We love the Holidays here at Elum. We’re senders of cards and gift givers, candy cane connoisseurs and mistletoe mamas. If someone shouts, “Party!” we’re there. If gift wrapping were a martial art everyone in our office would be ninjas. Black-belted, ninth dan merry-making ninjas! We love sparkles and sprinkles, goofy dancing, questionable holiday sweaters, hats with antlers, Bing Crosby, sugar cookies and hot toddies! More than anything else we love sharing and creating special moments with our friends and families. We’re filled with so much festive spirit right now we gathered the gang together, supplied everyone with rum-soaked eggnog and figgy pudding, and asked about their holiday traditions.
What’s your favorite part of the Holidays?
“Christmas morning is my favorite part of the holidays,” says Kristi C, our creative director. “Seeing my kids’ faces in the morning, so excited that Santa came to visit them. They can’t wait to open up their stockings and gifts.” Jael P, one of our production artists, looks forward to, “Staying in a cabin and heading to a cold place where it snows! Plus it’s the only time of the year when my brother and my dad help in the kitchen!” Tim P, our production designer, says his favorite part is, “Snuggling under warm blankets and watching terrible holiday movies on the Hallmark channel.” Judging from the way everyone is nodding, watching bad movies just might be Elum’s guilty holiday secret! Haley F, our senior designer, sums up the most important thing about the Holidays. “I know it’s cliché but getting to be together with family is by far the best part of the Holidays. I haven’t lived in the same timezone as my family for almost a decade, so when we can manage to all get together—even for just a day—it’s pretty special.”
Do you have any family holiday traditions?
“PJs all day!” declares production artist Mikaela L. Senior designer, Shannon L, keeps the laughter going by telling us, “General consensus in my family is that I’m a terrible cook. I bring the cheese board.” Our warehouse manager, Ryan M, chips in with, “Christmas nights at dive bars!” And Tim shares that universal holiday tradition of, “Getting awkward phone calls to out-of-town family over with by dinner.” Lindsey C in logistics tells us about her grandma. “Every Christmas Eve my grandma will make French onion soup. Christmas Day we will drink a bunch of wine while watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This will be our first year without Grandma and I’m hoping I can pull off the soup as well as she did.” We all agree that simple family traditions, sharing food with loved ones, presents under the tree, are the things that create holiday magic.
What will you be cooking this Christmas?
“Our menu is always a mismatch of childhood favorites and new recipes we want to try,” says Haley. “Nothing says Christmas like pizza rolls and bourbon.” Lindsey tells us about her mom’s, “Roast Beast, which is a giant peppercorn-encrusted prime rib with all the trimmings.” We spend a moment in awe of Lindsey’s mom, then Nancy Z from logistics tells us, “My family loves hot pot during Christmas” and we all decide we’d like that too. And when Jael pitches in with “Honey glazed ham, a poppy seed cake and cheesecake!” and our co-founder Melissa F adds, “Noni’s cracked crab” we burst into spontaneous applause. Can you tell we’re all food crazy here at Elum?
What’s Elum’s holiday party like? Give us the lowdown!
“Sparkly & Boozy!“ declares Haley. “Super fun!” agrees Kristi. “We do a white elephant exchange, have a yummy dinner and we usually go dancing late night!” This year will be production artist, Scott H’s, first ever Elum holiday party and he tells us he, “Can’t wait!” When he asks Tim about the last Elum holiday party, Tim replies, “It was so good that I have a hard time remembering.” Lindsey helps him out, “That party was a HOOT! Tim was VERY festively dressed in a Christmas sweater. Everyone in the company is fun-loving and thoughtful. It’s wonderful to be able to unwind with such a great group of people.”
What Elum goodies will you be giving as gifts this year?
“I will be gifting Big Stack notepads to friends and family,” creative project lead, Shelby H, tells us. “They are very useful and a wonderful locally made product.” Lindsey agrees. “My family is addicted to Big Stacks. They’re the PERFECT notepad and the only way I’m guaranteed to not lose my shopping list. I’ve put one of them in everyone’s stocking as well as some Weekly Eats list pads.” Shannon will be gifting our “Letterpress journals. They’re a great practical but fun gift.” While Tim will be sending folk, “The Feliz Navidog card…’cause my son likes dogs.”
What are you wishing for in 2019?
“New experiences that will lead to new happy lasting memories for years to come,” says Melissa. Kristi adds, “Healthy Elum babies—we have two new babies at Elum that will be born in 2019! Some relief from the natural disasters happening around the world, and to spend more quality time with friends and family.” Cheers to all that! Haley and Lindsey dream of traveling. “Somewhere tropical,” Lindsey tells us, while Haley says, “Every year I try to make a bucket list of hikes, road trips and vacations— plotted at the beginning of the year to look forward to!” Our inside sales manager, Sara C, is looking forward to, “Spending more time in my garden and a full edible garden in the spring!” Tim is also thinking about gardening. He’s wondering if he can plant a tree “that yields cash and ribeye steaks!” We all laugh, and leave it to Nancy to sum everything up. “I wish good health and happiness for all the people I know.”
We raise our glasses and wish you health and happiness. We wish you time spent with loved ones and time doing what you love. We wish you all the joy and magic of the Holidays and all the wonderful possibilities of the New Year! From Elum’s family to yours.
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