

IN THE KITCHEN

* Dishwasher tabs are good to soak muffin trays and cake tins.
* I use dishwasher powder and a splash of bleach diluted in water to soak stained whites overnight. It will bring even whites that have been turned another colour in the wash back to sparkling white.
* Dishwasher powder works for the silver oven racks. I put them in a bath lined with an old towel, then add dishwasher powder, but the tablet would work and a bit of washing powder. Leave it to soak for four hours and it comes off pretty easily.
* To get tea stains off cups, use 1 tsp dishwasher powder and fill the cup up with hot water. Stir to dissolve the powder and let soak for a couple of hours. Put the cup in the empty sink so any overspill doesn't damage the benchtop.
* I clean my glass oven door with ash from my firebox. I clean my firebox glass door the same. Wet newspaper dipped in ash, rub all over glass, dry with clean newspaper. Brings it back like brand new. Used tea bags are also good with the ash.
* Got a pot which is filthy disgusting? Put a dishwasher tablet in put enough boiling water in to cover the filth, stick a lid on and leave over night. Amazing results.
* Soak your filters from the kitchen rangehood extractor fans in warm water and clothes washing powder. Grease and oil just melts off with no scrubbing at all. Good as new!
* Here are two tips to save your money. Let oven warm up. Once warm, the oil stain on door turns soft, and it just wipes off. Tip 2, if it's been baked on for years you just need a sharp blade. You can use one of those window scrapers, but no liquid. Scrape it (when warm); grab a vacuum and suck up all the dust.
* To clean stainless steel tub. Get a tube of Autosol from Mitre 10 or similar and clean with that. Have done it and it works brilliantly. First used to restore chrome on vintage car (brilliant) so gave it a go and delighted at the outcome.
* Oil of cloves is brilliant on mould. Smells a bit like dentist for an hour but it kills mould spores. The chemist sells it fairly cheaply, or Trade Me.
* We run a motel and polish the stainless steel every day. You need three rags. First rag works Polaris paste into the stainless steel. You end up with a rag caked with the paste. Add a little water and mop it up with a second rag. Then with a third clean rag you buff up the surface. We cut up old worn-out towels into squares to make rags.
Other cleaners such as Jif and Chemco also work, but Polaris gives the best shine.
* I put my oven racks and rangehood filters in the dishwasher and let that do the hard work. As soon as the cycle has finished, I remove the racks one at a time, closing the washer door between each one to keep hot, and just wipe over each rack with a Scotchbrite scourer dipped in hot water. The remaining grease marks come off easily; no hard rubbing needed. For the filters, I just rinse them in hot water and give them a good shake to remove as much water as possible then stand them on one edge outside to dry. I do this every three months and clean-up is easy. Oh, and if my oven door glass has grimy grease-spots, I use a putty scraper. It doesn't scratch the glass and it works a dream.

IN THE BATHROOM
* Try using dishwash liquid to clean your bath and shower, including the glass.
* Dishwasher tabs get brown stains out of your toilet.
* To get those stains off toilet bowls, use a very, very fine wet and dry sandpaper.
* Razor blades/paint scraper blades are awesome for removing water stains from around your taps or tiles.
* For the shower, I use 30 Seconds water spot remover to clean first. Then use Rain-X water repellent (the car windscreen stuff). The water just beads off the glass and makes cleaning easier. Reapply the Rain-X every few months when the beading has reduced.
* Try a piece of pumice – free from the beach. Wet the door and clean it with the pumice. It does a brilliant job and is also good on burnt saucepans.

FIREPLACE
* Dirty logburner glass? Dip a wet cloth in the ashes. Scrub with that.

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1369 days ago

Celebrate Community - March 1st to 31st 🎂

The Team from Neighbourhood Support New Zealand

This month is all about bringing your community together and having a great time! We want March to be all about celebrating the connections we have while making new ones along the way. As we all know, what makes a neighbourhood great isn’t the houses and cars, gardens and streets - it’s the … View moreThis month is all about bringing your community together and having a great time! We want March to be all about celebrating the connections we have while making new ones along the way. As we all know, what makes a neighbourhood great isn’t the houses and cars, gardens and streets - it’s the people who share their presence and aroha with each other.

A wonderful way to take part is to participate in Neighbours Day Aotearoa which takes place from 20 - 30th March. This year’s theme is ‘The Great Plant Swap’ - as an easy way for our neighbourhoods to grow stronger together. If you’re hosting an event, make sure to register it on their website: neighboursday.org.nz/join-in

Show us how you’re celebrating community this month by tagging us in your social media posts or emailing us your photos, videos, or experiences to: info@neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz

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1369 days ago

Support your local news

Mags4Gifts

Save $30 off RPP when you subscribe to your local newspaper at mags4gifts.co.nz, and enjoy the convenience of safe delivery straight to your home.

