Now, I have a feeling you know just what I mean. When was the last time you looked around your garage and thought “what IS all of this stuff? Why do I still have this?” (I know I had this very thought today!) 

It can be so hard though, to commit to purging. It is so overwhelming to assess your space and decide what stays and what goes. So… what if we just bought less from the start? Buying less will mean less to organize and ultimately get rid of. 

What Does Minimalism Mean? 

In recent years, minimalism has become a buzzword for many, admittedly myself included! I know I can enjoy my space so much more when there is less clutter to distract and disrupt me. A quick google search yields innumerable responses to the prompt “definition of minimalism lifestyle.” 

For me personally, I like to think of it as living more with less. When there is less junk and clutter around me, especially in my home, I can spend more time enjoying myself and focusing on what matters to me. 

Now, this is much easier said than done. It’s important to start simple! An area of your life you may have yet to consider: your pets! Assessing what/where/why you have pet related items can be a great start to organization and living more with less. 

Becoming a Minimalist Pet Owner

Focus on what you need and have. Do away with what you don’t. 

Much like we go through our closet, consider going through your pet’s belongings. Are you and your furry friend holding on to a toy that is just a little too torn up? Do you have collars that no longer fit or leashes you’ve replaced? Maybe there are some things you and your floof don’t need anymore. 

Much like we do with our own belongings, it can be a great idea to separate the purged items into two categories: trash and donate. For well-loved items, it might be time to toss them. For your more gently lived-in pet supplies, see if there are any shelters near you that take donations! These supplies can be put to great use for to-be-adopted cats and dogs. 

Assess what you do need and don’t already have. 

Here is how you can be more intentional about what you do end up owning as to avoid the aforementioned stress of “getting rid of.” When you assess something you and your pet need, make sure you take some time deciding between the plethora of options. Not all products are created equal! 

Cheaping out on doggie waste bags may not work out in your favor. Rather than buying several products and facing trial and error, see if there is any research or reviews to inform your purchase. 

Another great way to save money and space is to buy multifaceted items. 

My fur babies are shedders – it is so overwhelming to decide how to keep clean when you have pets! Lucky for me, I have found a few simple products I can put to good use just about anywhere from my car to my couch to my clothes! 

Let me introduce you to the  Mini Pet Hair Detailer: 

With a few easy swipes, I can collect stubborn and stuck fur full of dander. For on the go, consider establishing a grab bag for your pup complete with baggies, a leash, a collapsible water bowl, and that Mini Detailer. With your Mini Pet Hair Detailer, you can easily remove hair stuck in the carpet of your car or your favorite furniture. 

In addition to focusing on owning less, I try to focus on reducing my waist. I always manage to find fur lingering on my clothes, especially on my way to work. I’ve historically kept a lint brush in my car and around my house, but I found myself annoyed by the trash it produced and the frequency of buying a replacement. 

Thanks to Save Our Sweaters…

I can save money, reduce clutter, and lighten my trash can. My favorite part of this product is that I can use it on my favorite nice pieces of clothing like my cashmere sweaters or silk scarfs without worrying about damaging them. This product is great to grab fur, remove pills, and make my clothes look good as new!

Don’t skimp out on organization! 

Once you and your pet narrow your belongings to the useful, important, and meaningful ones, it’s good to assess how you organize. Much like you may have an organizational system for your closet or bathroom, consider what can best suit you and your pet’s needs. 

If your living room is filled with toys, consider using a basket to store these items. This can make quick cleanup by having a centralized space for your furry friend’s goods. For leashes or on the go items, consider setting up hooks or shelves near the door. This way you can easily grab them on your way out! For your car, keep a Mini Pet Hair Detailer in your center console or for an advanced car clean, consider keeping the Pro Pet Hair Toolkit  in your trunk. 

In Summary

Getting your spaces organized isn’t something that happens overnight. But, getting your pet’s belongings in line can be a great place to start. Giving gifts to your four-legged friends can be such a joy. So, the next time you want to spoil yourself and your pooch, make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. And as 2023 begins maybe give it a try – living more with less. 

