Friendly Fill-Ins and a Festive Giveaway

Are you ready to fill in some fill-ins? We sure hope so, because it's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. In case you missed the fill-ins yesterday, we'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I really need to _________.

2. My favorite Christmas (or Hanukkah) decoration is _________.

3. It's beginning to look a lot like _________.

4. This time of year, I eat my fair share of _________.


And, here's how I fared:

1. I really need to tend to my Christmas responsibilities.
(This slacker of a human has not yet sent out our Christmas cards. Last year, I think I had our cards all printed up and sent out by the end of the first week of December. That didn't happen this year. We didn't forget, though, this here human is just all shades of subpar this year. So, if you're part of the blogosphere holiday card exchange, you will be getting an emailed and mailed version of our card, and hopefully very soon! We also have our Santa Paws gifts all ready to send out, we just need to actually do so. Needless to say, that will also be going out very soon.)

2. My favorite Christmas (or Hanukkah) decoration is the good ol' Christmas tree.
(The first decoration that goes up at my house every single year is the Christmas tree. Nowadays, Christmas tree turf wars run rampant among the kitties at my house, so I put up three Christmas trees. I have a very specific order in which I put them up and decorate them, and I always look forward to the final products. There's just something so warm, cozy, comforting, and festive about a Christmas tree lighting up a room.)

3. It's beginning to look a lot like crunch time.
(See #1 above. In addition to the fact that I still need to send out cards and our Santa Paws package, I also still need to wrap gifts. That's even despite the fact that I was nearly finished with Christmas shopping in October. I really need to whip myself into shape and get on top of things this weekend.)

4. This time of year, I eat my fair share of sugar.
(Has anyone seen the movie Elf? One of Buddy the Elf's most famous quotes in this movie is, "We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup." I could totally be an elf based solely on my Christmas diet. I also happily eat sugar in the form of countless Christmas cookies, because, well, cookies.)

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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I would say that Eddy has some stunning photos to share with you all today. But, that would be a lie. What we have for you instead are some pure and unadulterated bloopers. True Eddy style.

There's a reason Eddy's so blurry and bloopery and all shades of excited, though. First of all, it's because she loves her Christmas tree. Second of all, it's because we're having a little bit of a festive giveaway here on our blog!

This here human's mom, Gammy to my furbabies, created some warm and cozy goodies for us to offer our friends in this giveaway. My mom has created a number of blankets for both myself and my furbabies, and we all love them and use them constantly to stay warm. Now, she created some blankets for us to give to our giveaway winner!

The photo might be a bit grainy, as it was taken on my mom's phone in a hurry so as to avoid assistance from furbabies. But, do you see the design on those? Well, do you? If you've visited us much this winter or last winter, you'll know that I am a huge fan of the festive red truck fad that's going on. My mom surprised me by making our giveaway items with this wonderfully festive material. After I seriously considered keeping these for myself, I remembered that 'tis the season for giving.

So, now that I've sufficiently rambled, what goodies are you looking at up there? There is a festive little blanket for a kitty (or even a small pup, if you know one), and a matching lap blanket for said kitty's (or small pup's) human. The winner will receive both of these blankets, as well as a couple of extra mystery goodies thrown in.

To enter this giveaway that includes the above matching furbaby and human blankets created by my very own mom, the furbabies' Gammy, simply leave a comment on today's blog post. A winner will be randomly selected on Sunday, December 16th, at 6 pm CST. We will announce the winner on Monday. I do apologize, but the these giveaway goodies can only be shipped here in the United States. If you win and live outside of the United States, you can select one of your US blogging buddies to receive the giveaway items in your place.

Wishing you all a festive Friday!

