Cheers to the HHL Family!

Holland Home Leisure is a company that has been built by family. Starting as a small family business and every year since 1980 our HHL family has grown. No matter how many staff we have or how many square feet our showroom is...We are family. At work you are with people daily that you celebrate birthdays and holidays with, the people you laugh with and bicker with and those that you see stressed and relaxed.. sounds like family to me.
The HHL crew is lucky to be given the opportunity multiple times a year to kick back, relax and to celebrate a job well done. After seminars and sales we gather and we are encouraged by owners to come out as a group and relax, laugh, joke and break bread together. Every summer we are blessed to have the chance to meet spouses and and children and play games, eat and let loose and enjoy time together. The holiday season is no exception.
Our holiday party is usually being planned by owners in the summer, and because of hard work and preparation we have been given some memorable parties! Casino Nights, Pool Championships and great meals. This year the HHL family gathered at McGill's restaurant to start the evening. Cocktail hour was lit by Christmas lights and a beautiful tree, followed by what I've heard was one of the best dinners we have shared. Turkey dinner with all the trimmings is a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. 35 staff and spouses attended and celebrated a closing of 2011 and a job well done. During the meal Rick Rooseboom, our construction manager, was honored with a gift to acknowledge his 20 years with HHL! WOW, what an accomplishment! Thank you Rick!
Following dinner, we brought out our competitive side with a friendly game of glow bowling! Teams were picked randomly throughout dinner so we were sure to get to spend time with someone we may not know well, since there are so many categories in our company. Fun, laughter and holiday spirits were in the air (not necessarily talent) and a great time was had by all.

I would like to thank Mike and Debby and Brad for planning, hosting and always encouraging us to have fun together!
Here is to another great year as family in 2012!

-Liana Rhodenizer

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure!

It’s cold and dreary outside and the weather is reminiscent of your mood. It’s been a long hard day with your nose to grind-stone and the only thing keeping you sane is the thought of soothing heat, massaging jets, silky cleansing water and an ambiance that speaks of simple solitude, engaging in one of the oldest and purest forms of relaxation. You get home, flip the cover off your hot tub and get ready to sink in, but wait, something isn’t right…

No one wants to be outside in their skivvies in sub zero weather wondering why their tub water is cloudy and asking themselves if they should get in. No, a hot tub is an investment to be used and much loved! So naturally we want to take good care of it and it’s contents, and so I have compiled for you a few tips to ensure you get the most out of the cold season, because it goes without saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

• The Essentials; Sanitizer and Stain and Scale Control:

First out of the starting gate, Bromine and Chlorine. In order for your water to be safe and clean, one of these two must be present at all times. Be sure to test the spa water each time before you get in to ensure a level of 3-5 ppm and always throw in a teaspoon after you get out, to regenerate what you have used up.  Stain and Scale Control prevents staining and scaling from occurring and keeps your hard earned investment free of harmful build-ups, so be sure to add it each week!

• Filtration & Circulation:

Be sure that all of your jets are turned on, even if you don’t use them, and that you are turning on your RFM jets at least once per week to ensure that sanitized water is going through all of your plumbing. Be sure to be rinse and clean your filter at least once per month and change it as needed to ensure optimal filtration.

• Aeration:

You should turn on your air for about 10-15 seconds after you do your weekly shock of your spa water so that the super chlorinated/brominated water (depending on what you use) has a chance to reach all of the plumbing.

• It’s a good idea to be brushing or wiping down the interior surface and

water-line in your spa to prevent the possibility of a biofilm build-up.

• You should be adding Bromine or Chlorine every day to your spa, even if it’s not being used. Find you don’t always have time to be out there every day? Try a floater with Bromine/Chlorine tablets!

• Last but not least; balance, balance, balance! Having your water

properly balanced with your pH in range will help your sanitizer work more effectively and your water feel softer. Bring in a water sample monthly to your favourite HHL location for a professional analysis by our expert staff!

Now is that H20 sparkling or what?! Until next time folks, Happy Soaking!

-Angela Welch-Rhodenizer

Holiday Favorites

When I asked my seven year old what her favorite part of the holidays was... she answered food, followed by family and then of course the gifts... She is seven!
I couldn't agree more with the first two, as you get older you get more and more excited for your favorite holiday treats and meals, and a it is such a special time for everyone to gather. Having the opportunity to host family meals and having friends visiting are the highlights of the season for me. I love having company over and serving special treats that for some reason only come out once a year. Why is that? Because it is tradition of course.

Two of my favorite items to make are chocolate covered peanut butter balls and homemade chocolate truffles, and the best thing is they always look more impressive and time consuming then they actually are!
Both of these recipes are easy to make, take very few ingredients and are fun to make with the kids!


Peanut Butter Balls

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup icing sugar

Mix all ingredients well and form into small balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and put into the freezer.

Melt a bag of your favorite chocolate chips in the microwave. (Only melt for 30 seconds at a time and than stir) When fully melted take your peanut butter balls out of the freezer insert a toothpick and dip into the chocolate. Place back on the wax paper and freeze until hard (10 min).

When you are done you can either freeze them until they are needed or put into the fridge. (Let's see how long they last!)

