Q is for...

Ready for some Friday fun? We're of course going to kick that off with the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, I'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.


1. An Easter (or Passover) memory that I have is _________.

2. I hope to purchase _________ this year.

3. When the days are warm, I _________.

4. If the Easter Bunny visited my house, _________.


Here's how I filled in the fill-ins. My answers are in bold.

1. An Easter (or Passover) memory that I have is when one of my childhood Easter baskets included a squeaking dinosaur doll.
(Is this an oddly specific answer? I was a huge dinosaur fan as a kid. Then again, I'm still quite intrigued by dinosaurs. That's probably why my parents once included a brightly colored, adorable dinosaur doll in my Easter basket. When you squeezed it, it was sort of supposed to roar, but it instead squeaked. I loved it.)

2. I hope to purchase very few non-necessities this year.
(I'm really aiming for more minimalism, so I hope to keep purchases primarily to necessities. Pet food and other pet supplies, human food, books, and art supplies are the majority of what I consider necessities.)

3. When the days are warm, I enjoy extra long walks with pup Astrid.
(Astrid loves her walks. I also love to go for walks, so it's a great combo. When it's only moderately warm this time of year, Astrid is always eager for extra long walks. I am usually happy to oblige. Let me tell you, though, when it turns to summer here and reaches anything resembling 80°F or more, Astrid is not a fan. Neither am I. When it's that hot, Astrid and I both get cranky, and walks are not that long. This time of year, though, we're enjoying the moderate temperatures and going for lots of long walks.)

4. If the Easter Bunny visited my house, he'd have Eddy on his tail.
(That pun may or may not have been intended. Honestly, though, Eddy is the ultimate predator in the house, and she seems to know when a mouse even considers looking through a crack in the foundation. If a certain Easter Bunny made his way in, he'd do best to run for his life.)

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.

***

Next up, we have today's installment of the A to Z Challenge.

This time around, as many of you already know, our alphabetical series of doodles stars my angel Rosie. In this series of doodles, Rosie is going throughout a more or less routine sort of day, doing this and that, A to Z style. So, what's Rosie doing with the letter Q?

Q is for...Quick Bubble Bath 

(Is a bubble bath every really quick, though?

No? Well, we needed a Q, so we're going with it.)

Throughout this A to Z Challenge, we're also going to do our best to share furbaby photos that in some way correlate with angel Rosie's daily alphabetical adventures. To go along with today's A to Z topic of Quick Bubble Bath, Evan's here to show you how to take a proper bath.

Isn't that a great lesson? Did you take notes? That's how you take a bath, and don't you forget it.

Have a fun and fantastic Friday!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today's tip is indeed all about bathing those furbabies. Let's start with those kitties. In most cases, you will not need to give your cat a traditional bath as we know it. Helping your kitty remove unwanted fur can be done by brushing them, but an actual bath is often not needed for the kitties in our lives. A healthy cats is great at bathing itself with its tongue. If a cat needs a bath, such as one in the sink or the tub, it will likely be because they somehow got themselves dirty beyond their own repair, or they are in some way incapable of or unwilling to clean themselves and are in need of more extreme grooming. Such cases might include a sick cat with extreme diarrhea, or an unfortunate run-in with something along the lines of a skunk. If such a bath is needed, seek out shampoo that is pet-friendly, bathe them carefully and gently, and of course monitor your kitty when there is a sink or tub filled with water. If professional grooming is needed, do your research for trusted groomers in your area, or ask your veterinarian if they offer grooming services.

What about those dogs? Dogs are more often bathed by their humans, but do be sure not to bathe them more often than their skin and coat can handle. The frequency of necessary baths for dogs will depend on their particular coat, lifestyle, health status, and so forth. For example, dogs who play outside in dirt or mud, or dogs who have long hair that gets dirty easily, will likely require more frequent bathing and grooming than others. When it comes to bathing your pups, always keep an eye on your pup's coat and skin. If you are seeing lots of dry, flaking skin or dull, dry fur, then consider whether you might be bathing your pup too often. This is especially a concern during cold, dry winter months. Also make sure you are using proper, pet-friendly shampoo, and that you're regularly brushing your dog to keep the coat healthy outside of bath time. Just as with cats, if professional grooming is needed for your dog, do your research for trusted groomers in your area, or ask your veterinarian if they offer grooming services. Also speak to your veterinarian if you have any concerns about your kitty or pup's cleanliness, grooming habits, coat and skin, and so forth.