Entertaining with a hot tub as a party focal point is easy.  Everyone is already psyched to have a good time. 

Follow these Top 10 Tips to create a fun evening with good times to remember:

10. Invite the Fun People in Your Life-Omit the Grumps

Some friends will want to get in the hot tub, and others will be content to hang out by the snack table all night. Make your guest list according to who you think will have the most fun at your hot tub party.  Keep in mind the maximum occupancy of your tub, so you don’t leave any guests sitting out in the cold.

9. Clean Clear Water

Just as you’d clean your house before a big party, make sure your hot tub water is clean and sparkling before guests arrive.  Check your supplies and make sure you have clarifier and sanitizer on hand.  You want your guests to go “aah” with delight when you roll back the cover, not “yuck!”

8. Have a Plan B

Bad weather, a power outage, or crabby guests- you never know what could crop up to spoil your hot tub fun so plan other activities just in case you can’t go in the hot tub.

7. Party Food: Keep it on the Light Side

Stick to finger food that can be eaten in or out of the tub. Easy to eat items like veggies & dip, fresh fruit on skewers, chicken or shrimp kabobs, egg rolls, etc work best.  Avoid chips in the tub.  If spilled, they make a party-ending, gummy mess!

6. Drinks: Save the Alcohol for After Soaking

Have a selection of bottled waters, juices and sodas on hand to keep soakers hydrated while soaking.  Alcohol?   Alcohol’s effects are felt much more quickly in a hot tub-overconsumption and a major hangover is a sure thing the next day. Save wine, beer and other alcoholic drinks for after soaking. You don’t want your guests to rue the day they accepted your invitation.

5. Provide Extra Bathing Suits

Most people are self-conscious around strangers. Some guests might “forget” their suits” in order to avoid soaking. Once they see all the fun everyone’s having, they’ll want to jump in, too.  Have a selection of extra bathing suits and swim trunks on hand for guests who left their suits at home. Shop the end of season sales on now for bargains in swimsuit.

4. Extra Towels for the Thoughtful Touch

You can never have enough towels! Guests may get in and out of the tub multiple times, leading to damp towels that stop doing the job.  Keep lots of clean, fresh towels on hand and stay on top of putting wet towels in the washer & dryer. Your guests will love you for it and so will your carpet and upholstered lawn furniture.

3. Add Hot Tub Accessories, Games and Door Prizes and Consider a Theme for your Party

All of the action will be centered around your hot tub, so pick up fun party favors, small door prizes, ducks for everyone to race, waterproof cards, floating checkerboards, etc. Solar powered lanterns are a beautiful way to light up the night. The Hawaiian theme is always in style. Waterproof leis add to the fun.

2. Cue the Soundtrack: Music is Must

Every party needs a soundtrack. Many newer hot tubs come with music and an iPod docking station.  Choose your music with your guests’ taste in mind. Throw in some songs that add pizzazz to your party’s theme.

1. Have Fun

If you, the host, aren’t having a good time, your guests won’t either. Sit back, relax and have a ball at your own hot tub party. You can never foresee all of the problems that can and do arise, so just go with the flow.  Your guests will appreciate your approach to the evening and have fun themselves. 

That’s the recipe for a great hot tub party!

One of our favorite hot tub scents is a dry powder of hot spring essence called: Magma Onsen Beppu.  Magma Onsen is made from the waters of the famous Umijgoku onsen (hot spring) located in Beppu, Japan. This bath salt formula is one of the most popular products in Japan.  Japanese women, and even men, rave about the product’s ability to smooth and soften the skin as well as provide a relaxing, soothing soak.  A special blend of perfumes and fragrances are added to enhance relaxation and engage the senses. It has a fresh, clean scent and contains potassium, magnesium and other volcanic minerals from the 1200 year old therapeutic hot springs in Japan. 

In Beppu, soakers use the hot springs for “medical purposes” as well as relexation.  At the famed Beppu Research Institute,  arthritis and rheumatism sufferers experience temporary relief from aching joints while soaking.  Magma Onsen helps to maintain the acid/alkaline balance of the skin with a ph of 7.5 to 8.5 while providing a deeper relaxation to over-worked, stressed, and tired muscles and joints.  It’s safe for hot tub filtration and plumbing systems and can be used in either hot tub, spa or bath tub.

Many of our customers swear that it has an analgesic effect that lasts longer and causes deeper relief than soaking in the hot tub without it.  We weren’t able to get if for almost a year and during that time a woman came into the Seattle store hoping to purchase a can.  She’d just run out and couldn’t be without it.  When she heard that we we out of stock with no current importer, she burst into tears.  Dramatic? Yes.  She said between sobs that Magma Onsen Beppu was the only  thing that helped her leg cramps.  She put some in her Hot Spring Spa once a week and soaked everynight for 100% relief from pain. 

Suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, joint pain? Magma Onsen Beppu in your hot tub is worth a try!

We’re so glad to have it on our shelves and in our e-store once again.  Order from Olympic’s e-store right now: http://www.olympichottubestore.com/maonjabapo.html

Intrigued?  If you’ve felt that sinking into a hot tub only to have your swimsuit puff up full of air was a cause for some embarrassment, here’s the solution.  Julie Hobbs, founder and President of VentzSpaWear says: “After watching my husband’s swimsuit puff up in the hot tub for four years, we began researching the best way to solve the common problem.”  Her company’s swimwear with vents came about because she believes that hot tub users should be able to sit comfortably in their spas without air being trapped in their suits!

Yes, VentzSpa Wear really works. Men take note: no more puffed up trunks.

Order from www.ventzspawear.com.

We all get our best ideas when we’re relaxed. The right brain is the source of creativity because it has a diffuse view. The left brain is the analytical “do it now”, focused part of our brains responsible for language and mathematical ability. Only during a state of relaxation does the right brain “speak to us”. To get those great ideas from the right brain to bubble up and to actually be able to “hear” them, make relaxation a daily habit. Hot tubbing turns the “aahs!” uttered when you’re sinking into the bliss of hot water into ahas” of ideas!

Many people buy hot tubs to relax but don’t realize that the added benefit of inspiration will be theirs, too. If you work at home, having a hot tub can help your draw the line between work and home. Many home-based workers buy a hot tub and discover it helps them create that dividing line. They shut the computer off at 5:30, go out to the hot tub, soak for 20 minutes and then come home.

One customer told me that she got many great ideas while soaking, but hadn’t found a way to save them. “The paper gets wet!” she told me. I sent her a waterproof tablet with waterproof (but erasable marker) that deep sea divers use. She loved it. An even better idea would be a waterproof notebook-popular with contractors in our rainy Northwest: www.riteintherain.com. Use the notebook and you’ll have a record of your best brain waves.

A Dreamer’s Dictionary

I’ve always been fascinated by dreams. I can remember a vivid dream from age 5. I always like to read what dream dictionaries say about various elements in my current dreams mean. Checking out on line dreaming dictionaries, I found this entry:

HOT TUB-If you dream of being in a hot tub, it may be a symbol that you are currently changing things in your daily life, or have freed yourself from bothersome emotions. Often this dream is a call to relax, to free your mind of daily troubles, and to put your problems away for a while. Even if you didn’t dream about a hot tub, that’s exactly how to achieve hot tub bliss!

Scenario: You’ve been invited over to the neighbors or a friends to test out their new hot tub. What to do? Etiquette is often defined as the art of making eveyone feel comfortable socially.

Here are a few tips to make the date go smoothly.

1. Nude or not nude? Ask the owners. There is nothing more embarrassing than stripping to the buff only to find your hosts in bathing suits. If nude is the order of the day and you feel uncomfortable with nudity, tell your hosts. As gracious hosts, it is their option to wear suits or simply tell you that they have a no suit policy. A mixed group of suits and nudity doesn’t work for either group. Decide as a group which it will be! Either way, do only what’s comfortable for you!
2. Laundry soap residue and hot tubs are a bad combo. If suits are worn, make sure yours is rinsed thoroughly. And, please no t-shirts, or cut offs. Even after rinsing, they’ll likely create a mountain of bubbly foam when the jets are turned on.
3. B. Y. O. T. Bring your own towels and enough for your entourage. Pack ‘em in and pack ‘em out. Your host will love you for it.
4. It’s a hot tub–not a bathtub. Please wash off off all of the lotion, deodorant and sweat before soaking in a hot tub.
5. Stay out if you have open cuts or sores and never discuss your scars! Birthmarks, warts or scars, yours or others, are not appropriate for discussion.
6. “This hot tub is G-Rated.” If you’re with your lover, hold the passions until you reach dry land. Better yet, get your own hot tub.
7. No foamy stuff, please! Do not introduce bubble bath, bath oil or any foreign substances into the hot tub without the owner’s permission.
8. No posteriors for posterity. If you absolutely have to take pictures, please get permission first. Remember: what happens in the tub stays in the tub.
9. No chips when you dip. Potato chips or other snack foods, if spilled, make a gummy mess that’s hard to clean up. Food for wet fingers should be light not messy. Fruit is always a good choice.
10. Alcohol + hot tub= health risk. Hot water is a stimulant, and alcohol a depressant on your system. Alcohol’s effects are felt very swiftly in a hot tub at 104°. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and save the alcohol for after soaking.
11. Don’t hog the jets! Many hot tubs today have different types of jets at each seat. By changing seats, you’ll get to feel the effects of each jet .
12. Pets in hot tubs are not recommended both for the pet and the water quality!
13. Never, ever leave children alone in a hot tub.

