Attention friends! Do you feel that?! That’s the feeling of the most wonderful time of the year. Now that we have broken down our favorite ads, it’s time to dust off that ugly af holiday sweater and turn up the Mariah Carey. That’s right, it’s the holiday season, and we at BKN Creative are holly and oh-so-jolly! If you didn’t know, it dropped under 70 degrees in Florida, so you already know we are in full-holiday mode. And to answer your question, yes, we are freezing our little bums off, but we’re still cute and ready to celebrate and get in the spirit! Some of us have already been listening to holiday music since before Thanksgiving. We’re not judging, but we know some of you out there are. Um, RUDE!
As a team at BKN, we have created some fun and festive traditions over the years. Like decorating our entire office, complete with a Christmas tree and Hannukah corner (SHALOM!), celebrating with our clients, participating in Secret Santa, and even creating our very own Holiday mockumentary. Do yourself a favor and watch!
To kick off the holidays this year, our team compiled a list of their favorite traditions, songs, movies, recipes, and more! To get the full experience of this blog, we recommend listening to our Holiday Spotify playlist while you read. Warning: it will ignite the holiday spirit. Also, go ahead and give us a follow! We promise you won’t be disappointed. Ok, let’s get to it!
Kaelonne Bermea, Digital Creator and Animator:
- Favorite Holiday Tradition: I love going to our local downtown holiday parade while enjoying a festive drink.
- Favorite Holiday Song: “O Holy Night”
- Favorite Holiday Movie: Home Alone
- Favorite Holiday Recipe/Food: Pastels (similar to Mexican Tamales)
- Favorite 2023 Memory: Taking a tour of the reef in Tobago with my family.
Fun fact: Kae is the cocktail queen! She can make you any drink you could ever possibly want. You already know we will be making her bartender at our annual office holiday party. Interested in the pastels? Get what Kae calls Trinidad and Tobago’s “culinary bible” here. Our mouths are watering!
Kevin Tydlaska-Dziedzic, Co-Founder + Chief Executive Officer:
- Favorite Holiday Tradition: I didn’t have a typical childhood so I’ve made traditions along the way and into my adulthood. My favorite tradition is our entire Christmas Eve and Day. Typically, with my side of the family, or what I have here, and any friends that are alone for the holidays, we first have Christmas Eve dinner on the back patio below our string of lights, and everyone eats while Christmas tunes play in the background and a fire burns in the chiminea. We follow that up with dessert and mulled wine or hot chocolate in the living room. We put on a Christmas Movie like ‘Home Alone’ or ‘The Santa Claus,’ then choose one present to open each. We then read ‘The Night Before Christmas’ together, put the kids to bed (if there are any), then the adults sit, drink, and watch a few Christmas movies before everyone goes to bed. The next morning I wake up early to bake everyone homemade cinnamon rolls. I do it early so they wake up to the smells of coffee, cinnamon rolls, and Christmas candles burning. We all grab coffee and cinnamon rolls, put on another Christmas movie, or play Christmas music, and we all dive into our presents and stockings at the same time – because I hate that “open gifts one at a time shit”… After that we head to my husband’s parents house and spend the afternoon with the Dziedzic family. On Christmas Day evening we either go to a movie, or spend the evening at home, with our pets.
- Favorite Holiday Song: “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”
- Favorite Holiday Movie: Love Actually
- Favorite Holiday Recipe/Food: Cinnamon Rolls
- Favorite 2023 Memory: Man… I have a few
- Our NYC photoshoot on the Brooklyn Bridge
- Reconnecting with my old friend Hillary
- BKN Creative’s 5 Year Anniversary Party
- Dancing with my great niece Akari, which my husband secretly caught on video
- Signing our lease on our NYC apartment
- Karaoke night with my niece
- Singing “Suddenly Seymour” with my niece Briaunna
- Watching my nephew graduate high school
- Remodeling our Tampa home
- Starting our podcast with my favorite human, Brandon
- Traveling to Vermont to see a bit of my husband’s childhood
- Joining SAG
Ok, we are living for Kevin’s traditions! It’s giving all of the holiday feels. Holiday tunes? Check. Toasty fire? Check. All of the amazing smelly smells of the holidays? Check, check, check! Sign us up. Also, petition to have him read “The Night Before Christmas” on Homocide? Just a thought. By the way, if you wanted that cinnamon roll recipe, you’ll have to find your own because Kevin is not giving that up! We respect it.
