The Seattle Home Show is coming to town! From Saturday, February 16 through Sunday, February 24, enjoy one of the world’s largest and longest-running home shows – the Seattle Home Show has been around since 1939!
If you’ve never been to the Seattle Home show, it’s a veritable feast for the senses, with exhibits featuring everything for the home – indoors and out.
Rich’s will be there, of course. At our exhibit, which is one of the Home Show’s largest, we’ll showcase the latest trends in stoves, fireplace inserts, and hot tubs. And we’ll offer the best deals of the year on inventory we’ve brought in especially for the Home Show.
You’ll find Rich’s at the south end of CenturyLink Field Event Center, in #305-307 and #421-423. See yellow mark on the map:
How to “do” the show
Exhibitors
Seminars
Admission
Location
Hours
Parking
Without further ado, it’s our bloggy year in review!
Gas Fireplaces & Inserts
Wood Stoves
Pellet Stoves
Electric Fireplaces
Hot Tubs/Spas
Fire Pits and Chat Groups
Outdoor Patio Furniture
BBQ Grills
Recipes for the Grill
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
Subscribe to Rich's Blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
Visit Rich's Website
It's that time of year -- time to get your happy on and Do the Puyallup!
The fair -- Washington's largest -- runs Friday, September 7 through September 23. Tomorrow, on opening day, bring a non-perishable food donation and receive a FREE gate admission between 9 a.m. and noon. Last year, over 160,000 pounds of food were donated.
Rich's will be at The Puyallup Fair, of course. We’re excited to be exhibiting (and selling) a limited-edition selection of stoves and spas at our booth. Once the Puyallup Fair ends, these products will no longer be available.
Plus, during the Puyallup, we offer “Fair Pricing” -- our best prices of the year at Rich's five Puget Sound Showrooms in Tacoma, Southcenter, Silverdale, Bellevue and Lynnwood.
A bit 'o Puyallup trivia:
Since 1976, people have been humming, singing, and dancing to the 'Do the Puyallup' jingle. You can listen the the jingle here, in three versions:
Download the sheet music so you can play and sing along!
Fair Facts
If you’ve never been to the Puyallup, you’re missing out on the fair of a lifetime. Officially named the Western Washington Fair, the Puyallup is celebrating its 112th anniversary, With over 1 million visitors, the Puyallup is the world’s eighth largest fair.
Concerts, concerts, and more concerts
The fair has a great lineup of evening concerts to appeal to every taste: country, comedy, Christian, rap, pop, and and rock.
Check out the Interactive Map of the fairgrounds and the Daily Schedule so you can plan your strategy. Be sure to check out the special activity days for discounts and, well... special activities.
If you enter through the Green Gate, you’ll want to visit the sheep, poultry, and horse barns, and then head over to the nearby Food Court.
Enter through the Purple Gate and you’ll be right at the SillyVille Train Station and kiddie rides.
Enter through the Blue Gate, and you’ll start out at the Showplace Stage, where you can catch 100% locally grown entertainment. Be sure to visit the Beef and Dairy, and Livestock barns, and the Commercial Exhibits.
Enter through the Gold Gate, and you’ll be right in front of the Fountain Plaza Stage (magic shows, comedy acts, juggling) and the Columbia Bank Concert Center, where the main Concert Series is held will be to your right.The Red Gate leads directly to the Western Heritage Center and Merchant’s Building (to your left), the Floral Building and Carnival area (to your right), and the Restaurant Building (straight ahead).
Food
No trip to the Puyallup would be complete without Fair Scones filled with fresh berries and slathered with whipped cream.
You’ll also find yummy artery-clogging fare such as funnel cakes, onion rings, curly fries, elephant ears, caramel apples, cotton candy, fudge, and everybody’s favorite, deep fried Twinkies.
Be sure to check out the Fair Food Contests, including The Great American Spam Championship, The Salsa Showdown, and of course, The Original Famous Fair Scone Contest.
Get out a highlighter pen and plan your junk food extravaganza on this downloadable Food Map.
And since Puyallup is a bit off the beaten track, you might need driving directions to get there.
Have a great time doin' the Puyallup, and be sure to stop by Rich's exhibit and say hi!
Subscribe to Rich's Blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
It's our biggest sale of the year on hearth products.
Starting today (Wed, Aug 29, 2012) through Labor Day, you'll find fantastic deals on demos, closeouts and factory seconds -- fireplaces, inserts, and stoves, including the Avalon brand.
Not only that, but you'll save thousands on Rich's hot tubs, as the price on over 100 spas has been reduced.
There's more! We're offering final clearance prices on Rich's patio furniture -- save up to 70% off.
The sale ends Labor Day. See you soon at one of our five Puget Sound locations: Bellevue, Lynnwood, Southcenter, Tacoma, or Silverdale.