New hot tub owner? Consider sharing these etiquette tips with guests.

August 15th is NATIONAL RELAXATION DAY, 24 hours dedicated to enjoying much needed “R & R”.  Everyone deserves a special day during the year for total relaxation, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to just sit back and relax the other 364 days of the year, too?  Relaxing any day of the year is easy in your own hot tub. Imagine soaking in the soothing comfort of  hot jetted water-peacefully unwinding as the cares of the day fade into the distance-without ever leaving the privacy of your backyard.

Not long ago,  hot tubs were associated with a laid-back California lifestyle or perceived as an indulgence for the rich and famous.  But the hot tub has come full circle and is now very much a part of “mainstream” culture.  Recent technological advancements have made owning a hot tub easier than ever and their growing popularity can be attributed to the many healthful advantages derived from sophisticated, state-of-the-art spas.  The massaging action of a spa-created by sending a combination of warm water and air through jet nozzles-results in an “energized” stream of water that loosens knots of tension and provides a wide variety of other therapeutic benefits including relaxing tired and aching muscles, improving sleep, and increasing mental relaxation. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But feeling it is even better.  

If you haven’t been in today’s new hot tubs, come take a test soak.  Since the first day we opened our first store, we’ve had tubs for potential customers to try.  Now, we have most models hot and ready to try in our showrooms.  We want you to experience the same benefits that you would experience at your home.  Come over on a Thursday evening (bring your suit and towels) (please call first to set up a time) for a test soak and your Friday will be dramatically different.  You’ll experience deeper sleep and wake refreshed.  It’s like a 3-day weekend !

We’re celebrating the relaxation benefits of hot tubbing during our 31st Anniversary Celebration-starting TODAY. It’s our biggest sale of the year. Mention you saw this blog post and receive a special gift with purchase.  We make it so easy to take it easy that you can relax the other 364 days a year.

One of the best things about night hot tubbing is the chance to look up at the stars. Many of our customers keep telescopes by their tub to get a magnified view of the heavens. A few minutes spent on the excellent website www.astronomynow.com will give you an idea of what’s going on in the night sky. This week look upward to the northeast just past midnight for one of the most spectacular celestial shows of the year. The Perseid shower wil be beaking. Read on!

If you’ve every wished on a shooting star, here’s your chance to make lots of wishes. Early Tueday you could see thousands of shooting stars which are actually meteors not stars. Meteors are the result of small particles entering the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds, around 60 kilometres per second in the case of the Perseid shower, which results from the Earth passing through from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, last in the vicinity of the Earth in 1992. Meteors appear as brief streaks of light flashing across the sky, and unlike many astronomical phenomena, are best seen with the unaided eye, rather than through a telescope or binoculars. So take a late soak tonight and look skyward, make those wishes and this could be the start of a whole new hobby: astronomy from your hot tub.

Email of the Day:

“Good morning, Alice. We would like to offer you the opportunity for a product placement in one of our upcoming series. We are meeting with a network in LA the week of August 25^th to formally discuss our reality show called X-TUB. This scenario consists of ex-couples that are willing to try to get back together by resolving conflicts and making compromises. Each couple brings two of their friends for their “side of the story.” The clinch is the main meeting takes place in a HOT TUB, called the X-TUB. Audience ranging 20-36. We would like to offer a product placement for the main focus HOT TUB. Our meeting with the network for “X-TUB” is coming up shortly, and would like to have a list of considered products placements. Sincerely, Golaith Productions”

As the world turns! I turned the offer of a product placement down, but was quite amused by the concept of hot tubbing in a reality show. I’ve been talking about the hot tub as the place to communicate and maintain relationships for years. Away from distractions like TV and phones, many couples tell us they go in every night to talk about their day and stay connected. In fact, one of the top reasons for purchasing is relationship togetherness. Being in hot water almost makes a fight impossible. If there’s any chance to salvage a relationship, talking it out in a hot tub is a great place to start.

But if the bond is already broken, here’s something else I’ve observed. Once the divorce is final, the partner who didn’t get the house and the hot tub, comes in to buy a bigger one!

Watch for X-TUB. Good luck to Goliath Productions!