Meowy Christmas and Happy Howlidays!

We wish all of our friends out there a merry Christmas, happy holidays, and all of the warm wishes and winter blessings you could ever ask for. Thank you all for making this community the amazing and inviting place it is. Peace, joy, and good tidings to all!

MEOWY CHRISTMAS
AND
HAPPY HOWLIDAYS!

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Ellen of 15andmeowing and I are still hosting the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge today. If you'd like to join us for this festive edition, we'd be happy to have you!


1. The best gift I have ever given is _________.

2. Last night, I _________.

3. _________ brings me joy today.

4. My favorite holiday memory is _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. The best gift I have ever given is the annual holiday gifts I donate to local animal shelters.

(I certainly do enjoy giving gifts to my own furry as well as human family. But, in truth, we're all fortunate to have family and homes, which can't be said for animals at shelters. There is a wide variety of charities that can benefit from gifts and donations, but especially around the holidays, I personally always choose to give gifts of food, toys, and other supplies to local animal shelters. Probably in no small part because I'm a huge animal lover, these gifts are the ones that I find the most rewarding to give.)

2. Last night, I enjoyed my family's Christmas Eve traditions.

(As I mentioned in another recent fill-in, Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the holiday season. This stems back to the traditions of my childhood, which I loved so much. In fact, my family's Christmas Eve traditions have hardly changed since I was kid, even though I'm now grown and live in my own house. My parents, sister, and I all go to Christmas services at our church on the evening of Christmas Eve, and then we go to my parents' house and feast on festive foods, and we open presents, and we watch the A Christmas Story movie marathon that airs on TV every year, and I enjoy every second of all of it. All of the furbabies in the family also get lots of gifts and attention on Christmas Eve, and I love seeing them so happy.)

3. Spending time with my family brings me joy today.

(My parents, sister, myself, and of course our furry family members will all be spending time together at both my house and my parents' house today. Now, don't get me wrong, because I appreciate spending Christmas with my extended family as well, but my favorite way to spend a holiday is in the form of a lowkey gathering with just my parents, my sister, and our furry family members. The introvert and homebody part of me just loves to keep things small and casual, because I find that most enjoyable. Too much hustle and bustle makes a holiday a bit too overwhelming, at least for me.)

4. My favorite holiday memory is any and all of them.
(I'm blessed in that I've never had anything unsavory or traumatic happen during the holiday season. This is in no small part why all of the holiday memories I can recall are happy ones. Certainly not every Christmas is the same, and some years don't feel as magical as others, but I'm still fond of all of them, as they all involve both my human and furry family.)

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.

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Eddy and all of us here yet again want to wish you a blessed Christmas! Thank you for your friendship, today and every day.

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Tip of the Day

Christmas is often a time of remembrance, a time when memories find their way into our minds. This can sometimes make this time of year a bittersweet one, as we remember our loved ones, both human and furry, who are no longer with us. Today's tip is to of course remember lost loved ones with fondness during the beautiful holiday season, but also to find ways to include lost loved ones in the festivities, if this is something that would benefit you. There are a number of ways to keep lost furbabies' or other family members' memories alive and well during the holiday season, such as by hanging an ornament dedicated to them. One example of this includes picture frame ornaments, in which you can obviously place a photo of a lost loved one. Another example are ornaments sculpted or painted in the likeness of a lost loved one, and this of course includes ornaments made to resemble kitties or pups who have gained their angel wings.

In addition to memorial ornaments, you can also set up memorial stations in your house for lost loved ones. This memorial area can be a place where you set up photos of a lost kitty, pup, or human family member who is no longer with you. What's more, to maintain their memory and inclusion during the holidays, you can add festive decorations to the memorial area you have set up for them. You can festively light up the memorial station with lights or candles, as long as this is done in a safe manner. There are plenty of other options for using festive yet respectful decor to include a lost loved one in the holiday spirit.

Just one more of many options for keeping a lost loved one's memory alive and well during this holiday season is to make a donation or other gift in their memory. When it comes to an angel kitty or pup, you can donate goods to a shelter or rescue in their memory. You can also sponsor, or even foster or adopt, an animal in their honor. Though remembering lost loved ones during the holiday season can be a bittersweet thing, there are many ways in which to maintain a lost loved one's memory and include them in the festivities.