Sally Brown, a children’s book author and illustrator lives in a small Massachusetts town where she and her late husband, an Army vet,settled with Buddy, a German Shepherd he found while serving overseas. She is devastated, though, when her beloved Buddy runs away during a thunderstorm and ends up in an animal shelter miles from home. Mark Green and his teenage daughter, Emma themselves struggling to put their lives back together after losing his wife and her mother three years ago, end up adopting the dog, who wins their hearts and heals their souls. But Sally’s journey to find Buddy eventually connects her to Mark and Emma, who must decide if they want to give up a pet who has helped make their lives whole again – and Sally has to decide if she wants to separate him from this loving pair. But wherever Buddy goes, love follows, helping to bring everyone the greatest Christmas present possible.
Anne Heche plays Nell Blakemore, a newly‐single mom who wants this Christmas to be extra‐special for her two kids. It turns out to be special, indeed, but it’s not what she had in mind. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Chaos reigns in this entertaining comedy, and the notion of `family’ takes on a whole new meaning.
Christie Reynolds (Krakow) and Penny Miller (Frigon) have been archrivals ever since a memorable fight over a coveted Christmas recital solo in elementary school. Now adults, they work side-by-side at the same school where they still constantly compete over everything. As the holiday season approaches, the entire school is getting into the spirit with the annual fundraising festival, which will feature an exciting new event—a teacher Christmas Cookie Bake-Off, judged by a tough five-star chef, Chef Krueger (Thicke). Penny and Christie immediately clash over the contest, both wanting to beat the other to win the grand prize, a free class trip. Christie, however, is hopeless in the kitchen, despite help from her mom, Bev (Laura Soltis, "Hiccups"). She doesn't think she has a chance—until she meets James, a new student's handsome and sweet single dad. In addition to running a charitable shelter, James is also an excellent cook. As both Christie and Penny vie for James's attention in yet another aggressive battle, Christie starts to tutor his precious, kindhearted daughter Lily (Genae Charpentier, "Girl Vs. Monster") and gets to know James outside of school. As their relationship starts to deepen, and James' baking expertise guides Christie's cookie creations, Christie’s competitive edge starts to soften. But at the final bake-off challenge, James is finally caught in the middle of Christie and Penny’s petty feud, and Christie comes to realize life’s most rewarding prizes don’t come with a trophy.