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Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

Though we're guessing you all don't need reminded of this, don't forget to include your furbabies in the Christmas festivities. Getting them gifts such as new toys is of course one way of doing this, as well as getting some new treats for your furbaby to try while you have your Christmas dinner. For those kitties out there, a fresh baggie of catnip, silver vine, or valerian root can make for lots of festive fun. You can even get little stockings in which to put treats and toys or paraphernalia, so that your kitty or pup can rummage through their very own stocking on Christmas morning. For those furbabies who are perhaps older or simply less active, a new bed, blanket, or even a new box to call their own can help make the holiday more fun and festive. Thinking outside of the box, though, you can also give gifts to shelter or rescue furbabies in your furbaby's name. If your furbaby already has plenty of new toys and treats in their happy forever home, then in their name you can opt to spread the love to an animal still awaiting their forever home.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

It's that time of the week again, when we rhyme, share Thimble's adorable self, and give thanks. We'll start with the rhyming.

We always enjoy participating in Angel Sammy and Teddy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. Each week, our hosts share with us a photo prompt to help us get started. This week's image is this festively hustling, bustling one here:

I didn't have much of an aim with this poem. I just sort of used the basic concept in the image above, and ended up with this:

Naughty or Nice?

Where did young Noelle fall on Santa's list?

Was she naughty, or was she nice enough to get her wish?

Perhaps a little story can answer this.

Let's start this tale on a day not long before Christmas.

Noelle woke up that morn at the crack of dawn.

She allowed no time for even the quickest of yawns.

She sprung out of bed and readied for the day quicker than quick,

Throwing on her coat that was redder than her mother's favorite lipstick.

It was to her mother's room that Noelle then did run.

"Come on, Mother, let's go! We're already being beat by the sun!"

Noelle's mother replied, "We have all day. What's the hurry?"
"I'll be in the car," Noelle said as away she did scurry.

Passing scarcely any other cars that early in the day,
To the local mall Noelle and her mother made their way.
The car was hardly even parked before Noelle dashed out the door,
Making her way to the very fist of many, many stores.

"What all do you want?" asked Noelle's mother.
The girl declared, "Anything and everything, and this, that, and the other!"
And so Noelle and her mother visited store after store.
They carried boxes and bags filled clothes, toys, and a great deal more,
Even though navigating the hustling, bustling, festive crowds was a chore.

At the very last store, the goods were boxed up and gift wrapped for them.
Noelle watched as the store worker turned a plain box into a gem.
"Excuse me, but could you do me a favor?" Noelle asked, her eyes wide.
"Could you wrap for me some boxes that have nothing inside?"

The worker replied, "Are you planning to pull a mean prank on someone?

Some unlucky soul will open such a box and realize it was not in good fun."

Noelle smiled and said, "For everything there is a reason.

Especially during this mighty fine and festive season."

And so, Noelle and her mother walked out with boxes both full and empty,
All of them wrapped up in a manner ever so pretty.
Her mother did not even ask where they were headed next,
As she pulled onto the road to make their festive trek.

After what seemed to Noelle like an eternity,
They finally pulled into the lot of a place filled with all things furry.
ANIMAL SHELTER, read the sign above the door.
Inside, Noelle and her mother carried boxes galore.

"What have we here?" asked the woman who greeted them inside.
She held a little kitten in her arms and walked with a big pup at her side.
"We brought gifts for all of the animals you've saved,"
That was Noelle's answer as she gave a nearby tabby a great big wave.

Noelle added, "We even have some festive empty boxes for the kitties here.
I know my cat at home thinks every empty box is something quite dear."
Noelle and her mother were happily led down every hall,
Where they gave cats toys and dogs tennis balls.
They fed them treats and played with them for hours,
And even used the beautiful empty boxes to build the cats castles and towers.

Though Noelle and her mother could have stayed there all day,
They still had a great many other stops to make.
After saying their goodbyes to the happy animals, their new friends,
It was with good tidings and thank yous that on they were sent.

Noelle and her mother made similar stops all over town.
At the children's hospital, they made smiles out of frowns.
At the nursing home, they delivered gifts from the west wing to the east.
To the homeless shelter, they brought enough food for a festive feast.

At the end of the day, Noelle and her mother were tired,
But at the same time, they could not help but smile.
Do you remember the question we asked in this rhyme's first lines?
Perhaps now on an answer you can properly decide.
Certainly it's obvious whether Noelle is naughty or nice.

