BISSELL® CrossWave® Pet Pro Review

I finally got the new BISSELL® CrossWave® Pet Pro Multi-Surface Wet Dry Vac and the short of it; I’m ecstatic! I’ve been using it for about seven months.

Pardon the unfinished wall. This is my kitchen in the raw!

Let me share with you why I still love this machine…

As my readers know, I have the original CrossWave, (the lime green one; Oh Bissell, please bring back that happy color!). (CrossWave review here.)  I purchased the “purple” Pet Pro a few months back and let me tell you, there is ZERO learning curve from the first one. The main difference is the pet hair strainer/debris catcher. I didn’t think it would be all that useful, but I was WRONG. It makes the job even easier. The strainer lifts out easily and I can just toss out the debris in the trashcan. It’s very useful and saves me from having to reach my hand into the container to scoop out the pet hair/solids.

Pet hair/debris strainer.

Quick recap: Parts copied from my other post on the original CrossWave. Check it out! 🙂 Plus there is a video you can check it out here… That video is on the original lime green machine. Everything about it is pretty much the same as the Pet Pro.

BISSELL^® created BISSELL Pet Foundation^®. Their mission: to help save homeless pets. I’m all about that cause!

The ability to vacuum and wash at the same time is so amazing.

BISSELL^® says: Goodbye pet hair wrap! The Tangle-Free Brush Roll scrubs to remove debris and minimizes annoying pet hair wrap.** ^**Tested with hair length up to 8 inches…

**I can attest to the pet hair under 8″. I haven’t noticed any pet hair clinging to the brush tool. My hair does get wrapped up in it, though the hair seems to catch in the center and on both ends. To be fair, my hair is pushing 24″. Cutting the hair away is super simple and comes away very easily. Definitely not a deal breaker.

There is a separate compartment for the clean water and a separate one for the dirty water. How cool is that?

Touch of a button and clean water shoots out over the brush. I like that it doesn’t spray out, but goes gently over the brush tool, dispersing the water nicely.

I have used this on polished concrete floors, wood floors, vinyl, and ceramic. I’ve also lifted this onto my couch to clean a spot. (Yes, it worked. I wouldn’t tell you to do that. 😉 This machine is awesome!). I’ve put this to the test many times and on many types of flooring and I can say that it cleans any flooring beautifully.

I have used this on rugs and carpet with fantastic results.

This machine has a lot of suction power! I have yet to find a comparable “wash and vac” machine with this much suction. Nothing beats this BISSELL^®CrossWave^®!

Got me up off my knees! Which…Eased back tension. Try washing floors on your hands and knees. It’s not easy. If this is you, you’ll thank me for getting the CrossWave^® 🙂

Gave me back time! From the moment my eyes open, I’m on the go. The CrossWave^® has saved me time! Lots of time!

Two in one; vacuums and washes at the same time. Now who doesn’t love a two in one? Did I mention that already? 😉

Eliminate multiple “tools”. This replaces many.

Easy to use. Maneuverability and size of this machine make it easy to move about my home.

Still easy to take apart and clean. Takes me 5 minutes or less.

Not a big cumbersome machine. Storing it in a small space is very doable.

Makes cleaning fun! Not as fun as eating chocolate cake or hiking with my favorite peeps, though I save time using it so I can have fun eating said cake and going on a fun hike!

I love it so much, I bought two!

It’s a workhorse. I use this a minimum of one time a day, though a usual day is two and sometimes three. I know that sounds excessive, but I really enjoy squeaky clean floors and I have a lot of fur babies.

I can’t tell you how nice it is to put a new post out there and connect and re-connect with you all. I hope this finds you happy and healthy. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to give this a look-at! Until next time…

Peace, Koko❀

 

Bissell Crosswave Review

Bissell came out with a new one! In this post, I will be reviewing the older model. And will compare the two using their site for reference.

Let me begin by saying how much I love my Bissell! It really is a game changer. You can watch the review here on youtube, if you don’t want to watch it, please read on.

What this machine does is it vacuums and washes your floor at the same time! If you are tired of being on your hands and knees scrubbing your floors, if you have kids, pets, a lot of foot traffic, just want clean floors….this is for YOU! It’s lightweight and easy to use and easy to clean. Buy it! I’m seriously in love with this machine. It has saved me so much time and time is something you can’t get back! It has helped my back, as in it got me up off the floor. I can now have clean floors without the stress on my back. Did I mention how much I love this?!

