Wild Card Wednesday--BOO!

During our weekly management meeting, one of our partners, Mike Recker, introduced a really fun way to use the Mr Beams LED lights: how about lighting for Halloween?

Path Lights

Temporary Path Lighting is a great idea for the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. Especially in our neighborhood, where the homes are old and there really isn't much lighting beyond the porch lights to illuminate the walkways and sidewalks leading up to the houses. The Path Lights are perfectly portable--with the brackets and stakes that are included with the Path Light Kit, you simply stick the product in the ground. You can leave them or pull them up until the next time you need reliable and effective path lighting. The Mr Beams Path Light Kit comes with two lights, mounting brackets and stakes, and a remote control which allows you to activate the lights at will.

Spotlights

Spotlights provide a brighter option. Position a Mr Beams Spotlight to shine on your front steps. The second motion is detected (from up to 18' away), the lights go on, providing a safe footpath up the steps to the Treats. You can also position a Spotlight or two to shine on your Halloween decorations or position a few on your property to deter the Tricksters on Mischief Night. The Spotlight is also available with the same remote control option as the Path Light for flexibility in controlling the amount of light you want.

Portable Night Lights

Stick Anywhere Night Lights offer a softer light that will provide enough light for safety, either as they line your steps or as you carry it along your route, but won't quite scare away the haunts.

Get ready for Halloween with Mr Beams!

Off-Grid Lighting With Battery Powered "BEAMS"

I know, I know...everyone wants to advertise that they subscribe to "green". We've all been suckered into buying more bags rather than reusing the recyclable plastic bags that were the norm for so many years (true, the ones you buy are sturdier with handles), everyone has reusable water bottles, and we all talk a good game about buying local. Talk is cheap! I do those things, too, but I still love a good deal on bottled water (even though tap water is free--we have a well, even) and will compromise my family's health for produce shipped from South America over local peppers if it means saving a buck. Did you languish in the heat this summer rather than conserve energy by cutting back on the AC? We didn't. So what are some other things that we could be doing to promote a healthy planet without sacrificing convenience? (Now you know this is going to involve wireless lights.)

We're constantly touting Mr Beams products as reliable and cost-effective. The battery operated lights manufactured by Wireless Environment allow anyone the luxury of light wherever you need it--the products install in minutes, no wires, and are extremely low maintenance. With the exception of changing the batteries, you really don't need to do a thing. Guess what? There's an off-grid lighting solution. Two things to support that claim: the first is that you are not drawing from an electric grid. All Mr Beams products are battery operated and last 1-2 years under most conditions. (Mr Beams lights are IP44 rated, which means you can use them inside and outdoors. True, they're not immersible, but were you going to put them in your bathtub or pool anyway?) Second, the lights activate only when they sense motion. So it gets dark. Lights stay dark. You walk near the light (most models sense light from up to 18' away) and the light turns on, stays on until motion ceases, then shuts off automatically. Light only when you need it. No wasting electricity when you wander into the bathroom at night--the Stick Anywhere Night Light gives you just enough light to get the job done.

Here's a great place for a Mr Beams light for our family (and I'm guessing we're not alone). We have a freezer downstairs. At least one ingredient, usually meat, comes out of that freezer for our dinner, which means a minimum of one trip a day to the basement to retrieve something from the freezer. I snap the light on at the top of the stairs automatically before heading down. When I get downstairs, I turn on one, maybe two lights on the way to the freezer. I'm in the freezer for approximately ten seconds while I grab the roast of choice (or chunk of frozen hamburger), then retrace my steps--light two=off; light one=off; then it's up the stairs before turning the stairway light off. Entire transaction takes maybe thirty seconds. Now--doesn't it make a lot more sense to install a couple of Mr Beams lights along that path rather than flipping currents on and off along the way? With a Ceiling Light in the stairway I can make my way up and down the steps safely--even with my hands full, since I don't need to turn any lights on or off. With a couple of Stick Anywheres on the wall, I can find the freezer, get what I need, and hike back up to the kitchen--all without turning on or off any lights. Truthfully, I can make that trip with my eyes closed, but what a great message to send to the kids--"light only when you need it."

I can think of dozens of other places where I waste electricity, bags, water. I am going to try to do a better job at managing my resources. We say we are, we say we try...let's do more.

How do you make a difference? Tell us your story at info@mrbeams.com.

