A girl and her dog. When we brought our little Zelda Blue home, she was just 8 weeks old. This was Maelyn and Zelda the day we brought Zelda home. The picture is blurry because neither one could sit still!
Maelyn loved her so much, but quickly learned that there’s way more to a puppy than being cute. Those razor sharp teeth that love to nibble. Those quick little jaws that clamp down on any toy in sight. Maelyn stuck with her though. She would still want to play with her, pet her and give her love. The girls came along to the puppy obedience classes so they could be a part of training Zelda and build a relationship with her. It’s awesome to see a little girl giving commands to a dog twice her size and the dog obeying (well, most of the time). 🙂 Those moments when Zelda was calm and being good and just lying there enjoying her little toddler companion were priceless. Maelyn and Zelda have always had a special bond and I love watching them grow up together.
Maelyn and our older two girls have always been raised with dogs. Not just any dogs – dobermans. The girls are just used to their size, superior couch hogging skills, and ability to swipe a sandwich off a plate in a split second when no one is looking. It’s hard to explain the unconditional love and loyalty that our dogs have for us. I know they would protect us and our girls without hesitation. They are there for cuddles on a bad day. They are comforting when you are in trouble and get sent to your room. They give dober kisses when you are feeling sick. They eagerly dive under the covers and sandwich you in between them for nap time. Always ready for dress up and a tea party. They show a love that is unmatched. I love that our girls get to experience this.
I had our dogs in mind when I made my own carpet fresh. In the past I’ve used different carpet fresh products to freshen up our carpet prior to vacuuming. I’ve used Arm & Hammer brand, but it normally has some sort of scent (usually the Pet Fresh scent). I’ve used other brands in a linen type scent and while they all smell nice and help to freshen up the carpets and fabrics, I know they have chemicals in them and are not really all that great to breathe in and absorb in our skin. I know this affects us, but also our four legged family members. It seemed like every time I would sprinkle carpet fresh all over, the dogs would immediately begin sneezing. And sometimes, I would notice a little redness and irritation on Zelda’s skin from the different carpet fresh. So I then began using just straight baking soda, which was natural and didn’t cause any sneezing or irritation, but I missed the scent part of the whole carpet fresh process. So I decided to just combine baking soda and a few drops of essential oil together in a little container and that did the trick. We have a lovely scented carpet fresh that is all natural and pet and human safe. When I tested it, there were no sneezes from anyone which is always great. But you do need to be careful when using essential oils around pets. I’m just learning about using essential oils so do your research and make sure that they are diluted and the oils you choose are not toxic to the pet. For instance, high-phenol oils like Oregano and Thyme are not safe for cats. Cats cannot tolerate citrus oils and clove and tea tree undiluted can also cause issues in pets so use those with caution. Just do your research and always dilute oils for the safety of yourself and your pets. Since we don’t have cats, I went with a sweet orange oil in my carpet fresh. I sprinkle it and vacuum right away and keep everything locked up so the dogs can’t somehow get to it and decide to eat the container of carpet fresh or oils. Why they would ever do that boggles my mind, but sometimes those critters just can’t resist trouble. When I was a kid, we had an Old English Sheepdog named Ben that ate fiberglass insulation while in our garage. Who knows what he was thinking! Cotton Candy? That was an expensive vet bill, and luckily he made it through surgery. He was always getting into stuff – Barbies, socks, wood, you name it. My dad joked and told the vet he should just add a zipper to Ben’s belly during the surgery.
To make the Carpet Fresh, I just used an old parmesan cheese container. You could use really any container you like. I added in some baking soda, a few drops of orange oil, shook it around and then continued to layer more baking soda and a few drops of oil until I was near the top. I probably used 6-8 drops of oil total for the container. Make it as strong or subtle as you prefer. Lightly sprinkle this on carpets, rugs (I even use it on our couch, but do a spot test and make sure fabric is dry before sprinkling). Then vacuum up.
This is what my girls and I call a great afternoon . . . making homemade laundry soap and carpet fresh. They love to help with homemade projects.
Enjoy!
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