BME Holiday Traditions
Get To Know Our Team & Their Favourite Holiday Traditions
Holiday festivities are in full swing! Our team has been taking some well-deserved R&R. The best part of BME is our wonderful team and all that they do. This holiday season we want to take a moment to share more about a few members of our incredible team and some of their favourite holiday traditions!
Kelsey our resident blog writer, super mom, and is one of the longest-standing members of the BME team. Kelsey a mom of two (soon to be three) shared her Christmas traditions of touring around Kamloops seeing all the Christmas lights sipping on hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music. Kelsey also shared visiting Wildlights at the Wild Life Park is a holiday tradition that she loves. While Kelsey loves to bake on a regular day, Kelsey shared that she enjoys baking Erna’s Crunch, a family recipe of homemade Chex Mix. Along with building gingerbread houses, Kelsey also has a tradition of watching all the Christmas movies (and she really does mean all of them!). On Christmas Eve Kelsey and her family open a gift of new Christmas PJs for the family!
Rebecca B is new to our team, while she was once a Bride of BME, Rebecca is now working in the studio with Brandy as a floral assistant. While the rest of the team has been relaxing this holiday season, Rebecca and Brandy have been busy in the studio creating incredible winter wreaths and arrangements that are available on our shop page! Rebecca shared that she enjoys making a day trip out of picking a fresh Christmas tree from the forest, which her dogs love to explore for hours. Rebecca shared that on Christmas Eve her family will watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (both versions) and a Charlie Brown Christmas!
Sara is the newest member of our team! We are so happy to have Sara be a part of our team as she manages our social media pages. Sara shared her favourite holiday tradition of receiving a mandarin orange in her stocking every year. On Christmas morning Sara and her family listen to Frank Sinatra. Sara also loves walking around her neighbourhood to see all the Christmas lights while drinking hot chocolate. Another favourite tradition for Sara is wearing the paper crowns that come from Christmas Crackers during Christmas dinner.
Marie is a decor stylist and assistant at BME. Marie shared that when she was younger they used to open 2 presents on Christmas Eve before going to bed. It was usually new pj’s and then Marie’s mother would pick another random present. Marie shared that when her fiancé was younger he and his siblings would wake up before their parents and bring their parents coffee in bed and they would open their stockings on their bed. Marie hopes to start this tradition with her family one day.
Rebecca S is new to the BME team this year and has been an incredible part of our 2021 wedding season. Rebecca recently joined the Kamloops area from Ontario. Rebecca shared that she and her father will go to their local Christmas tree farm and find the biggest tree for Christmas. Rebecca also shared the tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve, Rebecca’s family puts a funny twist on their gifts. On Christmas morning Rebecca and her family make Irish coffees and homemade breakfast sandwiches before opening any gifts. On Christmas Day Rebecca and her family will walk to their local small historic Church to watch them ring the bell.
Megan also recently joined our BME team, after Brandy planned and decorated her wedding this past summer! Megan works as an office assistant as well as a decor assistant for Brandy. Megan’s holiday traditions are taking photos with Santa and her pets. Megan’s husband will make an advent calendar, and on Christmas Eve Megan will watch the NORAD Santa tracker with her nieces and Nephews.
Jordyn, (If you didn’t know that’s me) I’ve worn a few hats within the BME team, but currently, I curate our monthly newsletter and our lifestyle and inspiration blog posts. I love coming home for the holidays and spending Christmas with my family. During the holiday season, I love to try baking new recipes, typically shortbread cookies and peppermint bark are a baking must for me. My family will watch White Christmas while setting up the tree and Christmas decor. On Christmas Eve my family will go ice skating during the day, and then spend the evening at Butchart Gardens seeing their wonderful display of Christmas lights. On Christmas Day my family will have a large Christmas dinner and one or two gift exchange games.
I’d introduce Brandy but hopefully, you all know her by now. Brandy is not shy about her love of the Christmas season and holiday traditions. Brandy shared traditions that she has had since she was a child and new ones she has introduced to her own family. Brandy as a child on Christmas Eve would stay up till midnight with her sisters and her cousins, aunts and uncles to open presents at her Nana & Nona’s house. They shared Christmas dinner at one of the longest tables possible and anyone was welcome to join and be apart of the tradition. Brandy shared that the adults would make it even more special by having bells ringing and cheering for the children to wake up at midnight when it was time to open presents. Christmas morning Brandy and her sisters had a tradition of opening their stocking while waiting for their parents to wake up.
Brandy has kept some traditions from her childhood but has also started new traditions within her own family. Brandy loves to bake during the holiday season. Brandy loves to bake recipes she has learned a from family recipes that her Nana used to make. Along with baking Brandy’s family loves to make gingerbread houses. Brandy also loves to turn on the TV Fireplace. Brandy shared this is something her grandfather used to do and it has become a comforting tradition for her and her family. Watching snowflakes fall from the sky while drinking a hot cup of tea is a tradition that Brandy does for herself. Brandy’s family will also go out and shovel someone's driveway to surprise them when they come home!
Brandy and her extended family will also do a car convoy and tour Kamloops taking in all the incredible Christmas lights. They usually order some take-out food and grab hot chocolate for the drive. Sending out Christmas cards and creating gift packages for her neighbours is one of Brandy’s favourite traditions to do every year. Movie nights or days with all the traditional Christmas shows and of course Hallmark Christmas movies are a must!
Elf on the shelf is a beautiful tradition in the Maddison household. Brandy’s Elf’s main focus is adding actives for the whole family to take part in and to create connection and giving towards others. Somedays Brandy’s elf does silly little things too but it mostly creates a lot of magical moments in her home. Brandy’s daughters love to “adopt” a family for the holiday season! They love to pick a family to put together a basket for full of wonderful little ideas for the family they have chosen.
On Christmas morning Brandy shared that she will pre-make cinnamon buns on Christmas Eve and put them in the oven Christmas morning while her children are opening presents, filling her home with the delicious smell of fresh baking that fills the air.
Brandy has many, many Christmas traditions, and as she said she could go on and on about all her favourite holiday moments. Brandy truly loves the holiday season and all the magic it brings to her home, and to others that surround her as well.
Our incredible team celebrates the holidays in many similar and unique ways! We all cherish this time as a time to spend with our loved ones. Our BME team has shared some of our holiday traditions and we would love to hear about yours! Connect with us on our socials and share what you love to do during this holiday season!
-J