Getting Organized With Mr Beams Lights

This past week has been a whirlwind--we returned from vacation on Saturday night and by Monday morning, we had to have our first-grader ready for his first day of school (who planned that??). Between laundry, grocery shopping, back-to-school activities ("where's my bookbag?", "my shoes don't fit") and the general craziness that engulfs our home, I made a resolution to get organized as quickly as possible.

A quick Google on "organization" revealed shocking results: there are thousands (literally) of professional organizers out there at our disposal. These people proudly display before and after photos which demonstrated their talent for whipping households into shape. Some of the "befores" really cheered me up while others neither shamed nor embarrassed me. The point is, regardless of your particular stage of disarray, there is help out there.

While I was hunting for do-it-yourself tips, it occurred to me that a lot of these professional organizers specialize in maximizing small or awkward spaces. Once there is some semblance of organization in those areas, you'd want to be able to see what you've got, right? My point is, projects like these need lights. Pantries, closets, cupboards, under stairs--places that may be effectively utilized for storage may not be optimized for hardwired lighting. The solutions are either to call in an electrician, which means additional cost and time to your project, or you can pop in a Mr Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light or a Stick Anywhere Night Light. Two different levels of brightness, but both would satisfy the need for additional lighting without the aggravations or costs associated with professional installation. Further, the lights are temporary and portable--if you make modifications to the storage area or closet, simply move the light.

After this epiphany, I reached out to some professional organizers that I'd located on the web, just to gauge the interest level on the Mr Beams products with that audience. Guess what? A simple e-mail (yes, you can call it SPAM or cold-calling) was met with dozens of "more information, please" responses. Pleasantly surprised, I've spent the past few days shipping samples and additional product information to various organizers in Northeast Ohio.

Alas, the window of feeling panicked for lack of organization has passed for me (like it usually does). But I take comfort in the fact that I have put my own needs behind others' (that is my justification for staying unorganized) in bringing light to newly ordered space, than I'm OK with that.

To contact a professional organizer near you, check out www.napo.net. The National Association of Professional Organizers exists because of people like me who don't have an eye for organization. I guess I'll shove the wrapping paper back under the bed and try again next year. Sigh.

Another Handyman of America Member-Tested Review

Not everyone in the Handyman of America Member-Tested Program was in love with the Mr Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light that Wireless Environment sponsored for the Members to try. One user expressed disappointment with the level of brightness, but did appreciate the motion sensing technology:

"'For the recommended product description and cost I expected a bit more from the light. The motion sensor and automatic off features worked flawlessly...I placed it at first in our pantry and my wife liked the motion sensor to have the light come on when she walked in, but...the light did not brighten the items on all the shelves enough.'"

Could we make a brighter light? Maybe. Would consumers be willing to pay for it? Maybe. Your feedback is valuable to us in making these types of decisions. At the end of the day, if enough of you want it, we can do it.

Learn more about how you can apply wireless LED lights around your home to improve your everyday living. The convenience of battery operated lights is a cost-effective alternative to other lighting solutions. Visit the Idea Center at www.mrbeams.com.

A Customer Review, Starring the Mr Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light

Wireless Environment recently participated in the Handyman of America Member-Tested Program. In exchange for product, users agree to write reviews and share feedback on their experiences with your products. The Mr Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light was issued to a select group of Members and the feedback has been great. Of course, every manufacturer wants to hear that their products are well-received. But the most important takeaway from this type of project is that Wireless Environment has a real opportunity to capitalize on the exposure by taking user feedback to heart in an effort to strengthen its presence in the market--improve on what needs to be improved and enhance the features that users like.

Reviews have become a helpful tool to prospective customers as well. How many times do you click on "product review" when you are shopping online? Since online retailers don't have the benefit of physically showing customers their goods, product reviews have become increasingly popular among consumers who may be on the fence about moving ahead with a purchase. As a small company, we would like to feature some of the product reviews borne out of the Handyman of America Member-Tested Program with our readers so that you can hear first-hand what users are saying about our products. Most of the reviews are generated by users who are being exposed to our company and our lights for the first time, so comments are fresh and honest. I intend to share the positive reviews but also those that aren't as favorable to demonstrate that Wireless Environment is truly interested in presenting its LED lights in, well, different lights.