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Every Thursday, Thimble gets to show you all how adorable she is. She also lets you all know what she's thankful for these days. Today, Thimble got a tad bit distracted while doing both of these things.

Thimble was trying to show you all how pretty she was beside the Christmas tree, and obviously how grateful she is for said Christmas tree. But, some little kitten sister of hers started playing beneath the tree and wreaking havoc on her photo shoot. Isn't that so rude? Thimble hopes you all don't mind this blooper she was forced to take.

On this Thankful Thursday, all of us here are also beyond thankful for our home, for each other, and for the friends we have in all of you.

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Now we're here to help you prepare for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I really need to _________.

2. My favorite Christmas (or Hanukkah) decoration is _________.

3. It's beginning to look a lot like _________.

4. This time of year, I eat my fair share of _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Given the nature of the poem we shared above, we thought we'd use today to discuss some options for 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 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!

Puppy Paws on Wordless Wednesday

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Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

This time of year, we often enjoy having our homes smell festive. Yesterday we mentioned how using candles to scent your home can pose obvious risks to our furbabies, and today we're here to discuss how using potpourri or essential oils to fragrance your home can also be dangerous to your furbaby. If you use liquid potpourri or essential oils to make your home smell like Christmas, or if you use them year round, be extremely cautious using them around your furbaby. Both ingestion and skin contact with some of these scented items can be extremely dangerous and toxic to your kitty or pup, causing anything from skin irritation to symptoms such as vomiting, difficulty breathing, and weakness. Just some of the essential oils and other similar products that can cause illness are those derived from cinnamon, pine, peppermint, and citrus. Therefore, if you holiday season includes using oils or potpourri to make your home smell festive, be extremely careful to keep all such products safely out of your furbaby's reach.

Holiday Confusion

We're rewinding a tad bit. Why? Because when this human was going through photos the other day, it came to our attention that we forgot to share some photos snapped around Thanksgiving here in the US. To better explain, the kitties around here have a turkey toy that participated in a photo shoot back in early November. Somehow, though, that photo shoot slipped right out of this here human's mind, and so the photos never made it to the blog around their intended holiday. So, we're going to share those photos now. On top of being a confusing holiday flashback, this is also very much so a blooper reel of a photo shoot.

This photo shoot started off innocently enough, with the turkey and Evan posing in the glow of the front door window.

Then Evan noticed the turkey, though, and things went downhill.

Unfortunately, the turkey's abuse didn't end with Evan.

I chopped Tonks's head off in that there photo (no surprise, because that's my level of skill), and she retaliated against the poor, innocent turkey.

When I asked Thimble to pose with the turkey on our parlor table, she went true Thimble style on the poor bird.

That photo was snapped moments before the turkey was thrown from the table in a most ruthless manner. Perhaps that's why we didn't share these photos in the first place? Well, now that we have shared it, you know the true nature of the fierce furbabies around here.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

Today's doodle is a reinvention of a drawing I created a couple years ago. My style has slightly changed since then, so this doodle looks similar, but also not the same.

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Our Tip of the Day:

We previously mentioned being cautious when using lights on your Christmas tree, due to the various hazards they pose, such as electrocution or a kitty or pup getting tangled. That being said, also be sure to keep this same concept in mind when putting up lights, or other decorations, outdoors. After all, outdoor animals, such as squirrels, birds, or stray or feral cats, can also potentially be put at risk by Christmas decorations. Try to prevent dangerous situations by taking precautions, such as never leaving any parts or pieces of decorations loose, as both indoor and outdoor babies could get tangled up or ingest something dangerous. When it comes to cords, whether indoor or outdoor, try to find a way to safely secure them, such as by taping them to a wall or the ground. You certainly don't have to forego decorations and all things festive, but do keep in mind the safety of both indoor and outdoor critters.

A Very Merry Mancat Monday

Evan is the most likely kitty in the house to spend time with generally antisocial Eddy. That means Evan also spends time with Eddy's beloved Christmas tree. That would make perfect sense, since Eddy spends the majority of her time with, or in, that glowing fake tree of hers.