If you watched the Olympic diving competition, you noticed that the divers soaked in the hot tub immediately after completing each dive. That’s because they wanted to keep their muscles warm and loose.
Most of us will never be Olympians, but we can enjoy the many health benefits hydrotherapy provides. The combination of warm water and strategically placed jets soothe stiff muscles, relieve nagging aches and pains, and stimulate circulation.
Here are 12 health challenges hydrotherapy can help alleviate:
1. Neck and back pain
The buoyancy provided by the water reduces body weight by 90 percent, taking pressure off joints.
2. Sports injuries
A warm soak increases blood flow to the injured area, bringing nutrients to help repair the damage.
3. Sore feet (or cold feet)
Soak your tootsies in a spa set at 103-104 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes per day. (Consult your doctor first if you have varicose veins, lymphostasis, or edema.)
4. Mental health issues
Color therapy, or chromotherapy, uses a combination of color and light to balance your physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental energy. (Many of Rich’s Clearwater Spas are designed to cycle through a spectrum of colors that provide light- and color therapy)
5. Arthritis
The soothing warmth and buoyancy of the water in a properly designed spa can help relieve arthritis pain.
6. Circulation problems
Heat from hot tubs can cause the blood vessels to open up (called vasodilation), which decrease blood pressure. The heat and massage ease blood flow and improve circulation, in addition to stimulating nerve impulses that boost the immune system and digestion.
7. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome
The warm water may alleviate constant all-over body aches, particularly if you do some light stretches while you soak.
8. Muscle aches
Soak at a temperature between 102 to 106 degree F to loosen tight, tense muscles.
9. Insomnia
Studies suggest that spending 15 minutes in a hot tub 90 minutes before bedtime can lead to an improved night's sleep.
10. Migraines
The jets in a hot tub dilate blood vessels to help prevent headaches.
11. Type 2 Diabetes
Soaking up to 30 minutes a day, six days a week for at least three weeks is known to help individuals with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar, lose weight and improve their sleep patterns.
12. Stress
Warm water massage stimulates your body to release endorphins that reduce stress naturally.
Risks of Using Hot Tub Spas
If you have a recurrent or persistent health challenge, always consult with your doctor before determining whether hydrotherapy is for you.
Related Articles
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
Subscribe to Rich's Blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
Visit Rich's Website
For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.
Today through Sunday, March 4, 2012: All Rich's Home Show inventory must go!
Fireplaces, Inserts, & Stoves
Save up to 40% off Rich's fireplaces, inserts, and stoves, featuring Lopi and Avalon.
Five-day installation; payments from $29.
Spa Sale
Plus, you'll find savings of up to 40% off Rich's hot tubs -- over 80 spas in stock.
Choose from new models, demos and closeouts. Payments from $59.
Visit Rich's 5 Puget Sound showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Southcenter, Tacoma, and Silverdale, WA.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
Subscribe to Rich's Blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
Visit Rich's Website
For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.
Stoves, Fireplaces, and Inserts
Grills & Grilling Accessories
Recipes for the Grill
Outdoor Furnishings
Entertaining & Ambiance
By Laura Christianson
Guest Columnist
When I stopped by Rich’s on Saturday to purchase a new bubble cover for my Clearwater Spa, I joked with the sales associate that they build these spas too well. We’ve owned our Clearwater Spa for 16 years. My family of four (which includes two teenage boys) uses it heavily, but all the jets still work and it cranks out the heat.
I live with chronic back pain, and I can’t tell you how many times a dose of hydrotherapy has helped me rest better at night.
While I was buying my bubble cover – officially known as a “floating thermal blanket” (which, incidentally, is the best spa accessory we’ve ever purchased because it traps the heat beneath the hard cover and significantly decreases our electric bill) – I picked up some literature on Clearwater Spas.
There are three levels of Clearwater Spas:
XS Series – I call these “entry level” spas. Although they’re engineered the same as the luxury models and they’re extremely energy efficient, the XS Series models come with fewer bells and whistles and are quite affordable.
Beachcraft Series – These “middle of the road” spas are a bit roomier and include features such as multi-level steps, cool-down seats and ergonomically designed seating configurations.
Resort Series – “Elegant” and “decadent” are words I’d use to describe these luxury spas. Lots of jets. Multiple pumps. Custom lighting. Custom waterfalls. Everything you could ever want in a spa.
Being a budget-minded person, I eyeballed the XS Series spas, which currently include eight models (new models for 2012 are now available for ordering). I asked the sales associate, “Which of these models would you recommend for folks who are buying their first spa?”
“It depends on the size of your family, and on the size of the people who will be using the spa,” he replied.
For a couple, he recommended the XS76NL - Signature (pictured, right). This model seats 6 adults in an open seating arrangement, has 40 jets, and holds 300 gallons of water.