Here's the stage: all users have an Anywhere Ceiling Light. They are invited to use and abuse the product to be sure that all claims we make about our products (such as "weatherproof") are accurate. The following review is from a fellow who has some physical constraints but a can-do attitude and doesn't pull any punches. I think his words do a better job selling Mr Beams than any professional marketing or gimmicks:

" 'I have a "closet" under my attic staircase in the garage where all my car care products, floor jacks, jack stands, etc. are kept. I have tried 6 other products such as "touch lights", LED strips and other battery powered products to light this space. They were all returned because of their total inadequacy to provide sufficient light. When I received the "Anywhere Ceiling Light" I was skeptical to say the least. I mounted it right away. The light is powered by 4 C-cell batteries and is motion operated when it is dark and goes out after no motion is detected for approx. 30 seconds. The light has a "water-proof" seal and is supposed to be fully useful outside in the weather. I did test this claim somewhat by spraying it from all angles with a water hose. There was absolutely no moisture inside the unit. It can even be mounted in a shower. The light did a terrific job lighting the "closet" I placed it in. I have no complaints and am very pleased with the product. There are cheaper products on the market but all 6 I tried were no good, even if they were free. I have contacted the company to purchase more lights. (www.mrbeams.com 877.298.9082).'"

This gentleman was even inspired to include a link to our site and our phone number in his review. That is the kind of customer satisfaction we're after.

Stay tuned for more comments. And if you'd like to share your own, please visit the Mr Beams website, www.mrbeams.com, where you can "Share Your Story" and provide your comments.

2009 Press Release: Falls Prevention Day

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22/PRNewswire-USNewswire/--The Home Safety Council, the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing injuries that occur in and around the home, applauds today's designation of National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Senate Resolution 276 was introduced by Chairman Herb Kohl of the Senate Select Committee on Aging and we would like to thank him for his leadership role and Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Robert Casey, Jr (D-PA), Michael Enzi (R-WY), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), and Patty Murray (D-WA) for cosponsoring the legislation. The National Falls Prevention Awareness Day Resoltion comes at a critical time when each year, one in three Americans age 65 and older falls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2007, 1.9 million fall-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency departments and about 492,000 of those treated were subsequently hospitalized. "This resolution builds on the work that is being done by the public health community and advocacy organizations that have first-hand experience with the devastating impact a fall can have to a family member or friend," said Patricia Adkins, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Public Policy for the Home Safety Council. "The good news is many of these falls can be prevented, they don't have to happen." Evidence-based programs show promise in reducing falls through clinical assessments, exercise programs, medications management, vision correction, and reduction of home hazards.

Precautions that can be taken in the home are:

-Have handrails on both sides of stairs and steps. Make sure handrails go from the top to the bottom of stairs.

-Have lots of lights at the top and bottom of the stairs.

-Tape small rugs to the floor or do not use them at all.

-Have nightlights in the bedroom, hall and bathroom.

-Have grab bars in the tub and shower.

In April 2008, the Safety of Seniors Act was enacted to develop public and professional education strategies aimed at raising awareness about older adult falls. It also encourages research to identify at-risk populations, and supports demonstration projects aimed at preventing falls among older Americans. Based on CDC data, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths and hospital admissions for traumatic injuries among adults 65 and older; and in 2006, over 16,600 in this age category died from injuries related to falls. The total direct medical costs for falls are more than $19 billion each year and the adults 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of our population.

About Home Safety Council: The Home Safety Council (R) (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated topreventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization located in Washington, DC.

National Falls Prevention Day-September 22, 2010

September heralds the arrival of Autumn. Back to school, cooler temperatures, shorter days. When we "fall back" in time, we remember to change the batteries in our smoke detector. The first official day of Fall has now become synonymous with "Falls Prevention Day" as well.

Falls Prevention Day was established to heighten the awareness of dangers in the home that can lead to precarious footing and dangerous falls. The 2009 press release highlights the importance of home safety and is worth a read-through.

Good lighting is essential in home safety. In addition to providing visual orientation, you need light to establish depth perception which correlates directly with good balance. Without good balance, it can be difficult or impossible to safely stand or walk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2007, "1.9 million fall-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency departments and about 492,000 of those treated were subsequently hospitalized." As the American population ages, we find that the key to well-being is prevention. Wireless Environment promotes its Mr Beams products as effective lighting solutions for places where hardwired products are impractical, impossible or cost-prohibitive. Seniors particularly are subject to limitations when it comes to "fall-proofing" their homes. Fixed incomes, physical constraints, and department store locations may put home improvement items out of reach for many folks. Mr Beams lights can be purchased online or over the phone and installed without any professional assistance. Most products, like the Stick Anywhere Night Lights, adhere effectively to any surface with a simple doublestick (Mr Beams includes all mounting hardware and instructions with each product).

