Festive Friday with the Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy

Hello, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. My favorite Christmas movie (or book) is _________.

2. My favorite Christmas song is _________.

3. _________ is the best way to spread Christmas cheer.

4. _________ is my favorite day of the holiday season.


My answers are below in bold, and are of course accompanied by plenty of rambling that no one is required to read.

1. My favorite Christmas movie is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

(I've mentioned this movie many times here on our blog, but it is indeed my all-time favorite Christmas movie. I enjoy the chaotic but also often relatable humor of the movie, but I also like it for nostalgia's sake. My family always watches this movie on the night of Black Friday, after the Christmas trees and other decorations have been put up. It's the first Christmas movie I watch every festive season, and then of course I watch it many, many more times throughout the Christmas season.)

2. My favorite Christmas song is "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas".

(I have many songs I could put for this one, but the one and only hippo song always makes me smile and sing along. I feel a bid odd saying that as a grown adult, but it is what it is. A lot of my other favorite Christmas songs are instrumentals, including pretty much any rendition of "Carol of the Bells", but especially Manheim Steamroller's version. I also can never get enough of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's tunes, especially "Wizards in Winter". Then again, anything by Burl Ives or any of the other classics are also favorites of mine, but I should probably stop now.)

3. Kindness is the best way to spread Christmas cheer.

(I couldn't decide on anything else specific to put for this one, so this seemed like an appropriate answer.)

4. Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the holiday season.

(Ever since I was a kid, our Christmas Eve traditions have been my favorite. My parents, my sister, and I go to our church's beautiful Christmas Eve service. Then we go to my parents' house and eat all sorts of snacks and desserts, and we open the presents under the tree while the A Christmas Story marathon plays on the TV. We started this because, when my sister and I were kids, Christmas Day was chaotic due to us driving to visit all of our grandparents, and so we did most of our own traditions on Christmas Eve. Even though these days our Christmas Day traditions are much more calm and cozy since we don't travel on the day anymore, we still kept our Christmas Eve traditions.)

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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Today, Eddy is of course yet again showing off her favorite Christmas tree. You might be able to see how the lights are a little messed up and all that festive jazz, but that tends to happen when a little tabby girl enjoys throwing herself at the tree in question.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a festive Friday!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's festive tip is all about making Christmas merry and bright for shelter and rescue furbabies. To help brighten their holidays, you can make any number of donations to your local shelters and rescue groups. Toys, beds, blankets, cat trees, scratching posts, and anything that might help to enrich the shelter environment is one great option, even if these items are gently used ones that your own kitty or pup no longer uses or needs. You can also donate dry and canned foods and treats, as well as chew bones or other chew toys. Of course, also don't forget other items that could help to make the animals' and shelter workers' lives a bit easier, including litter, carriers that you no longer need, and a variety of cleaning supplies. Many shelters and rescues have wish lists established online, or can inform you by phone or email of what they are most in need. Some shelters even simply ask you to save up newspapers or old towels and blankets to help make cages more comfortable for the animals. Of course, if you are able to make a monetary donation, no matter how big or small that may be, that can also help tremendously.

In addition, you could opt to volunteer your time, or even your home. Fostering a furbaby, even if simply to give them a temporary home in which to enjoy the holidays, can make a world of difference for both the animal and the staff who would otherwise need to be available to care for the furbabies over the holidays. If fostering is not an option, you can also sign up to help at the shelter, such as by caring for and interacting with adoptees over the holidays. This extra care and kindness could mean a great deal to a furbaby who is still waiting for their forever family to find them, and of course can also help relieve the shelter staff.

No matter how small or grand, anything you might be able to gift to a shelter or rescue this Christmas could make all the difference. So, if possible, don't forget the furbabies awaiting their forever homes this holiday season.