Shinewe LED Bulbs

ShineWe aim to provide affordable eco-friendly lighting that significantly helps you cut down on your monthly lighting bills. Follow us in our movement towards a greener and brighter future. Our products are Simply Brilliant.

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Recently we were given a selection of the amazing ShineWe products to review

 

•  Standard A19 Clear B22 Warmwhite

This was the bulb we opted to put into the childrens room.
I think most parents know the inability that children have for turning off a light when they have finished.
Our powerbills are huge and we think this was a contributing factor so the chance to be able to know that each time it was left on, wasn’t going to incur us a huge fortune, was a big relief.

 

 

•  3U Series

•  Having an extremely dark lounge space, we opted to put the 3UM into our lounge to enable the best use of light. We have 4 lights in our lounge but they are situated around the outside walls of the room and are inside shades meaning the lighting is always going to be dimmed.
Obviously night times are spent in this room so to have 4 lights operating can get expensive, but to reduce the bulbs would mean an even darker room which wasn’t particularly ideal when trying to do work at night time. The 3U are a brighter bulb with the3UL replaces over 120w and the 3UM replaces around 90w.

 

•  2U Series

•  The 2U series offers around a 60w replacement, so slightly dimmer than the 3U series but was great for places like our hallway, bathroom etc where we needed a good light source, but it didn’t have to be a particularly bright one. I loved that it seemed to be quite a ‘soft’ light which was great for night times when you get up but don’t want to be hit with an intensely bright light.

 

 

So overall ?  I loved that these lights could just fit anywhere that previous bulbs have been and could be just put in like a normal bulb.
Not knowing a lot about LED, I had always presumed that LED lights were brighter than other lights but that wasn’t the case with these bulbs  (which is a good thing)
Another big plus for me was that they don’t get as hot as other bulbs. Sure, they get warm – but they’re not generating a heat that can’t be touched so should they be touched by little hands somewhere along the way, there wont be any damage done.
I did find with the A19’s that when we turned off the lights, they glowed for a little while afterwards (something the kids actually liked) but whereas they take a little while to totally turn off, turning them on is instant. None of this ‘warmup’ business, the light is at it’s brightest straight away.
After having them for not quite 2 months, I did notice a drop in our powerbill. Actually it was quite a significant drop which although I believe is partly because of the longer daylight hours, but I also believe that the bulbs are a big contributing factor and I LOVE that.
I guess my only negative would be the initial outlay to purchase the bulbs but once you have them, you know you’re going to get many many MANY hours of cheap lighting – and that has to be good.
I’d rate them a solid 9/10 with them only losing a point for the cost involved.
HUGE thank you to ShineWe for the chance to see how great these bulbs work

Map Bella Espresso Machine

 

“Create the perfect espresso using the stylish and compact Map Bella coffee machine. An easy to use capsule machine with 3 programmable coffee options.”
NZ Facebook Page

 

One of our lovely members shared their review of MAP Bella, and thought they would be a product others could be interested in! Thanks to ‘Sophie’

“Review of MAP Bella
I was lucky enough to have won this amazing machine – when it arrived I was a bit nervous wondering, if I could use it as I have had Espresso machines and always struggled to froth the milk right of get the coffee win enough! Well my fears were not needed, the machine has a water tank and you lift it out fill it with water, you then lift the handle of the machine and place a pod in that gap with the lid still on, push the handle down so the pod drops into the machine. Then you choose from one of the three size coffees you would like, push the button and thats it! I also won a automatic milk frother which is also very simple, by getting the milk frother going at the same time as you start the coffee machine, it all times pretty well and makes a VERY yummy, smooth coffee… I think it is compariable to any coffee I have had in a shop and the pods work out to be $1 each (alot cheaper than buying in a cafe) The machine itself is super modern looking and I have the red one which goes amazing in my red and cream kitchen, there are other colours available. It takes up minimal space and is very easy to clean… At the moment Harvey Norman are selling the combo of the machine and frother for $339.”

