Monday, January 24, 2011

Miele S7 Cat & Dog® vacuum named finalist in 2011 Housewares Design Awards

Stylish S7 Cat & Dog® vacuum contender for esteemed design award
Princeton, NJ – January 2011 – Miele, creator of the world’s first HEPA certified vacuum cleaner and innovation upon innovation since, announces that their new Miele S7 Cat & Dog® vacuum has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious Housewares Design Awards competition in the Floor Care Electrics category. Miele’s advanced S7260 Cat & Dog® vacuum is specifically designed to effectively remove pet hair and absorb carpet odors while retaining the dust, dirt and dander that can trigger allergies and asthma. Winners will be announced at the annual Housewares Design Awards presentation ceremony and luncheon on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at the world famous New York Marriott Marquis.
Miele’s unique Sealed System® technology, AirClean filtering dustbag and Active AirClean filter with odor absorbing charcoal makes the S7 Cat & Dog® vacuum the popular choice for pet lovers nationwide. The recognition is the first for the stunning Lotus White colored vacuum since its September 2010 launch. The entire Miele S7 series has garnered many eminent international awards and significant recognitions since its introduction in February 2009 including the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal (2010), iF Design Award (2010), Good Design Award (2010), Universal Design Award and Universal Design Consumer Favorite Honor (2010), Excellence in Design Award (EID, 2009) and the Red Dot Design Award (2009). Additionally, the leading US consumer advocacy magazine also confirms the effectiveness of Miele’s S7 in recent evaluations for performance and pet hair removal.  
“We are so excited that the prestigious Housewares Design Awards chose the popular Miele S7 Cat & Dog vacuum as a finalist,” states Paul McCormack, Spokesperson for Miele. “With over 320 entries, it’s not just an honor for Miele but for all the proud owners of pets across the country that embrace the product as an effective cleaning tool… they chose the right vacuum brand!”
An independent panel of judges selected the Miele S7 Cat & Dog® vacuum as the finalist based on superior design, appearance, function and originality. The Housewares Design Awards are presented by HomeWorld Business, with educational support from the International Housewares Association and sponsorship by the New York International Gift Fair.
Stand Out Details
  • Miele’s ultra-quiet Vortex Motor System™ delivers the powerful suction and airflow necessary to remove stubborn pet hair and is tested to last an incredible 20 years.1 Plus, it’s so quiet it won’t disturb a cat’s mid-afternoon nap or a dog’s beauty sleep.
  • The versatile and easy-to-maneuver S7 brush roller comes standard with an innovative automatic height adjustment that is ideal for all floor surfaces.  It automatically adjusts when transitioning from hardwood to high-pile carpet. This unique feature ensures proper airflow to remove dirt in one pass.
  • Patented SwivelNeck® technology allows the entire brush roller to effortlessly limbo under chairs, tables and dance around lamps and other objects, including pets!
  • As an added bonus, this new vacuum package includes a Mini-Turbobrush (model STB101) that’s ideal for grooming stairs, upholstery or car interiors. The Cat & Dog® also comes standard with four integrated specialty tools for cleaning upholstery, crevices and dusting surfaces high and low.
  • Independent tests prove that most other vacuums leak dangerous lung-damaging particles – NOT a Miele vacuum with advanced AirClean filtration. This is especially important when cleaning up after household pets, given their dander PLUS all the other 'things' they typically carry into the house from outdoors. The electrostatically charged material of the Miele AirClean filter bag traps micro-sized debris within nine layers of filtration and the spring-loaded self-sealing collar protects pet owners from inhaling any dust or dirt when replacing the bag. The complete study can be found on www.airtruth.com.
  • The S7260 Cat & Dog® vacuum comes in a stunningly modern Lotus White color. An LED headlight illuminates every piece of dirt, even those hidden in the hard-to-reach corners. The lightweight aluminum wand is so convenient that homeowners can carry the cat while vacuuming their comfort zone! 
  • The Miele Cat & Dog® vacuum retails for $715.

About Miele Vacuum Cleaners
Miele is the world’s largest family owned and operated appliance company, founded in 1899, and a leading maker of quality vacuums – legendary for their powerful performance, advanced filtration and brilliant design details that set the standard for floor care and cleaning.
Miele’s long heritage of vacuum firsts dates back 83 years to the use of Bakelite as a sound dampener in 1927, the advent of convenient integrated tools and stunning fashion colors in the 1960s to the world’s first HEPA-certified vacuums in the 1990s. Throughout the century, these award-winning advances have established Miele as the “must-have” status vacuum – hailed as “so smart it could start its own Mensa chapter” and “it’s like the BMW of vacuum cleaners.”
Beyond the frequent accolades, design awards and sleek good looks, Miele continues to focus on making vacuuming easier through patented new technologies like the S7 SwivelNeck® as well as longer cords, automatic flooring sensors, powerful Vortex Motor Systems™ and silence settings. Miele’s passion for quality and innovation has resulted in a vacuum that excels not only in cleaning performance, but also in the area of filtration. According to recent independent tests, there’s no other vacuum on the planet that removes dust, dirt and allergens as efficiently as a Miele canister or upright. Miele’s unique combination of AirClean filter bag, HEPA filter and Sealed System® design is 99.99+% effective in capturing lung-damaging particles. The key to this design is its hygienic self-closing AirClean filter bag whose revolutionary multi-ply filtering material helps homeowners dispose of the captured particles without coming in contact with them.
www.airtruth.com
www.mieleusa.com

