I stood in the middle of a bustling tradeshow floor chatting with another blogger.
I sipped my coffee, then caught the tiniest whiff of BO.
With that small sniff, three things flashed through my mind in half a second: omg I forgot deodorant, that smell is me, and I need to take care of this NOW. It was like 9 am. I had roughly 10 hours ahead of me before I could get back to my hotel.
As I’m the type of person who forgets deodorant, I’m clearly not the type of person to carry a back-up stick in my purse. So I brainstormed for a bit, high-tailed it to the free samples of new products that were being handed out in the press room, and snatched a bottle of dog shampoo. I raced into the bathroom, snagged some paper towels, and totally made that shampoo into my temporary deodorant for the day. And it worked! (Thank goodness.)
That experience got me thinking: How many pet supplies can I commandeer if I’m in a pinch?
The second possibility presented itself less than two weeks later. It was certainly a less acute emergency, but Louisiana got HOT. I was getting ready to head out to a dinner. I pulled on a skirt, slipped on my sandals, and realized… winter feet. Obviously not having painted toenails isn’t a real disaster, but once I got it in my head, I just felt like my first sandal wearing of the year NEEDED painted toes. No time for a pedicure, but AHA! I had a sample of:
Happy Pink nails in a flash!
A third option came up when I picked up some grooming products that had come in the mail. I looked through them and one was a bottle of scented coat refresher, which I would never use on my dogs. I think their noses are too dang sensitive for that type of product. So, that day I had exercised and walked the dogs, then – before I changed – I ran to the post office and gas station. (It sort of seems like a theme is emerging here. Apparently I smell.) As I was pulling away from the pump, John called and he and his coworkers were grabbing a beer at a bar that was within a block of the gas station. It wouldn’t make sense to drive home, freshen up, and drive back… so I spritzed some coat refresher, pulled a pin brush through my hair, and headed off to happy hour!
Finally, and I don’t have personal experience with this, but it’s worth mentioning: Single ingredient jerky! When I was at Global Pet Expo, two different PR people demonstrated how people-friendly their jerky was by taking bites during our meeting, and the Pet Age assistant editor taste-tested, too. Keep a stash in your car for an snack emergency for yourself (or your pup, I suppose)!
Am I missing any? What pet products have you used on yourself in a pinch? Anything you’d recommend?
Well the next time you do your nails, does this mean we’ll have to put the cone on you while they dry?
As far as the smell, the herd probably thought you smelled better before those products!
Who knew dog shampoo could double as people deodorant?? That’s hilarious!
I have actually used my dog’s blueberry-scented shampoo…not because I ran out of my own, but because it smelled so very good! I’ve also used my dog’s comb, not because I lost my own, but just to figure out if it would make my hair feel soft too (I kinda think it did, but I might be crazy too).
So I guess what I’m trying to say is – at least you had valid reasons for trying dog products. Me, not so much other than plain curiosity and a touch of craziness. 🙂
Milkbones, a bowl and some milk make a quick and easy breakfast when you’ve run out of cereal.
I have a dog deodorant that I keep in the car which i’ve sprayed on myself several times.
I have to work to straighten my hair, so if I’m not going anywhere, I’m not going to do it. If I do any yard work in the hot summer humidity we have, it’s going to tangle because there’s almost always a breeze out here where we live. Their Stazko Spray works great for a human detangler/conditioner too. Actually better than No More Tangles for humans.
Very creative! I don’t think I’ve used any of my dog’s products…clearly I’ve been missing out! 🙂