The Magic of Christmas

Today is the last day in our series of Secret Santa Paws posts. It's Eddy's turn to show off that last bit of fun and festive loot we received from fantastic Jean and furbabies.

Those of you who know us well are aware that getting a viable shot of Eddy is like catching yourself a sighting of Sasquatch. More than likely, it's just not going to happen. That doesn't mean Eddy didn't receive any goodies to show off, though.

Just one of the fun gifts Eddy received (and which I barely managed to snap a shot of before Thimble swooped in) were these lovelies:

Although Eddy, always the elusive adventurer, was off scaling the Christmas tree while the rest of us opened presents, she indeed loves these! Like Thimble, she's a whapper and slapper, and these balls get lots of that. Eddy of course loves everything she received, including that wonderful duck wand toy she and Thimble were gifted!

The pawesome Santa Paws they are, Jean and her furbabies even sent something for this human here! Right on top of our box of goodies was a pretty white box with a lovely "L" sticker atop it.

Since L stands for Lorianne, I got perfectly excited. Honestly, the box itself was all I needed. For whatever reason, I've always been a fiend for stickers and pretty little trinket type things, which is probably why I sat there oohing and awing over this box for roughly an eternity.

See how pretty?!?

And then I actually managed to open the box.

Since I love me some owl, this lovely ornament was the icing on the cake. It was immediately hung, although not actually on the tree, because, well, Eddy.

Oh, and I failed to show you our adorable card from Jean and her furbabies.

Jean and her furry crew sure knew what they were doing. I love chickadees, so even down to this cute card our Santa Paws picked the most perfect gifts for us!

From Eddy and all of us, thank you, Jean and furbabies!


Now, don't worry, we didn't forget the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by our pals at 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader. (And be sure to visit 15andmeowing today to join in on their Festivus party!)

Our hosts created some more festive fill-ins for us this week, and that makes us very happy! Here they are:

1. I still need to _________ before Christmas.
2. My favorite episode of Seinfield is _________.
3. What I would really like for Christmas is _________.
4. My favorite part of Christmastime is _________.

And here is what this here human managed with those:

1. I still need to finish up my baked goods before Christmas.
(I have happily been in charge of bringing the pies to holiday gatherings for the past couple of years. I will be making 4 pies for our family Christmas gathering this year, and I plan on finishing them up tonight. I will also be making gingerbread men and the Nutter Butter Santas I mentioned last week. Don't worry, though, the fudge is already done!)

2. My favorite episode of Seinfield is the one with the soup Nazi.
(I'll admit that I don't watch a whole lot of Seinfield. My parents used to watch it, though, and I would sometimes watch it with them. Although I don't remember a whole lot of the episodes all that well, I do remember enjoying the one with the soup Nazi. I have no idea what the title of that episode is, or even what season it's from, but I do remember that soup Nazi.)

3. What I would really like for Christmas is to see all homeless furbabies in forever homes.
(Especially this time of year, when I see or hear of homeless furbabies out in the cold fending for themselves, I just wish there was something I could do to land them all in the forever homes they so very much deserve. Of course, this wish also extends to those furry babies in shelters awaiting their homes.)

4. My favorite part of Christmastime is the magic in the air.
(This is probably a strange answer to some, but to me there really is a feeling of magic and whimsy in the air this time of year. Everywhere you go, there are lights and festive decorations and so many fun things to see and do. Have you ever been outside at night on a street where nearly all of the houses are decorated and lit up for Christmas? That is pure magic to me.)


The festivities don't end there! We have something else festive going on today. In light of this wonderful season of giving, we are doing our first genuine giveaway. Included in this giveaway is a bundle of festive crinkle toys that my mother (the furbabies' beloved Gammy) created out of some leftover Christmas cloth.

I'll admit, Thimble discovered the hiding place of these giveaway toys (honestly, I can't win with that girl) and tested them out. She says they're great fun.

In addition to those festive toys, the winner of this giveaway will also receive a surprise piece of art from me. I'll be creating and personalizing this piece to suit the individual winner, which means I don't have a picture to show you, as I haven't created it yet. But, there will be a colorful doodle of a prize included in this giveaway!

To be entered into this giveaway, all you have to do is comment on this blog post sometime before 11:59 pm CST tomorrow, Christmas Eve. I will announce the winner in our Christmas Day post. (Don't worry, though. I know that Christmas is a busy day and should be filled with family and fun, so if you're the winner yet don't make it to our blog on Christmas Day, you will still get the goods! I will announce the winner again on Monday, December 26th, as well as contact the winner directly.)

And, as for our art of the day, here's a frosty little fox for you.

Merry eve of Christmas Eve to all!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

We have another repeat holiday tip for you today. When your furbaby shows up at Christmas dinner, don't forget that while it's of course unhealthy for your furbaby to indulge in too much human food, there are also foods that are downright dangerous for them to consume. When it comes to your kitty or pup, steer clear of foods such as chocolate, onions, garlic, grapes, and raisins, and of course alcoholic beverages. Due to the fatty content and potential risk of pancreatitis, it also perhaps wise to avoid feeding your furbaby turkey and even nuts, such as almonds and pecans. Instead, as long as if given within reason and as long not seasoned with potentially dangerous ingredients, give your furbaby a little taste of carrot, corn, or sweet potato. Of course you can give your furbaby the gift of a taste of Christmas dinner, so long as you keep it healthy!