Emma Walker

The post <strong>How to Be A Minimalist Pet Owner</strong> appeared first on Lilly Brush.

Double vs Single Coat

Some dogs have what is called a double-coat. A soft interior layer for warmth accompanied with a long exterior layer for protection. These dogs are going to be very noticeably shedding as winter approaches, leaving evidence with every step they take. Our very own Lilly is a perfect example of a double-coated dog, and her shedding is the reason our Be Forever Furless Brush was invented in the first place. Single-coat dogs like labs, terriers, poodles etc, won’t be as noticeable as their double-coat counterparts, but you can still expect to do some extra cleaning this time of year.

Allergies

If you or your house guests have dog allergies, this time of year becomes exceptionally hard to handle. To help lessen allergies year round, but especially during this time of the year, be sure to keep your pet well groomed. Bathe your pet weekly, and brush them as often as you can, daily if possible. By adding multivitamins or fatty acid supplements to their diet you can improve the health of your pet’s skin. This reduces the frequency and potency  of dander, and in turn will combat allergic reactions. 

Shedding season is upon us and Lilly Brush is here to help! Hopefully we were able to give you the insights on why your dog has been shedding uncontrollably as the weather turns.

Sincerely,

The Lilly Brush Team

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post Shedding Season Is Back appeared first on Lilly Brush.

After its introduction in the U.S. last year, the Mini Pet Hair Detailer was so widely talked about in the US auto detailing industry that word quickly spread across the pond to our friends in the U.K.! After many requests, we realized we had to find a way to share our most unique and productive tool with them as well!

Mini but mighty, this little handheld detailer is a game-changer for car detailers and pet owners alike! No matter the breed, if your pet sheds short, wiry fur, this product is an amazingly efficient tool for removing embedded pet hair from carpeting, upholstery, and clothing.

via GIPHY

ABOUT LILLY BRUSH COMPANY

Based in Denver, Colorado, Lilly Brush Company has an 8-year history of providing high quality pet hair removal tools for various applications. After our founder, Elsie Hamilton, adopted Lilly, a Mini-Australian Shepherd from a local rescue shelter, she realized the issue of shed pet hair on carpeting, clothing and upholstery was a problem that had never really been solved. Our 5 different lines of innovative products have helped consumers combat the nuisance of pet hair without having to buy wasteful and expensive refills. Lilly Brush strives to enhance the lives of others and sees a promising future as we continue to grow.

Sincerely,

The Lilly Brush Team

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post Great News! We’ve Expanded Into the UK! appeared first on Lilly Brush.

Sometime around Christmas last year, I got a call from my mother. “Have you seen this new fur remover on TV. A friend of mine has it and says it’s wonderful. I think they’ve stolen your idea.” As a mom, I can tell you exactly where the panic button is on each one of my kids. My mom had just located mine and romped on it. A copycat product? On TV? Crap! Okay, I have lawyers and a legal fund set up for this. “Mom, what’s the name of this brush you’ve seen?” “Oh, well…I can ask my friend, but I think it’s something with Merlin in it…and fur?” Huh, seriously? Like what, Furlin Merlin?” “Yes, that’s it!”

As it turns out, my mom was talking about a lint brush called the Fur Wizard. You’ve seen a thousand like them before, and fifty thousand since. You swipe the brush one way, and it picks up a bit of lint or fur, then you wipe it off in its container. Inadvertently changing directions while you swipe results in the collected lint offloading back onto your clothes. As it’s really nothing like any of my products, I was not overly concerned.

Then, a few months later, on the Lilly Brush Amazon page, under the heading, “Customers who viewed this item also viewed:” my eye stopped dead on a spin-off Furlin Merlin Alibaba product  with the name “Lilly” stamped on it. There it was…a problem. My heart turned frosty and I called my lawyer. “This should be easy;” he said, “just get their name and address and we’ll start with a simple cease and desist.”

