The Mamaista & The Mogul Mom “It” Product Contest

I guess I’ll tackle this request from both suggested angles. I have two that I would like to nominate. The first is my own product of which I will shamelessly self-promote. and the second is a product that I use and love.

“WEAR”
I am the founder of http://www.snugfits.com – a modern baby clothing boutique specializing in onesies, baby tees and accessories. My designs are modern, simple and well designed. As a graphic artist, every commonly forgotten detail was consummated. What makes my offerings different from the rest is the ability to customize the garment and ink colors of the over 250 available designs. Furthermore, the clothing is thick, soft and substantial cotton interlock with dual stitching. Not something you’d find on the rack at a discount store. My screen printing is top-notch, done by hand out of my home. Having perfected my technique with months of rigorous testing on my own children, I know that I am providing my customers a product that will hold up wash (and dry) after wash – and can even be passed down. And, there is something for everyone. Funny, witty, cute, hip and even a little rock & roll… with some controversial thrown in to keep things interesting.

“FLAUNT”
http://www.blurb.com was a gem of a find for me. Not being the cutesy scrap-booking type, this is right up my alley. Blurb allows you to create the most beautiful, stunning bookstore-quality books with your own photos, text and creative style. They offer their own BookSmart® software that can be downloaded to a Mac or PC. And, you can just create away at your leisure. It’s easy to use – and fun. Choose from several sizes at affordable prices and add as many pages as you like. They offer softcover, hardcover with sleeve – and the ultra-cool hardcover wrap around image. The uses are endless – photo albums, cookbooks, photography portfolios, coffee table books, etc. Additionally, if you run a family blog – their software is capable of “sucking” out all of the photos and text from your blog and turning it into a gorgeous blog book. Wow! Some samples and ideas can be found here: http://www.blurb.com/make/flip And, if you don’t have the time to do it yourself, there is a community of people available to hire to do it for you.

First of all, thanks Sara for the tip on Blurb, I am going to check that out!

Secondly, I would like to nominate a mom invented product that we offer on Mom 4 Life: the Snack Happened bag: http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?item=1869 Snack Happened™ Reusable & Washable Snack Bags are eco-friendly and fashionable in addition to being FDA approved, BPA and Phthalate free! They have a 100% cotton designer fabric exterior and a PVC-Free waterproof lining inside. I have personally found them to be an excellent cost effective and eco friendly alternative to plastic sandwich bags and my kids love how “cool” they look.

Let me just also say that I have been subscribed to The Mamaista for a while now and we have found some great products for Mom 4 Life due to their reviews, keep up the good work!

Great contest! Fun fun!!
Our Momprenuer product {just launched this Summer} is http://www.lullaboards.com/; Lullaboards is the original dry-erase system for recording baby’s day, the eco-friendly way! With styles from newborns to toddlers, designs ranging from personalized to gender neutral, Lullaboards is modern and stylish, practical and waste free! A must have for new moms!
.-= Dluxe Dana´s last blog ..Saurette {GIVEAWAY & DISCOUNT} =-.

The product I created , OnTray, would fit quite nicely in Mamaista’s “Care” section. OnTray makes shopping with young children more enjoyable for both parent and child! OnTray easily attaches to the handlebar of the shopping cart, facing the child in the seat part of the cart, allowing you to place their favorite snack or small toy in it. OnTray encourages your child’s independence and frees up your hands to shop more efficiently. In this economy, we can all stand to shop a little more cost-effectively! OnTray is hip, BPA free, made in the USA, and continues to be of use when your toddler no longer rides in the cart. I use it to hold my coupons and shopping list! OnTray works nicely with the fabric cart seat covers too.

Please visit my site, http://www.ontray2go.com, to learn more about OnTray and to see a video of it in use! Thanks for this great opportunity!

1. Is it innovative? If the product uses brand new technology or has a unique fuction, send it in! TODDLER VIRTUE TEES are the first and only out there to use t-shirts as an educational tool to teach virtues to children (www.toddlervirtues.com). Virtue tees available are KINDNESS, TOLERANCE, PATIENCE, GRATITUDE, & COURAGE.
2. Is it stylish? Super hip vintage tees with huge educational potential for toddler and Mom (What toddler and Mom don’t need to practice more PATIENCE?). So soft and comfy. If the product has a stylish and modern design element, send it in! Each tee has a virtue, it’s definition and a symbol representing harmony with ones self and neighbor. Plus, a ‘pass it on’ concept on the back to encourage others to teach virtues to their families!
3. Is this product multi-functional? This teaching can stay with a child forever. What could be more important than raising more virtuous kids? If the product can grow with your child and has multiple uses, send it in! Great for hand me downs and if you don’t have a sibling to pass the shirt on to, you can send it back to the company (www.toddlervirtues.com) and they will donate to the toddlers at their local shelter. Show your kids an act of KINDNESS first hand! Do good and feel good.
4. Is it useful? If the product makes mom’s life easier and more streamlined, send it in! Better kids, happier Mom’s, better future. The concept speaks for itself. So stop dressing your little ones in trite tees and start teaching them virtues with Toddler Virtue Tees!