Here it is in all its glory!

Pretty!

Easy push button for different surfaces.

This button releases clean water.

 

Only a few parts. Makes things nice and easy!

All parts easy to put on and take out of machine.

This Crosswave vacuums and washes at the same time, saving me so much time and not to mention energy. (I know i’ve already said it! I’m just so excited about this machine!) It used to take me hours to wash my entire house floors. As the years went by, I’d have to break up my home into sections because it was getting difficult to scrub and clean for so long on my hands and knees. I’d been trying to find a better way. I tried many “tools”, mop, swifter, other types of things attached to a pole and nothing would clean the way I would, using my own hands. There had to be a better way and gosh did I find it! I know this sounds like a bad commercial, but seriously, this machine has given me time back not to mention I’m not exhausted from cleaning. My back thanks me. (I know I’m repeating myself! Haha)

Now if you have the “green” Crosswave; the original or if you have the new “purple” one; the Crosswave Pet Pro, you can’t go wrong. I haven’t used the Pet Pro yet and I no doubt will pick one up so I can show you the difference. In the meantime, from all that I’ve read, the difference that I can find are the bristles on the roller for the Pet Pro might be a smidge longer (could be because mine is worn) and on the Pet Pro there is a “pet hair” strainer. Both new features will fit on the older model and can be purchased through them! Way to go Bissell. Thank you for making something that can enhance the old model without having to purchase a whole new machine.

So this “fur/debris” catcher fits inside the container that catches all the dirty water. It’s like a strainer so you can easily pull out the debris and toss it in the trash and the dirty water you can dump down sink or flush down the toilet. I wouldn’t normally buy this as I don’t find taking out the clumps of hair by hand an issue, however I will, so I can review it for you at a later date.

The (maybe) longer bristles on the “new” roller is something I am very interested in, so I do see myself purchasing that even if I wasn’t reviewing it (I wouldn’t mind a new brush anyway). They also have two other rollers; one for wood floors and one for rugs. I’m going to definitely buy the multi surface roller and will probably succumb to the wood floor and rug roller attachments too, just so I can see how well they work. FYI, the multi surface roller that I have been using works perfectly for all the surfaces that I’ve used it on.

Again, kudos to Bissell for making new attachments that fit the older model. I wish the Pet Pro was the same color as the original Crosswave. I’m not fond of that purple on a machine I use so constantly it is like a piece of furniture in my house! Hahaha. Other than the color, I am a fan! Insert cheering here* woohoo!

You can check out more details on Bissell’s site here!

So, should you buy this? For me it was a no brainer. I’ve been using this crosswave going on two years. I think in the video I said I use it 2-3 times a week. I probably use it 3-4 times on average. Some weeks I’ve used it daily. Basically this machine gets used! A lot! And still running like a champion.

Got me up off my knees! Which…

Eased back tension.

Gave me back time! From the moment my eyes open, I’m on my feet doing something. The Crosswave saved me time! Lots of time! Time you can’t get back!

Two in one; vacuums and washes at the same time.

Eliminate multiple “tools”. This replaces many.

Easy to use. Maneuverability and size of this machine make it easy to move about my home.

Easy to clean. Simple and easy to clean the machine when done using.

Not a big cumbersome machine. Storing it in a small space is very doable.

Makes cleaning fun! Not as fun as eating chocolate cake or hiking with my favorite peeps, though I save time using it so I can have fun eating said cake and go hiking!

If you are teetering on if you should buy this, know that Bissell is donating up to $1,000,000 a year to BISSELL® Pet Foundation™3. That’s pretty awesome to me!

Q and A

How much can you clean before having to dump the tank? On the Bissell site, it says, “700 sq feet”. Just so you all know, dumping out the container isn’t a big deal. Seriously simple and easy and fast.

What kind of surfaces can you use the Crosswave on? On the Bissell site, it says, “Sealed wood, sealed laminate, tile, and linoleum as well as area rugs!” On my video I say I even use it on my carpeted stairs and in the garage. I would also use it on a room that had carpet, but I’m not telling you to do that! 😉

Do you need to vacuum first? I vacuum sometimes before I use the Crosswave, but it isn’t necessary. I have a lot of furry four-legged family members. I vacuum anywhere from 2-4 times a day and I Crosswave a lot during the week.