Ahhh, damn! In my eight years of dealing with Amazon, I’ve learned that contacting sellers who infringe on trademarks or patents is, in almost every case, a lot like trying to catch a cockroach in the kitchen. As soon as you snap the lights on, they scuttle to some unknown dark place where you’ll never find them. They wait there, watching beady-eyed while you bumble around looking in all the wrong places, and then get right back down to chewing on your business when you’ve gone.

In the case of sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon, ordering a product doesn’t even provide you with a warehouse return address to send Cease and Desist letters to, and, of course, messages sent through Amazon are steadfastly ignored, or worse, flagged as inappropriate, which rockets you into a whole new circle of Amazon hell.

Even googling seller names often points you towards companies with the same name who know nothing about their name being used on Amazon. (Note to self: Do not unleash the hell-dogs on innocent parties again.) Thus, hidden in every way behind Amazon’s Fulfillment By Amazon cloak, rogue MAP and IP infringers go about their nefarious ways uninterrupted while you implore someone, anyone, at Amazon to hear and act upon your case via the most cumbersome reporting system I have ever endured.

So, with no other option, I wrote Amazon about the “Lilly” fur remover. It was a clear infringement. Amazon wrote back to say: “Amazon respects a manufacturer’s right to enter into exclusive distribution agreements for its products. However, violations of such agreements do not constitute intellectual property rights infringement. As the enforcement of these agreements is a matter between the manufacturer and the retailers, it would not be appropriate for Amazon to assist in enforcement activities.”

Ugh! They thought I was having a disagreement with one of my own distributors? Wrong answer, Amazon-bot. I sent another message to clarify that this, in fact, was not a distributor disgruntlement, but a non-Lilly Brush fur remover infringing on the “Lilly” name. This apparently worked as the seller was then notified that their product was in violation of Amazon’s Seller Central policy, and the listing was taken down. I was happy. The system had worked. Then I got an email from the seller, and suddenly I began to suspect that instead of taking out a cockroach, I had in effect stomped on a kitten.

Essentially, the email politely explained that it had never been the seller’s intention to infringe on my trademark, and could I please write Amazon to retract my complaint so they could continue selling through their inventory?

Because the seller signed her full name, I was able to get bits and pieces of an online business profile showing a kind-looking woman in Texas. She was married, with grown children, and grand-children, and as I zoomed down out of the sky using the big eye of Google Earth, I found myself standing in the yard of a well-kept little house outside of town. I stood there looking at the garden that the seller had lovingly coaxed up from the hot Texas clay, and thought about what to do next.

I did not get into this business to hurt people. I started the Lilly Brush Company nine years ago, and there have been many times since that we have taken the long way around to do the “right” thing when a less honorable shortcut would have cost less time or money. There is only one thing I draw a hard line on and that is adherence to the rules of the road regarding our intellectual property and brand recognition. We can do the right thing and have the best reputation in the world, but if the lines around who we are blur or break down, all that can dissolve quickly.

I wrote back to say that I could not retract the complaint. The next day I received an email explaining that the seller wanted to apologize for any inconvenience caused by the matter, but that she and her husband were small business owners who had only ever sold a few books on Amazon. Having a product like this lint brush was for them a fairly new endeavor. They hadn’t meant to infringe, but had chosen to use their surname Lilly out of family pride. Now, upon reflection they could see how it might cause some confusion between our brands, thus they would remove the Lilly name from the listing.

At this point, I understood that even if I were to issue a retraction to Amazon, Seller Central would not accept their product with the name Lilly still stamped on each item, and actually, I couldn’t either. It also troubled me to see that their email was signed with “Lilly USA”.

I answered that evening.

Dear Mrs. XXXXXX

Thank you for your email.  

