In the spirit of spreading a little festive cheer, we asked our team to share some of their favorite holiday movies, activities, and traditions. We hope you enjoy getting to know our team, and we wish you all a joyful holiday season!
Q: What's your favorite holiday movie?
Aaron: The Grinch (2018 Animated Version).
Neal: My first choice is The Man Who Came to Dinner, from 1942, but coming in second place is Christmas Vacation.
Angelique: The Grinch.
Josebet: Home Alone.
Taylor: THE GRINCH (the animated one)- I watch it year round. I LOVE the animation.
Kristin: It’s a Wonderful Life.
Troy: Die hard.
Ejay: "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" Elf, all the way!
Josh: Elf or Muppet’s Christmas Carol. Home Alone gets honorable mention as a childhood classic.
Q: What’s the best way you’ve seen your workplace give back to the community during the holidays?
Aaron: When we can support and promote other local businesses.
Neal: We ran a 10% off sale for the holiday at MYLR!
Angelique: The best giving-back that I have been a part of at AGD has been through our pro-bono design work for local and international non-profits that need design direction to best serve their at-needs communities.
Josebet: Sharing info (free events, specials, and insights) via the newsletter.
Taylor: I thought it was a great idea for AGD to support local businesses through our holiday gifts. I am very excited to use my gift card at my favorite spot in SLO- Bear and the Wren!
Kristin: In my opinion, food drives have always been a great way to give back to the community!
Troy: Host workshops that are open to the locals, especially younger audiences to learn about design and architecture. This is very meaningful.
Ejay: When we can support other local businesses and build community with events we host.
Josh: Participating in WizKids Toys Holiday event. (There is a tree full of age ranges on ornaments, you pick one and shop around for a holiday gift for the kid).
Q: If you could invite anyone to the Holiday work party, who would it be? (Can be fictional, famous, historical, etc.)
Aaron: Buddy the Elf.
Neal: James Roday-Rodriguez, star of Psych or R2D2 (tie).
Angelique: Ben Stiller or Jeremy Renner.
Josebet: My partner.
Taylor: If I had to pick I would say Taylor Swift. I have been a life long fan. Or my dog Hank if he could talk to me for the night... I always wonder what he would say to me if he could.
Kristin: All of our coworkers’ dogs.
Troy: Tom Cruise.
Ejay: That's hard..one invite?! Okay, Kimi Werner. She's a spearfisherwoman, huntress, cook, mother, and someone I look up to!
Josh: Leonardo Da Vinci: art, science, religion, medicine, all the classic holiday conversations.
Q: Do you have any holiday traditions/What is your favorite part of the holiday season?
Aaron: Fresh baked cinnamon rolls on christmas morning for breakfast!
Neal: Napping.
Angelique: Every year, my extended family gathers at my aunt’s house where we share food and gifts, play games, Santa makes an appearance for the kiddos, and we wait for Christmas at midnight.
Josebet: I love the scent of pumpkin and cinnamon during November and December. I also enjoy eating tamales with ponche or atole.
Taylor: My family always loved the movie Elf. 12-ish years ago my sisters and I started “Elf Day” where we would make a list of activities inspired by the famous line, "First, we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Toll House cookie dough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle." And do all of them in one day. We still do Elf Day every year!
Kristin: Spending time with hometown friends.
Troy: Lunar New Year, when most East Asian families with Buddhist backgrounds go to temples to pray for a good and healthy new year.
Ejay: My family gathers on Christmas Eve, and every kid (under 18) has to sing a Christmas carol/song in order to receive their first gift.
Josh: Most of the classics. Family, tree, lights, gifts. Since I was a kid, my mom and I have made an almond toffee for our family around the holidays.
Q: Pick one! Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider?
Aaron: Hot Cocoa (with a splash of whiskey and Bailey’s).
Neal: Where’s the egg nog on this list? Mix of both egg nog and apple cider over ice.
Angelique: Hot Cocoa.
Josebet: Hot Cocoa.
Taylor: Hot Cocoa.
Kristin: Apple Cider.
Troy: Apple Cider.
Ejay: Hot chocolate (with peppermint schnapps, yum!).
Josh: Apple Cider (fresh pressed, sparkling, Spiced/hot, spiked).
Q: What’s your idea of the best holiday vacation destination?
Aaron: Cabin Retreat in the snow!
Neal: Anywhere close to a good pizza place.
Angelique: A cabin in the Sierras.
Josebet: For Christmas, I like to gather with family for a big dinner. I also enjoy the piñatas during the Posadas, and for New Year's Eve, a nice resort with a fireworks show.
Taylor: My ideal holiday destination is my home town, Steamboat Springs CO. Part of it is because I grew up there and we all love to be at home for the holidays, right? But I also love that it feels like a real life snow globe! Fresh snow, sparkly lights, and family and friends! (For the record, I have spent 2 Christmases in different places, and it just isn’t the same. I hope to spend as many holidays in Steamboat as I can).
Kristin: A Ski resort.
Troy: Japan.
Ejay: Somewhere warm with good surf, please!
Josh: Anywhere that embodies the cold of the season and the warmth of the holiday.
Q: What are some fun activities you like to do around SLO/Porterville?
Aaron: Spend time at the beach or by the water.
Neal: Egg nog keg stands.
Angelique: Watch a movie at the Palm and walks along the MDO bluff trail.
Josebet: Try new foods or sweets.
Taylor: I spend a lot of time outside hiking and at the beach. My favorite hike right now is Cass Hill in Cayucos. My dog Hank LOVES his new beach life! We also recently became wine members at Hearst Winery so we have been enjoying that as well!
Kristin: Warming up at Sycamore Hot Springs.
Troy: Walk on Poly campus.
Ejay: Wine tasting, surfing, playing frisbee on the beach with my dog, and a good hike!
Josh: Taking my dog to the beach. Thinking about going on a hike, but not getting around to it. Coffee.
Q: What is a must see/do during the holiday season in SLO/Porterville?
Aaron: Christmas Parade in Downtown San Luis Obispo.
Neal: There’s a canyon near my house where you can throw dirt clods around. It might be a year round thing, but it feels more special at christmastime.
Angelique: Vocal Arts Ensemble Winter Concert at the Mission.
Josebet: Christmas Parades!
Taylor: While my family was visiting over Thanksgiving, we went to the Cambria Christmas Market and we loved it! I also LOVE the SLOcally Made Market (a pop up shop made up of handmade goods made by local artists/ makers only open during the holiday season).
Kristin: Makers markets for gift shopping!
Troy: Sand Dunes, Oceano
Ejay: Drive around and check out the Christmas lights!
Josh: SLO christmas parade, Lights at Mission plaza, Hiking madonna for the tree.
Written by the AGD Team
Image links by order they appear:
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britt_nicole (2013). First, we'll make snow angels for 2 hours. r/MovieQuotes. https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieQuotes/comments/1rtp7o/first_well_make_snow_angels_for_2_hours_elf_2003
Tiffany. Pinterest. (n.d.). Winter Scenery Illustration. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/756886281126679816/
Kauffman, J. D. (n.d.). Justin D. Kauffman's Portfolio. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/@justindkauffman?utm_source=wix-media-manager&utm_medium=referral
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Downtown SLO. (2021). Downtown Holiday Parade. Downtown SLO. https://downtownslo.com/do/downtown-holiday-parade