Merry Second Day of Christmas!

Hello, friends! We hope you all had a merry and blessed Christmas! We're now 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 2025 was _________.

2. My focus word for 2026 is _________.

3. I always _________ in the days after Christmas.

4. I've had enough _________ to last a lifetime.


My answers are below in bold.

1. The best part of 2025 was time spent with my furry and human family.
(After losing my parents' kitty Talon in April and my sweet pup Astrid in September, I'm so grateful for all the time I got to spend with them as well as with my other human and family members. I miss our angels so much, but getting what time I did with them and my other family this year was a blessing.)

2. My focus word for 2026 is becoming.
(I recently heard someone mention this as a word of inspiration and encouragement. At first I thought it sounded odd, and it honestly still does. But, I like odd things, and it's growing on me. There's a lot I envision myself and my dreams becoming. What's more, I know that if I employ discipline and hard work, my dreams and I can indeed become those things. So, becoming is my word for 2026.)

3. I always continue the festive celebrations in the days after Christmas.
(Christmas Day is only the First Day of Christmas. You know those famous Twelve Days of Christmas? They have indeed only just begun. So, I'll happily continue watching those Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music and simply doing all things Christmas.)

4. I've had enough sugar to last a lifetime.
(Just in the past couple of festive days alone, I've indeed had more sweets than I had any right to eat. I've feasted on plenty of other food as well, but I especially overloaded on the sugary goodness.)

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.

***

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.

We'll still be sharing lots of festiveness around here. After all, as we mentioned above, Christmas Day is only the First Day of Christmas. That means today is the Second Day of Christmas. We still have 11 out of 12 days of Christmas to go, and we're so very happy about that. All that to say, our blooper queen Eddy of course has some festive outtakes to share today, and they co-star her favorite victim red ribbon on her beloved Christmas tree.

That there red ribbon is a tough one and has so far done well to survive Eddy's festive assaults. The previous ribbon had to retire this year, and it did so in tattered pieces. This new one, though, hasn't even budged and is still firmly in one piece. I'm honestly impressed.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a Merry Second Day of Christmas!

***

Festive Doodle of the Day

After falling devastatingly behind in creating new Christmas doodles throughout this month, I'm trying to finish and share some of them for the Twelve Days of Christmas. And I do indeed have a new one to share today. This doodle doesn't even look all that in-your-face Christmassy, but it was inspired by my favorite Christmas movie of all time.

That there is based off of the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. At the beginning of the movie, the main character takes his family to go cut down their own Christmas tree. He finds the perfect one, which is far too large for any normal house. He also failed to bring an ax or saw with him, and apparently summons some sort of superhuman strength to rip the whole thing out of the ground. None of it makes a lick of sense, and I love this movie so much. Oh, and as I always do when creating art based on my favorite movies, I threw some kitties into the mix, as you can see.

***

Tip of the Day

Did your kitty or pup get new toys for Christmas? We're thinking many of them probably did. Now that all such new Christmas gifts have been opened and are being enjoyed, consider going through your furbaby's toy stash, pulling out the ones they don't use, and donating them to a shelter or rescue. Many shelters will accept such toys as long as they are clean, as well as easily cleaned, and in good condition. Of course, it is nonetheless always best to do your research regarding an individual shelter or rescue's requirements for donations. Donating toys that your kitty or pup has accumulated but does not use not only keeps your furbaby's toy stash at manageable levels, but also of course benefits shelter kitties and pups who are awaiting their forever homes. This might also go for unopened cans of food your furbaby will not eat, and even clean blankets they do not use. Christmas is indeed the season of giving, and even though the 25th of December has passed, that spirit of giving does not need to come to an end.