And I have Found Another One!

The Cooler Girl has found another group that is just as into coolers as she is. The blog address is http://breakfree411.blogspot.com. They talk about waste reduction due to water cooler usage, pending legislation, and everything else political, legislative and boring (but necessary) that The Cooler Girl doesn't care that much about. I am more interested in the fashion, functional and "cool" side of water coolers. But we are all in this water cooler crusade together and they did have a post earlier this month that caught my eye.

http://breakfree411.blogspot.com/2009/12/fashion-alert-primo-water-and-rachel.html

Apparently Rachel Zoe has a Primo Water Cooler in her office (as does Biggest Loser Danny Cahill does in his home). How cool is that! Now, I was a little miffed that breakfree411 scooped me on the Hollywood celebrities and reality stars that are water cooler loyalists (I am a loyal subscriber to People Magazine ya know). I will forgive them and maybe even try to scoop them on a legislative story because all is fair in love and war.

My only advice to breakfree411. Please use OMG and do not spell out "Oh My God." That's what true celebrity insiders do.

I'm back and Coolers are in the news!

Ok, The Cooler Girl has been MIA, but I have been deep undercover looking at all things water coolers and have some insights as we look into 2010.

First, New Year's is right around the corner and you need to make a resoultion to start drinking more water. What is the best way to do this? By having a water cooler of course! So get out there. Get Your Cooler. Start Drinking More Water.

Second, Champagne Living (I love this name. I feel like I should be on a boat and in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous with Robin Leach, but that is another story) is a die-hard water cooler lover as well. They have teamed up with Primo Water and are offering discounts on their water coolers. Check out the link and save yourself some money! http://www.champagneliving.net/2009/12/happy-holidays-from-primo.html. I am all about their offer! Also, there is video as to how easy it is to load a bottle. This is the same cooler that we have in our home!

Cheers and here's to a water cooler lifestyle in 2010!

Check this out!

Ok, the Cooler Girl has found an amazing invention that I have to share. This the ultimate cooler for humans AND our 4-legged friends. It is called the HduO - Water Dispenser ($230) and is the world's first home watercooler designed to dispense pure drinking water for both people and pets! No need to worry about forgetting to fill those water bowls again!

Dakota loves Primo Water and I could get rid of her water bowl with this new little invention!

According to the product details, this innovative water dispenser hosts an array of sensors to dispense water both to a built-in pet bowl at the base of the unit and hot, cold and room temperature water to the top for humans. These sensors allow the removable bowl to be refilled automatically without overfilling it and it can even detect when the bowl is not correctly aligned. Other unique features include safety functions to protect both children and pets, independent control of human and pet dispensers and a dedicated water line to the pet bowl to eliminate backfill. It's a great solution for pet owners who want a little peace-of-mind that their furry friends always have clean, cold water to drink at home or makes an interesting addition to the breakroom of offices that alllow dogs to come to work.

It is too cool!

The New Water Cooler

I read some articles over the past week about the new water cooler. Instead of one that can be found in homes and offices, like the Primo water cooler, it was a virtual water cooler called Facebook or Twitter. The thought is that information shared in these mediums is similar to the information that you share with the others around a physical water cooler and it is the next generation.

I must admit, I am a loyal Facebook user, but haven't completely caught onto the Twitter phenomenon. While these mediums do provide a great service, I still like the personal social aspect of hanging out with my colleagues at the "physical" water cooler talking. While this might seem old-fashioned to some (just like the fact I read newspapers), I believe there is a great benefit to an organization when people walk around and actually talk to their colleagues and not just send them emails. Things don't get lost in translation. Feelings don't get hurt. People get to know each other and actually care about one another. Companies are more profitable because of the good work environment.

So, don't always rely on your virtual water cooler, but use the real one as well.

Around the Primo Water Cooler

It's another installment of Around the Primo Water Cooler! Today, the talk is all about baseball and the normal chatter of the weekend happenings. I started working out again this this morning (Yuck, but that is another post) and I am drinking my water religiously. Just like most people, I yearn for a quick fix that doesn't cost thousands of dollars to change. I found this funny blog so the Cooler Girl needed to pass it along. Check out #4 in "The Office" subsection:

http://munfitnessblog.com/crazy-things-you-can-do-to-burn-calories-and-become-slimmer/

I love they included about changing the water bottles on your water cooler. But People-get Primo water bottles with handles and practice the curls while you are putting the bottle on the cooler! You'll have your arms svelte in no time!!!! Also, put this cooler in your house and enjoy the benefits whether you work inside or outside the home!!!!