About Miele
There are only a few brands in the world that have sustained their vision, traditions and high-quality standard for more than a century. Fewer still that can claim consistent family ownership and international brand name integrity. And only one that is recognized for creating the world’s most innovative appliances. Founded in Germany in 1899 with a single promise of Immer Besser, a phrase meaning Forever Better, Miele has dynamically grown to become the world’s largest family-owned and operated appliance company with over 16,600 employees, 12 production facilities, representation in nearly 100 countries and annual turnover of €2.83bn, approximately USD$3.62bn (2009/10).
As a premium appliance brand represented on all continents, Miele is steadfastly committed to the highest quality, performance and environmental standards. The company’s innovative heritage, state-of-the-art design and engineering aesthetic have inspired comparison to other powerhouse German brands synonymous with innovation: Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
Miele’s range of exceptional consumer appliances includes: vacuum cleaners; laundry systems; rotary irons; dishwashers; built-in convection, speed and steam ovens; cooktops; ventilation hoods; refrigeration; wine storage and coffee systems. Additionally, Miele Professional (the commercial product division) offers dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers and rotary irons for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors for medical, dental and laboratory applications. 
For more information, consumers and design professionals are invited to call 800.843.7231, log on at www.mieleusa.com or visit one of Miele’s modern product showrooms in Beverly Hills, CA; Boca Raton, FL; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Princeton, NJ; New York, NY; Wellesley, MA; San Francisco, CA; Scottsdale, AZ and Seattle, WA.
www.miele-sustainability.com


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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Stress Management for Couples who Own a Business Together and Charleston, SC

Our first venture out this year was to Charleston, SC for the PAII (Professional Association of Innkeepers International) conference.  It wasn't a trip we had been planning to take, but the stars aligned correctly and we decided to do it.  We are vendor members of PAII and had gone to their conference a few times before.  This year, they had invited me to speak about Stress Management & Preventing Burnout.

Stress Management is a topic that is near and dear to my heart and I have presented on this topic many times to many different groups. (To read more posts about Relaxation and Similar Topics, read this blog) Since my husband and I own a business together and many of the Innkeepers are owned/operated by couples, I was pretty excited about the opportunity.  I had a small, but powerful turn-out for my session.  I got wonderful comments and reviews for the session.  I hope to be able to speak to the PAII members again and maybe branch out into some more topics. We had a good time at the conference, met some wonderful Innkeepers and hope to someday be able to visit more of their Inns.

We took a carriage ride in Charleston, with Sean as our guide and John pulling our carriage.  We got there a little late, but the Old South Carriage Company sent someone to flag down the carriage so we could get on.
A view down a cobblestone street while in the carriage




We then did some shopping at some local shops:  First Stop was Classic Charleston where I bought a couple of Christmas ornaments, one was a hand-painted porcelain and I wish I knew the artist's name, but I'm not sure of the signature.  I also bought a pair of Sterling Silver earrings from Charleston Gate Jewelry.



My next stop was The Spice and Tea Exchange.  I loved this store and could have spent my whole vacation budget in here.  I did get three different kinds of rice and a couple of spice blends.  It was a wonderful shopping experience.  Next I got some wonderful buys on a sweater and a water color print of Rainbow Row at Boutique Henrietta.  Sadly, the reason why I got wonderful buys is because they are being squeezed out of their location because of a large rent increase.  I understand they do have another location.  My last stop for shopping was Charleston Crafts.  This is a must-stop if you love local art.  It is a cooperative and the artists take turns manning the shop.  Betsey Carter was manning the shop when we stopped in.  She does wonderful ceramics, including meditation stones.  We bought a Fragrance Diffuser jar that says "Gratitude."
I also bought a glass Christmas ornament from Don & Carole Carberry.

    

Our last stop of the evening was Bocci's for Italian Food.  All I can say is wonderful.  

I hope you have enjoyed my brief tour of Charleston.  And remember to breathe......

Shop online at www.vacshack.com
In the Oklahoma City area shop www.acleanerplace.com