The Home Safety Council, the only national nonprofit committed to home safety, offers the following precautions to minimize falls in the home:

--Have handrails on both sides of stairs and steps and make sure that the handrails go from top to bottom; not just halfway.

--Lots of lights at the top and bottom of the stairs. Mr Beams provides several solutions that will help you to create the appropriate amount of lighting where you need it. The Step Light offers a low-glow feature which provides you with a soft and continuous light until motion is detected at which point the brightness of the light intensifies. Other lighting options include the Stick Anywhere Night Light which is perfect for trips to the bathroom, or consider the Anywhere Ceiling Light for walks to the kitchen or anywhere a brighter light might be desired.

--Tape small rugs to the floor or avoid throw rugs altogether. There are convenient rubber mats that can be cut to a rug form and simply lay beneath the rug to prevent movement.

--Nightlights, such as the Stick Anywhere Night Light, should be prevalent in the bedroom, hall, and bathroom. The Mr Beams Night Lights are sold in packages of three which gives you affordable flexibility in placing light along any well-traveled path in your home.

We will work hard to bring additional safety tips, not just lighting tips, to you in anticipation of National Falls Prevention Day. If you have a story to share or if you can provide us with ideas on how to make your home fall-free, we would love to hear from you and allow you to share your thoughts here on this blog. Just write to info@mrbeams.com.

I Survived (Not the TV Show)

I Survived is a program on the Bio channel. It documents real stories about real people sharing their near-death experiences and how they survived to tell the tale. Mine isn't nearly so dramatic. I simply survived another family vacation.

Writing this blog helps us to get our messages out about the Mr Beams products--why they're great and why you need them. To keep the posts fresh and interesting, we try to incorporate some human element with identifiable characteristics. After all, when you can relate with someone or something, it is much easier to understand the writer's point of view, whether it's regarding a social issue or a product. I try to be sensitive to the needs of a multi-demographic audience, changing up the subject matter to appeal to everyone. I have to confess--taking the week off as the author of this blog left me a little lonely! I found that I enjoy expressing myself here more than I'd thought. So--in taking a brief departure and surviving a beach vacation with my lovely family, I'm back. And, hopefully, you'll be back too--keeping up with our thoughts, suggestions and stories in lighting adventures.

Stick Anywhere Night Lights By the Toilet--Not the Most Glamorous Application, But Hey, They're Perfect There!

Guest blog by David Levine while I'm on vacation researching about more places and ways to use Mr Beams:

Almost nothing disturbs sleep as much as bright light. Two things that disturb sleep as much are having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and having to answer a screaming child. So here is how we have reduced the disruption at my house using Mr. Beams battery-operated lights.

First we put the Stick Anywhere Night Light next to our toilet. It is off all day and night, but once its motion detector picks me up it lights up the toilet with its bright LED. Not so bright to disturb my sleep, but bright enough to provide the proper guidance. For my wife it shines enough to show her if I left the seat up. It took 10 seconds to install and since it is battery-operated it can be attached anywhere. After 30 seconds it goes off and stays off until it detects motion again.

Next we installed the Mr. Beams Step Light in the hallway connecting our bedroom to the stairs to get to the kids' rooms. It glows lightly all night (think Timex's Indiglo feature) so I can see where the wall is and walk a somewhat straight line towards it. Then once it detects my motion - typically more than 15 feet away - it turns on the bright LED and lights up the entire floor. One battery-powered Stair Light provides enough light in my hallway to keep me from falling or banging into something.

Since our kids are upstairs, we use the big light of the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light to light up the stairs. This battery-operated light is the brightest of the three, providing more than 80 lumens of light. Again, it is enough light to help us navigate the stairs safely, but not enough light to disturb my sleep or wake up the good child who decided to sleep through the night (no names, but the bad child knows who she is). And since finding a light switch at 3 a.m. seems challenging, the motion sensor is a great feature as it will turn on as soon as we approach the stairs. With its broad, white light it lights up the stairs like a 20W light bulb would. It has auto shut-off, so it shuts off automatically once we pass, and waits to detect motion again. This light installs like a battery-powered smoke detector - two screws and no wires. Our has lasted 14 months without needing a battery change.

Learn more about Mr Beams at www.mrbeams.com. There are countless applications that require Mr Beams and you don't even know it! Visit the Idea Center for your "a-ha" moment...

Spiders In Sheds Are No Match For Mr Beams!

