If you should find chewing gum on your cotton bedlinen, this is what the team at Linen Drawer suggest you do to remedy the situation:

• Chewing gum - Harden with ice. Remove as much gum as possible. Remove excess by soaking in a solution of kerosene and water.

WELCOME TO HOSTEX CAPE 2012

15-17 May 2012, 09h00-17h00
Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

Africa's BIGGEST and BEST International Hospitality and Catering Exhibition returns to the Western Cape in May 2012.

Hostex Cape 2012 is the only exhibition that provides a one-stop resource to help hospitality industry providers to showcase their products and services to a completely targeted segment of the hospitality and catering industry, in the most direct way possible, HOSTEX CAPE 2012 presents boundless opportunities to build your brand, make sales, and be seen as a leading player in the hospitality and catering industry.

Hostex is the largest and longest-running exhibition of its kind in Africa, and the only one endorsed by the South African Chefs Association, attracting 6 000+ visitors in three days. An integral part of the local food services and hospitality sector for 25 years in Gauteng, and returning to the Cape for the ninth time from 15 to 17 May 2012 at Cape Town International Convention Centre, HOSTEX promises to bring all the attractions which have become firm favourites, as well as some new and exciting additions.

From non-stop action in the SA Chefs Village, the Hostex Wine Circle and competitions such as the SA Barista Championships, and the Global Pizza Challenge, HOSTEX Cape will be hotter than ever before.

To all our members, GHASA will be at HOSTEX and we hope to see you there.

V&A Waterfront

Earth Hour, from 20h30 - 21h30 on Saturday 31 March, is the largest mass participation envi­ronmental event in the world, and presents a unique opportunity for South African businesses and individuals to turn off their lights for one hour in a symbolic ges­ture to pledge their commit­ment to combating climate change.   The V&A Waterfront is proud to participate and celebrate again this year.

Here at the V&A Waterfront, we’ll be showing WWF and Earth Hour footage on the Amphithea­tre screen during the day. The highlight of the evening will be a performance by the Cape Brass Ensemble in the Amphitheatre during Earth Hour.  We will dim the lights nearby, the audience will hold candles, and we’re encouraging nearby restaurant tenants to host candlelight dinners, while the free unplugged concert takes place from 20h30 – 21h30.

Drip-free, child-safe candles are also on sale for R2 each at the V&A Water­front Information

Centre.  For more information please contact Zulfa Nordien on (021) 408 7600.

We are also hosting a staff competition, encouraging employees to write in telling us what they with their family and friends did to participate and celebrate this year.  The entries will go into a lucky draw, with great prizes for the winners drawn.

We have embarked on an active communications and PR plan, using our regular channels from our social media platforms, the &A Waterfront website, our plasma screens and our digital signboards, so as to generate awareness and promote Earth Hour to all our various audiences.

 We have actively encouraged our retailers, restaurateurs, hoteliers, and V&A Waterfront leisure and commercial tenants, to get involved - turn off their lights, spread the message, join the Earth Hour social networks etc.

 Let us unite and take a stand against climate change!

At the V&A Waterfront, you’ll find love around every corner and more so than ever during the month of LOVE>  We invite you to share this special time of year with us because anyone who has ever taken a stroll along the water’s edge under a starry sky, sipped a cocktail while watching the sunset or fallen in love while browsing our malls, knows that love is all around and you don’t need to travel too far or search too widely to experience it.   To see the special please go to the following link:  http://www.waterfront.co.za/Pages/Loveisaroundeverycorner,duringthemonthofloveattheVAWaterfront.aspx

Herbs seem to work best if they are moved around once in awhile. It brings the oils to the surface of the leaves and releases more of what it is that the pests don't like. Just brushing against a growing plant or stirring up the leaves of a dried one should do it.

1. Basil

Most people know fresh basil is delicious in pesto, tomato based dishes, and salads but did you also know that it is one of the best ways to keep flies out of your house? Just plant basil next to the doors, use as a foundation planting mixed in with your flowers, or plant in containers. The flies will stay far away.  As an added bonus, mosquitoes don't like it either.