Innovative – Who doesn’t need a way to giggle with their kids while teaching manners and maybe a bit more (geography, cultural differences, family creation)!
Stylish – Find me a kid between 3-10 year old that doesn’t find bodily noises funny! And the toy is CUTE!
Multifunctional- It is a 10 inch snuggle/cuddle toy that helps reinforce manners and has a story that may open discussions to change one’s view of the world!
Useful – Is older brother feeling a bit left out as the baby joins the group? Are you trying to explain adoption or transracial issues with a child with limited vocabulary? Do you need something for the kids to do in the car for a few minutes? Then yes, useful.

Norman PhartEphant offers a combination not often seen in toys; he’s adorable, cuddly and hilarious all at the same time!

Super soft, squeezable, and 10 inches round, Norman PhartEphant produces eight different fart sounds with each gentle squeeze of his tail!

Why? Norman is an African elephant adopted by a US zoo. The change in diet has caused gas. In the picture book, which can be purchased either with or without the toy, Norman makes friends from around the world while learning a bit of geography, culture and family formation wrapped in the silliness of bodily noise that keeps kids engaged.

Norman meet CPSIA safety requirements and has been winning toy industry awards and most of all Norman has heart: part of proceeds are donated to children’s charities; The Smile Train and Half the Sky.

Norman is available on line (www.PhartEphant.com) and at select retailers across the US and Canada.

Mamaista readers are beyond stylish. They’ve been to all the important Ladies Lunches, Bill Cunningham knows them by name and they’re regulars on Social Diary. But since junior (one, two and three) came along they would rather donate their time to a worthy cause where kids can be involved. Of course attending all those family parties means finding special dresses for your little bundles of joy.

Fortunately, at A Little Indulgence, we have a wonderful selection of party dresses in sizes for toddlers to tweens that look delightful at charity functions. We are nominating our fancy party dresses because moms have told us how fabulous their little ones look in our stuff. All of our dresses are made from the finest silk and photograph beautifully. Our dresses start at a size 2 because you’re never too young to appear on the best dressed list. The link to our nomination is:

http://www.alittleindulgence.us/index/cPath/5_6/products_id/6/products_color/Creamsicle/front//

with love
Chief Princess at A Little Indulgence
.-= Tracy Young´s last blog ..Join the Manners Revolution =-.

Oh how fabulous everyone! So many amazing mom entrepreneurs and products. You women are truly an inspiration. Keep the entries coming. It will be hard to pick, but pick we must.
.-= elina´s last blog ..The 3-Minute Costume =-.

What a great Team! I am so thankful for the opportunity to share my new Potty Training Program with your readers. “POTTY LIKE A ROCK STAR!” The Potty Tots are 10 pint sized little preschoolers that sing and dance to teach the 6 steps of potty training in a FUN and exciting new way!

I created the Potty Tots for my youngest daughter who was very resistant to potty training. I needed something fun and also educational to “Show” her what was expected of her. I made her her own little potty chart that looked just like her! She loved it and really enjoyed being independent. From her initial little potty chart the Potty Tots were born. The program was designed to take the stress out of potty training for parents by making the process fun for toddlers.

The Potty Tots Program is a complete kit that contains everything parents will need to motivate and educate their child about potty training:
* a story with adorable characters that toddlers can relate to
* an animated DVD of the story book with music videos (Potty Song, Potty Rock and Potty Stomp)
* An illustrated potty chart (shows 6 steps)
* A fun football game with clings (fashioned after the Super Bowl) called the “Toilet Bowl”

At http://www.pottytots.com we have interactive games for toddlers where they can play with these new little friends and resources and support for parents.

Our motto is “I Can Do It All by Myself” and toddlers all over the country are singing along! At Potty Tots we know that that independence, in this first little task that we ask our toddlers to do to take care of themselves, builds confidence and self esteem. And feeling good about yourself is one of the best rewards a child can earn.

Potty Tots was a finalist at the JPMA Innovation Awards in 2008 and won an Honorable Mention from Start Up Nation’s 100 best Home Based Businesses in 2008. (most innovative category) But the greatest awards we could receive are from parents, toddlers and caregivers who send us their success stories.

Thanks so much to The Mogul Mom and Mamaista for this great opportunity and for supporting mompreneurs everywhere!

I would love to submit Hippo’s Bedtime Routine for the PLAY section on Mamaista. Help you and your little one get more ZZZZZZ’s with our interactive bedtime chart.
(http://www.excited2learn.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=181)

Let Huckleberry Hippo assist you in creating a bedtime routine that works for your family. This customized chart is designed to help your little one have a smooth transition from being awake to settling down for a good night’s sleep. The goal is to help your child know what to expect at the end of the day. The chart encourages cooperation during bedtime by giving your child an active role in the process.

