‘Tis the season for third helpings of stuffing, heated political arguments with extended family, and early morning shopping deals that require a healthy dose of endurance and even more caffeine. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! So what will Element employees be doing when the clock strikes twelve on Black Friday?
The Shoppers
Katie, her sister, and her mom throw on their matching wind suits and strap on the old fanny packs with checklist in hand to conquer the crowds early on Friday. After rummaging around to find that perfect $4 DVD and $3 sale bin blanket, they hit up Denny’s and proceed to nap off the excitement for the remainder of the day.
Usually, Kara gets a head start on Black Friday by scoping out the deals before Thanksgiving dinner is even finished! Upon putting the kids to bed on Thursday night, she and her husband gear up to stand in the cold, waiting in line to impulsively buy all sorts of sale items, only to immediately regret the amount of idle time spent waiting to make the purchases they didn’t need. This year, Kara’s husband has gotten wise and is opting to spend his day in the woods, gripping a gun instead of a credit card.
Derek’s Black Friday usually consists of nursing a wine and turkey hangover. This year, the day falls in line with his brother-in-law’s birthday, who is flying in with his family from North Carolina. The whole gang will be heading to Appleton to check out the Escape Room, because, in Derek’s own words, “There’s nothing better than being locked in a room with your in-laws.”
…The “Almost” Shoppers
Though he is not a typical Black Friday door buster, 2016 marks the year that Aaron will join the ranks of the maddened holiday shoppers as he fights the crowds to secure a new refrigerator.
In past years, Eric has resisted the urge to attend special “Black Friday Only” beer release parties, which are now being offered by more and more breweries. Though it has been a challenge not to attend, he instead prefers to spend the day playing board games with his family.
The Repeat Feasters
Though the majority of his week is spent in a tree stand, Ryan celebrates Black Friday with copious amounts of leftover turkey for both lunch and dinner. Mid-day, you can expect to find him fast asleep in front of the TV, belt unbuckled from too much food, before making the dreaded drive across the state to return home.
Every Friday after Thanksgiving, Jenna and her husband pay homage to Ol’ Blue Eyes by playing Sinatra’s Christmas album as they help decorate her parents’ house for the holidays. This event includes busting out the Christmas dishes, chopping down a tree the Griswolds would be proud of, and diving into the leftovers, beginning with pie, because…priorities.
The Christmas Enthusiasts
It may be Black Friday, but it’s the welcoming start of a White Christmas in the Wentworth household. Beginning the day with Christmas music cranked to extreme decibels and festive attire consisting of holiday socks and reindeer pajama pants, Molly splashes a little peppermint Schnapps in her hot chocolate and puts Friday to good use by decorating her whole house for the Christmas season.
Thanksgiving may be over, but the Shropshire kitchen is still full of activity. Each year, Kate spends the day with her entire family making seven different flavors of Shrop Candy. This tasty delicacy, also known as stained glass candy, is a family favorite that is gifted to friends and family throughout the holiday season.
Though she used to devote the day to decorating her home, similar to what she did with her mom, Ann now completes the decorating process the weekend before Thanksgiving so that she can spend more time relaxing with her children by playing board games and watching Christmas movies. The kids participate in the decoration process; however, Ann admits to secretly rearranging all the tree ornaments when the kids aren’t looking so they are positioned in the most aesthetically pleasing way.
When it comes to Christmas preparation, Nikki is the master of persuasion. On Friday morning, after waking up and taking care of the kid duties, she brews her husband, Lance, some coffee while he relaxes on the couch, watching his favorite hunting show. Upon determining he is fully awake, in her sweetest, kindest voice, Nikki asks for assistance with a few small favors, like, “Can you please help me get the tree upstairs and help me with just a few outside decorations?” What begins as a cheerful compliance often turns to tension as the duo approach the discussion of stringing up the lights. For Lance, the remainder of the day is spent in the peaceful, serene woods hunting while Nikki continues the holiday explosion, and the family rounds out the day with a grand reveal of all the lights that evening.
No matter how you spend your holiday weekend, we hope you enjoy it with the ones you love most! Happy Thanksgiving from Element!
