I know! We’re in the middle of Chanukah and Christmas Eve is, like 5 minutes away! And you forgot to get Cousin Bluebell anything! What are you going to do?!?

Don’t panic. You can still get Cousin Bluebell a gift certificate from

The Hunger Site
The Breast Cancer Site
The Child Health Site
The Literacy Site
The Rainforest Site or
The Animal Rescue Site

They e-mail the gift certificates to you, and you can cut-n-paste them into your own personal e-mail to the giftee, or your can print them out and present them in a lovely card.

Cousin Bluebell or your little niece Dottie can use the gift certificate at any of these sites’ shopping areas. And there are hundreds and hundreds of things they can get, ranging from jewelry, clothing items, accessories, and even coffee. You know that’s high up on my list! And while they’re shopping, they’ll learn all about these great causes and have a good time doing good.

Happy Holidays, Everyone! Please do stop by Flamingo Fotos for A Flamingo Christmas / Chanukah!

No, you’re not seeing double. I’ve pretty much duplicated this post on Flamingo Fotos. Why? Well, mostly because I can. And also because, among the things I’m thankful for, are that MJ and I have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and the ability to provide the same for a kitty or two.

JJ was a shelter kitty. MJ and I went to the southern branch of the county animal shelter to donate an extra piece of cat furniture. While he was filling out the donor paperwork, I went into the “kitten room” – a screen enclosure very thoughtfully located just inside the front door (hee!) – to play with the kittens. As I bent down to pet some of them, a small black striped ball of fur shot vertically into the air and landed on my shoulder, purring wildly. “Look, Honey! A volunteer!” It was, of course, all over after that.

I tell you this story because I’d like you to consider an alternative to some of the traditional places you might do your holiday shopping. Namely, The Animal Rescue Site. Or The Breast Cancer Site. Or The Rainforest Site. Or The Hunger Site. Or The Child Health Site. Or The Literacy Site. If you’ve ever clicked on any of the buttons on my sidebar, you know that you can click every day and – without any cost to you – by clicking you are helping your favorite cause, or all of them. But did you realize that you can shop, too? Serious.

There’s such a variety of things to choose from, ranging from t-shirts to jewelry, house and garden, and on and on. Lots of really cute stuff for kids and teens and adults. And the prices are really reasonable! Look, I know there’s a lot of competition for the few bucks any of us has left, but when you give a gift this holiday season, wouldn’t it be nice to know that your purchase is not just going to make someone smile, it’s not going to cost most of your right arm? And that it will benefit something you believe in?

Like feeding and finding a good home for JJ? C’mon, look into those eyes!