My Hubby is Spreading the Gospel!

There are things that I bring into our home in hopes that they make life easier. Some are great, others are not. Obviously, one of those things was a water cooler and I knew that it was great, but never really knew if anyone else (those who could speak - so little man and the dog don't count) cared. In other words, does my hubby care or even notice what I bring home?

First, let me start my story by saying, my hubby is not a word-of-mouth kinda guy (much to many marketing experts chagrin). He really doesn't say much about anything at all, so needless to say I was very proud (and excited) when he told a male co-worker that he couldn't live without a water cooler when the Little Man was an infant. My hubby, who will now be known as BLM, short for "Big Little Man," was telling him that when the baby was screaming for a bottle that it only took seconds and he was calmed down instantly. His co-worker quickly realized the value in this and invested in a Primo water cooler. They love it and don't know how they lived without it! Another convert down!

While I thought this might have been a one-time occurrence, we were at a bridal shower this weekend and ran into another couple that was expecting. They, like us, are first time parents and are overwhelmed with what they need. Upon asking what are the must-have's, BLM responded, before I could open my mouth, that they had to get a water cooler in order to keep their late night sanity! He was spreading the gospel AGAIN! I am so proud of him!

Needless to say, I know that BLM really does notice my gadgets and he loves our water cooler!

Happy Green Week!

The Cooler Girl wants to wish everyone a Happy Green Week. Save the Earth and get a Water Cooler! You'll drink more water and put less bottles in the landfills. It's a win-win situation.

Around the Primo Water Cooler

This week there really isn't much talk around the Primo Water Cooler, but I did get some interesting insight from a recent cooler convert this weekend! My parents were in town this weekend visiting the Little Man and we were chatting at dinner one night. I reached around and filled my cup with water and my dad said, "I can't live without my water cooler." (he doesn't call it a water dispenser for the record). Of course I had to ask why! He said that he loves to get ice cold water, but he hates how slow the water come out of his cooler. He admires mine and said that he needed one like mine because the water flows so fast. I think he will be heading to get my Black and Decker version from Target really soon!

One more convert down and a nation to go.

Around the Primo Water Cooler

Around the Primo Water Cooler, talk swirls about the Masters and the long Easter Holiday weekend. The Easter Holiday meant an end to Lent. SO how did you do? The Cooler Girl's pledge to drink more water during the season was great at some moments and not so great at others. Which makes me ponder another point - why is it so hard to keep up with promises that you make to yourself?

I think it is just that we are so gosh darn comfortable in our daily routine that you tend to forget about it or is seems like a huge challenge to change that routine. Well Cooler Girl is going to continue to try to change her lifestyle and drink all of the cups of water that I am supposed to. I'll let you know how it goes, but my water cooler should help me meet this goal.

Around the Primo Water Cooler

It is time for the next installment of Around the Primo Water Cooler, but it is going to take on a different twist because I don't have my Primo Water Cooler rght now and I am going through withdrawl!!!!! Why is that you might ask? Well, the Cooler Girl has moved on to other employment, but I will still keep you up to date with the cooler world because it has become such a huge part of our lives.

Which brings me to my withdrawl! My new office doesn't have a water cooler and I am going crazy. I am drinking another bottled water (which isn't nearly as good as Primo), but it is freezing today and I actually had to heat water up in the microwave for hot chocolate. I almost cried not having my instant hot water! My water cooler has become a daily fix that is very hard to live without (maybe I need to form my own support group called People Trying to Live Without Water Coolers or PTLWOWC for short) .

Needless to say, Cooler Girl is going to make sure that we get a cooler in our office PDQ (that means pretty darn quick in case you were wondering). We will soon have a water cooler and they will quickly become converts as well. We may have to take a poll as to whether it is called a dispenser or a cooler though.

Until, next time when I am hydrated with Primo and my water cooler.

Around the Primo Water Cooler

It's another Tuesday installment of Around the Primo Water Cooler! Mondays have gotten hectic with all the work and catching up there is to do from the weekend that Cooler Girl has to get her ducks in a row before informing you on our "goings-on." (don't worry- it is a Southern term).

NCAA Basketball Tournament (of course), the nursing home shooting, the rain finally stopping and the pain of spring cleaning. It is not that I hate spring cleaning, but it is just that I don't want to take time away from Little Man to do it. Fortunately, my friend Sandra has taken given me some of my time back with Little Man because of how she uses her water cooler. She actually uses the hot water to clean up messes quickly. Who knew! I had been sitting there waiting on my tap water to warm up and I could have used my instant hot water to do it minutes faster. Little Man happy and mama happy! I feel like it should be the new Swiffer commercial! Love it! Thanks Sandra!