Guest blogger, David Levine:

Growing up we had this really spooky shed in our backyard. It was made of sheet metal and far enough from the house that you could imagine things going on in there without anyone in the house detecting it. We stored our sleds, wheelbarrow, shovels, plastic pool in it. I refused to keep my basketball in it because I hated going inside. This is why my right arm is so much stronger than my left arm (true story)--I had to shoot with a water-logged basketball for much of my youth. Not only was it dark and stale, there were so many varieties of hairy spiders living in there! From the moment I pulled the creaky door open, my stomach churned. I would hold my breath and run in with my arms in front of me cutting a path through the thick webs. If I was successful in getting the proper item through the darkness, it was a celebration for success. I would spend the next two minutes trying to brush all of the spider webs off my hair and neck while doing quick spins to avoid any spider on my back from creeping up to my head.

So--when people ask about the inspiration of our Mr Beams Ceiling Light, I take them back to the dark shed of my childhood. With the Mr Beams Ceiling Light, the shed would be light, bright and spider-free. The Mr Beams Ceiling Light would have turned on its bright LED the second that the motion sensor detected the door opening. It would have stayed on until I found what I needed and then turn off automatically (no fumbling through the spider webs for the light switch!). This battery operated ceiling mounted light would turn on if anything strange was going on, and if a really BIG spider was inside, it would immediately be detected by the motion sensor and a bright light might help drive it to another shed to terrorize some other kid. If you have a similar shed, attic, basement or crawl space (and every house has some creepy area), please save the terror and install the Mr Beams Ceiling Light. Just install batteries, mount it with two screws, and the bright LED light will chase away the unknown once it detect the not-so-scary you.

"David? It's Aunt Millie..."

These types of entries are my favorite. Totally precipitated by a real event, in this case, a phone call from David's 90 year old Aunt Millie. After ninety years, Aunt Millie has had her share of life experiences and her glass is still half full. David maintains that she is still the best joke-teller around and, while she doesn't give a rip about LEDs or the technology that David and his partner, Mike, have worked so hard to incorporate in the Mr Beams products, she certainly appreciates the lights for their usefulness and the security they afford her; her sister, David's grandmother, was the inspiration for the Mr Beams lights after she fell going to the bathroom at night. I think the best way to capture Aunt Millie's spirit is simply to present her phone message verbatim.

"David, It's Aunt Millie from Florida (as opposed to Aunt Millie in...St Louis? Chicago?). Everything is fine (which we know already since she is able to use the phone). Listen, David, that great night light that you sent me last year. I love it. Every night when I get up to go to the bathroom and I love it. And then it turns off automatically just when I get back into bed. It's so terrific. I tell all of my friends about my nephew the inventor who has these lights that light up automatically. But something is wrong--it doesn't go on any more. Do I have to change the batteries? All of my friends ask me about it. It's terrific--but I want it to work again."

I love the Aunt Millies in the world. She called first thing in the morning--the early bird and all that. Clearly, she'd been thinking about her light and couldn't wait to catch David. We all need Aunt Millie to keep us inspired. To teach us hope, wisdom and humor. To teach us how to respect and care for one another and to remind us that we need to help those who need us. The happy ending is that Aunt Millie plopped a new set of batteries in her Stick Anywhere Night Light and she'll be able to navigate safely to the bathroom for another year's worth of night.

Mr Beams products last approximate 12-18 months on a new set of batteries under normal usage. The remote control options employed by one of the Spotlight products and the Path Lights contribute to slightly lower life ratings, due to the radio-frequency feature. Generally, you can expect a minimum of approximately 4,000 activations per product. All Mr Beams products are IP44 rated for indoor/outdoor use. To learn more, visit www.mrbeams.com.

Lighting Up Matisse, QC

Matisse, QC is one of the most beautiful spots along the St Lawrence Seaway. Pristine beaches and cool breezes provide the perfect backdrop for a relaxing getaway. It's not easy to get to, though. Twenty hours north of the border on backroads with few convenience stops along the way. In fact, the nearest chain store is about forty miles away. Traveling to Matisse means bringing everything you need with you.

My friend, Leslie, just returned last weekend from her summer in Matisse where her husband's family has several properties. While she was still glowing from her trip, she mentioned that one dark spot of her trip was a literal dark spot. The family's home has a multi-level deck and stairway winding down to the beach. Matisse is very rustic, very rural, so there is no public access and certainly no lighting on the beaches. Consequently, Leslie would worry any time the kids (or anyone) wanted to take a walk to the beach in the evening. The beaches are rocky and the stairs are steep, so one misstep could be really dangerous. She asked if Mr Beams had a product that offered a "quiet" light that might be sufficient for deck and step lighting. Right away I brought out a motion sensing Step Light with the "low glow" feature.