For a couple with young kids, he recommended the XS84NL. It also seats 6 adults and has a kid-friendly cool-off bench so young ones can get their little bodies mostly out of the spa for a few minutes while still dangling their feet in.
For a family with teens (or several adult-sized people), he recommended the XS93NL - Signature (pictured, top right), which seats 8 adults. The largest of the XL Series line, this spa holds 450 gallons of water and has 40 jets.
All Clearwater Spas come in a variety of shell colors and cabinet styles colors, and Rich’s carries a full line of spa accessories and chemicals.
I can’t recommend Clearwater Spas highly enough. If and when my hardy Clearwater Spa ever dies, I’ll replace it with another Clearwater Spa.
All this writing about spas is making my back ache; I’ll give you one guess where I’m heading next.
More Spa Articles on Rich's Blog:
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
Subscribe to Rich's Blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
Visit Rich's
For more details about our products and for directions to Rich's 5 Puget Sound showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Southcenter, and Silverdale, visit Rich's website, richshome.com.
Are you ready to "make your escape" and "Do the Puyallup?"
Yup, it's that time -- from Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 25, Washington State's largest county fair is the happenin' place to be.
Rich's will be at The Puyallup Fair, of course. We’re excited to be exhibiting (and selling) a limited-edition selection of stoves and spas at our booth. Once the Puyallup Fair ends, these products will no longer be available.
Plus, during Fair season, we offer “Fair Pricing” -- our best prices of the year at Rich's five Puget Sound Showrooms in Tacoma, Southcenter, Silverdale, Bellevue and Lynnwood.
If you’ve never been to the Puyallup, you’re missing out on the fair of a lifetime. Officially named the Western Washington Fair, the Puyallup is celebrating its 111th anniversary, With over 1 million visitors, the Puyallup is the world’s eighth largest fair.
Here are tips to help you do The Puyallup:
Check out the Interactive Map of the fairgrounds and the Daily Schedule so you can plan your strategy.
If you enter through the Green Gate, you’ll want to visit the sheep, poultry, and horse barns, and then head over to the nearby Food Court.
Enter through the Purple Gate and you’ll be right at the SillyVille Train Station and kiddie rides.
Enter through the Blue Gate, and you’ll start out at the Showplace Stage, where you can catch 100% locally grown entertainment. Be sure to visit the Beef and Dairy, and Livestock barns, and the Commercial Exhibits.
Enter through the Gold Gate, and you’ll be right in front of the Fountain Plaza Stage (magic shows, comedy acts, juggling) and the Columbia Bank Concert Center, where the main Concert Series is held will be to your right.
The Red Gate leads directly to the Western Heritage Center and Merchant’s Building (to your left), the Floral Building and Carnival area (to your right), and the Restaurant Building (straight ahead).
Food
No trip to the Puyallup would be complete without Fair Scones filled with fresh berries and slathered with whipped cream.
You’ll also find yummy artery-clogging fare such as funnel cakes, onion rings, curly fries, elephant ears, caramel apples, cotton candy, fudge, and everybody’s favorite, deep fried Twinkies.
Get out a highlighter pen and plan your junk food extravaganza on this downloadable Food Map.
And since Puyallup is a bit off the beaten track, you might need driving directions to get there.
Have a great time doin' the Puyallup, and be sure to stop by Rich's exhibit and say hi!
Subscribe to Rich's Blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
Did you know...
So, other than having a great excuse to take a long weekend and have an end-of-summer barbecue, why do we celebrate Labor Day?
Thought you'd never ask.
Here at Rich's, we celebrate all our employees and vendors -- the many people who faithfully serve at our five Puget Sound-area stores. We are so grateful to you!
We're especially thankful to you, our valued customer, for choosing to shop at Rich's.
Traditionally, we've hosted our biggest sale of the year during the week prior to Labor Day, and this year is no exception.
You’ll find huge savings on the Northwest's largest selection of fireplaces, inserts and stoves, including Avalon.
Plus, you’ll find some great deals on patio furniture during our final clearance; save up to 70% off.
Not only that, but you can save thousands on hot tubs – we have over 100 to choose from.
The sale runs Wed, August 31 through Labor Day 2011 at Rich's 5 Puget Sound showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Southcenter, and Silverdale.
Subscribe to Rich’s blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
Sources:
Hungry for fun? It’s time to Make Your Escape and Kick it Up at our local county fairs.