2. Bay Leaf

Flies seem to hate the smell of bay leaves.

You can grow bay outside in the summer but you will need to bring it indoors during the winter months. You can buy dried bay leaf at the store if you find you are unable to grow it; the dried variety that you put in stews and soups works as well as the fresh for keeping pests away

3. Lavender

Besides being a beautiful plant that smells wonderful, Lavendar repelles flies as well as mosquitoes. Lavender also repels moths, mosquitoes, and fleas.: - Hang a bundle of it in your closet or lay a few sprigs of it in with the out of season clothes you are storing. - Grind it to a powder and sprinkle it on your pet's bedding. - Grow it in containers on your patio to repel mosquitoes. - Grow it in your kitchen garden to keep rabbits out of your lettuce and spinach.

4. Mint

Mint is repugnant to fleas, ants, flies, and mosquitoes Mint planted around the foundation of your house can keep both ants and mice out of your home. Neither of these pests seem to like the smell and all but the most determined will head to a better smelling yard. You can also place shallow bowls of the dried mint leaves in your pantry to discourage mice..

5. Rosemary

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, not only for cooking and grilling but because it has a number of uses medicinally and as a household herb. As it grows it repels flies and mosquitoes.

Herbs were the original household cleaners, disinfectants, and bug repellents. They had been used for thousands of years with good results before humankind came up with toxic chemicals in a can. These herbs are not only better for the environment; they actually improve the environment. Herbs continue to work for you when you have finished with them and discarded them to the compost heap. They enrich the soil and add nutrients. Next time you are tempted to reach for the fly spray, reach for the basil instead.

“The V&A Waterfront now offers guided V&A Waterfront Historical Walking Tours.  These scheduled tours operate on a daily basis, 7 days a week, and depart from Chavonnes Battery Museum at 11:00.  Please book in advance to avoid disappointment.  The tours offer visitors a chance to step back into the history of the Cape Town Harbour, the making of the V&A Waterfront and where we are today.  Historical points of interest include:  historical Clock Tower, Robertson Dry Dock (one of the oldest of its kind in the world), Timeball Tower, Breakwater Prison Treadmill and prison markings on the wall, Breakwater Secret Tunnel.  The tour takes about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on visitor interest and  photo stops.

 We are extremely excited about this new offering and would like to encourage visitors to take a step back into the history with us and experience the historical sights that our wonderful city and harbour has to offer.

 Please find attach a press release on this new offering, a copy of the brochure as well as a direct link to our website (http://www.waterfront.co.za/Pages/VandAWaterfrontHistoricalWalkingTours.aspx). 

 You are welcome to contact the V&A Waterfront Information Centre on 021 408 7600 or info@waterfront.co.za for additional information.”

 The V&A Waterfront, Cape Town  is definitely worth a visit to all, from locals to tourists alike.

" Hospitality should be reserved for guests, not for pests, but in summer this is easier said than done. Cockroaches, ants, flies, rats, mice, bedbugs and fleas can cause damage to health and reputations if guest house owners fail to follow a simple set of rules. Quality assurance manager for Rentokil, Deena Govender, says the following measures should always be kept in mind: Train staff on how to look for and identify the major pests and remind them of the diseases that pests may carry. The oriental rat flea transmits bubonic plague and endemic (murine) typhus to humans and pets, while mice and rats are associated with salmonella and leptospirosis. Leptospirosis infects most animals but particularly rodents, which excrete live, fully virulent organisms in their urine and thus contaminate the environment. Apart from these health dangers, small rodents can also cause huge structural damage. Insecticide aerosols can be kept handy for treating small infestations immediately but be mindful of their potential harm to humans and pets. Use protective gear when applying them and ensure that no pesticides are left lying around. They should be properly labelled and locked away from food. Govender also recommends more permanent preventative measures which every guest house owner should put into operation.

• Keep all doors and windows closed as much of the time as possible.

