Friendly Fill-Ins and the Lighting of Eddy's Christmas Tree

Hello and happy Friday, 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, and I came up with the second two.


1. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by _________.

4. When it comes to _________, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.


My answers are below in bold.

1. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is my furry family.
(I had a whole different answer to this one. I was going to say my dad is the easiest to shop for, since he is indeed the easiest human for me personally to shop for, but the reality is that my kitties are simply really easy to buy gifts for. I know that they love silver vine and catnip and feathers and anything they can bat or scratch. I had my kitties' Christmas shopping done before anyone else's. I also always loved shopping for my sweet angel pup Astrid, as she loved dog cookies and I always felt so happy picking out festive ones for her.)

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is my human family.
(My parents and sister aren't really that difficult to shop for, but they're simply not as easy to shop for as my kitties. There's always the question of whether you're getting them something they'll actually like or have use for, or if it's something they already have. In my family, though, we do typically give each other gift idea lists, something that has worked well for us for decades. I also always get them each one or two surprise gifts that I know they don't have, and those are always fun to pick out.)

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by giving to those in need.
(I do my best with this. With aging kitties requiring increased vet care and medications, not to mention the general state of the economy, I always wish I could do more. My church always has gift donation opportunities for various causes during the Christmas season, though, and I always do at least one of those.)

4. When it comes to traveling for the holidays, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.
(To visit my grandma or any other extended family, my parents, sister, and I have to drive nearly 2 hours. While I of course want to see my grandma and such, I admittedly dislike traveling. I dislike being away from home. We no longer do any such traveling on Christmas itself, as that became too stressful and overwhelming for all of us, but we do still drive to visit my grandma and often other family for a day at some point in the Christmas season. I'm always glad to see my grandma and other family, but I'm never glad about the whole spending so much time in the car and being away from my kitties part.)

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.

***

Are you ready for a festive Eddy fix? You are? Well, good. Today's photos of Eddy were snapped right after I strung the Christmas lights on her beloved year round tree in my room.

For some reason, that's where Eddy tends to sit and stare at the tree each year when I first light it for Christmas. It's like she's taking in the sight of it, and I love that so much.

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

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

There's one more flashback doodle from the old-fashioned Christmas series I scribbled up a few years ago, and it's one of my favorites. So, here you go.

I'd still love to recreate that with my slightly adjusted drawing style these days, but I do still love the idea of that there original doodle.

***

Tip of the Day

Our last Christmas tree tip relates to real trees and how they might affect your furbaby. If you have a real tree, be cautious of letting your kitty or pup drink from any accessible water in the tree stand. It is possible that certain chemicals, such as fertilizers or even pesticides, are used in some tree lots. Some of these chemicals can then end up in the water that the tree is resting in, and this can potentially lead to toxic side effects for your furbaby. Another concern relates to stagnant water in the tree stand, which can harbor potentially harmful bacteria. In addition, be careful of pine needles falling from real trees, and even artificial trees, for that matter. These needles are pointy and sharp, and if consumed this can potentially lead to internal damage. So, keep that tree water covered or somehow out of reach, and keep those fallen pine needles cleaned up, so that your furbaby and the Christmas tree can live in harmony.