The chart includes a variety of “bedtime activity cards” that can be selected as part of a child’s nightly routine. Once the activity is completed, the child moves the card onto the “bedtime” section of the chart. It gives the child ownership of the bedtime process. You could almost think of it as an age appropriate “check-list” of all the cool down activities associated with bedtime. (Activities include brushing teeth, reading a book, using the potty, etc.)

My twin sister and I founded Excited 2 Learn, http://www.excited2learn.com, when I was on maternity leave after teaching first grade for seven years in the Boston area.  As I stepped away from teaching, I realized I needed to find a way to continue my love for education while staying home with my daughter. My goal was to find “real mom” solutions to parenting challenges. Sarah and I create and design unique products that promote children’s curiosity and development. These products encourage kids to engage with their environment to turn routine activities into fun, learning opportunities. All our products are created using our original watercolor paintings and designed by us.

My “IT” product is the Urban Decay Book Of Shadows II eyeshadow kit. http://www.urbandecay.com/categories/BookOfShadowsVol2.cfm It’s just eyeshadow, but it is beyond gorgeous and makes me feel like a queen. It’s a great way to make me feel better really easily any day, any time. Thanks for the contest! codisweepstakes2 (at) gmail.com

Are you the master of to-do lists? Do sticky notes and crumpled up pieces of paper litter your desk and your car? Or, do you have trouble balancing your personal schedule with your family’s schedule? Take control of your life and your health with the bluehealer® diary, an effective way to stay organized and create a family schedule while tracking symptoms and medication related to health and chronic illness. http://www.bluehealerdiary.com

I created a removable and reusable peel and stick vinyl wall decal chalkboard. I am waiting for the patent I applied for a couple years ago to finally come through. Since I invented this chalkboard I have had to sit back and watch my competitors use it as if it were their own. This is disheartening but I don’t let it stop me! My peel and stick chalkboards use real chalk and can be used in a kitchen or a playroom. They are easily applied to the wall and they can be removed and reused without making a mess of any kind.

My newest peel and stick wall sticker is called Smarts. I designed this with one of my Mompreneur friends. Smarts is a 3 step program of baby wall decals based on scientifically proven research designed to enhance newborn and infant development while serving as suitable nursery decoration.

http://www.wallcandyarts.com/category/chalkboard/c52
http://www.wallcandyarts.com/category/smarts/c169

Thanks to Mamaista and Mogul Mom for encouraging mompreneurs!

My product, the Kowalli Baby Carrier Cover, offers a practical solution for those moms weary of bundling baby in bulky snowsuits or fussing with unruly blankets when on the go. I originally designed the Kowalli for my infant son, but was persuaded to go into business when mom after mom approached me to ask about it. There are days when it takes me 15 minutes just to sit down at my local café because the Kowalli draws so much attention. And when I go on sales calls in Manhattan and Brooklyn, I get stopped about every two blocks by desperately inquiring moms, asking me, where can I get that?? (This has resulted in a few awkward but somehow entertaining moments, as I am often “wearing” a plastic doll that emits wafting tobacco odors [an unfortunate EBay purchase] in my Beco carrier to save time between appointments).

Kowalli Baby Carrier Covers are innovative because they cover parent and child together, allowing them to stay close and share body heat, thereby reducing the need for bulky layers. Oddly, only a scarce few other products do this, and those that do are priced out of reach for many moms. One of the best things about the Kowalli is that it can be worn with light or heavy underlayers, so it works well from early autumn through late spring. This also makes it much more versatile than a baby-wearing coat. The diagonal design across the chest, reinforced with a one-handed elastic pull, allows baby’s head full range of vision and motion, no matter what position they’re in. Another major advantage is that the Kowalli can be effortlessly removed if baby falls asleep or if mom enters a warm space and worries about baby overheating.

The Kowalli is easily the most versatile cover on the market today: it works with soft-structured carriers such as the Ergo, Beco, and BabyBjorn, as well as with slings, wraps, and Mei tais. It works in the front or back carry position, with baby facing in or out, even in hip carry positions on either side! It can be used as a nursing cover, and it lasts until the child outgrows the carrier. And, I will admit, I like to wear mine at home when I’m working, or curl up in it when I’m watching a movie.

The Kowalli is made in New England of local materials, including the highest quality Polartec fleece that has been weather-treated to repel rain and snow. With four color combinations, and even dad-friendly neutrals, the Kowalli looks a lot more stylish than your husband’s old coat!

Thanks so much for considering my product, and thanks to the other moms for submitting so many innovative ideas.

Not mine but this is great
Canton 4-in-1 Convertible Crib in Honey by Delta Children’s Products

http://www.target.com/Canton-Convertible-Honey-Children%E2%80%99s-Products/dp/B001P26BAU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&frombrowse=0&node=1038576&keywords=4%20in%20crib&field_browse=1038576&searchSize=30&id=Canton%20Convertible%20Honey%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Products&field_availability=-2&refinementHistory=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchNodeID=1038576&field_launch-date=-1y&searchRank=target104545&searchPage=1&field_keywords=4%20in%20crib