The Step Lights can be mounted horizontally or vertically and provide a dim light when darkness falls. The low glow is perfect for identifying the steps and location of the lights. Once motion is detected, the light brightens providing perfect illumination for safe passage. Leslie worried about placing the lights outdoors where they will be exposed to cold weather and sea spray. Fortunately, the Step Lights, along with all Mr Beams products, are IP44 rated which means the products will tolerate outdoor conditions well.

Leslie has agreed to purchase four units to test on the steps and is also investing in some Anywhere Ceiling Lights for emergency lighting. The Mr Beams lights take up such little space that it will be easy to transport the items up to Matisse and well worth it to have them there. I can't wait to hear feedback once the lights are installed. I am always reluctant to recommend hairdressers, babysitters and books because everyone's different and not all of my "must-haves" are the same as my friends'. However, I have no qualms about suggesting Mr Beams lights to anyone--they're tried, true and absolutely worthwhile products.

For more information on Mr Beams, including how to buy, please visit www.mrbeams.com.

Wireless Shower Lights Will Brighten Up Your Shower

Dark showers make me feel vulnerable. When we bought our house ten years ago, one of my first tasks was lighting up a dark shower upstairs that had no light. I trace it back to my house growing up, where spiders loved to hide. I also credit the Alfred Hitchcock move, Psycho. Although I conquered the darkness of my shower by hiring an electrician for $350 to install a light, it seems whenever I travel, there is always that dark shower that brings me back to the time when I was using a small shower without a light. Sometimes it's in the beach house that we rent for a week's vacation. It can also be when we stay on the third floor of my brother's old house in New Jersey with the shower that used to be part of the attic.

My childhood fears come back to me whenever I step into a dark shower. I first worry about someone being inside the shower already. Then I worry about spiders. Without proper lighting in the shower, I shower fast with my eyes open and regularly throw elbows around in case someone is trying to get me.

When we designed the Mr Beams Ceiling Light, one requirement was that it needed to be able to light up a shower. There is no product on the market that can light up a shower without celling an electrician. Our engineering team rose to the challenge to make the Mr Beams Ceiling Light weather resistant and able to pass the IP44 test. What is IP44? It takes a product and blasts it with water for a long period of time. If no water is inside, it passes IP44. Mr Beams' battery-powered Ceiling Light--and all other Mr Beams LED lights--have passed IP44 and are water resistant for indoor and outdoor use.

So if you have dark shower phobia like me, please take a look at our Ceiling Light. It mounts easily to a shower ceiling in minutes. It will go on as soon as you step into the shower because of its motion sensor, and turn off automatically after you leave the shower. It will brightly light up the shower and keep away the spiders and psychos.

Bright Wireless Shower Lights--The Best Way to Light A Dark Shower?

We had many inquiries for a bright solution for dark showers - shower lights - this weekend. It's funny because we see uses for our products come in waves. Sometimes there are a rash of inquiries for garage lights, sometimes it's closet lights. In the summer, we have more requests for products that will be used outdoors, and the opposite is true for winter.

When your bathroom's plenty bright, you don't think about extra lighting in the shower. However, buy a house with a bathroom that has a vanity light, add a shower curtain, and take a shower in the early morning or night and you'll see that you can't see! The shower is too dark. The solution has generally been confined to hardwired options--call an electrician for the wiring and installation and a contractor to tear up your tile or drywall and ceiling and redo once the electrician has been finished. That's great but not practical unless you've budgeted for a new bathroom. That is the kind of home improvement that you think you can accomplish "in a weekend for a couple of hundred dollars". There is a better solution to light a dark shower: the Anywhere Ceiling Lights are perfect for this application. You can mount the Mr. Beams wireless LED light on the ceiling or the wall and the motion sensor technology will activate the lights when it's dark and you're in the shower.

The LED lights are plenty bright--at 80 lumens, you'll get enough light to distinguish between the Irish Spring and the Caress (Irish Spring is "the scent that she loves" but not on her and, guys, you probably are not after the "silky fragrance infusion" touted by Caress. Or maybe you are. Who knows...)and the IP44 rating supports all splash-proof applications, like showers, rain, snow, etc so the Mr. Beams LED Ceiling lights are definitely shower-worthy.

