Over the past few weeks, we have been talking about the reasons most people give to not own a hot tub - and whether they are valid, or just rumors, myths, and what 'they' say - ahh, the elusive 'They'. Next on our list is my favorite - because honestly, it used to be my reason to not have a hot tub before I was in the industry .... Are you ready, because I bet it is one of your reasons too ... 'I will never use it because I just DON'T HAVE ANY FREE TIME!'
The 'busyness factor'. This is a hard one to get past because we all have our schedules and they are most generally overwhelming and overbooked. Between work, kids, keeping up with the house, a spouse, a pet, and on and on, this is a tricky one.
So, I'm going to approach this one from personal experience.
We moved 6 years ago and left our original hot tub with the old house because the buyer requested it. I was pregnant at the time, so hot tub use was a big no-no. Time passed. I had my daughter and she was our second child, so I was dealing with 2 kids under the age of 3, plus work, plus, you know the drill - everything that comes with it...
My husband bugged and bugged about getting a replacement hot tub at our new house and I continually told him no - we had young kids and other things that needed our attention. It would just sit there and be a constant reminder of how we are not good money managers right?!!
Then, in 2016, we brought on the Caldera line of hot tubs and my husband won. In order to sell the product and stand behind it, he argued that we needed to own one and test it - 'put it through the ringer' so to speak. (I have to admit, we are terrible owners of outdoor products - we are neglectful and never really take care of things like we should - 'busyness factor'. That is my answer as to why we are lazy homeowners, and I'm sticking with it.) Us owning a hot tub, would truly test out the required maintenance, because we wouldn't do the necessary preventative care - so, we are sadly a logical choice when it comes to testing how much maintenance a product requires.
So, against my better judgement, I went along with it and we ordered our hot tub. We installed it over Thanksgiving break that year, and of course, with any new product, there is excitement, and it was a holiday weekend, so no work and plenty of time to get in the new toy! The girls were now 3 and 6, so we could keep the temperature low and let them get in to 'play' for a little while and I have to admit, it was a fun weekend.
But then, comes back to work, and the true test of any new purchase - especially one that I already had my doubts about with our busy lifestyle raising 2 kids.
Surprisingly that first week, I was excited to get the kids in bed so I could go outside and soak - even if it was only for a few minutes.
The bigger surprise was that my husband would get in every night with me - actually beating me into the hot tub on most occasions, since putting 2 kids to bed actually takes a solid 30 minutes instead of the 5 minutes you would expect. Moms - you know what I'm talking about here...
During those evening hot tub soaks, my husband and I actually talked and shared stories with each other about the day, and truly were able to reconnect. This continued well into the spring and early summer which was really nice, as work tends to get rather stressful during those times and it was kind of an anchoring point of the day. I knew that even if we were bickering over something, I had the evening hot tub soak, which meant his undivided attention, and we would be able to reconcile whatever we were bickering about during the day - which was nice. Previously, I would just ignore it until it fizzled out, but it's hard to do that sitting in a hot tub 3 feet away from each other - and neither of us was willing to give up the hot tub time, so in a way, it forced us to resolve things faster, which was actually better for both of us.
The other part that was surprising to me, is that I wasn't really as busy as I thought I was. Having the hot tub time be the priority immediately after putting the kids to bed was a wake up call as to what I was actually spending my time doing - watching tv and scrolling on my silly phone. It was amazing to discover how much time I was actually wasting ...
During that winter, I actually dropped about 5 or 6 shows because they were simply piling up in the DVR. But I realized, they just weren't that important to watch anymore. The time I was spending with my husband and my girls was much more of a priority, and keeping some time for myself or the two of us together, and being present together, instead of just sitting side by side on the couch watching tv was far more beneficial for me in many ways.
I will admit that we did hit a 2 month window of May/June that we didn't get in every evening simply because of end of school activities, dance recitals, and not getting home from work until bedtime. But, busy times like those are few and far between, and our girls made sure we were getting in the hot tub as a family during the weekends, because they had come to rely on the undivided mom and dad attention they got in the hot tub.
I'm not trying to say that hot tub ownership is for everyone, or that you aren't busy - what I am challenging you to do is think about your day and what you are busy doing each evening. Just focus on the end of the evening after the kids are in bed, or whatever your nightly routine involves.
Or even in the morning before work if you are more of a morning person rather than a night owl. Can you find 20 - 30 minutes that would benefit from time away from electronics, work, or screens in general? Or even time away from the news!! Decrease your blood pressure instead of taking on the stress of Washington and the nightmare that is today...
The health benefits of hot tub ownership are undeniable at this point, and even if you feel you are healthy enough - the mental and social benefits are worth their weight as well - reconnecting with your family (or having time to self reflect) on a daily basis, or at a minimum, a weekly basis, is priceless, and those are the times you are going to remember spending together.
Recently, our marketing consultant purchased a Caldera hot tub and he provided a video for us about his experience.
Don't want to come to the store to shop, or you are like me and have young kids that you would rather not pack up to go hot tub shopping? No worries! We offer FREE in-home consults for that very reason - we understand you are just plain busy and we want to make this process as easy and convenient for you as possible.
P.S. Caldera has a great video testimonial regarding another family's experience with their hot tub and the benefits they found in hot tub ownership.