Thanks again for sharing this review! And if any of you are interested in purchasing this great machine, they are available ‘here‘  and you can buy other great face plates for them in aubergine, black, blue, green, lime & orange

Semco 83CO Sewing Machine

Semco 83CO Sewing Machine
Review by Chrissi McPherson

I wanted to increase my craft skills and complete some projects a bit faster, so I decided to buy a sewing machine – nothing too fancy, as it’d been a while since my high school sewing lessons, and I didn’t have much to spend on it, so just a nice, basic, “just a few stitch types” type machine. The options even for this are amazing, and the sales people will try to up-sell you as well. I settled on a nice cheap Semco 83CO for $189.99 from Spotlight, I then got this reduced with the help of a Spotlight VIP club (free to join) voucher – down to $139.99. Bargain, I thought. Yes, you still have to get thread and material, but I had a fair bit of that already at home. So I trundled my new purchase home and in between little Mr’s play, cuddles and feeding (which left maybe a couple of hours a day while he sleeps before I need to sleep as well), I got some sewing done over the next few weeks.

As a general note, the machine isn’t too heavy, is easy to put together (comes assembled except for pugging in the power cable/foot treadle), and all the extra bits (i.e. bobbins, spare feet, other bits and bobs) where all stored safely in the small storage compartment that you remove to get at the bobbin holder. The manual is easy to follow with clear instructions.

 

One of the first things I wanted to do was make a blanket for my friend’s new baby (her second). The little one was born 8 weeks early, but was supposed to be coming home soon, so I wanted a nice present especially for him that shouldn’t be out-grown too quickly. I settled on a quick patchwork style using only 3 fabrics on the front, and then a soft fleece backing and edge material.

Given that I hadn’t used a sewing machine in years, I picked it up again really easily, just a couple of refers to the manual for things specific to this model, then I was away. The stitches flowed easily, and it seemed like the blanket was done in no time. There was a couple of hiccups though : I learnt that you should choose your fabrics very carefully – the softer fleece material didn’t like being pushed through the foot much, so I ended up with fluffy bits all over the foot – need to make sure I keep cleaning that off or it’ll get nasty quickly, and the thread tensioner sometimes grabbed the thread from the spool too hard, so when the needle tried to make a stitch, the thread wasn’t available, the thread would snap and I’d have to stop, tie off that point, re-thread the machine, move back a bit and start again on that section. It made the work a bit more time consuming, but given the price of the machine, I can’t really complain too much. The one time I got the threads completely mangled and couldn’t even get the needle out, the manual had an answer which worked.

Overall, for a basic sewing machine, it does what it’s supposed to do. I would recommend it for anyone wanting a starter machine, but competent sewers would probably find it a bit too limited.

As an added bonus, both the cat and my little Mr thought the box was fun to play with (but not at the same time).

Yonanas

 The Healthy Dessert Maker

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• Looks and tastes like soft serve ice cream!
• Make delicious, creamy, low-cost,healthy frozen treats in just minutes!
• As you look for ways to boost your intake of minerals and vitamins, improve your athletic performance or shed those unwanted pounds, you might not have to look much further than a simple banana. Available year round in its own environmentally-friendly packaging, the Banana is a healthy choice for the young and the old. Your yonanas maker will turn those over-ripe bananas into a delicious and creamy treat that looks and tastes like soft serve ice cream

Reasons to buy a Yonana machine

• Low in Calories– A bowl of Simply Yonanas (1/2 C serving) = approximately 100 calories. Add in your favourite fruits like blueberries and raspberries or even some high antioxidant dark chocolate and you have created a healthy and delicious treat. The calories may bump up a little bit but you started with an amazing fruit foundation!.
  High in Potassium – Bananas are high in potassium, a mineral that helps in the building of muscles and protein synthesis.
  Natural – Bananas contain all natural energy from three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose and glucose. No other fruit contains more digestible carbohydrates.
  No ‘extras’– Bananas contain NO sodium, fat or cholesterol.
  High in Fiber – Bananas are high in fiber and much of its fiber is soluble, the kind that can help lower cholesterol.
  Brain Food – Bananas are called “brain food” because of its high level of potassium, important for the brain to function.
  Mood Food –Called the “good mood food,” Bananas contain Vitamin B6 and tryptophan content, which help elevate feelings of pleasure
  Vitamins – Yonanas are a great natural source of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, and even protein
  
  Add your own –When you add in other fruits and nuts like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, peanuts, almonds to the base of bananas, you add more nutrition including: vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, folate, iron, calcium, protein, manganese, more potassium and dietary fiber, and loads of antioxidants, making Yonanas a super Superfood.

Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaning System

Lift-Off Deep Cleaning System

Bissell Website
Bissell Facebook
This Bissell lift off deep cleaning system is a powerful and effective way to deep clean carpets.

• Portable spot cleaner removes to clean spots & stains, stairs, car interiors and more  
• Surround Suction for edge-to-edge cleaning
• Built-in hot water heater for maximum cleaning 
• Includes stain tool for hard-to-reach areas
• 12 cleaning rows on 2X DirtLifter Powerbrushes
• Sprays, scrubs and suction cleans carpet –

Regular deep cleaning is a great way to refresh your home and to protect your carpet from wear and discoloration. Not only does frequent deep cleaning protect the investment in your home, but parents of young children, pet owners and people with allergies may find cleaning especially beneficial.
Deep cleaning is a carpet cleaning process that loosens and removes most harmful dirt and ground in grit, which may be deep down in your rugs and carpets. The deep cleaning process combines vacuum suction, brushing action, hot water and cleaning solution to clean beyond the surface of your carpet.
BISSELL recommends deep cleaning your carpet with an upright or canister deep cleaner at least twice a year – but if you have children, pets, allergies or a smoker in your home you may need to deep clean more often. Using a portable deep cleaner to keep up with unexpected spots and stains in between will help you maintain that fresh and crisp feeling your home has after a thorough deep cleaning.
Vacuums, even the best ones simply can’t reach the deep-down dirt at the base of your carpet fibers. The average home has over 200,000 bacteria per square-inch of carpet. That’s 400 times more than your toilet seat
The deep cleaning process is engineered to reach the dirt vacuums leave behind.

Bissell Steam and Sweep

Steam & Sweep

Bissell Website
Bissell Facebook
Features of the Bissell Steam and Sweep

• Can be used as a steam mop, a sweeper, or both at the same
  time to clean in fewer steps and less time  
• One‐pass wet/dry pick‐up leaves floors clean and spotless
• Part of the BISSELL titanium steam mop range
• Removable water tank, swivel mop head, Steam on Demand
  trigger all make the Steam & Sweep convenient and easy to
  use 
• Water filter extends the life of the product by removing harsh
  minerals & ions from tap water
• 100% chemical free cleaning
• Safe for virtually all hard floor types –

Steam mops have a lot of competition these days. In order to stand out from the others, a good steam mop has to offer a feature that sets it apart from the rest. The Bissell 46B4 Steam & Sweep manages to do just that by featuring an all-in-one function that both vacuums and steam cleans hard floors.

With most steam mops, manufacturers recommend that you thoroughly sweep the floor free of all dust and surface dirt before you start steam cleaning. With the Bissell Steam and Sweep, you can get everything done with one unit. The Bissell vacuums the floor clean first, saving you time and energy.

One thing  about the Steam & Sweep is that it’s lighter than other models and can be easily lifted and moved from floor to floor. It also has a convenient swivel-head mop that digs deep into tight corners and maneuvers easily around obstacles. Another plus is its 30-foot power cord, which makes it easy to move the unit from room to room. The Steam & Sweep comes with its own washable, reusable mop pads, and you can order replacements from Bissell.

The Bissell Steam & Sweep runs on water alone, so you don’t have to purchase expensive — and potentially harmful — chemical solutions for your floor. The steamer heats up quickly, and the unit has a removable water tank for easy refilling.

Bissell Lift-Off Steam Mop

Lift-Off Steam Mop

Bissell Website
Bissell Facebook
In the world of steam mops, there are certain features that are must-haves, such as being quick-steaming, a capability to clean a variety of surfaces and a rotating mop head to get into those awkward spots. The Bissell Lift-Off manages to combine all of these features with another plus — a detachable hand-held steamer that comes with a long hose extension for tough-to-reach spots.

Features of the Bissell Lift-Off Steam Mop

• 2 machines in 1!  
• Conveniently clean your hard floors and above- floor surfaces with powerful steam
• Detachable steam pod with hose cleans sinks, grout, tile and more
• 100% chemical free 
• Variable steam control so you can control steam pressure
• Multiple cleaning attachments specialized for different surfaces
• 2 mop pads with built-in Microban® antibacterial protection –

The Bissell Lift-Off cleans, deodorizes and disinfects using steam and water alone, so you don’t have to purchase expensive chemical cleaners that can be odorous and harmful to children and pets. This mop is especially useful for disinfecting and deodorizing linoleum and hardwood floors, as well as kitchen and bathroom surfaces, grout and tile.

One very impressive feature of the Lift-Off is its steam control function, which allows you to adjust the amount of steam saturation you want over a specific area. You’ll also love the unit’s ability to heat up in just seconds. Another user-friendly feature is the handy “ready” light which comes on to tell you when the steam is ready and you’re good to go. As an added plus, the Bissell is not only easy to use, but also easy to assemble. The mop head rotates, making it easy to maneuver into tight spots.

Stain Remover Stick

Simply Stain Stick
Use on laundry, linens and leather
Available from
Live Simply

Our Stain Remover Stick is biodegradable and easy to use. Just rub on the stain. Great for carpets and upholstery too

Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Sodium Metasilicate, Surface Active Agents.
Removes: Ink, wine, blood and food stains

Recently at our Butterfly Creek Event, Mums received a sample of this amazing product and I know that at our house, it has already had it’s first test of time.

My darling 2 year old son, who loves to express himself via his drawings, decide that his 19 year old sisters WHITE sheets would be his next canvas for his work of art. He was mighty pleased with himself when he presented his ‘ticture’ (picture) of a tractor (his favourite word which is very clear). Done in a lovely orange felt pen (as his 6 year old sisters where he got this), needless to say the 19 year old was not quite as impressed as he was.
Out came the Simply Stain Stick to cover where he’d drawn and then into the washing machine it went.
OMG – the entire picture came completely out. You would never have known there was a single mark on there.
Needless to say – we are now firm believers in this product

We have 3 of these left over from the meet which we would like to send to 3 people to try for themselves and let us know what they think.
If you DIDN’T attend the Butterfly Creek Meet and get one of your own, then please put your name down by 5pm tomorrow (23rd Nov) and we will draw out 3 names

Bissell Little Green

Bissell   ‘Little Green’
Bissell Link  HERE 

Strong spray and suction with eco-friendly design – contains at least 50% recycled plastic 

• 3 inch stain tool helps you scrub stains away
• Sprays and suctions to dry in one step
• 48 oz dirty tank capacity

Is the Little Green™ as effective at cleaning as a full size machine?
Yes. Also, the Little Green™ has an important advantage. Little Green’s long vacuum and power cord let you clean those hard-to-reach spots and spills on stairs and upholstery in your home as well as your auto or RV interiors.

Is the Little Green™ safe for all carpet and upholstery types?
The BISSELL Little Green™ is safe and effective on virtually all carpets – although certain wools require extra special care. We recommend following the carpet and upholstery manufacturer fabric treatment instructions before using Little Green™.

What are the advantages of using the Little Green™ versus store bought chemical cleaners?
Unlike store bought chemical cleaners which are simply sprayed on a stain or rubbed in with a cloth – pushing the stain deeper into carpet and upholstery fibers – Little Green™, with its powerful suction, lifts-up spills before they set-in.

Review 1

I had seen these advertised on the Bissell Facebook page and my first impression was that it looked like a handy machine to have in a house that combines small children and a couple of adults that are a wee bit on the clumsy side lol. So when Bissell said that they were offering one of these machines to us to review, I was over the moon.

Being a small machine I wondered just how good it would really be, I mean how tough could such a little cleaner be ?
Well….let me just say that you will NOT be disappointed.

I have tried the Little Green on a couple of spots on the carpet but haven’t really tested it as such (that is coming either today or tomorrow), and I am already in love.
My ‘vegemite’ stains are a thing of the past, and when my darling 5 year old knocked over a drink of Apple & Blackcurrent last night, out came the Little Green and it just sucked it all up straight away.

