Final in Series: Stylish Living with Kids and Pets by My Many Moments

Heather from My Many Moments is the last of a wonderful group of bloggers to guest post for my series:

Stylish ways to protect your kids and pets in your home -- and your home from your kids and pets! 

 (Check tab at top for ideas by other bloggers.)

Thank you so much Camille for including me in you series. Even though I don't have any kids yet, I do have a five year old bulldog and two cats.  Here is the major culprit...

My five year old English Bulldog, Nixon. 

Doesn't she look like she could make a mess? 

The best thing I ever did when deciding on downstairs rugs was go with these...

Link

Pottery Barn Color-Bound Sisal Rug.  If you have a dog and hardwood floors, they need traction!  These rugs have gripping underneath so they don't slide when the pup is fetching.  Also, sorry for the TMI, but if you are a pet owner you understand, throw up and accidents wipe right up without discoloring. I have found that jute discolors while sisal does not. No matter how much shedding takes place, it is totally invisible in these rugs.  For cleaning I just run the vacuum right over.

Here is the rug in action.  Working as a nice place to take a nap.

Another wise purchase was our leather couch. 

Everything wipes right up, the cats can't snag it like fabric and it seams that the more use the couch gets the better it looks. 

Lastly, to protect all the other furniture pieces that are fabric from the cats clawing, I use Soft Paws.

They are  individual nail caps that you apply with adhesive. They then last about a month.  As their nail grows out so does the sleeve.  When they do scratch, it does nothing to furniture. These have saved me hundreds of dollars of reupholstering!

You can get them in all sorts of colors as well.  Here they are in pink.  Too cute!

Every time I see a picture of Nixon, I just have to laugh.  She is such a personality.  And who knew about the Soft Paws!  Pure awesomeness that they come in pink.  To those of you who have a leather sofa, like Heather, I am terribly jealous.  I think our next one will have to be leather.

Heather was the very first person to follow this blog and so it feels like full circle somehow that she is the last to guest post in the series.  We are home from our month long vacation -- I'll be posting lots of inspiration pics soon along with finished pictures of the kitchen with I left 85% done.  Thanks for sticking with me, you all.  And a world of thanks to those who contributed their time and creativity!

Now for sweet Heather.  She has so many wonderful projects on her blog, but I think my all time favorite is her wonderful gallery wall in the kitchen.  Like many design bloggers, Heather's style is constantly evolving, and it is fascinating to watch hers become more refined, layered, eclectic while she sheds her former country/shabby chic style.  She is a lady of impeccable taste!  I wish we lived in the same city.