Briaunna Tydlaska, Social Media Assistant
- Favorite Holiday Tradition: My favorite holiday tradition is having cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.
- Favorite Holiday Song: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
- Favorite Holiday Movie: The Polar Express
- Favorite Holiday Recipe/Food: Christmas Crack
- Favorite 2023 Memory: Moving into my new home!
What is Christmas Crack, you ask? We didn’t know either. No worries, Bree hooked us up with the recipe, and it has us drooling. And no, there is no crack in it ya filthy animals. Also, we want to know if you love “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” or if you are leaving it in 2023. Some find it cute and some find it creepy?
Palma Dziedzic, Chief Financial Officer
- Favorite Holiday Tradition: Eating fish on Christmas Eve
- Favorite Holiday Song: “Rockin Around The Christmas Tree”
- Favorite Holiday Movie: Elf
- Favorite Holiday Recipe/Food: Stuffed Mushrooms
- Favorite 2023 Memory: Getting a new grandson
If you haven’t had Palma’s cooking, you are missing out. We need her stuffed mushrooms and homemade biscotti right now! Also, her new grandbaby is the cutest ever! We love all of the babies, sometimes…as long as it doesn’t cry or poo. Ok, moving on.
Brandon Tydlaska-Dziedzic, Co-Founder + Chief Creative Officer:
- Favorite Holiday Tradition: Ever since I was a child, we would open one gift on Christmas Eve. Today, it is a tradition Kevin and I still do with each other and our family.
- Favorite Holiday Song: “Dominick The Donkey”
- Favorite Holiday Movie: Scrooged
- Favorite Holiday Recipe/Food: Kevin’s Kalamata Olive Bread
- Favorite 2023 Memory: Starting, planning, and producing Homocide The Podcast with my best friend.
We know what you’re thinking. What in the world is “Dominick The Donkey”? Obviously, it’s a song about a donkey who helps Santa Claus bring presents to children in Italy due to the reindeer being unable to climb the hills. It’s sweet as heck, ok!? Listen to it now. While you’re at it, if you have yet to listen to Homocide The Podcast, what are you even doing? Seriously, it will brighten your entire year! You can thank us later.
Ana Reeves-Hitzig, Social Media Manager:
- Favorite Holiday Tradition: Steak N’ Shake or Chinese for dinner and seeing a new movie at the theater on Christmas Day!
- Favorite Holiday Song: “Little Saint Nick” or “Last Christmas”
- Favorite Holiday Movie: Love Hard
- Favorite Holiday Recipe/Food: LATKES! #TeamSourCream
- Favorite 2023 Memory: Going on my dream trip to the U.K. and Ireland!
You can’t go wrong with a little WHAM! and latkes during the holidays. A classic Jewish cuisine, Ana recommends this recipe and also admits she’s lazy and usually buys Manischewitz latke mix. It’s the thought that counts! Also, next time we want to be invited to the U.K. and Ireland. Please and thank you!
Savannah Cruz, Director of Communications:
- Favorite Holiday Tradition: Making empanadas with my family and drinking boozy iced coffee on Christmas morning!
- Favorite Holiday Song: “O Tannenbaum”
- Favorite Holiday Movie: How The Grinch Stole Christmas
- Favorite Holiday Recipe/Food: Empanadas and Potato Sausage Soup
- Favorite 2023 Memory: Getting engaged to the love of my life!
Boozy iced coffee + soup season + classic Jim Carrey might just equal the perfect Christmas. To note: Savannah wants to clarify that the best “O Tannenbaum” version is from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Also, we can’t wait for her European wedding in Prague, where she met her fiance! Cheers to that! Or should we say na zdraví!
Well, that wraps up our team’s favorite things to do during the holidays! Whether you are sticking to your tried and true traditions or starting new ones, we wish you a safe and fabulous Yuletide season! Remember to spread love, eat all of those holiday treats, and spend it with the people you love because life is too short and we need more happiness, peace, and joy in this world! See ya next year. Ok BYEEEE!
