Friendly Fill-Ins and Festive Photo Fails

Hello and happy Friday! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. The best part of the summer is _________.

2. I can't believe that I ever _________.

3. I would happily _________ every single day.

4. I could use a break from _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. The best part of the summer is when it ends.
(Not everything about summer is horrible, and I don't ever want to wish away time with my furry or human family. That said, heat and humidity is not my thing. The heat index here has been nearly 110°F for the past couple of days, in no small part thanks to the outrageous humidity we're experiencing. It's times like this when I want nothing more than autumnal weather.)

2. I can't believe that I ever liked bologna.

(As a kid I loved bologna sandwiches, complete with ketchup and mayo, sometimes with a piece of lettuce on top to disguise it as healthy. These days, though, even the sight of bologna nearly makes me want to gag. It looks gross, tastes nasty, and smells even worse.)

3. I would happily be a stay-at-home cat mom every single day.
(I know this isn't really a thing, nor is it financially feasible, but a girl can dream.)

4. I could use a break from this week's work chaos.
(I work as a laboratory technician at a chemistry lab, where we test all sorts of things from all over the world. This week, we had a couple of building repairs being done on top of an old testing instrument being rebuilt and upgraded, which is a huge undertaking. To top that all off, the FDA showed up for one of their unannounced audits. We were overdue for one, but it could quite literally not have occurred during a worse week. All of that has meant extra long days. Even better, the FDA will likely continue their visit into next week.)

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.

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And now it's time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

Blooper queen Eddy is of course here for the occasion, and she's ready to get festive. After all, it is Christmas in July! To begin, we're actually going to share the one and only non-blooper shot from Eddy's recent festive photo shoot.

We do indeed use Christmas (and Halloween) blankets all year round at our house, and so Eddy enjoyed that one there recently. And let's pretend that festive feline blanket wasn't vomited on the very next day.

But we're here for bloopers, aren't we? As always, Eddy got good and blurry for the occasion.

The next one is also blurry, but with a side of bent whiskers.

The last blooper is the result of Eddy jumping from her chair half a second before the photo snapped. And so, you get a blurry view of the festive blanket all by its lonesome.

Merry Christmas in July, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I have to admit that I've been at work too late most nights this week to work on art when I get home. Whether it was due to lack of time or lack of energy, or both, I have not yet managed to finish this year's Christmas in July doodle. I do plan on finishing it up this weekend, though, and I'll share it next week. So, for today, here's one of my favorite past Christmas in July doodles.

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Tip of the Day

If you ask our humble opinion, having kitties and a pup in the same home can be a wonderful thing. It's even better when they all get along. Sometimes, though, the biggest trick is getting a pup to leave the kitty food alone. There are some methods to try, though, if you find yourself in such a situation.

First, you can try placing the cat food somewhere the dog cannot reach, but of course where the cat can reach it. You can try a counter, cat tree, or shelf, for example, as a cat can often climb to these heights, while a dog typically remains land-bound. Another option is to get some form of sturdy box, setting it upside down on the floor, cutting a hole in it through which a cat can fit but not a dog, and feeding your cat within. There's even a chance that some pieces of furniture would allow for this form of feeding. Of course, this technique primarily works for larger dogs, as small dogs might still be able to access cat food with this method.

A more fail-safe way to feed a cat without a dog's intervention is by feeding them in separate rooms. You can keep the cat's food in a room where the dog does not have access, even if just during feeding time. You can also keep the cat's food in a room that is permanently closed off to the dog, but where the kitty can visit by way of something such as a kitty door. If a cat is good at and willing to jump, you can also block the dog with a baby gate over which the cat can jump. One more similar option is to feed the kitty in a separate room where the door is left ajar, but is kept that way with some sort of door attachment. There are such products available on the market, that allow for a door to remain stuck ajar, so that a cat can pass through, but not a pup. You can even rig your own sort of setup, such as by using certain types of brackets, just as long as the setup is still safe for the furbabies. Again, though, these last couple of options will work best if the dog is larger and therefore cannot squeeze through to reach the cat food.

It is more than possible to have both cats and dogs living under the same roof. Once you get past the introductions and everyone is one big happy family, sometimes the main issue then becomes keeping the dogs out of the cat food. This is an important thing to do, though, as eating food not intended for their species can potentially result in gastrointestinal distress. So, if you have both cats and dogs, and food thieves run rampant, simply think on what type of feeding method would work best for you, your furbabies, and your overall home setup. It may take some trial and error, but it is doable.