Around the Primo Water Cooler

It's time for a Tuesday installment of Around the Primo Water Cooler (imagine the theme music from the Spanning the Globe segment on NBC as you read the title). We have been consumed with the NCAA Tournament (the happiness and disappointments), Natasha Richardson's death (the tragedy), the economy and bailouts (it's always a topic), and this guy who owns a bar in Topeka, Kansas.

Why you are we North Carolinians discussing a guy from Topeka whom none of us have ever met? Because he is doing something creative with his water cooler (see Bold Below). An excerpt from the March 23 issue of the Topeka Capital-Journal online:

Late nights at The Office
A local bar with a new face and a new manager is putting a whole new spin on staying burning the midnight oil at work.
The Office, formerly Donnie’s, at 124 S.W. 8th, is now overseen by Dan Deffendorf, and he hopes to bring his past experience to help improve the revamped hangout.
“It’s a very nice bar, it’s a very clean bar,” said Deffendorf. “It just needs a little bit of TLC, and I’m willing to do that.”
Besides the name, Deffendorf is hoping to spread the office theme throughout the bar, from dispensing margaritas from watercoolers to inviting customers to bring photos of them at work to the bar to post on a giant cork board. Also, efficiency is a high priority, said Deffendorf, who cited a previous time he had gone to the bar when it was under old management and it had taken him nearly 25 minutes to get a drink.
“The whole thing is about speed so we don’t have people waiting for their drink,” said Deffendorf. “We’re used to being bombarded (with customers).”

Mr. Deffendorf proves that water coolers have multiple uses! Can't wait to visit Topeka!

You Guys Should Know This

The Cooler Girl ran across this cute little article about what to call water coolers. It is very similar to my post on water coolers vs. water dispensers. My favorite line is when they are referred to as "genius." Any product with this moniker is bound for success!

http://www.youguysshouldknow.com/business/hot-and-cold-water-from-your-water-cooler/

Have a Primo weekend!

Around the Primo Water Cooler

Ok! So here's the skinny around the Primo Water Cooler today. NCAA basketball tourny, Celebrity Apprentice, wondering if the rain will ever stop and ceramic water dispensers!

You are probably wondering what is a ceramic dispenser is and why you would want a dispenser that doesn't give you hot and cold water? There are lots of reasons why and people in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida love them. The Cooler Girl has found out the skinny on these dispensers and why they are a great alternative.

http://www.bestbrandtobuy.com/ceramic-water-dispenser/

This would be great to have on hand for making Aqua Frescas for Cinco de Mayo!

Around the Primo Water Cooler

It's Monday and I have decided to start a new feature on Monday's entitled: Around the Primo Water Cooler! Everyone always catches up on Mondays about what happened over the weekend, whose team won, and whatever else people talk about around the water cooler. So to keep everyone up to date on the latest happenings in our world, we are now going to chat around the Primo Water Cooler on Mondays!

Yes, Carolina beat Duke and Wake Forest is a #2 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament, but more importantly, Primo is now a certified Up On Green Business, which means we are environmentally aware of keeping Green as part of our everyday office life. We met 9 out of 14 criteria without spending an additional money! It is so easy!!!!

Even more importantly, we are saving the environment and drinking more water by having water coolers in our homes as well. Every little bit helps and we are doing our part! I hope more people jump on the water cooler bandwagon (and Wake Forest's as well)!

That's what's going on around the Primo Water Cooler today!

Best Water Article Ever!

I am always looking at what is said about Primo Water, bottled water, water coolers and water dispensers on the web. It is always entertaining to hear what people think and how informed (and uninformed) their articles are. Yesterday, I found a blog that is now bookmarked as one of my favorites. While it purpose focuses on one of my vices (wine), it had one of the best, unbiased articles about bottled water that I have seen. For your reading pleasure, here's the link.

http://drinkinghole.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-water-bottle-myths-imported.html

What I like about this article is that it discusses that water cooler bottles have less environmental impact and are safe. More importantly, it recognizes water coolers as an option for drinking more water. Hail to the drinkinghole! The Cooler Girl is now a fan!