Rich’s for the Home is heading out on the fair circuit starting this week – we’ll have booths at four
fairs, where you can take advantage of our best prices of the year on stoves and spas:
August 18-21
Island County Fair
Langley, WA
Exhibits are open each day from:
9:30 AM to 10:00 PM on Thursday, Friday & Saturday
9:30 AM to 7:00 PM on Sunday
Admission fees: http://www.islandcountyfair.com/documents/87.html
August 24-28
Kitsap County Fair & Stampede
Bremerton, WA
Rich’s is sponsoring the Main Stage Entertainment – Jugglers, Illusionists, Hypnotists, Comedy acts, Dance, and more! http://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/Fairgrounds/Documents/2011MainStage.pdf
Exhibits are open each day from:
10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Wednesday through Saturday
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday
Admission fees: http://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/fairgrounds/pages/Fair_Information.htm
August 25 – September 5
Evergreen State Fair (Officially, the Snohomish County Fair)
Monroe, WA
Fair Facts:
Exhibits are open each day from:
10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, except September 5, when exhibits are open from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Admission fees and discounts: http://www.evergreenfair.org/prices.asp
September 9-25
Puyallup Fair (Officially, the Western Washington Fair)
Puyallup, WA
Fair Facts:
Exhibits are open each day from:
10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday
10:00 AM to 11:00 PM Friday and Saturday
Admission fees: http://www.thefair.com/puyallup-fair/visitor-info/
Deals and Discounts: http://www.thefair.com/puyallup-fair/deals_discounts/
Here’s a little secret:
We’ll have special, limited-edition stoves and spas on display at the fairs. Once the fairs over, those products will no longer be available.
AND… we offer our best prices of the year at our stores during Fair season, as well. So if you can’t make it to the fair, be sure to stop by one of Rich's five Puget Sound showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Southcenter, and Silverdale and ask about “Fair pricing.”
Subscribe to Rich’s blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
“Will heating the water in my spa cause my electric bill to skyrocket?”
It’s a valid concern for all hot tub shoppers. While your electric bill will increase, it won’t jump as much as you might imagine. Today’s super-insulated spas are designed with energy efficiency in mind. Clearwater Spas, for example, use as little as 138 kWh per month and cost as low as $9 per month to operate.
Insulation
Clearwater Spas use Reflective Thermal Barrier (RTB) insulation which harnesses the warmth from the pumps and heater inside the spa cabinet, while reflecting the colder outside air away from the cabinet. This helps maintain the spa shell and water heat.
Insulated Flooring
Unlike many spa manufacturers, Clearwater Spas are built with fully insulated Durafloor materials. The spa’s floor does not touch the ground, which further insulates it and protects it from moisture.
Hard Cover
One of the most impressive features of these spas is their insulated hard covers and cover lifting system. Most brands of spa covers are constructed with a straight up-and-down seam with a bar that lies on top of the seam.
But Clearwater Spas covers have a bar that locks into a metal channel. The bar is actually built into the cover. Every seam on the cover is insulated (eliminating steam- and heat loss), and the entire cover is compression sealed.
The mounting bracket for the lift system is hidden behind the spa’s skirt, giving it a much lower profile and allowing the lifting system to fit into a snug space.
Cover Care and Conditioner
Even the best-insulated hot tub covers degrade in two-to-three years. To protect your cover from UV rays and keep the vinyl pliable and weather-resistant, invest in cover care and conditioner (we sell a wide variety of cover care products, spa chemicals and accessories at Rich’s).
Bubble Cover
One of the best ways to insulate your spa (and keep your electric bill low) is to purchase a floating bubble blanket. Whenever you’re not using your spa, slip the bubble cover on top of the water, with the edges of the blanket all the way up to the lip of your spa. The hard cover will sit on top of the bubble blanket, effectively sandwiching the edges of the blanket.
Hot Tip: When you add chemicals to your spa, leave the bubble cover and the hard cover off for an hour or so, to prevent them from absorbing the chemicals and thus, degrading more quickly.
Your Spa’s Heat Settings
Clearwater Spas come with three heat settings: Standard, Economy, and Sleep.
More Spa Articles
Visit Rich's
Stop by any of Rich's five Puget Sound showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Southcenter, and Silverdale. We have an excellent selection of Vermont Castings Grills.
Subscribe to Rich’s blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
Our biggest sale of the year is in full swing and runs through Memorial Day (May 30, 2011).
We're offering huge savings on:
Visit Rich's
Stop by one of our five Puget Sound showrooms and take advantage of our sale prices. Rich's is located in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Southcenter, and Silverdale.
Subscribe to Rich’s blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
It's time for Rich's biggest sale of the year, starting today and running through Memorial Day (May 30, 2011).
We're offering huge savings on:
For example, you can save...
...up to 1/3 off all fireplaces, stoves, and inserts, including Avalon.
...up to 1/3 off outdoor grills from Vermont Castings.
...up to half off the Northwest's largest selection of patio furniture, including Woodard.
Visit Rich's
Stop by one of our five Puget Sound showrooms and take advantage of our sale prices. Rich's is located in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Southcenter, and Silverdale.
Subscribe to Rich’s blog
Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.
‘Like’ Rich’s on Facebook
We provide daily tips and Internet-only specials on our Facebook page. Hope you’ll “like” us, and encourage your Facebook friends to join us, too.