Thank you sooooo much for popping in here At-Kokos-Place! If you have this machine, I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you have any more questions, please mention them in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Have a happy day and happy cleaning!

Hugs and Peace,

Koko

If you know someone that this post would benefit, please share/follow. I so appreciate you and thank you in advance! 

 

 

 

 

Ninja Coffee Bar with Glass Carafe

I had a Cuisinart Coffee maker I had been using for almost three years. The review on that can be found here . I really liked that coffee maker. A lot! At almost three years, the machine itself started leaking water. The coffee maker still worked, but the side where it made hot water sprung a leak. I tried taking it apart to see where it was coming from and I found the parts I would need just wasn’t worth it to fix. Enter the Ninja Coffee Bar with Glass Carafe!

This is the Ninja Coffee Bar with Glass Carafe!

I looked at a few dozen types of coffee pot machines and after careful thought, I decided on this Ninja. It didn’t hurt that it was on sale at Target! I believe I picked it up for less than half the price. Winning! 🙂

Ninja’s words…”Ninja has a patent-pending brewing technology designed to deliver better, richer- tasting coffee with variable richness levels that are never bitter. Only the Ninja Coffee Bar® brewer has Thermal Flavor Extraction, which truly unlocks the full flavor potential of your coffee using automated controls for Temperature Calibration, Pre-infusion & Coffee Saturation.”

The settings brews four types of coffee; classic, rich, over-ice, specialty. I have used them all. It’s stepped up my coffee game! Classic Brew is what I’d call a regular brew, a nice perfectly brewed coffee. I like this setting when I drink it black. The Rich Brew is a bolder flavor. And by bold I don’t mean bitter. Just a nice stronger flavor. If you use milks or creams, I find you don’t lose out on that coffee flavor. Using the Over Ice Brew makes the coffee even richer so as not to lose any coffee flavor when pouring over ice. No watered down taste! The Specialty Brew is even more concentrated coffee, making the coffee flavor just right when making any type of “fancy” concoctions. It comes with a recipe booklet too. Tweaking the recipes to my tastes is a lot of fun. WE have coffee bar nights where we pick a recipe to try! A great “party” theme.

Their trademarked Ninja Easy Frother™ is such a simple design that does the job very well! I’ve had other frothers, yet there’s something about this one that sets it apart. To me, it froths the milk much faster and the consistency of the froth is much thicker.

This coffee pot doesn’t have a filter. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me as I use filtered water anyway, though I  had to “get over” not having my coffee double filtered, hahaha! As it turns out, it’s good in the way that I don’t have to remember to change the filter (and the cost savings of buying them) and have to deal with another compartment to keep clean. And speaking of keeping it clean, this pot is very easy to clean. The machine comes apart easily. Nothing tricky about it. Seriously easy!

The reservoir is a neat feature. Ninja’s Auto-iQ™ One Touch Intelligence feature sends out the right amount of water you need depending on what size you want. Super cool! I keep it full of filtered water, so making a cup, half a pot, or full pot is quick and easy. You can remove the water container to fill it or you can pour water into it from another pitcher or other vessel (which is what I do most of the time).

See that silver round piece? It flips down and that is where you set your cup for that single serving cup. Flipping it back up allows you to make a travel sized mug full of coffee, or of course, a half pot or full pot.

What I like about this feature is you can make that single serving or travel mug size without using those “pods”. I have yet to meet a pod that made a decent cup of coffee or tea for that matter. By the way… I’ve used this machine to make yerba mate tea! It does a fantastic job at brewing it just right! How does it know? 😉

My only “con” about this set up…the mouth of the carafe is small. You can’t fit your hand inside to clean it. So, you need a bottle brush or something like that to clean it effectively. This is not a complete deal breaker, however, if I were looking at two coffee makers, both being equal, but one had the traditional carafe opening, I would buy the wider opening. Ninja does sell a soft sponge brush for $5.95. See the video I made below to so see how I clean my carafe!

Am I blue…yes I’m blue…

But the happy kind of blue!

This post was inspired by an awesome blogger at http://buttersugarflowers.com/ She makes the most delicious cakes.  I can’t wait to make the hazelnut cake.  I think will be a favorite of mine!