By subscribing, you will also be supporting our journalists across the country who work tirelessly to ensure you remain informed as situations … View more
Save $30 off RPP when you subscribe to your local newspaper at mags4gifts.co.nz, and enjoy the convenience of safe delivery straight to your home.

By subscribing, you will also be supporting our journalists across the country who work tirelessly to ensure you remain informed as situations evolve.
Take the offer

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1370 days ago

COVID-19 ALERT LEVEL UPDATE

The Team from New Zealand Police

From 6am tomorrow morning, Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 and the rest of New Zealand will move to Alert Level 2. The measures will remain in place for the next seven days.

More details available at www.covid19.govt.nz....

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1370 days ago

Your neighbourhood is now at Alert Level 2

Neighbourly.co.nz

**UPDATED:** 1.22pm Sunday 28 February

The Prime Minister and the Director-General of Health are currently providing an update to media in the Beehive.

Ardern has confirmed that health authorities have found a possible person to person link for how Case M and N picked up Covid-19. This could … View more
**UPDATED:** 1.22pm Sunday 28 February

The Prime Minister and the Director-General of Health are currently providing an update to media in the Beehive.

Ardern has confirmed that health authorities have found a possible person to person link for how Case M and N picked up Covid-19. This could eliminate concern that there are other chains of transmission to identify.

Ashley Bloomfield asked people to keep an eye out for atypical symptoms
"This new variant of the virus, the B117, does seem to be presenting with symptoms that are not the typical respiratory symptoms," he said.

If you have muscle aches, do consider this might be a Covid-19 symptom.
_____________________________________________________

Auckland is now at Alert Level 3 and the rest of the country will move to Alert Level 2 until at least 6 March.

Here's what you need to know:
- Case M, the latest Covid-19 case, is a 21-year-old male, the older sibling of a Papatoetoe High School student.
- If you have symptoms of concern, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or call your GP.
- Find your closest Covid-19 testing location on the Healthpoint website
- Essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.
- Customer-facing businesses will need to move to non-contact methods of payment and collection.
- See the full list of guidelines under Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 2
- Keep up-to-date with the latest by following the Stuff live blog

Neighbourly will be updating this message as further information comes to hand.

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1371 days ago

Tell us about a local business that makes your day?

Prospa

With the craziness of last year behind us, it’s time to give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2021 Prospa Local Business Hero awards – and they could be up for some fantastic prizes.

As NZ’s business lending specialists, we at … View more
With the craziness of last year behind us, it’s time to give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2021 Prospa Local Business Hero awards – and they could be up for some fantastic prizes.

As NZ’s business lending specialists, we at Prospa love seeing small businesses reach their goals with a faster, easier approach to business loans. And we’re proud to be back sponsoring the 2021 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
Nominate now

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1374 days ago

What's your experience with pre-fabricated homes?

Kelly Dennett Reporter from Sunday Star Times

The Sunday Star-Times is looking into the rise of transportable/ kit-set/ pre fabricated homes. The upsides are build-efficiency, quality of design, and cost. The downsides appear to be land supply, red-tape with council and difficulty getting lending from banks. If you're willing to share … View moreThe Sunday Star-Times is looking into the rise of transportable/ kit-set/ pre fabricated homes. The upsides are build-efficiency, quality of design, and cost. The downsides appear to be land supply, red-tape with council and difficulty getting lending from banks. If you're willing to share your experience - good or bad - email kelly.dennett@stuff.co.nz, otherwise leave a comment. Is there an aspect of transportable housing you'd like us to enquire about for you?

1372 days ago

Flower Power Wallpaper Release 2021

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

The perennial theme of botanical print in interior design will continue in 2021 and is unmistakable in the new Flower Power wallpaper collection from James Dunlop, launching February 2021.

Continuing to deliver on this popular trend, the Flower Power wallpapers showcase a retro aesthetic, … View more
The perennial theme of botanical print in interior design will continue in 2021 and is unmistakable in the new Flower Power wallpaper collection from James Dunlop, launching February 2021.

Continuing to deliver on this popular trend, the Flower Power wallpapers showcase a retro aesthetic, reflective of an era that embraced a maximalist approach to interior design.

The namesake of the collection Flower Power pays homage to the counterculture design movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which celebrated global design influences, bold pattern, stylised folk art and sundrenched colour.

Bold, geometric forms mix with romantic florals within eight new wallpaper designs that feel playful yet offer a comforting sense of nostalgia in both design and colour. These mid-century inspired patterned wallpapers will pair harmoniously with rattan, textured paint, exposed brick and warm timber, as well as tactile textiles such as boucle and corduroy.

