Holly is not looking forward to Xmas. Her brother has a wife and kids to bring to their parents' house. She hasn't had a boyfriend since Ted. Holly loved Ted but he broke her heart when he chose to break up with her when he was transferred to an out of town newspaper owned by his family's publishing empire. Oh, and work is unrewarding--today the woman Holly was helping failed to regain custody of her kids when pro bono lawyer Ryan Hughes never showed up at the hearing. Knowing she will never meet Hughes, Holly has to settle for dictating a nasty letter to him. Holly's friend Diane tries to perk her up by promising to send her a great Xmas present. So when a handsome man with a Xmas tree knocks at her door, she realizes Douglas Firwood is her present and she can take him home to her parents for the day as a boyfriend she is serious about. Holly thinks the day is going perfectly--she and Doug are hitting it off...

The man with the yellow hat named Ted Shackleford works at a natural history museum that's fallen on hard times. The museum director's son wants to turn it into a parking lot, but Ted offers to bring back a mysterious idol from Africa that's guaranteed to pull in crowds. Unfortunately, the idol turns out to be three inches tall. But Ted accidentally brings back a lonely yet irrepressible monkey, soon dubbed George. They set off on a non-stop action, fun-filled journey through the wonders of the big city toward the warmth of true friendship.