As the leaves fall and temperatures drop, we can feel winter just around the corner. Do you know how to care for your trampoline when snow comes?

Fortunately, Springfree Trampolines are made of all-weather parts. Springfree Trampoline mat and trampoline net are UV-resistant and the rods are rust-free. Our trampolines can stay out all winter and many happy customers have testified that they enjoy jumping in the snow:

If you live in a region where snow falls and accumulates over winter, regularly clear the snow off your trampoline. The most effective snow removal tool is a soft bristle brush or broom. Reach onto the centre of the mat and pull the snow load toward you and off the trampoline edge. Do not use hard tools like a shovel because it can damage the mat and/or the net.

If your Springfree Trampoline is likely to remain unused over the course of winter, we highly recommend investing in our All Weather Cover:

Designed specifically for your Springfree, the All Weather Cover will prolong the product life of your trampoline. It protects both the net and the mat from harsh winter weather and will make the snow removal easier.

Lucky for you, we’re offering a 20% discount on All Weather Covers for a limited time in Canada. Snow requires a lot of maintenance around the house so choose peace of mind and let the All Weather Cover protect your Springfree.

Click here to learn more about the All Weather Cover. To purchase, visit our online store.

To buy a Springfree Trampoline visit, www.springfree.com.
To watch our new miniseries, visit www.springfreetrampolinereview.com.
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/springfree for exclusive content.
Follow us on Twitter @springfree to chat with our team.

As the leaves fall and temperatures drop, we can feel winter just around the corner. Do you know how to care for your trampoline when snow comes?

Fortunately, Springfree Trampolines are made of all-weather parts. Springfree Trampoline mat and trampoline net are UV-resistant and the rods are rust-free. Our trampolines can stay out all winter and many happy customers have testified that they enjoy jumping in the snow:

If you live in a region where snow falls and accumulates over winter, regularly clear the snow off your trampoline. The most effective snow removal tool is a soft bristle brush or broom. Reach onto the center of the mat and pull the snow load toward you and off the trampoline edge. Do not use hard tools like a shovel because it can damage the mat and/or the net.

If your Springfree Trampoline is likely to remain unused over the course of winter, we highly recommend investing in our All Weather Cover:

Designed specifically for your Springfree, the All Weather Cover will prolong the product life of your trampoline. It protects both the net and the mat from harsh winter weather and will make the snow removal easier.

Snow requires a lot of maintenance around the house so choose peace of mind and let the All Weather Cover protect your Springfree.

Click here to learn more about the All Weather Cover. To purchase, visit our online store.

To buy a Springfree Trampoline visit, www.springfree.com.
To watch our new miniseries, visit www.springfreetrampolinereview.com.
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/springfree for exclusive content.
Follow us on Twitter @springfree to chat with our team.

As Hurricane Irene approaches the east coast in the US and Canada, Springfree Trampoline wants you and your family to keep safe. In a storm, wind can pick up the trampoline mat and carry it away, posing a danger to the safety of families.

We definitely don’t want THIS to happen to your trampoline:

First and foremost, assess the situation. If you anticipate SEVERE and EXTREME weather, the trampoline should be moved to a sheltered location or disassembled.

For inclement weather, the absolute best guard for your Springfree Trampoline is our Ground Anchor. The anchor is designed specifically for the Springfree Trampoline and will keep it safely and securely on the ground. This product has been tested against competing products in various conditions to achieve the highest pull out force.

Here are some additional tips to keep your Springfree safe in inclement weather:

  • Collapse the FlexiNet. Remove the white C-clips and pull the net rod out of the socket. This takes less than 10 minutes to do and will prevent your net rods from catching high wind.
  • Secure the frame. Although the Ground Anchor is the best accessory for securing your trampoline frame, you can use sandbags or a generic anchor kit from a hardware store to ensure your trampoline will stay put in a hurricane.

Remember: any trampoline that is not properly anchored has the potential to move and become airborne during severe weather, potentially causing injury and/or damage. Stay safe by taking preventative measures.

To learn more or to purchase our weather accessories, visit: Springfree Accessories (US) / Springfree Accessories (Canada).

To buy a Springfree Trampoline visit, www.springfree.com.
To watch our new miniseries, visit www.springfreetrampolinereview.com.
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/springfree for exclusive content.
Follow us on Twitter @springfree to chat with our team.

