Friendly Fill-Ins and Festive Rambling

Are you having a festive Friday? If not, we're here to hopefully bring you a little joy and cheer with the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. In case you missed them yesterday, we'll share the fill-ins statements again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I love buying gifts for _________.

2. I have a hard time finding a gift for _________.

3. It's the most wonderful time _________.

4. There's no place like _________ for the holidays.


Here's how I filled in these festive fill-ins:

1. I love buying gifts for my kitties and pup.
(Yes, I am that person and I am not ashamed of it. I always try to get something unique and specific to each furbaby in my life for Christmas. This year I started early, and all of their gifts are ready and waiting. Eddy also got a bit of an early Christmas gift this year, and you'll see why and what it is in just a bit.)

2. I have a hard time finding a gift for my dad.
(My dad's hobbies are very specific and include things like fish aquariums, which I don't understand a whole lot, or at all. That means I'm usually in way over my head when trying to think up gifts that he doesn't already have, and that he can actually use. Luckily, though, ever since I was a kid, my family has been accustomed to scribbling up quick and simple wish lists. This tradition likely started because some of us simply need help coming up with gift ideas for people like my dad. This year, I consulted my dad's wish list a lot, whereas I didn't need to consult my mom's or sister's.)

3. It's the most wonderful time to give.
(I am far from a perfect human being, but this time of year always leaves me with extra reminders to give to those who are less fortunate. I always try to partake in gift drives for the homeless or needy, and to donate extra special goodies to animals in the shelter and rescue system.)

4. There's no place like a cozy seat beside the Christmas tree for the holidays.
(There is something so cozy, comforting, and magical about the warm glow of a Christmas tree. I would be happier than a clam at high tide if I could spend this entire season snuggled up on the couch with my furbabies, basking in the glow of the Christmas tree while watching festive movies, reading festive reads, drawing festive doodles, writing festive works, and so on and so forth.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.



***

Remember in my first fill-in above, when I said that Eddy got a bit of an early Christmas gift this year? Can you guess what that was?

I know. Wow. It's a Christmas tree during the Christmas season. Who would've thunk it? We've already shown you the two Christmas trees we have set up in the main areas of our house, so what's up with this one? Well, this particular tree is new, and it's now the third tree in the house. Keep in mind, friends, that we happily live in a humble abode that is just your average home. It's single-story and cozy, and it's not the kind of house you'd think would have three Christmas trees. But, these days, it is. This newest, third tree is what I consider to be Eddy's Christmas tree.

Let's see if I can make a long story short. Eddy still does not wish to be friends with kittens Tonks and Winky. She hisses and growls and swats at them, then they (mainly Tonks) often chase her, and then Eddy runs and hides from them, and there's usually a cat fight soon after. Since the kittens and Eddy don't get along all that well, when I cannot supervise the cats, or if I simply want a quiet evening free of cat fights, Eddy stays safely tucked in my bedroom with a baby gate in the doorway (which, by some sort of Christmas miracle, has never been climbed or jumped by either of the wily kittens). Don't worry, though, because Eddy is not saddened by this. Eddy has always been a skittish cat, and ever since she was a kitten, of her own accord she has spent roughly 90% of her time in my bedroom. Often, she doesn't even realize she's barricaded in my room because that's where she's always spent her time anyway.

Back to the point I'm trying to make, though, with the kittens now around, Eddy is often neither able nor willing to visit the Christmas trees that she typically enjoys climbing this festive time of year. But, Eddy missing out on her favorite festivity, that being Christmas tree-climbing, is something I simply could not bear. The sheer joy Eddy gets from climbing the Christmas tree is something I can't even begin to express. That's why I rearranged my room and went in search of a Christmas tree to squeeze into my bedroom just for Eddy's climbing purposes.

Cue the default Eddy blooper reel.

That's Eddy actually lying down in the tree (do you see her adorable little teeth sticking out?!?!?). This new tree happens to be way more sturdy than either of our other, original trees. This one allows Eddy to settle in and quite cozily take lengthy naps on its branches.

I'm pretty sure some people must think I'm crazy. Many cat parents refrain from putting up Christmas trees in their house because the kitties and the trees don't coexist well, and then there's me over here shoving a giant Christmas trees into my bedroom where it can hardly fit (you can see in the picture way up above that the tree is pretty much invading my closet) just so that my kitty can have a tree of her very own to climb and nest in. Whatever Eddy wants, Eddy gets. I just work for these little furballs.

Wishing you all a merry and bright Friday!

***

Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

I'm a tad bit frustrated, because my scanner is not cooperating with me recently. I have been unsuccessful at getting today's doodle scanned (I'm old school and use only pen and paper when I doodle), so I'm resorting to showing you all a flashback doodle I created last year. This doodle was created as part of a Tiny Tim Christmas series I shared last year, and was in particular inspired by my girl Eddy.

I'm working on getting my scanner fixed, so hopefully I can have a new doodle to share tomorrow. Wish me luck, friends.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

We're going to backtrack a little bit and give one more Christmas tree safety tip that we have never given before, because it's something that we just started doing around here at our house very recently. If you want to have lights on your tree, but burns or electrocution are a concern with your furbaby around, or if you are concerned about electrical fires, then perhaps consider using battery-operated lights for your tree. Our tree seen in the images above is lit by battery-operated lights. These lights come with a remote control, with a timer option, making it easy to turn them on and off, all without the risks of electrical cords. Also, to save on the cost of batteries, I use rechargeable batteries.

That all being said, though, always base such decisions on your individual furbaby and his or her personal behaviors. The battery pack for the lights we use is very sturdy as well as well-hidden, and the kitties and pup at my house have never proven themselves chewers of such things. For this reason, my particular furbabies accessing the batteries is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, batteries can indeed be dangerous if chewed or consumed, so do keep this in mind when shopping around for anything that is battery-operated. But, if your furbaby is a cord chewer, or if you have any other concerns of the electrical nature, then perhaps look into battery-operated or other safe lighting options for your Christmas tree.