The Anywhere Ceiling Light is not limited to uses in the bathroom, of course, it can be used, well, anywhere. Mr Beams offers affordable lighting options where you need light but may not want to spend a fortune to get it. You don't need an electrician, just a dark shower or other area where it'd be nice to have some reliable lighting. Think about lighting dark sheds, dark closets, dark porches and dark attics. All dark areas can have bright LED light without wires by installing the Mr. Beams wireless LED Ceiling Light.

Visit www.mrbeams.com for more information on products, how to buy and learn more about LED technology.

Homeowners' Associations Need Lighting Solutions!

We are always looking to share customer success stories. As great as we think the Mr Beams products are, nothing sells better than word-of-mouth. Think about it: you can be on the fence about purchasing an item and all it takes is a friend's "you've gotta have it" or "don't do it" to sway you in either direction. Therefore, we try to publish posts and reviews that are useful and will provide you with enough feedback to persuade you to give battery operated lighting a chance.

Many conversations and e-mails were exchanged between Wireless Environment and Jim in New Hampshire to help him determine that wireless lighting was the right solution for him. The problem: Jim is a property manager who was looking for an affordable way to illuminate common areas in his condominium development. The challenge was that the existing electrical network was not enough to support the desired lighting configuration. Combined with budgetary constraints, Jim and his team were scratching their heads for a solution when Jim found Mr Beams online and called to see if it was practical to entertain battery operated lighting for his requirement. After getting the 411 on the wireless LED Spotlights, Jim presented Mr Beams to his board who gave the green light to test and subsequently purchase 120 Security Spotlights for use on the property. Jim took the time time to report to Wireless Environment:

"The spotlights have been installed in all four of our condo buildings. Shortly after the lights were installed, a thunder storm caused a electrical power outage and the spotlights operated exactly as intended providing light illumination in the "blacked-out" high traffic areas in which they were installed. Feedback from the condo owners has been very positive...we are very satisfied with the spotlights and their performance...we appreciate all the assistance you provided and your more than prompt response to all of our inquiries."

From one customer to a prospective customer--isn't that a great testimony?

Mr Beams will go the extra mile to sell you their products. Moreover, they will go the extra mile to support you after you've purchased your units. Ask Jim.

You can always learn more about Mr Beams on their website: www.mrbeams.com. The LED battery operated lights are extremely effective and reliable--from a simple closet light to preempting bear attacks (see previous post), you'll be amazed at the uses you'll find for these products.

Lights Can Deter Bears

With bear attacks in the media, we thought it would be appropriate to acknowledge several preventive measures to keep you and your family safe while enjoying a camping experience.

Experts agree that keeping cooking to a minimum is a must--like most animals, including humans, bears respond to odors--if they're hungry or curious and they smell food, they are going to investigate. Keep your food in a bag or sling and hang it over a tree branch, away from your campsite. Additionally, bears are curious about smells issued from cosmetics, toothpaste, candles.

Make sure you have pepper spray to use in an emergency. Though that would mean an attack is in progress, it is better to have a can at the ready--even if it only buys you a few minutes; those few minutes can mean the difference between making it to a safe location and, well, not.

Bring light. Plug a couple of Mr Beams battery operated Spotlights into the ground near (but away) from your campsite. The LED lights activate using a motion detection technology. If a bear wanders onto your turf and the light is activated by its motion, there is a good probability that the action of the light will effectively startle the bear away.

Finally, use your head and do your homework. Does your destination have a history of bear attacks? What is the bear population in the area? What is the season? It's madness to expose your family to any prospective dangers, let alone one that exposes them to a situation where there are no physical barriers to protect them.

Bottom line--enjoy the great outdoors responsibly. Minimize exposing food on your site. Leave theYankee Candles at home. Have pepper spray on hand. And for heaven's sake, preempt any "bear temptations" by installing some Spotlights on your site. Have fun!

More on Mr Beams lighting options and ideas at the Idea Center on www.mrbeams.com.

Wireless Garage Lights

A few weeks ago, I was on the Handyman Club of America forum trying to find out if there's a better way to get our patio screens to slide open/shut easily. (WD40 just wasn't working well.) That is a great site and a great club--members take the club seriously and offer valuable information to other users on their forum. Once I was finished with my information gathering, I spent some time poking around the forum to see if there were any unique opportunities for the Mr Beams lights. Sure enough, I uncovered a question from a fellow who was looking for supplemental garage lighting.

