Anyone who's ever owned a cat knows that they're crafty, resourceful creatures. They're headstrong, independent and rarely let humans get their way. Case in point: Ripples the cat, who apparently had no desire to leave Nova Scotia--at least not on an airplane.

The cat escaped from his carrier on an Air Canada flight bound for Toronto. First Class passengers tried to catch the little rascal, but he eluded them. The feline made a beeline for the cockpit where he found himself a hidey-hole and hunkered down, grounding the plane for several hours. Finally, crew members removed some electrical panels and captured the frightened kitty.

So what does his owner say about all this? She's never making him get on a plane again. Maybe it's silly, but I imagine Ripples cuddled up in his Nova Scotia home, comfortable in the knowledge he'll never have to endure airport security or the other discomforts of flying again. And purring at his latest victory over human will.

Your "Cunning Kitty" Gift Guru
Linda

Usually when you see "place of birth" on a form, you enter the city where you were born, right? But if you were one of the babies born this week, you might be tempted to someday enter the actual place where your mother gave birth. Like this boy, born on a New Jersey commuter train. Or this little guy, whose mother gave birth to him in a hospital, but not in the delivery room. She was trapped in a stuck service elvator for two hours and it seems Baby Blake just couldn't wait.

Those aren't the strangest places to be born, though. How about an airport bathroom? Or in-flight? That's just the tip of the iceberg! Check out the ten weirdest places to be born. Spoiler alert: the #1 weirdest place to be born is in a tree dangling over raging floodwaters! Now that would be fun to write on a form. Place of birth: Up a tree.

Your "Baby On Board?" Gift Guru
Linda

The first really big snowstorm finally arrived -- a few weeks late for Christmas but, "packing the biggest wallop so far this winter." In what amounts to one big morning plop, forecasters say the storm will blanket the midwest and northeast with nine inches of snow in just a few hours. Speaking of blankets, you'll probably need a few of those if you're planning to hunker down until the storm moves along. Here are a couple of tips for keeping warm this weekend:

When the weather turned cold, my grandmother always turned to baking instead of stovetop cooking. You can roast beef very slowly at a low temperature for a yummy dinner that helps heat the house for hours. Of course, if you aren't tired of it yet, there's always turkey, too. And when you're done with the main dish, a fresh-baked pan of brownies warms the innards -- of home and family.

And there's always the cold weather-dweller's best friend: fleece. Dollar-for-dollar and ounce-for-ounce, fleece keeps you warm like nothing else. Snuggle into in some comfy fleece pajamas and cuddle up under a fleece blanket -- before you know it, you'll be turning the heat down!

Your "Bundle Up, Hunker Down" Gift Guru
Linda

We make promises to ourselves at the end of every year. Get fit. Quit a vice like smoking or drinking. Learn something new. We call them New Year's Resolutions. But most of us lose our resolve after several weeks. I know I've been vowing to lose the same ten pounds for three years running.

But now we can get help from a different kind of support system: our smart phones. There are apps for tracking calories, to design and keep track of workouts, and even pocket yoga for both iPhone and Android. Want to quit smoking? My Quit Coach might be just the app for you. Like personal trainer apps, you can set your own goals, move at your own pace and track your progress no matter where you are. And it's free! How about learning a new language? You guessed it. There's an app for that too. Actually, several. Not sure you're pronouncing the words right? You guessed it: Pronunciation Tracker is there to help.

With all this help right at our fingertips, we'll surely be able to keep our resolutions this year. Right? According to the experts, the apps can help, but we'll still need offline assistance, like more robust learning tools and a gym membership or home exercise gear. Plus some willpower, which we have to supply all on our own. But maybe next year, there'll be an app for that!

Your "Appsolutely Resolved" Gift Guru
Linda

While getting set for the new year, I discovered something shocking: I have 12 working calendars. Why do I need so many? Good question. I wonder if I can simplify this year. Let's see:

At work: I need wall calendar at work to glance at quickly for reference to a current or upcoming date, a desk blotter to jot down reminders or appointments while I'm on the phone, and the calendar app on my computer where I enter appointments from the two paper calendars. Total = 3.

At home: We need wall calendars for the kids' rooms so they can keep track of their own schedules, a wall calendar for the kitchen to remind us of home repairs, deliveries and etc., one in the den for my husband's important events, a grease board calendar to keep track of all the kids' activities in one place and of course the calendar app on our shared home computer. Total = 7.