My Lenten Offering

OK, so I'm not Catholic, but I still feel the need to give up something for Lent. After much thought, I decided that I would give up chocolate as my offering on Wednesday morning. I went to an 8 a.m. meeting at a local coffee shop. Since I don't drink coffee or tea, I ordered a hot chocolate during the meeting. Hot chocolate!!!! So here I am 15 minutes into my Lenten agreement and I have already failed!!!!!! Argh!!! OK, so after falling off the wagon, I decided that Diet Coke found be the next goner after I finished my meeting. Then lunch rolled around. Without paying attention, I grabbed a Diet Coke and started gulping. Now, I am 4 hours into my Lenten offering and I have failed twice!!!

Then I decided that 2009 was not going to be my year for giving anything up for Lent, so I decided to add more Primo Water into my life. I know it isn't exactly in the spirit of Lent, but I feel that I am doing something that I wouldn't necessarily do without a cause, so it is close.

I am doing much better with this concept. I am drinking more water and getting closer to the recommended allowance (still not totally there). My heart is in the right place and my water cooler is excited because it see it much more often.

Features that are a Necessity

Shopping for a water cooler can be a little intimidating at first because you don't know what you are really looking for and need. I think it is very similar to buying your first Ipod. You want one (because it is cool) and you know you want to listen to music, but what else do you really need. Well cooler wannbe's, The Cooler Girl is here to tell you exactly what to look for when buying that first cooler for your home because you know you want one and you know you need to drink more water.

-Make sure it is Energy Star rated (we are trying to save the planet you know)
-Make sure you get one that heats water (you don't know how great it is until you have it)
-Make sure you can turn off the hot water when needed (again, it is the whole planet saving thing)
-A probe to capture the cap when putting the bottle on top of your cooler (you don't want to spill water all over the place when flipping the bottles)
-A bottom load cooler if it it fits in your budget (no flipping or lifting ever, plus a great shelf to put a plant on)
-Something that has stainless steel on it because it is much more stylish (and we are all about style now aren't we)
-Fast flow and recovery time because time if of the essence and I don't want to wait forever for my water bottle to fill while I am late for spinning class
-Lines and tanks that doesn't impart taste or odors (I hate plastic taste ruining my great Primo water)

While there are others, this is a good bare-bones list to consider when shopping for that cooler.

Inexpensive Toys

So like every new child in the world, Little Man absolutely has almost every toy made under the sun (whether it was the Chinese or American sun is another debate altogether). But as my mother reminded me last weekend, his favorite playthings aren't actually toys at all, they are the everday household items that we never would have put in the toy category. In keeping with Dave Letterman's Top 10 list, here are the Top 10 things that Little Man prefers to play with over his toys.

10: The Stairs (who doesn't)
9: The Refrigerator (a treasure chest of excitement)
8: The Tupperware drawers (much more exciting than the toy box)
7: The dishwasher (his climbing step)
6: Polycarbonate water bottle stash (he wants to be like mom and dad)
5: Dakota's Dog Dish (another climbing wall)
4: My black belt (he acts like it is a bull whip)
3: Wake Forest Demon Deacons beads (a NCAA Tournament must-have)
2: Dakota the dog's toys (much to her dismay!)
1: Our Primo 5-gallon water bottles (who knew)

Here's why he loves the water bottles. Now he is toddling all over the place and he loves to try to pick them up by the handles. Even though he is still a little too small to pick them up (the bottle is bigger than he is), he is able to push these bottles all over the floor. They are a walker!
It is so funny and so cute to see because he is very proud of himself when he's pushed them all over!

If we would only believe people when they tell us new parents that a child needs everything, they need everything that we already have to give them.

People love Water Coolers

While I could sit and tell you all of the wonderful things about owning a water cooler, you would really listen to what others have to say. Here's what some of the Primo customers have to say:

“I was tired of paying $8.50 for 5 gallons of water, and $50.00 a year for cooler rental. Saw your product and estimate I will save over 300.00 dollars a year in purchases, rent and electricity, not to mention the fuel the delivery driver used to transport. I’m totally pleased.” M.O., Las Vegas, NV

“I found the dispenser at Target at a reasonable price. I have been wanting a dispenser for a very long time. I used to use the Britta system, but just too many fillups, price of filters and taking up space in my fridge, all just got to be overwhelming.” D.P., St. Petersburg, FL

We love that our customers love our water coolers.

It's Monday and My Concentration is Waning!