Chocolate Truffles

1 1/2 bag chocolate chips
1 can condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

Melt chocolate over low heat on the stove (use a heavy pot), when it is fully melted add the can of condensed milk and mix well. Remove pot from heat and mix in vanilla.
Place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Take out and form into balls, the warmth of your hands will warm the chocolate so you can roll them into your favorite toppings. I used crushed candy cane and coconut.

These are perfect treats to sit and enjoy a glass of wine in the evening with or to have hot chocolate with the kids after a day sledding.
Be creative and have fun!

-Talk soon,

Liana Rhodenizer

Almost Turkey Time!

The holiday season is upon us. Lights are going up, cookies are being frosted, and everyone is running around fighting for the best parking spots to pick up the last minute deals. Quick reminder....11 more sleeps!

This year I am slightly ahead of schedule due to my extended maternity leave, and being currently on partial bed rest. The tree was up abnormally early, presents are not only purchased but wrapped and I have baked (and eaten) numerous batches of cookies. Yes...I am bored, so I have decided to stay in touch with you all from home! I have missed you all.

While I have been off big changes have happened at HHL! I wanted to send out a big congratulations to Jenn and her new position at our New Minas location. Starting in the new year she will be our new chemistry manager. Since she has taught the majority of our staff all that they know about chemistry and water care this couldn't be a more perfect position for her!

Think you have what it takes to join our upbeat and energetic staff? We are now hiring for a new General Manager for our New Minas location, check out our website and our facebook page to find out the details!

Talk to you all soon,
Liana Rhodenizer

Tis the Season! What is your Christmas Tradition?

Ah! This is my favorite time of year! Everywhere you go there are trees decorated, wreaths hanging, and of course - Christmas music! There are so many things you can count on seeing, hearing, and smelling this time of year.

Now, if I had my way I would start listening to Christmas music at the end of November, but if I did that I would probably drive my wonderful husband absolutely crazy and we can’t have that. What a lucky man he was to marry the biggest Christmas freak in the world! So I thought it would be neat to ask some of the staff what their Christmas traditions were and post their answers. So grab your cocoa, put your snuggie on, and enjoy!

Brad –

“A great memory for me is reading “Twas the Night before Christmas” to my children on Christmas Eve. It started with one child and grew to four wanting to sit on my lap before excitedly heading off to bed in anticipation of Santa’s arrival a few hours later. This tradition has changed as my kids, now in their teens no longer want to sit or can fit for that matter on their dad’s lap. But every year we still get a photo of our entire family of six by the tree with our storybook so we can have that memory and picture to reflect on in the years to come.”

Jenn –

Jenn, our Store Manager, loves Baileys at Christmas! Her new husband Dohn (that’s right, she is now an old married woman) makes mulled wine and loves the Boney M Christmas album, which gets played at her house quite a bit. I had never heard of this group but Jenn gave us a preview of one of the songs and it seems like it would be glorious to listen to. The other thing that Jenn looks forward to is her Mom’s Christmas Quiche! Yum!

Katie –

“One of my favorite Christmas family traditions is coming home after Christmas Eve supper at my Grandparents and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” with my Mom. It is her favorite Christmas movie and it has definitely become one of mine! It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without it!”

Cathy –

“Last year my husband and I hosted a Christmas Eve party for our families. I made seafood chowder and we had other snacks, beverages, and treats. We video-skyped my sister who could not be home for the holidays; this was a real treat for my parents and Grandmother who do not use the internet and had not seen her for some time. It was so nice to get together to eat, drink, laugh, and sort of take a deep breath before the big day. I think we will do it again this year!”

 Angela –

“Every year my Mother has a Christmas Eve Party for all of my family and friends. We drink cherry brandy annually without fail. We include this bevvie in all the adult stockings, and mom sets out a buffet of homemade treats! This year my hubby and I are starting our own traditions. We will be putting up our first tree in our new home and with my plea for an artificial tree being overruled, he suggested we make a Sunday out of getting our real one. We are going to pick out our real tree and decorate it while drinking copious amounts of Baileys and watching our favorite Christmas movies. My favorite movie is the Jim Carey version of the Grinch who Stole Christmas followed by the original, and my husband’s favorite movie is Home Alone. Also, we are going shopping together to buy each other presents. We are both really picky so this will save on some of the holiday stress, but we are filling each other’s stockings this year without the other’s help to open on Christmas Day with our Baileys.

Megan –

As for me I have a few traditions that I hold very dear to my heart. Every year on the Saturday before Christmas, my father’s side of the family has the annual Family Christmas Party. This has been a tradition in my family since before I was born and ever since I was a small child I remember how exciting it was to have all the family together and play with my big kid cousins. This tradition has changed since we have all grown up and some have families of their own. The real blessing is seeing the excitement in the next generation as they open presents, stay up too late, and eat too many sweets. As a child every Christmas Eve was as anticipated as Christmas Day itself. We would go shopping, even if we didn’t need anything, because we just loved watching the people buying last minute gifts! Also, every year on the way home from church we would drive around and look at Christmas lights. Now that I am an adult and married my husband and I are in the process of creating our own traditions. Every year on Christmas Day we read the Christmas Story from the Bible and reflect on how blessed we have been during the year and ponder what the coming year will bring for us.

To all our families, friends, customers and their families, we hope this Christmas is full of special moments and warm memories.

-Megan, and the rest of the staff at Holland Home Leisure