 

We had a great time at the Australia Open and everyone loved playing Tennis Springfree Style.  So we thought we would share the gist of the game with you as you could alwasy make some minor changes and play it home.  The only difference would be one player in the Springfree™ Trampoline and the other on the outside. 

If you have any other games that you like to play on our Springfree™ Trampoline please share :)

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Items Required:

2 Springfree Trampolines

2 Tennis Rackets

Lots of Tennis Balls

Chalk

 Rules

 The rules of Trampoline Tennis are quite simple.

Rule 1. Each opponent stands on a trampoline (1 opponent to 1 trampoline). The player who delivers the ball to start the point is called the server. The player who standing on the opposite trampoline from the server is the receiver.

Rule 2. The right to serve, receive, choose your side, or give the opponent these choices is decided by a toss of a coin or racquet. If the choice of service or receiver is chosen, the opponent chooses which trampoline they want to start on.

Rule 3. The server shall stand behind the marked chalk line. The server shall not serve until the receiver is ready. Serves are made from behind the marked chalk line and must land inside the chalked mark line of the opponents trampoline. If the server misses his target twice, he loses the point. If the ball hits the net and goes in the marked chalk line, another serve is granted. If the server steps inside the marked chalk line before contact is made, the serve is deemed a fault.

Rule 4. The receiver is deemed ready if an attempt is made to return the server’s ball. The receiver can stand where he likes but must let the ball bounce inside the marked chalk line. If the ball does not land inside the marked chalk line, it is deemed a fault and a second serve is given. If the ball is hit by either opponent before the ball bounces, the server wins the point.

Rule 5. The server always calls his score first. If the server wins the first point, he gets a score of 15. Scoring is done like a clock. See example below. Love means zero in tennis. The second point is called 30. The third point is called 45 (now-a-days known as 40) and game is won when the score goes back to love. If the score is 40-40, also known as deuce, one side must win by two points. Advantage-In means if the server wins the next point, he wins the game. Advantage-Out means the receiver has a chance to win the game on the next point.

LOVE 15-30-40

Rule 5. After the game, the opponents serve. Games equal 1. The first to win 2 games wins. If the score is 2-6, a tie-breaker is played. The tiebreaker continues until one side wins by 1.

Rule 6. If the ball goes into the net, or outside the marked lines on the trampoline, the player who hit that ball loses the point. If the ball hits the net during the point and goes into the opponents trampoline, the ball is in play. A player loses the point if they touch the net, drop their racquet while hitting the ball, bounce the ball over the net, hit part of the surroundings such as the tree, person, ground,  the ball touches them or their partner, they deliberately try to distract the opponent.

Rule 7. A let is called during the point if a ball rolls on the trampoline or there is a distraction from someone besides the players on the court.

Rule 8. A ball that lands on the marked chalk line is good.

Rule 9. If players serve out of turn or serve to the wrong person or court, the point or game will stand and order will be resumed following the point or game.

 

cocktailChristmas Mocktails

Here are some of Springfree’s favourite Mockatil recipes ripe for the upcoming festive season. 

Lemon-Strawberry Punch

Ingredients
1 can (6 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 pkg. frozen sliced strawberries
1 can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 quart carbonated water
1 quart ginger ale
Slice bananas (garnish)
Slice oranges or lemons (Garnish)

Preparation:Combine frozen lemonade, the strawberries half-thawed with juice), and the orange juice. Place in a punchbowl with ice. Just before serving, add carbonated water and ginger ale. Garnish with thin slices or orange or lemon. 20 servings.

Pink Christmas Fruit Punch

Ingredients

2 bottles (about 750ml each) white grape Juice

1.5 L cranberry juice cocktail

2 cans (170ml each) frozen pink lemonade, thawed

750ml bottle of soda water Ice

Preparation:
Combine grape Juice, cranberry juice cocktail and lemonade (not reconstituted). Refrigerate until needed. Put ice in punch bowl at serving time. Add juices and soda water. Ladle into punch cups. Your Christmas fruit punch is ready to serve.

Fruit Tingle

Equal parts of:
Orange juice
Raspberry/Red cordial
Lime/Green cordial
Lemonade
Preparation:

Add crushed ice into the glass before the drink. Get a spoon and hold it in the glass, and pour the different ingredients slowly onto the spoon. This will help you keep the layers separate. Serves 4

Enjoy!

The Springfree Trampoline SF40 - Small Size Big Fun!

The Springfree Trampoline SF40 - Small Size Big Fun!