I understand your predicament, but I am still concerned that you have not fully considered US patent and trademark laws as you have signed your email with Lilly USA. I hope you understand that by continuing to use the name Lilly for a lint and fur removal product or company it is a very clear infringement on my company’s trademark. I do not take this lightly as I have worked very hard for many years to build a company and reputation upon that trademark. 

To fully understand this, please take a moment to read this explanation of these principles:  https://www.trademarknow.com/blog/7-factors-for-identifying-trademark-likelihood-of-confusion

All this said, your problem reminds me of many I have weathered as the owner of a small business, so I have searched my mind for viable solutions that I might be able to recommend to you. I know you must have inventory that needs to be sold.

One possible solution is for you to quickly, but carefully, choose another name for your business. Read this before proceeding: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/tradefaqs.shtml

Once you have settled on a name, go to godaddy.com and check for the appropriate dot.com name. Get it, if you can. Find out why you can’t if you can’t. 

Once you have a name, create a simple circular logo and have it made into the appropriate sized stickers (I recommend these guys for price and quality) https://www.stickergiant.com/  (Make sure to ask them to send a few samples first so you know if they will stay on) Slap those over the Lilly printed on your products each time you fulfill an order for Amazon, or ebay, or wherever, and you are back in business. It’s not easy, but it’s really the only legal way to get through your currently branded inventory. Note: You must change your Amazon, ebay, etc. listings to reflect your new name. 

Please understand that I cannot allow you to sell fur and lint removers under the Lilly name. Doing so could set a legal precedent that might severely impact my company and brand in future if larger, more predatory companies attempted the same. 

Regards,

Elsie

In response to my email, the seller wrote that they were grateful for the advice, and also believed that this would be their best course of action. When they stated that they would have to commission new photography for their listing and website, I was troubled. It would cost a great deal for them to do so. I wrote back.

Hello-

One thought…given how expensive photographers are, I might recommend that you consult a freelance layout artist who can use Photoshop to simply change the name on the logo in all of your product photos. This person would also be able to generate an image for your stickers. 

If you need the name of a someone who is very reasonably priced and quick, I would be happy to share one of my favorites with you. 

To show you what I mean, I have attached an image of a screenshot that I modified as described. It took 3 minutes…very inexpensive alternative to photography.

Best of luck in all your pursuits. Let me know if you need the name of my freelance layout person.

Kind regards,

Elsie

The seller wrote back that she would very much appreciate the name of a reliable layout person. From that point on, we began to work together to get her products back online.

It has been a year since the seller and I first exchanged emails, and I am happy to report that we remain friends to this day, writing back and forth with ideas and advice and commiserations over the difficulty of navigating the Amazon jungle. We share our best resources and favorite musicians, and songs, and stories about our families, and wish each other well on holidays. When I last checked, the seller’s rebranded product was back on Amazon. I suppose you could say we are once again in competition for the same customers, but this time our seller souls are in sync, and with new understanding in our hearts, we are sincerely rooting for each other’s  success.

Sincerely,

Founder, Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post Postcards From The Amazon Jungle appeared first on Lilly Brush.

With over 3,500 exhibitors at the Global Pet Expo, we have seen innovations in nearly every realm of the pet industry including advancements in raw, nutritious pet foods, potty pads that absorb without leakage or scent, and almost anything in between. We have also had the opportunity to attend multiple seminars regarding industry trends and how companies are pushing the envelope to change the way we interact with our pets, in hopes of creating a more enjoyable experience.

Beke Lubeach, General Manager at DOGTV, explained the importance of Social Responsibility and giving back to our communities. As the millennials are beginning to take over as the largest spenders, they are also surging to the forefront as a generation that cares deeply about social responsibility. One great example of charitable giving is Tito’s Vodka. They may not be a pet company per se, but their “Vodka for Dog People” program is geared towards product sales that generate significant donations to enhance the lives of pets.

Another speaker that stood out to us is Phil Chang. In his “Like. Follow. Share” seminar, he did a fantastic job of explaining the new trends of everyday social media outlets as well as the up and coming applications such as WeChat and QQ. Due to convenience and online searches, E-Commerce and online retail have a 13% share of retail as a whole and it is only going to keep increasing.

A must-see speaker that we had the pleasure of listening to this morning is Connor Lokar from ITR Economics. He provided the audience with insights into pet industry trends along with big picture economic standings of other industries and the country as a whole. He also discussed ways to understand shifts in consumer needs with a forecasted analysis as to what might happen in the years to come. (Hint: Buckle up, buttercup!)

We have had an absolute blast here in Orlando and have had the opportunity to meet some great people as well as see some unique products coming into the ever-growing pet market. We look forward to being back in Orlando for next year’s event and the years to come!

Sincerely,

The Lilly Brush Team

old.lillybrush.com

Pet Hair Problems in Your Car?

Try our newest product the Mini Pet Hair Detailer, the #1 recommended tool by professional detailers!

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post Global Pet Expo 2019 appeared first on Lilly Brush.

The change I never saw coming.

During the months of rehab that followed, I couldn’t bring myself to go back to work. I had been a painter by profession, proficient enough to have always sold well. My beautiful studio waited just 20 feet from where I spent my afternoons, but I had noticed that a lifelong tremor in my hands had suddenly increased tenfold. Controlling a paintbrush for the perfect glint in a portrait’s eye or the delicious details of a still life had become nothing short of impossible. At times, my hands flew around like nervous parakeets. I had no idea what to do, but surviving the heart attack had made me optimistic. I’d figure it out.

Salvation came in the form of a shelter dog.

One morning, to finally oblige my son, who had for months begged for a dog, we went to the local shelter to look. To say that he chose the sickest, saddest looking dog the shelter had to offer is almost an understatement. Her name was Lilly. While the other pups gamboled and scampered around behind the glass, this heartbroken Miniature Australian Shepherd sat quietly with her head down and her back to us. She had been dumped in the afterhours kennels sometime during the night. I tapped the glass. Her head turned just enough for me to see an unexpectedly white-speckled eye. Was she blind? Poor thing. I so wanted to ignore the puddle slowly spreading beneath her, and her matted, dull coat, but I couldn’t. I’m ashamed to say I attempted to veto my son’s choice. He had recently lost a dog to cancer. I pointed out the other happy, healthy dogs. I argued that we had enough challenges at home. No dice.

So we waited, seated on the floor of the meeting room, while the attendant brought Lilly in. Unhooked from the leash, with everyone calling to her at once, Lilly looked only at my son. Of the 5 people waiting to meet her, she walked straight to the one who had just suffered through 2 miserable years of epilepsy from a football concussion. She stopped for a beat to sniff the air in front of him, and then lay down with her eyes on his. A moment later her sweet head dropped gently onto his ankle and she closed her eyes. It was an incredibly magical moment. This dog somehow knew exactly where she was needed.  

Nurse Lilly

As it turns out, it was that watchful, motherly aspect of Lilly that would launch my business. Each day, while my son was at school, she transferred her nurse duties over to me. I’d arrive home from cardiac rehab, and Lilly would climb onto the couch next to me. I’d nap. She’d watch. I’d wake to find her nose next to mine. It was a little unnerving…had I stopped breathing? She would not leave my side.

So much love…and fur!

Lilly had never been inside a house before, and her heavy coat immediately began to shed everywhere. I blew through sticky roller refills nearly every two days. Finally, in exasperation, I went to PetSmart for something better. They recommended sticky rollers. There was nothing to do about it. I’d had enough of the sticky roller racket. Everywhere I went, Lilly fur went with me. I started to notice other people wearing their pets as well. Polar fleece, the uniform of Colorado, is the best pet hair magnet you can wear. I could not stop seeing it. Why had no one solved this problem?

Then one afternoon, on my way to the sink to scrub around it with an old toothbrush, I noticed Lilly’s muddy pawprints on the couch and stopped to brush them off. When I looked back at the brush, I saw a little bit of fur trapped there. I brushed my polar fleece. More fur. I raced upstairs and stole everyone’s toothbrushes and cobbled together the first Lilly Brush in the garage that afternoon. By the time my sons came home from school I had nearly cleaned the whole house with it. It wasn’t perfect by any means. The brushes wore down quickly, and the hair tangled the bristles, but it was the start of an idea. It was something.

Next post: How to Protect Your Idea Prior to Filing For a Patent

Founder, Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post How a Tough Year and a Ridiculous Looking Cleaning Hack Started a Business. appeared first on Lilly Brush.

Ughhh, there’s nothing worse than a hairy car! In fact, vacuum-resistant embedded pet hair is the #1 headache auto detailers and pet owners alike face when cleaning their cars!

Until now, pumice stones and rubber brushes have been the two most popular tools for dealing with pet hair removal. So, what’s the issue?

Our detailers tell us that the rubber brushes miss much of the most deeply embedded hair and take too much time to use. And, as any professional detailer knows, time is money, and customers tend to balk at pet hair surcharges tacked on even though removing it means an extra hour (or more!) of the detailer’s time.

Detailers report that although a pumice stone does a fairly good job of removing embedded pet hair, it is by no means the perfect tool for the job as it can easily rip up carpeting and damage surrounding plastic, chrome and leather surfaces within the car.

Old habits die hard, but we hope you will take a moment to check out our newest tool in the war against pet hair, the Lilly Brush Mini Pet Hair Detailer. ($10 Amazon) We think you’re going to love it!

Click here for video reviews by two top-rated professional detailers:

Pan the Organizer

Detail Groove

Sincerely,

The Lilly Brush Team

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post New Detailing Tool For an Old Problem appeared first on Lilly Brush.

Hey, we think it’s our duty to combat pet hair for our customers so our newest brush, the Mini Pet Hair Detailer (MPHD) is designed to remove every hair your pet sheds in a car. It does this without damaging adjacent leather, plastic or chrome. With its detailing tips, you can clean every inch of fabric in your car including seats, headliners, and of course carpeting. For those of you that have pets with short, wiry fur, this is the perfect pet hair removal tool for you!

Whether you are the one cleaning the pet hair in your car or a detailer is doing the job, we want to ensure you are getting the best bang for your buck. Find the Mini Pet Hair Detailer for $12 on Amazon by clicking the link below.

I Want a Mini Pet Hair Detailer!

We want every customer to be happy! If the Mini Pet Hair Detailer doesn’t solve all of your pet hair problems, return it for a full refund.  

Sincerely,

The Lilly Brush Team

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post How to Remove Every Hair Your Pet Sheds in The Car appeared first on Lilly Brush.

“Because any sweater is an ugly sweater if it’s all pilled up. Plus, those electric sweater ‘shavers’ that were so popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s are useless.”

“Instead, we’ve found a decidedly low-tech gadget that really gets the job done.  It’s called the Lilly Brush and to quote their packaging, it’s “like a magic wand with nylon bristles.”

“It’s as simple to use as it is effective. Simply apply moderate pressure and sweep across your garments. Pills, pet hair and lint are all quickly removed. Unlike sticky lint brushes, it’s reusable again and again.”

 Full Article 

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post Gay List Daily Endorses Lilly Brush! appeared first on Lilly Brush.

“The Lilly Brush is one of those cool inventions that you buy and then you can’t imagine how you lived without it for so long. It’s a brush that you can use to de-pill sweaters that are looking shabby or to remove pet hair and fuzzies from your upholstery and fabrics. As you can see in the pic above, it works great for the decorative pillows on my bed that my cats LOVE to sleep on! It’s a lot easier than dragging out the vacuum cleaner and it makes such a difference!”

Continue Reading Jen’s Full Review at MyBeautyBunny.com

Elsie Hamilton

old.lillybrush.com

The post Pet Hair and Fuzzies on Upholstery and Fabric? No Problem! appeared first on Lilly Brush.