• Make use of insect screens on doors and windows.

• Seal all gaps, openings, cracks and crevices in the building and keep the premises clean and tidy.

• Rotate stocks regularly.

• Vacuum clean carpets on a daily basis and wash bedding in hot water.

 Those who believe that prevention is better than cure will call in a professional pest control operator.   Govender explains why. “It will give guest house owners peace of mind to know that pest infestations will be prevented or treated as soon as they are detected. We use operators who do regular inspections and are trained to apply chemical treatments only when necessary. This ensures maximum protection with a minimum use of dangerous pesticides.”

Here are a few basic energy saving tips, if you, as the guesthouse owner, and your staff follow these basic tips you will save hugely on your monthly electricity bill.  Start by educating your staff on energy saving.

1.  Fix dripping taps. A small drip from a hot water tap can cost you around R610 per year.
2. Insulate your water pipes and wrap your geyser in a geyser blanket.
3. You can reduce your hot water use even further by installing energy and water saving shower heads.
4. Turn your geyser down to 60°C and be sure to switch it off when not in use.
5. When using small quantities of water, like for washing your hands; use cold water if hot water is not necessary.
6.  Traditional round, incandescent light bulbs are not at all energy efficient. Incandescent bulbs waste most of their energy producing heat and only produce light as a by-product. 
7. Switch the lighting in your home to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). These lamps will help you to consume about 80% less electricity and, as a bonus, will last up to six to eight times longer than traditional light bulbs.
8.  Simply switching off lights in unoccupied areas is one of the simplest ways of reducing your monthly electricity costs.
9. Install movement sensors on your security lights instead of leaving a light burning all night.

10.  Use solar powered lights in your garden. They’re easy to install, make attractive features and rely completely on energy from the sun.

11.  There are appliances in your home that use electricity even while they’re remotely turned off! We call them ‘vampire appliances’. These are appliances that have a standby (a non-operational mode). Sitting in standby mode still uses up to 50% of the electricity that the appliance would normally use. Appliances such as TVs, VCRs, home entertainment systems and computers all consume power, while not performing their primary function.

12.  When you cook in the oven, always ensure that the oven door is kept closed until the food is done. Constantly opening and closing the oven door dissipates heat and energy is wasted in reheating the oven. Make sure that all the plates and reflectors on your stove are clean and that the pot or pan you’re using completely covers the stove plate. That way all the energy is being used to cook the food. Hot plates retain heat, so turn off the stove before you’ve finished cooking. It won’t affect your food, only your electricity bill.

13.  When you use the kettle, remember to boil only as much water as you need.

14.  Don’t open the door to your fridge unnecessarily and you won’t use extra energy keeping the fridge cool. Let hot food cool down before putting it in the fridge, defrost your freezer regularly and don’t make it work too hard by filling it to the brim, and you will save energy.

15.  Insulate your ceiling. It has been proven to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat or cool rooms. In uninsulated homes, approximately 40% of heat loss takes place through the roof.

Table Mountain is in the running to become one of the New7Wonders of Nature, but this South African attraction is falling behind!

The New7Wonders will be announced on November 11, 2011 and we need your help to ensure our place in the history books.

I, myself, have personal experience travelling the world and trying to reach all of the 7 Man Made Wonders of the world.  These keep changing, so I find myself having to travel to more countries. I am not complaining, mind you.  In fact I have had some of the most amazing experiences of my life in this endevour.    If  Table Mountain is made one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, this will put our beautiful country, South Africa, more on the map and bring in more tourism, which in turn will benefit our country.

Please help in this campaign.  In order to do so, go to http://www.votefortablemountain.com

Time is running out and each vote counts.

Recycling Tip: 

Cooking oil should never be dumped in the kitchen sink or in the toilet bowl. Put oil in a sealed non-recyclable container and dump it with your regular garbage.  Cooking oil can be recycled. It can be used to produce soap  and biodiesel.

Please keep posted for more recycling tips.  All guesthouses and accommodation establishments should take this seriously and do your part in helping out.