With Christmas just around the corner, Santa’s little helpers (Dad and all the neighbours he can wrangle) will be getting ready to install the Springfree Trampoline, ready to surprise the kids.

People often ask how long it takes to build a Springfree™ Trampoline and the standard advice is that as long as you read and follow the instructions, 2 people should have the job done in about and hour and a half.

If you’re really unsure about it before you set off you can even watch one being built from start to finish on the Springfree website.

The record so far is about 21 minutes for an SF90 and if anyone thinks they can do better then give us a shout and let us know your story.

Here are a few tips to help and traps to avoid:

Assembling the Frame

ALL MODELS

Springfree™ Trampoline supplies two flat wrenches to fasten the bolts and nuts. If you have them, however, use one 1/2″ (13mm) socket wrench and one 1/2″ combination wrench to speed up the process.

Positioning the Enclosure Net and Inserting the Rods

ALL MODELS

The D-Ring on the door of the enclosure net should be facing towards the ground when inserting the rod through the hole into the frame. If the D-Ring is facing up, the net will be inside out. For proper placement of the enclosure net, locate the hole directly below the D-Ring on the door. Starting from where two frame sections connect, identify the fifth rod socket to the right of the joint. Insert a rod through the enclosure hole below the D-Ring and into that fifth socket. See step 10 of the manual. Ensure that all rods are fully inserted into the bottom of the sockets.

Attaching the Mat

ALL MODELS

Warning: Treat any loaded rod with caution until you are sure it is properly installed or uninstalled. Keep your face well clear of any loaded rod. When inserting the rods, grab the rod underhanded and use your body, not just your arm strength, to push the rod in. Lift the mat as the rod gets under the cleat and then lower it onto the ball at the top of the rod. Make sure the ball is fully engaged in the cleat. If you miss the cleat on the first try, we find it’s helpful to bring the rod back to its initial position and try again, rather than trying to find the proper position while the rod is flexed.

Raising the Enclosure Net

ALL MODELS

Warning: Never attempt to remove an enclosure rod from its joiner or remove a C-Clip from its slot in the joiner while the enclosure rod is under tension. When inserting the enclosure rods, first insert the short segment with the white ball into the pocket at the top of the enclosure. Next, insert the long segment into the joiner ensuring that the plastic C-clip locks it into place. Finally, lift the rod, bend it up and then insert the end into its socket.

Best of Luck and remember, leave the celebratory drinks until AFTER the Springfree™ Trampoline is installed :)

Dec 16 2009

Truffles for Gifts!

choc_truf_b119_jpg_322x350_crop_q90With the number of extended family and friends on the gift list outweighing the number of notes in the wallet – my best answer has been making homemade truffles!

I’ve done this for a couple of years and it really does surprise receivers, who end up being amazed by your creativity, and warmed by the fact that you put your own time, energy and effort into their gift.

And best of all, unlike lots of Xmas baking… they don’t take long, and the kids can help!

These ones come from Jo Seager, a legend of a Kiwi cook J

 

White Chocolate Cointreau Fudge Truffles


Ingredients

  • 375 g dark chocolate (1 packet nestle chocolate melts)
  • 200 g butter
  • 150 g packet mixed peel
  • 1/4 cup Cointreau (or other orange liqueur or orange juice)
  • grated zest of 1 orange (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 3 cups icing sugar
  • 750 g white chocolate for dipping (2 packets nestle chocolate melts)

Method

Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in the microwave on medium heat for about 4 minutes stirring a couple of times during cooking. Stir in the mixed peel, Cointreau, orange zest and icing sugar until well combined. Chill in the fridge until firm enough to handle and roll into balls about the size of a walnut.

Place the balls on a foil-lined tray and freeze until really solid about 2 hours. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave on medium power or over a pot of hot water, dip the truffles in the melted chocolate. A chocolate dipping fork which are available at

good cookware shops is invaluable for this job. Allow excess chocolate to drip off and leave to set on a foil-covered tray. DO NOT store in the fridge as the chocolate tends to sweat, but keep them in a cool place. A good idea is to keep a plastic container of un-dipped truffles in the freezer, to be removed and dipped as you need them, for after dinner treats or small gifts. I always cut  green and red marachino cherries, and put on top as the white chocolate is setting, to make it look like holly on the top of Xmas puds.


