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Sing It Loud for All to Hear

Share the goods.

Fa la la! Let’s eat, drink and get merry. The holidays are all about weight gain and over-indulging, so we figured why fight it? If there is one thing we do really well at 8THIRTYFOUR, as a team, it’s eat. We love food. (We have left Chris out of this blog, though, since he thinks Taco Bell is gourmet food…yeah, his opinion is irrelevant.)
Here are some of our favorite cookies, bevvies and holiday songs.

Sweet Treats

Gaining weight over the holiday is a wonderful tradition. We, for one, will not stand in the way of your extra lbs. Here are our best, most fattening, delicious recipes for you to recreate in the comfort of your own sweats.
Peanut buttery, chocolatey, oatmeal goodness
This cookie has an official name, but we like ours better. It’s a big, fat, delicious oatmeal cookie. Make it today.
Frosted Christmas cookies
We know it isn’t original, but it’s a classic. Besides, who doesn’t love overindulging in frosting and making yourself sick on sugar cookies?

Get Merry

There is just something about sitting in front of the Christmas tree with your favorite drink while watching a holiday movie to really fill you with cheer. We highly recommend the deliciously spiked drinks below.
Bailey’s Holiday Martini 
Add 2 ounces Baileys Original Irish Cream, ¼ ounce Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka, and ¼ ounce Godiva Chocolate Liqueur to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with raspberry (optional).
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
If you want to go full hygge, here’s the simplest way to get cozy.

  • Gingersnap cookies (if you can’t make your own, store bought is fine)
  • Roasted chestnuts (a little salty to balance the sweet)
  • Glass of scotch (ice optional)
  • Blankets (fireplace optional)

Don’t overthink finding some stress relief this holiday season! The key thing is to make time for yourself and enjoy the things you love. Work will still be here when you get back from a much deserved break.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

We’re a little weird. We’ve been playing Christmas music since before Thanksgiving, and it is quite the mood booster for us. To put you in a happy, cheery mood, here are our favorites. Play our holiday mix on Spotify.
Baby It’s Cold Outside
Ok, we know there is a whole controversy surrounding this song, but we really like the tune. We really enjoy the John Legend and Kelly Clarkson version, updated to better reflect our world.

Mistletoe by Justin Bieber
This song makes Bode want to poke her eyes out, but who doesn’t appreciate a good Bieb song? The beat is hard to resist, and this was prior to him going off the deep end.
You are now officially jolly with your cookies, booze and Christmas cheer. Merry Christmas, you filthy animals, from all of us at 8THIRTYFOUR.

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973.
Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store.

Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch.

@crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17898983202545176
FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973. Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store. Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch. @crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary

Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet?
If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves.

This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore.

Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk.

Listen now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18112263326023209
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet? If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves. This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore. Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk. Listen now at the link in bio.

National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up.

We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly.

We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation.

When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18132641716644887
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up. We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly. We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared. Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later). Register at the link in bio.

You asked, we delivered.

Introducing the Women`s Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership.

Whether you`ve got a team of 10 or it`s just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it.

Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business.

You`ll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who`ve been exactly where you are.

Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18089775152664042
You asked, we delivered. Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership. Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it. Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business. You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are. Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.
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