Judging from the thread, there's a real need for hands-free lighting in the garage--think about how many times you run out to grab a tool, a soda from the outdoor fridge, the Gorilla glue. For my family, it's a lot. Every time we go out in the dark, we have to turn on the laundry room light and then the garage light. With Mr Beams lights, you can walk through the laundry room--light goes on--go out in the garage--light goes on--grab your soda (or whatever), head back via the same path and lights are still on. No light switch, hands free to carry that ladder, paint, groceries. Yes, I've implemented the lighting system and it's wonderful. We have a Stick Anywhere Night Light in the laundry room and an Anywhere Ceiling Light in the garage. Here's the thing--since I employed lights to demonstrate effectiveness for the purpose of this blog, I did not permanently attach the products. Just another reason that Wireless Environment products are so useful. If I need to move the lights, I can simply pick them up and put them--anywhere!

Take it a step further--the gentleman on the Member Forum had to go through the same process, although the other side of his complaint was that he and his wife depended primarily on the light from the garage door opener. Seems they did not have any other light source in the garage and hard-wiring for additional light was a project they were unwilling to undertake. I did suggest the Mr Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light and received several replies echoing the the value of a wireless lighting solution that is affordable, available, and effective.

Mr Beams LED lights are battery operated--a new set of batteries will provide you with life up to a year and sometimes more, depending on usage. All products are IP44 rated, so they are just as comfortable outdoors as indoors. The quality of the construction of the product always surprises people--these lights are not tap lights with cheap LEDs--you can realize 80 lumens on the Anywhere Ceiling Light; that's really bright.

There are so many uses for Mr Beams. I love sharing ideas and stories about where these products are used and how they can improve the quality of our lives. It's so simple and inexpensive! Once you try them, I feel sure that you'll be hooked.

Back-to-School Lighting

We'd dedicated a few entries a couple of weeks ago to back-to-school. How can we forget the increasing pressures of shopping for just the right items at just the right prices? The Sunday papers are swelling with flyers advertising "must haves" in order to ensure your child's success at school. So--we're going to fill their bags and boxes with stuff that the kids absolutely need to have a happy and healthy education. Beyond the requisite pencils and papers to help students achieve a perfect balance between the three "Rs", what do they need? Light!!!! Lots and lots of light.

For the junior high and high school students, locker lighting has become a popular item. Mr Beams offers the Stick Anywhere Lights which can be mounted with an adhesive (included with the product) to the inside of a locker door or on the ceiling of the locker, or you can simply place the light on a shelf in the locker. When the motion sensor detects motion, the light turns on, allowing students to find books, notebooks, pens....particularly useful mid-year when textbooks might be nesting among gym clothes, sneakers, coats and gloves.

College students need more than locker lights. They need lights that subscribe to dorm etiquette--lights that come on only when needed and shut off automatically, offering an alternative to the horrid overhead lighting that can offend sleeping roommates. The Anywhere Ceiling Light is the perfect resolution to that problem.

The expression, "go back to our roots", is so defining. Our society is so focused on "stuff" and acquiring "more stuff", that we sometimes forget what's really important. Besides lights, pencils and paper what else can we provide our kids to keep them motivated?

Mr Beams Spotlight: Quick And Easy

Here's what you get when you're a hands-on business owner like David Levine: "Answering the phone is a part of our business. Every time the phone rings, someone needs something from us. It's our job to satisfy that requirement as quickly as possible." David was rewarded with a pleasant surprise on Friday when he retrieved a voice mail from the Wireless Environment mailbox; a testimonial from a customer in North Carolina was over the moon about the Mr Beams Security Spotlight.

Jim lives near the Smoky Mountains in the remote town of Clyde on a large piece of property where security would be a big plus, but because of the size of the property and its location, hard wiring a security system would be extremely expensive. Adding a few Mr Beams Spotlights, however, is not only affordable, but convenient. The lights install anywhere and require no additional hardware, no wires and may be configured in no particular order. You can have the comfort and convenience of lights with the hassles or costs of professional installation. Choose a tree and drive one screw through the base. That's it. The LED Spotlight has two pivot points for flexibility in positioning. The Lights cover a spectrum of up to 60' away, more than 400' square. The motion sensor technology detects movement from over 30' away, triggering the lights. Anytime a car, person or animal enters the path of the sensor, wherever it may be located on your property, you will be alerted to the activity. The lights are weatherproof, and have sustained the winters in Alaska and the summers in Nevada--quite a testimony for those of us who have experienced either or both extremes.

Read Jim's review in full on www.mrbeams.com, and tell your electrician, "no thanks!".