Okay back to nails…This is called Cartwheels On the Catwalk!  I guess with hundreds and hundreds of “blues” out on the market, you have to get creative with the names.  😉  I do like this color.  Fun and goes with everything!  I painted on three coats.  I didn’t paint a bottom coat or top coat and the polish has been on for almost 2 weeks.  Yep worn at the tips of nails but remember I play in dirt almost daily and built two garden gates as well as my normal lawn care every three days or so.  So for this polish to stand up to that and so much more (don’t want to bore you totally) it’s saying something.  I just took it off before I sat down to write this and it wiped off scary EASY!  They sure are making better polishes.  If you are looking for something that lasts and easy to remove, give this brand (SEPHORA by OPI) a try.

Nail polish; SEPHORA by OPI……..Sunnies; Kenneth Cole Reaction

What is your go to color?

RAZER BLACKSHARK-2.0 gaming headset

Don’t laugh.  I know on a lifestyle blog-hahaha, but actually is makes sense since this blog is my lifestyle and well yep, I own a gaming headset.  I got it as a gift.  From my son.  (When he travels, it’s just another way we stay connected.)  We play games together and he insisted I needed one and this one to be exact.  It kinda goes with the awesome purse he bought me one Christmas.  I will have to write a post on that…stay tuned, it’s adorable, what can I say?  Anyway, my review on this headset goes like this…

After he proudly adjusted it to my head, he informed me that it was designed based on the military aviator headsets-the ones worn by attack helicopter pilots.  Cool huh?

What actually blew me away was the sound quality.  It really blocks out all noise except for the fab music that I had playing.  It really intensified the music with crisp-clear sounds. I seriously was thinking, “this is amazing!”  You can detach the microphone if you just want to use it as headphones.  As for the headphones the only acronym is OMG.  I stay up crazy late and one night my son and I were having a chat.  I had to whisper so I didn’t wake the house and he could hear every word I was saying clear as a bell!  I seriously was talking in what I thought was even quieter than a whisper.  I was shocked and impressed.  The quality is superior.

You can plug this into your iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android phones, Kindle Fire, MacBook Pro etc.  I have used it in all my apple devices as well as my gaming computer.  Easy to use.  When I don’t use it I put it in a box on my desk.  Gotta keep the cords away from my kitty!

You can check it out on Amazon by going here: Razer BlackShark Expert 2.0 Gaming Headset (RZ04-00720100-R3M1)

Upcycle Dress!

I have a dress that I can’t wear in public.  It’s way too low cut and no undergarmet worked, so I wore it as an inside-the-house dress for a couple of years.  Today I decided it needed a new life.  And this is the life I gave it…  A skirt with a pocket!

It started out looking like this…

I cut off the top part and used the two “triangles” as the new pocket!  I sewed the triangles together to give me more fabric.  Then I created the pocket you see.  I wanted it to be just enough space for my iPhone and a lip gloss!

Let’s Make Some Tea!

Let’s make some tea!
Making tea is really simple. There are three basic steps; Choose it; heat it; steep it! That’s all there’s to it.

Tips: 1. If you want a stronger tasting tea, don’t steep longer, just add more tea. A lot of the times steeping longer only makes for a bitter tea. (I don’t mind it, as I often forget I’m steeping.) 😛

2. Temperature plays a part in the “perfect” cup of tea.

3. Some folks with really discerning tastes may notice a difference in taste depending on what their tea steeped in or what container the water boiled in. The one way I can tell is when my tea is made in anything plastic. And I for one am not crazy about that. My water is boiled in a ceramic pot. My cup is either ceramic or glass.