The Flower Power collection embraces Visual Optimism, a design concept whereby joy can be cultivated via your visual environment. Featuring bold stylised floral motifs in eight unique patterns, these wallpapers will add personality to your home interiors or working space. Available in a playful palette of fresh nature inspired neutrals, with accent colours of gold, brown, emerald, teal, peach and pink. Whether you are looking for soft pastels, earthy tones or vibrant shades, the Flower Power collection offers a myriad of speciation opportunities.


Within the design community, trends across fashion and interiors are cyclical, with the past being a constant muse for today’s inspiration. The Flower Power collection allows you to either fully immerse yourself in nostalgic design of the 1960s and 70s through statement wallpaper in acid edged colour, or take a less literal approach with the small scale transitional patterns for a subtle and contemporary look.

Expertly printed in Europe onto non-woven backed heavy vinyl, these easy to hang wallpapers will inject joy into your residential or commercial environment. All wallpapers have the benefit of being washable, fire retardant and easily removable.


A subtle illustration of natures irregular and rhythmic texture. April offers a unique alternative to a plain textured wallpaper, for those after a hint of decoration. In a refined palette of gold and silver with an iridescent metallic finish, April is printed onto Non-Woven backed heavy vinyl creating a sophisticated solution for both residential and commercial spaces.


Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

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1372 days ago

Choosing an education in a covid world

St Peter's School

When New Zealand’s Alert Level 4 came into effect in March 2020, schools around the country faced the challenge of a transitioning from onsite to online learning.

As students adjusted to the shift in their educational environment, many schools were ill-prepared to move to quickly to online … View more
When New Zealand’s Alert Level 4 came into effect in March 2020, schools around the country faced the challenge of a transitioning from onsite to online learning.

As students adjusted to the shift in their educational environment, many schools were ill-prepared to move to quickly to online learning. Schools such as St Peter’s in Cambridge were readily prepared for a seamless transfer between classroom and digital learning.

With each student ready to use online platforms such as Google Classroom and Hangouts, a streamlined shift was enabled as soon as the lockdown occurred.

Find out why more families are choosing St Peter’s at our Open Day on 12 March.
Find out more

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1374 days ago

Learn basic everyday digital skills

Kanorau Digital

Have you got a mobile phone or tablet? Not sure how to work the thing? Let us help you with that.

Our short course will give you the skills to stay digitally connected to your friends and whānau.

• A variety of day and class times to choose from
• Learn with an experienced tutor
• … View more
Have you got a mobile phone or tablet? Not sure how to work the thing? Let us help you with that.

Our short course will give you the skills to stay digitally connected to your friends and whānau.

• A variety of day and class times to choose from
• Learn with an experienced tutor
• No fees

Call us on 0800 KANORAU (526 672) or visit our website.
Find out more

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1375 days ago

How to Prevent Mouldy Curtains and Blinds

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

Why does mould appear in the first place?
Mould grows in damp areas where there is a food source such as dust, dirt or organic material. That’s why single glazed or drafty windows, where condensation and dust are common, are often a problem area.

What are some tips for preventing mould … View more
Why does mould appear in the first place?
Mould grows in damp areas where there is a food source such as dust, dirt or organic material. That’s why single glazed or drafty windows, where condensation and dust are common, are often a problem area.

What are some tips for preventing mould growth?
Clean soft furnishings regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This usually involves a regular light vacuum, with less frequent dry cleaning or laundering. Regularly clean windows and wipe down window surrounds and venetian blinds or shutters with a mild detergent in warm water.

Does the material of the curtains affect how much mould will grow?
Yes, consider selecting window coverings manufactured from man-made materials, particularly in damp areas such as the bathroom, kitchen and on south-facing windows. It’s best to use a wipe-able, water-resistant blind or shutter in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens. Even man-made fabrics don’t cope well in those environments.

How do I remove the mould?
Once mould develops it’s best to nip it in the bud as early as possible with a thorough clean. Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

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1387 days ago

Monster wasp nest

The Team from Wasp Wipeout

Well, after a (relatively) quiet couple of summers, the vespula wasps have come back big time in some locations! Auckland and the Waikato are reporting big numbers and you may have seen this story about the monster nest found just outside of Nelson. We're continuing our efforts to control the … View moreWell, after a (relatively) quiet couple of summers, the vespula wasps have come back big time in some locations! Auckland and the Waikato are reporting big numbers and you may have seen this story about the monster nest found just outside of Nelson. We're continuing our efforts to control the wasps through the Wasp Wipeout project, but did you know you can help as well? For information on how to help or DIY click here: bit.ly... You can also donate to the project here: givealittle.co.nz...

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