It's Monday in sunny North Carolina and my concentration is waning. I scour the office in search of chocolate, but none is to be found. So instead I decide to start searching the internet for something completely unrelated to my job at Primo and I happen upon a British article entitled "Concentration Fuel at the Touch of a Button." I love British humor and thought I found check out the newest thing in England. Little did I know, it was about water coolers! Check it out. My concentration (and waistline) thank the Bristish for their insight!

http://tipsguides.com/health/health-nutrition/concentration-fuel-at-the-touch-of-a-button-2541

Super Bowl Ads

I'm sure all of the talk around the water cooler this week was about the Super Bowl. Some of us chatted about the game and the halftime show, but we know that people really only care about one thing - the commercials! As everyone knows by now, the Doritos commercial was the winner and the creative duo walked away with a cool $1 million bucks (Let's hear it for the little guy who won one over the overpaid NYC ad agency folks)! But what you don't know is the real reason why that commercial won. It wasn't the snow globe. It was the water cooler! That's right. You heard it here first on The Cooler Girl blog. The water cooler is what tipped everyone over the top. While I think they could've found a more exciting unit to use, they were smart enough the include one in their set because they knew it would make them a definite winner.

Cheers to the Doritos guys who are are true trendsetters! Free coolers for you.

I'm not the only one into water coolers!

A Fist Full of Throttle agrees! Although I do take exception to his claim that water coolers are "luxury items" when you can purchase them at Wal-Mart. That seems pretty Main Street to me!

http://www.afistfullofthrottle.com/foods-drinks/are-there-water-coolers-that-you-could-buy-for-your-home/

What's in a Name?

Just when you thought debates ended with the election, there's another one brewing.

Are these free standing things that serve hot and cold water known as water coolers or water dispensers?

Since they heat water and don't just chill it then it should be called a water dispenser because that would be politically correct. But then why do we refer to chatter and gossip occuring "Around the Water Cooler." Does it sound less formal and rigid like the action that is going on around it or is it just not "cool" to be hanging out at the dispenser? To me, "dispensers" sound very industrial and proper and not something that I want to put in my "cool" kitchen. That's why its a water cooler in my book. Yes it heats water too, but it is much more relaxed, fun and inviting, just like my kitchen. We think we are "cool" and that's why we have a cooler and not a dispenser in my house.

A Necessity of Life

As I mentioned in my last post, our water cooler has become a necessity in our life. When the little "water bottle blinker" comes on to warn us that our water is getting low, we know that exchanging the bottle moves from the bottom of the priority list to the top. The rate of which it moves to the top of the priority list is where my husband and I differ.

He must get a new bottle almost immediately because it cannot get down to the very last drop. Me on the other hand knows exactly how many glasses and bottles that I can get before it goes completely empty. This is very similar on our "filling the gas tank" philosophies. He is a half tank kind of guy, where I am pulling into the station on fumes! I guess this proves that there are more than one means to an end because our little man really doesn't care when the bottle is exchanged for a new one, as long as we can fill his sippy cup with the cold water and get the oatmeal made quick with the instant hot water.

Appliance Innovation vs. Human Wrecking Ball

Life with a 1-year-old is always interesting. My husband refers to him as a "one-man wrecking ball" and you have to make a conscious effort to a: move stuff out of his reach that you care about or b: give him stuff that you don't care if he destroys. (I also have a c: option which is to purposely give him stuff to destroy because you want the newer, cooler and up-to-date version, but keep that between us and don't tell his father).

Before our little wrecking ball came into our life, our bottom-loading cooler was just a water cooler. We used it for cold water and an occasional mug o' hot chocolate. Then he came along and it became a necessity of life. Now, this necessity has taken on a new purpose: The Ultimate Challenge; Appliance Innovation vs. Human Wrecking Ball. While the little man is doing his best in making the competition close, our water cooler is clearly winning this battle. It doesn't matter how many times he opens and closes the bottom door (within a minute time span), our flow switch has never failed us and; as hard as he tries to reach the controls to water my hardwood floors, they are still too tall for him to reach. He just smiles and laughs everytime as if to say "You might have won the battle, but you will lose the war."

I'm not sure if he will win the war with this viable opponent, but I'm sure he'll try.

Welcome to The Cooler Girl Blog

Hi! I'm Carrie and I'm the Cooler Girl! We're going to discuss what's hot, what's not, what's new, what's innovative, how-to's and whatever else I deem important in the water cooler and water dispenser industry. For complete disclosure from the get-go, I am employed by Primo Water Corporation as a director of product marketing. That's a lot of jargon that basically means that I live, breath and eat (not literally) coolers. But more importantly, I am a mom whose life was made so much easier when our little man came into the world because I had already had a water cooler. I am not sure I could've survived without instant hot water when he was screaming at the top of his lungs for a bottle, but that's another post. We love our water cooler and you will see why you can't live without too!

So let's begin our journey into the water cooler world!