4. Water can have an effect on taste too. Use the best water you can get your hands on!

Factoid:
1. Tea was discovered in China! Woo hoo! Yippee! Yay for the discovery!
2. Four cups a day is recommended to reap the health benefits.
3. Americans consume over 50 billion servings of tea a year.
4. Black teas are the most popular.
5. Green, oolong, and black tea all come from the same plant. Well whatdoyaknow?!
6. Green tea is not oxidized. It closely resembles the chemical composition of the fresh tea leaf.
7. Black and Oolong tea are oxidized. Black is oxidized for about three hours; oolong gets a shorter oxidation. A natural chemical reaction happens, making for its own distinguishing flavors.
8. Tea is naturally low in caffeine; about 40 milligrams.
9. Tea bags were use to hold samples of tea way back in the day.
10. Tea is a natural antioxidant.
11. Tea contains about half the amount of caffeine than coffee.
12. Black tea helps get rid of bad breath. I find this to be true of a lot of types of teas.
13. Drinking black tea can help reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes.
14. Green tea can help raise your metabolism. Love that factoid! (I can always get help in the metabolism department.)
15. Another weight loss tea is oolong. Oh, oh, good! In China, oolong is known for its fat blasting powers, speeding up that metabolism almost at the speed of light; well not that fast, but hey give it a try, i’m sipping kamiya Papaya oolong tea right now.
16. Tea’s are great for high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart health.
17. Tea’s an immune booster; infection fighter…Bring it on!
18. Oolong means black dragon in Chinese. Roar!
19. Drinking oolong is said to increase your brains functionality, reduce tiredness, and power up focus.
20. Tea: It’s tasty!

Teavana….ahhhhhh, they had me at first sample! I can’t walk past a shop and not sample their latest tea they’re brewing that day. I can’t say what my favorite is, as I’ve really enjoyed so many types and blends. I also can’t say whether I like hot or cold. The same tea tastes different hot or cold, and sometimes, one or the other is what I like better depending on my mood. Oh and of course sweetened or unsweetened will change the flavor, and again depending on my mood, I will have it lightly sweetened with their delicious German rock sugar. If you haven’t had their tea, you really should give it a go. If you can’t find a Teavana near you, they do ship.  (You can also find a plathora of teas right at your nearest grocery store!)

At  http://www.teavana.com  there’s a wealth of knowledge.  If you are just getting started with teas, it’s a perfect way to learn and if you’re a seasoned tea connoisseur, well, there is something there for you too! Pick that tea out, heat some water up, and steep. Sip away! Enjoy!

Iced black tea with fresh crushed mint and a sprig of mint topper 🙂

Teavanna drinker; 10 plus years!

Got Bites? Bug bites…

Are your bug bites itchy-itchy-scratchy-scratchy?  Painful? Just plain driving you nuts?  Try soaking in a bath.  If I forget to spray myself or if I go outside (“I’m only going out for a second”) most likely I will get a bite.  There is something in my skin that attracts the bugs.  Oh lucky me!  I soothe the itch/pain by taking a nice hot soak in a tub with epsom salts.

1. Draw a bath (I like it hot!).

2. Add 1-2 cups epsom salts.

3. Turn on your favorite tunes. (Optional)

4. Candles. (Optional)

5. Ease in and soak away! (Oh, I sometimes add a couple drops of a favorite essential oil.  Lavender is my go to; it helps to balance, relax, and soothe any anxiety or stress I’m having. Lavender is also a great choice for me if I am having a head ache or if my chest is feeling congested.  Breathing in the vapors from the bath really clears my mind and lungs.)

This method not only helps with the irritation of bug bites, but a great way to relax and soothe tired achy muscles whether from a long day at work or hard workout at the gym.  Aim for two days a week.  Yep, you’re worth it!

Crunchy Gold! I just found the most awesome chip.

30 years this chip company has been in business and this is the first I’ve heard of them.  Well I guess it’s never too late!

All natural. Gluten free.  No soy. Low sodium…made from stone ground yellow corn, sunflower oil or corn oil, sea salt, water, trace of lime, (Ingredient list taken straight from the bag!)  The best part is, drum roll please…NO GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms).  Isn’t that great news?  I am not a huge fan of GMO’s and I look for that NOT to be in any foods I consume.

This chip means business.  It’s a sturdy chip; not too hard though.  I’d say, “Just right.”  It will stand up to any dip.  You can make nacho’s with this chip and not fear that your toppings or cheese will turn the chip to mush.

RW Garcia not only makes this fab-u-lous chip, but also makes, blue tortilla chips, Thai sweet and spicy tortilla chips, flaxseed tortilla chips and veggie chips.  I am truly excited about trying all of them out.  Again, anything with no GMO makes me a very happy girl.  The Classic Yellow Corn chip has made it to my gotta-have-it list.

Their website is http://www.rwgarcia.com  Lots to read about.  Check them out and if you come across this chip, give it a try!

Yummy Goldness!