Evan doesn't climb Christmas trees like Eddy does, but he sure will happily climb that there cat tree. Evan seems perfectly happy with the fact that said cat tree is festively positioned next to a Christmas tree. 'Tis the season!

For anyone who might not know or remember, Evan is hind limb paralyzed. That's why, in case you noticed, Evan's back legs look just a tad bit unorthodox in the above photos. Don't worry, though, because that doesn't keep Evan from climbing his cat tree or enjoying Christmas and life in general.

Wishing all of you friends of ours a very merry Monday!

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Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

This holiday season, don't forget the dangers that fire can cause. Some festivities include the lighting of candles, and some of us simply like to light candles for their lovely scents. If you do light candles in your home, as you certainly know, do be sure that these are out of reach of your furbabies for safety's sake. Also, of course, be aware of the dangers the fireplace can pose. If your fireplace is lit, do be sure that your kitty or pup cannot reach the flames, such as by putting up a barrier, or even blocking them from the room with the fireplace altogether. In addition to this, for everyone's safety, don't forget to stay on top of the care and keeping of your fireplace. Before using it for the season, have the chimney cleaned out, so that bird nests or other potentially flammable objects are not lying in wait up there, making a house fire possible. As always, better safe than sorry!

A Selfie for the Season

Today's selfie was snapped by a true admirer of Christmas. Well, she's more specifically a keen admirer of Christmas trees. This girl loves her some Christmas tree.

In true Eddy style, she couldn't allow herself to be all that clear and focused in her selfie. Nevertheless, Eddy wanted to share a festive selfie. Because, well, Christmas!

Eddy and all of us here are wishing you a bright and shiny Sunday!

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Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

That finicky scanner of mine is back to working, so I finally have a new doodle to share with you all today!

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Our Tip of the Day:

In a previous tip, we mentioned being cautious with ribbon usage on gifts this time of year, due to the potential hazards they pose. Along this same line of thought, also be careful with gift wrapping tools. For example, scissors and tape can also pose risks. Scissors can obviously cause injury if left open and unattended, and tape can potentially cause blockages if consumed. This time of year many of us are focused on the fun and festivities, but also be sure that you take into account all surroundings and how they might affect the furbabies in your life.

An Unexpected Caturday Christmas Collage

Guess what, friends? My scanner is still a no-go. Luckily, I really do think it should be up and running again today, because this less than tech savvy human here believes she finally knows what she needs to do to make it work again. In the meantime, though, because I didn't plan ahead for this sort of disaster, I don't have any new doodles to show you today. Well, I have new doodles, they're just not currently able to be scanned and therefore shared. This makes me feel a tad bit frustrated and anxious, because it's the day of Athena's Caturday Art blog hop, one of my favorite days to share new art. But, alas, here I am without new art to show you.

That all being said, though, I did use some of my art to sort of create something to share. I went to the website known as Fotor, and for the first time ever I tried making art using a photo editor online. I picked at least one of my Christmas doodles from each of the past three years and compiled bits and pieces of them into a collage. I quite honestly had no idea what I was doing, because anything digital is simply not my forte. But, at the same time, I kind of had fun doing it.

I hope you all don't mind seeing these doodles from the past couple of years recycled today. Our usual daily doodles should be able to resume tomorrow, as long as my scanner cooperates with my technologically challenged mind. I have to give kudos to all of you who edit photos in any sort of digital manner, because I, personally, find it thoroughly daunting and requiring some seriously technological know-how.

A merry day to all!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Did you know that poinsettias are not as deadly for your furbaby as is often believed? Of course that's not to say you should be feeding poinsettias to your furbabies as an afternoon snack, as they can indeed cause irritation of the mouth and stomach. But, poinsettias are in actuality not the most dangerous of Christmas decorations. It's festive plants such as mistletoe and holly of which you should be even more cautious. Mistletoe can cause issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased heart rate, and difficulty breathing. Holly can also cause vomiting and diarrhea, and sometimes lethargy or even death. Needless to say, always be cognizant of what plants and other decorations are in your home. To be safe, it is likely best to simply keep your home free of Christmas plants.