Month: December 2023

Get to Know your North Peak Team

(the Holiday edition)

The holiday season is a great time to relax a little bit and have some fun with our coworkers, friends and family. Here at North Peak, we know a thing or two about fun! You can learn a thing or two about us, get a few gift ideas, and have some fun of your own with our holiday “get to you know you” blog post!

the last minute shoppers

Question: Which of your coworkers is likeliest to wait until the last minute to finish Christmas shopping?

Everyone here knows Jeremy and Kevin are the most likely to wait until the last minute! In fact, Kevin was so sure of it that he wrote down his own name!

Here’s the breakdown:

Kevin, Linda and Matt all believe Kevin is most likely to wait until the last minute.

Geno, Jeremy, Mike and Levi all said Jeremy is the most likely wait!

Jeremiah claims Vinny will be…and Kristin is leaning towards Levi.

Best holiday hack

Some of these were new to me! Don’t worry, we’ve included links when possible!

Kevin – Lightkeeper Light Tester Gun (available at hardware stores and probably on Amazon)

Geno – (I love this one) – Volunteer to make a food you love so you don’t end up getting forced to make something you hate!

Jeremy – Spiking the wife’s hot chocolate! Ha!

Matt – Use hot glue to hang lights where traditional clips won’t work

Dennis – Never take the lights down!

Levi – Just stay home

favorite winter outdoor activity

Levi – staying warm!

Jeremiah – Sledding

Kevin – Skiing or snowboarding with the family

Linda – Hiking

Geno – Snowboarding

Jeremy – Ice Skating

Matt – Hunting

Mike – Skiing

Dennis – Hunting

Vinny – Hocky

Kristin – Snowman Building or Sledding

We’re a pretty outdoorsy bunch around here!

favorite holiday flavor

We are all in on peppermint around here! Jeremiah, Linda, Geno, Kristin, Matt, and Mike all listed peppermint as their top (or one of, along with chocolate) holiday flavor!

Kevin went for cinnamon, Vinny for nutmeg, and Dennis for pumpkin…specifically, pumpkin bread. Yum!

Levi beat us all with Kahlua and Prime Rib!

favorite holiday treat

We want to know yours too!

Jeremiah – Rice Krispy treats

Kevin – Peanut butter cornflake cookies

Linda – Enstrom’s Toffee

Geno – Toffee

Kristin – Mom’s English Toffee

Mike and Matt – chocolate peppermint bark

Dennis – Chocolate Covered Cherries

Vinny – Homemade Tapioca Pudding (Vinny, can we get that recipe, please?)

Levi – Making Mom’s recipes

favorite holiday events

When it comes to holiday events, most of us are homebodies and enjoy parties with our closest friends and family.

Jeremiah – the kind of event where you stay home

Kevin – Powderhorn for New Year’s Eve

Linda – Parade of Lights

Geno – Family Dinner

Jeremy – Parades and Football

Matt – Gingerbread House Building

Mike – Friends and Family Parites

Dennis – Hanging out with the kids

Vinny – Family parties

Levi – Boozy Parties

Kristin – Every year we host a gram cracker house building contest with our family and friends. It is always fun to see what designs we come up with. 

Christmas Eve Dinner with all my family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There is always delicious food, silly games, and good conversations.

Beautiful christmas decoration at Brea Neighborhood, Los Angels County, California

Benefits of Planned Outdoor Space in your Commercial Construction Project

When designing your new commercial building project, it’s important to consider every aspect of design from energy efficiency to employee satisfaction and comfort. One area of commercial construction designs that has become increasingly important since the COVID pandemic is designing welcoming outdoor spaces for employees.

Why outdoor space?

While working from home during the height of the pandemic many employees had more access to sunshine and outdoor spaces than they do in a typical office setting. In order to meet emerging employee needs, adding this type of space in your office building is crucial. Let’s not forget the added benefits of vitamin D, stress relief and endorphin boosts that can come with spending time in nature!

Types of Planned Outdoor Space to Consider

Rooftop gardens or workspaces are a great way to find outdoor space in the middle of a city.  Shade structures, covered areas in case of rain, and plentiful seating and greenery can make your employees feel at ease.

Sunrooms or solariums  are a great way to stay enclosed but provide that feeling of warmth, and a “conservatory” like feeling.  Filled with live plants and discreet, beautiful privacy screens, employees will feel comfortable taking a private call or brainstorming their next creative project here.

Courtyards are an excellent way to use space that is already available between buildings or off of alleyways.

Additions to consider

Be sure your outdoor space is WI-FI enabled and that the technology works well in the outdoor space.

If appropriate, set quiet hours for your outdoor spaces so that large meetings or casual gatherings don’t interrupt others’ workdays.

Water features will provide a peaceful backdrop and may bring birds to your outdoor space.

Live plants and foliage can also contribute not only to the beauty of your space but also to the natural world by providing pollen for bees and insects too.

If you’re ready to talk more about a commercial remodel and how to incorporate planned outdoor space in your commercial construction project, contact us.

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