The real test for me was our lounge suite. After 6 years of children’s dirty hands, an electricians black hands, animals etc etc our lovely green lounge suite was more of a dirty brown/green and I had decided that I was going to give the Little Green a test beyond tests.

It was so easy to clean the couch etc, and it was no effort at all and OMG the dirt that came out of it was discusting.
A simple squeeze of the trigger and the nozzle distributes an easy stream of liquid across the area, you can then scrub with the brush, or simply just suck the liquid up again. Obviously the scrubbing is going to get in deeper, but even just a spray and vacuum made a huge difference.
Now admittedly, it did leave the carpet/couch damp but it certainly wasn’t what I would consider wet, and by the time the girls came home from school, it was completely dry (and yesterday was not a hot day by a long shot)

Would I recommend this cleaner to other families ?
Most definately !!!
It’s small and easy to find a spot where it can always be on hand, easy to use, and OMG the power that this little machine has is nothing short of amazing.
If you have children (or someone who’s great at making a mess) then I would totally recommend this to you

 Review 2

I honestly rate this machine! Both my husband and I LOVED it…we cleaned the car seats, as we have young children in the car, and WOW! It was amazing! The car smelled so much nicer, looked cleaner, and best of all dried SO quickly too. The couch was like ewwww look at all that grose stuff coming off!!!!
And JUST on queue, as we were due to take the machine over to Debbe’s place…my son spilled orange juice onto the carpet…so whipped this out, was SO quick…sucked the excess, and then squirted the solution on and cleaned it, took under a minute all up…and not a SINGLE mark!! YUS!
We have a purple stain on the carpet, and it made some good progress with lightening this. It’s been there for a few months now, so this is great! I reckon if we were to work on it regularly, it would probably fade to almost being gone! Wish I’d taken some before and after shots, as it really did a great job!
The size is quite practical, it was easy to carry around and also pop into the cupboard too. The amount of solution it stores is quite handy, as if you are using it for spots, you arent going to need heaps all at once, and the machine seems to not use HEAPS for a tiny wee spot either. You wouldnt need to regularly re-fill it all the time.
The size of the nozzle is just perfect, it fitted nicely into my hand, was easy to hold onto. It also got into the couches too, yet it was also big enough when working on spots on the carpet, it didnt take me TOO long to do it. The wide spray is great too.
The ONLY thing I could see as an improvement, would be a slightly longer hose, as it was too short for my personal liking. I had to move it quite regularly…but then again, I was testing it, so was cleaning my whole couch, where as if I was to own one, I wouldnt have to do this regularly, so it probably wouldnt annoy me
We(my husband and I…he was quite liking this wee machine) gave this a 9/10! And we are keeping an eye out for when this comes on sale, especially with just having bought a new lounge suite…and having children…this machine is a MUST!

Review 3

I picked up the Bissell Little Green yesterday. When I got home, I just put it down in the lounge and ignored it. But this morning, it turned out to be the best timing ever for having it on hand. Daylight savings has caused us all to be early risers. With Leandra up a 6:30am (unheard of)!

So there she was in Daddy’s recliner, having her breakfast. Now, she is generally very careful and not at all clumsy. That’s why she is allowed to sit there. But this morning, a little bit groggy still and WHOOPS! She drops half a cup of banana milk ALL OVER Daddy’s chair. The look on her face was pure terror. Luckily for her, we had Little Green on hand.

Usually what I would do in this situation is to get the ol’ baking soda out, and scrub that into the chair with a toothbrush. Then I would flood the area with warm water and lastly try and pat the water, milk and baking soda out of the chair. The cushion is not removable, so it’s just a complete pain in the butt.

This time, I plugged Little Green in. I sprayed some of the solution onto the milky patch. I let Little Green pull out all the liquid from the chair. I turned Little Green off. All done and dusted in less than 5 minutes. Came home this afternoon and the chair was a little damp still (we don’t get a lot of sunlight in that room), but looking just fine and no bad milk smells either.

How easy! How convenient! I do love this little machine. It has already saved me a good 30 minutes of work (or even more) and the stress of rushing around on a busy work morning!

Thanks MUMSreview and Bissell for letting me try this magic machine

To read more reviews, check out our forum HERE