Special Instructions:
For cappuccino truffles replace Cointreau with coffee liqueur or essence and delete the mixed peel and grated orange rind. These can be dipped in white or dark chocolate.

For peppermint truffles delete Cointreau and mixed peel and orange rind, for 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint essence.

For toasted coconut and liqueur truffles, replace the Cointreau, mixed peel and orange rind with Irish cream liqueur or bailies etc. and add 1/2 cup toasted coconut

Who said that tennis was only to be played on a court! Here at Springfree we have what we call the ‘SPRINGFREE OPEN GRAND JUMP TOURNAMENT’.

With a few words of friendly banter and way too many ‘Come On’s’, we are ready to go.  With one person in the Springfree™ Trampoline and one outside running crazily around the Springfree™ trying to return the ball back inside it is great fun for the whole family.   It’s much harder than you think and is a fantastic work-out.

Anyone For A Game Of Springfree Tennis?

A Spot Of Springfree Tennis Anyone?

By far the best rally ever was between Federer and Hewitt…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tZhQi8aDcg]

Stay tuned for loads more exciting ball games.

Have you made up an even better game that you play on your Springfree™ Trampoline? Tell us here by leaving a comment or posting to our Facebook fan page wall so we can all have a go!

For any further info on Springfree™ Trampoline, please visit the Springfree Trampoline website.

Thanks for reading – until next time, safe jumping!

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We all know jumping can keep kids occupied for hours, but a nice way to add a little extra spice is by introducing some balls into the mix!  Here is a Springfree™ Trampoline favourite – POISON BALL!!! Why don’t you give it a go at home!

“POISON RED BALLS” Nelson lasted 60 seconds!

“POISON RED BALLS” Nelson lasted 60 seconds!

Poison Ball

What you need:

2 – 6 soft Air balls all different colours (These are cheap as chips and will provide loads of giggles – not to mention the enormous developmental benefits!)

Soft Air filled balls are the best and safest to use!

Soft Air filled balls are the best and safest to use!

Aim:

The aim is to choose a colour that is the evil Poison ball and at all measures avoid touching this ball whilst jumping. Of course the only safe way is one jumper at time so why not record how long you can jump without touching the Poison Ball and then swap with a friend to see who the best poison ball jumper is!

TOO EASY?  Put three of the same colour balls in the Springfree™ Trampoline and you have to avoid all three! Good luck…

Stay tuned for loads more exciting ball games.  Do you have an even better game that you play on your trampoline? Tell us here by leaving a comment or posting on the Springfree™ Trampoline Facebook fan page so we can all have a go!

For any further info on Springfree™ Trampoline, please visit the Springfree Trampoline website.

Thanks for reading – until next time, safe jumping!

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DID YOU KNOW

Did you know that stretching helps to stop injuries and allows you to be more flexible when jumping!

Stretching Helps Prevent Injuries

Stretching Helps Prevent Injuries

Stretching your muscles before engaging in any physical activity is important. Whether it’s dancing, playing soccer or swimming it is important to prepare your body to perform the best it can – so why should trampolining be any different? Do you love to perform for mum and dad in the backyard or are you seasoned pro at your local gymnasium? No matter what level you are you should always stretch your muscles in order increase your flexibility and then you will get even bigger jumps.

Check out the huge jumps these professional jumpers get in Central Park in America – I Bet they did some serious stretching to achieve the complexity and intricacy of the jumps.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWraH2STPRs]

Please note: This type of jumping with flips and somersaults should only be done in a controlled environment under the supervision of experts.  Springfree™ Trampoline is the only safe way to jump in the Backyard!

A fantastic Jumping MOVE you can try at home is the…..

 

“AND STRETCH”

 

THE MOVE

Take one of your heels up to your bottom, hold your balance for 1…2…3…4…5 seconds, try and keep your knees together. Now test your other leg. Take one of your hands to the opposite shoulder blade, take your other hand and place it on your elbow, push down on your elbow

 

CHALLENGE

Can you hold 1 leg at a time for 30 seconds without falling over? Ready, Set, GO!  Now try your other led! Ready, Set, GO!

 

Keep popping in and we will provide you with heaps more jumps you can try at home!  Do you know of any other awesome and SAFE moves you can do on the Springfree™ Trampoline? Let us know by leaving a comment or posting to our Facebook Fan Page wall.

For any further info on Springfree™ Trampoline, please visit the Springfree Trampoline website.

Thanks for reading – until next time, safe jumping!

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