On the go: The calendar app on my phone, which syncs with both my home and work computer calendars and the calendar in my car, which tells me the day and date in case I forget between home and my destination. Total = 2.

Can I do without any of them? Probably. Would it be simpler to store everything on the computers and phones? Probably. Will I do that this year? Probably not. Why? Because the one thing I discovered is my multi-calendared system works. So I'm not about to "fix" it.

Your "Counting Calendars" Gift Guru
Linda

The Big Day is almost here. The house is decorated, the gifts are wrapped and family members are winging and wheeling their way here as I write this.

But before I go home to start on the baked goods and dinner prep, I wanted to take a minute to say Happy Holidays to all of you from all of us here at The Lighter Side. It's our great privilege and pleasure to close another year helping you find the perfect whimiscal, amusing and entertaining gifts for your loved ones. And since you're such a great gift-giver, here's hoping you get everything you wanted for Christmas -- and more.

If not? Well, our website will be open 24/7 through the holiday weekend with favorites, sales and new gifts. After a year of choosing the perfect gifts for others, you deserve to treat yourself, too.

Happy Holidays to you and yours from The Lighter Side,
Linda

How are you doing with your holiday prep? I'm headed for the finish line. The last item on my list is "stocking stuffers." I like shopping for stocking gifts because I dig up those little things that no one really asked for, but I know they'll love.

I try to figure out a theme for our stocking stuffers every year. I've stuffed them with t-shirts, tiny games, calendars and of course, candy. But this year I stumbled on my best theme yet: socks. Very useful. Easy to find. Inexpensive. The perfect gifts. And I just can't resist the silly humor of a sock stuffed with socks. I'm hoping my family thinks it's funny, too. But if not, at least their toes will be warm.

Your "Stuffed Stocking" Gift Guru,
Linda

The Farrelly brothers finally released the trailer for the new Three Stooges movie. I confess, I had my doubts about anyone's ability to bring the Classic Stooges back to life, but if the movie is as funny as the 100-second trailer, I'll probably see it more than once. It's hilarious. Watch:

Like most women, I never quite "got" the original Stooges, so when news that an updated version might be inflicted upon women everywhere, I was less than excited. And true, I'll have to see it because my son and husband will insist. But with an all-star cast including Jennifer Hudson as Sister Rosemary, updated hijinks (the "eye phone!") and a cameo by the entire cast of Jersey Shore, I'll probably be Nyuk-nyuking along with the guys.

Your "Soitenly Stoked for The Stooges" Gift Guru,
Linda

Who doesn't love a good salon mani/pedi? You get to relax in a big massage chair, catch up on the fashion mags, and let someone pamper you from fingers to toes. But at this time of year, with holidays pulling at your wallet, it might be tough to justify the expense.

My daughter likes to do her fingernails in ten different colors with ten different designs on them. Very spendy. She was pretty disappointed when I told her there was no room in the budget for the nail salon for either of us this month. Then disappointment turned to ingenuity. She got a half dozen of her friends together at our house for a nail party. They spent the evening listening to music and doing each other's nails, sharing dozens of nail polish colors, designs and decals they had each brought from home.

When they were finished, they paraded through the kitchen, showing off 120 perfectly polished. artistically designed nails for Mom. I was duly impressed, oo-ing and ah-ing and congratulating them on their professional looking work. Then they decided my nails were looking raggedy and they should do me. Sure, my multi-colored, decaled and bejeweled nails aren't exactly my style, but I'll have my daughter and her friends do my nails again just before the holidays, so I'm fresh for Christmas!

Your "Coated in Many Colors" Gift Guru,
Linda

What could be better than going shopping on the day after Thanksgiving? A day off work. A freshly decorated mall, bright and sparkling with Christmas cheer. Surrounded by festive music and the smell of holiday goodies...ahhh...Christmas.

But it sort of takes the magic out of the experience when the stores decorate and open earlier and earlier every year. Some are even opening on Thanksgiving night this year! I don't know about you, but I'm not leaving my family on one holiday to do shopping for another. Why would we? There's this great new shopping tool called The Internet! You can get great deals online from your favorite merchants in the warmth and comfort of your own home. And of course, The Lighter Side has its own Black Friday sale, too!

So I'm skipping the malls and chain stores on Black Friday. Instead, I'll make some hot cocoa, put on my fuzzy slippers and click my way to great deals while listening to some real holiday music: my family talking, playing games or watching a holiday special on televison in the next room.

Your "Black Friday The Easy Way" Gift Guru,
Linda