Thanks to Cindy & Dave Lorengo for the lovely Christmas card sent to their salesperson, Jim Gatens, who manages our Issaquah store. Jim shared it with me because it illustrates a very important point about hot tub buying:
Dear Jim: Can’t tell you how much you helped us find the perfect spa! Dave told me the one pictured would be more than enough, but thank God I insisted on seeing you first!! Thanks again! May you and your family have a great holiday! Love Cindy & Dave Lorengo.
Jim is a gifted listener. He listened to Cindy and Dave’s need and wants and matched them with a new Limelight Flair model. It’s ultra spacious for two; roomy for 4 and, in a pinch, will seat 6. The original picture they’d looked at was much smaller. You can understand why they’re so happy!
Yes..size does matter in a hot tub. Buy the smallest one and you’ll regret it forever. In our 31 one years in the hot tub business, no one has ever come back saying the one they bought was too big! As long as it fits the setting and doesn’t overwhelm the space (i.e. small urban backyard), go for the roomiest model you can afford. More water equals more fun. More space guarantees more pleasure.
Sanum per Aqua- Latin for Health through Water.
Tonight’s the night for our yearly ritual. We soak in the tub with a glass of bubbly and celebrate our good fortune. We can hear the bells & horns and see tips of fireworks from across the lake from our rooftop hot tub. Safe, warm and away from the traffic, it’s just the two of us. We toast the year to come and wish for another year of health and happiness, continued good fortune, a great business, family & friends. Here’s to all of you hot tubbers who are doing the same tonight: Wishing You A Happy New Year! May all of your wishes come true.
This is the Dream.
This is the Dream we carry through the world
that something fantastic will happen
that it has to happen
that time will open by itself
that doors shall open by themselves
that the heart will find itself open
that mountain springs will rise up
that the dream will open itself
that we will one early morning
slip into a harbor
we have never know before.
Thanks to Robert Bly for this translation of the poem from the late Norwegian poet Olav Hauge.
That sums up my feeling about the hot tub: dreams are dreamt and feelings felt and explored like no where else on earth. We wouldn’t be without our dream machine!
Happy New Year!
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
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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- “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.
- No foamy stuff, please! Do not introduce bubble bath, bath oil or any foreign substances into the hot tub without the owner’s permission.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 .
- Pets in hot tubs are not recommended both for the pet and the water quality!
- 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.
Well! Imagine having a product that its manufacturers call one thing and customers call another. The original wood tubs were called hot tubs. When plastic became the material of choice, they were renamed: spas. Imagine the confusion with day spas, health spas, vacation destination spas. We have hot tub in our name so always have called them hot tubs. See you in the hot tub!
A recent survey by research firm P.K. Data of Atlanta found that: 78% call it a hot tub. 16% call it a spa. 6% call it something else. In Iceland, they’re called “hot pots” or “gossip pots.” Our customers call them everything from “lobster pots” to ”cool pools”.
Half of all otherwise qualified prospects say they haven’t bought a hot tub because they don’t have enough space. This is one of the more surprising findings from another recent P.K. Data survey of non-owners regarding hot tub purchase barriers. Perhaps it is understandable: surf hot tub websites and most of the featured products are top-of-the-line models designed to accommodate 8 people. Very stylish, yes, but also probably inappropriate for newly minted empty nesters who just want to quietly soak away their cares for a while. Don’t think you have room? Check out our 2-person models that take up very little space: the Hot Spring Jetsetter or the Hot Spot Sorrento.
Thanks to Cindy & Dave Lorengo for the lovely Christmas card sent to their salesperson, Jim Gatens, who manages our Issaquah store. Jim shared it with me because it illustrates a very important point about hot tub buying:
