Mindee Doney at JUICEBOX IDEAS
Time, Time, Time….time to eat, time to wash, time to get dressed, time to go, time to play, time to change. It’s all about time when you are a Mom and usually never the kind you get all to yourself. While science has not yet figured out how to put time in a bottle, there actually are some products that can bring Moms a bit of stress relief and save a few precious minutes of relentless kid chaos.
The minutes add up fast when most Moms are “working 91.5 hours a week, the equivalent of 2 Full Time Jobs.” Yikes! Since I’m a Mom-inventor myself (Boogie Wipes™) I wanted to find some products that were also invented by parents. It wasn’t too hard. Let’s face it; none of us really had any idea how much work it would be to take care of our little gremlins. Almost everything parent invented is going to be a time saver in some way. Just like me, these parents needed some help with day to day tasks and took matters into their own hands.
Before I release this epic little list on you, here is a gift giving tip; if you want to give one of these to a Mom or Dad, please consider giving a compassionate message with it. Something like “I noticed how tough bath time is and thought this might make it easier and more fun for us.” or “Honey, you do so much for us, I thought this could save you a few headaches.” Moms in particular will eat up this kind of empathetic gifting, especially during this busy time of year. A gift like this with a comment of appreciation earns you some serious brownie points. The double fudge frosting kind.
BATHTIME HELPERS
KAIR BATH VISOR
Invented by Dad of 2, Mark Shao from Portland, Oregon.
Best for Kids Age 6 MO – 6YO
Bath time should be full of giggles galore. Naked belly blows and toe tickles. Unfortunately, when it comes time to wash their hair, kids usually start a radical rebellion of some sort. They hate soap in their eyes and water in their ears. There are a few other shampoo visors on the market but this is the only one I have seen so far that’s hands free and actually seems to stay put on kid’s heads. I use it on my 4YO in the bath and my 6YO uses it to wash her own hair in the shower. I, personally, use it for golfing in the rain. Saves time and frustration on all occasions. www.kair.com. Free shipping (and returns if you’re unhappy with it) until the end of the year. $25
MAMA TACO TOWEL
Invented by Mom of 5, Dea Viola from New Jersey
Best for Kids Age Newborn – 18 MO
Newborn bath time really is a two or three person job. Don’t drop them, don’t break them, don’t get the umbilical cord wet, and don’t get soap in their eyes. Hold up their necks and wash between their toes. Have the towel ready, throw it over your chest, lean back and hold on for dear life while they scream about how cold they are. Ugh. I wish I would have had one of these towels. You put it on before you start the bath, it wraps comfy around your neck and folds up tight with a warm snuggly spot for baby’s head. You lay them down and tug and it comes off your neck but baby stays wrapped up tight. Makes the process much easier for parent and babe. www.thebabyflamingoco.com, $50
MEALTIME HELPERS
TODAY I ATE A RAINBOW:
Invented by Mom Kia Robertson from Kelowna, British Columbia
Best for Kids Age 3YO-12YO
I was skeptical at first. These days a lots of products claim they can get kids to eat their vegetables. This program takes a little different approach and breaks foods into the five color groups that kids need to eat to thrive. They just happen to make a cute, happy rainbow. It definitely reduced the “eat your veggies” nag time in my house. My 10 YO took some convincing that Mountain Dew was not on the “green” list but was happy to see raisins on the “purple” list. www.todayiatearainbow.com Comes with a chart for the fridge for up to 4people (I use it too) plus a book and list of foods. $20
THE BA
Invented by Tildy’s Dad, Travis Hendricks, Portland, OR
Best for Kids Age 4MO-2YO
Bottles are made for grown-up hands, this little innovation is made for babies hands. It’s an FDA approved, BPA free, silicone ball that fits over your child’s bottle so they can hold it …wait for it…by themselves! If that’s not a time save, not sure what is? It holds all brands and sizes of bottles and I Iove that a rock star Dad (literally) invented it. Doubles as a teether and ball, dishwasher safe and comes in three kid friendly colors. The BA’s the Bomb. $15, check their website for store locator – www.theoriginalbaby.com
BABY DIPPER BOWL
Invented by Mom of 4 (2 Sets of Twin), Barbara Schantz from Huntsville, Alabama
Best for Kids Age 6 Months – 3YO
Out of this world! Bowl stays put, kid-friendly spoon glides in to grad the grub. Way easy for kids to feed themselves. Less mess, less fuss, less mealtime stress. Easy to clean and works with everything from yogurt to broccoli. Nuff said. www.babydipper.com $10/set
PLAYTIME HELPERS
GRAPPLE TOY TETHER
Invented by Mom of 2, Amy Oh from Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Best for Kids Age 6 Months -3YO
It tethers toys to the table, high chair, stroller or any flat surface! Genius. The top can hold cheerios and finger food and it’s BPA free, made from food grade silicone and super easy to clean. I cannot even begin to tell you the hours this saves. I get a backache just thinking about how many times I did the up and down dance with my kids. I put one in the bathtub too and my kids love to see what they can get it to hold. My daughter loops it to her Barbie’s legs so they can do gymnastics with it on. Good times. www.boingyco.com $18.
DAPPER SNAPPERS
Invented by Mom of 2, Michelle Cazella from Port Orange, FL
Best for Kids Age 6 Months -10YO
Pull up your pants and the smiles will follow. These are time savers in two ways. Less pulling and fidgeting all day long AND can use them to make pants grow with your kids. Less time shopping for the perfect fit. We actually use these for everything from strapping a lunchbox to a backpack to making a sling shot out of them. I even use them on my pants to from time to time. What Mom couldn’t use little elasticity in her day every now and then? www.dappersnappers.com $10 each or 3/$25.
DAPPLE TOY, SURFACE & PACIFIER WIPES
Invented by Moms of 6, Tamar Rosenthal and Dana Rubenstein from New York, NY
Best for Kids newborn-3YO
Depending on how many kids you have and how long you have been a Mom, you may or may not consider these a time saver. When I was new mom, nothing was clean enough for me and when baby dropped toys or pacifiers, up I went to clean and disinfectant it before returning it to them. The more “experienced” I became, the more relaxed I was about it but I think having these in the beginning could have saved my kids a few colds along the way. Handy for travel, eco-friendly ingredients and these smart Mamas also make dishwashing detergent and spray cleaners in super yummy scents and sizes. www.dapplebaby.com for locations near you (lots). $4 for 20 wipes.
BEDTIME HELPERS
ZAZOO CLOCK
Invented by Mom of 3, Michele Berman from Chicago, IL
Best for kids ages 2YO-7YO
#1 complaint from new parents and even seasoned ones….Kids are not great sleepers. If they are under 18 months, they are still finding their rhythm of day and night and even if you put them to sleep in their own bed, once they can walk they are still up crawling in next to you at 5 a.m. This nifty little clock is so simple to understand; even a 2YO can see when it’s time for quiet and sleep and when it’s time to get up and rock your day. www.zazookids.com = $90 (Spendy, yes, I know but what’s the going rate for sleep these days?)
TWOOTH TIMER
Invented by Mom of 3, Antoinette de Janasz from Dallas, TX
Best for kids ages 3YO-10YO
Brushing is not usually kid’s favorite of the bedtime activities. This helps minimize the whine (maybe helping you need less wine of your own). Kids get excited to set it, watch and listen to it tick tock while they are scrubbing. Mom or Dad is freed up from monitoring and worrying about the “Dr. Recommended” 2 minutes of brush time. It comes with a cute animated book and brush You can find some deals and discounts on it at www.Target.com , $11 or visit www.twoothtimer.com for more info and some other cool brushing products they make.
CHANGING TIME HELPERS
ICKY BABY DISPOSABLE CHANGING PADS
Invented by Mom of 3, Kate Somerset, from Laguna Beach, CA
Best for kids ages newborn – potty trained
Icky is the perfect name for any kids product, really. Since you never know when a diaper change could come calling, it’s nice to have these around to prevent needing to find a sanitary changing table. They are convenient, practical and even compostable which means they break down in months instead of the years. Did I mention they are fantastically cute? Go to www.icky.com for store locations and online deals. $6 for 8 and they come in girls and boys styles. PS: They make disposable bibs and color-on-me table mats too. Same cuteness and eco love.
BOBEE DIAPERS & WIPES DISPENSER
Invented by Mom of 2 Boys, Stacy Harfert, from Arvada, CA
Best for kids ages newborn – potty trained
The moment you put babies on their back its time to kick and grab everything in sight making more mess, more fuss and less productivity. The Bobee is cool because it mounts on the wall so it frees up space on the changing table, plus, since it’s anchored, you can use it with one hand! Waa-La! It’s like the third hand all parents dream of. You can customize it to match the nursery and it fits high quantities of ALL sizes and brands of diapers and wipes. It’s on sale at amazon.com right now for a cool $40. Check their website www.bobeeinc.com to learn more.
Mindee Doney: Author, Inventor (Boogie Wipes®), Idea Consultant.Tired of chasing her kids runny noses, Mindee herself ran with an idea she had for a saline infused nose wipe she called a Boogie Wipe ®. In 2007, she partnered with Julie Pickens and by 2011 grew her concept, to $12 million in sales, with distribution to 50,000 retail locations in 8 countries. She managed all PR, marketing and branding herself and landed Boogie Wipes® on the Today Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutch, Good Morning America, in People Magazine, The NY Times and countless others. She is the author of Get your Own Juicebox – Confident Moms raising Capable Kids (May, 2012) and consults an exclusive group of start-ups through her company Juice Box Consulting.