Invented by MOM

Turning Drips into Dollars

Mecinna Price, mother of five, discovered a strong craving for snow cones during her first pregnancy. By her fifth pregnancy, her house was full of popsicles, stained clothing and sticky counters.

After some initial drawings, meetings and calls for financing, Price Products was born and The Dripstik was created. One end of the barbell-shaped plastic Dripstik has a slot for Popsicle sticks, while the other fits ice cream cones.

The Dripstik is dishwater-safe and allows sticky treats to drip into a trough, rather than on tiny hands and clothing. It can also be set down on a flat surface, perfect for kids who start an ice cream cone then put it down. Today, the ever-expanding Price Products carries a range of items.

Inflatable Invention

Mom of three, Brenda Dronkers realized how much children love inflatable playhouses, and decided to move inflatable recreation out of backyards and into a safe and comfortable private indoor facility. She founded Pump It Up,  described as an “indoor inflatable party zone,” in 2000.

The business has been a bouncing success. Ten years later, the company has over 170 franchised party facilities across the United States.  Once they reached $70 million in revenues, Dronkers and her partner sold majority ownership. Today they continue to retain partial ownership and have started a t-shirt brand called Thriving Ink.

Make Clean up Easier

For moms Karen Rappaport and Denise Goldman, the “a-ha” moment happened during an emergency.
Out walking with their babies, one had a diaper emergency.

Shuffling through diaper bags, when a wipe case was finally found, the messy situation had progressed. Why had no one invented a better way to carry wipes, they wondered, and imagined how great it would be if wipes were built into bags.

My Royal Heinie,  a line of diapering organizers and accessories, with a built-in wipes dispenser was launched in 2007. By loading wipes into the front of bags, the duo’s invention eliminates the need to carry baby wipes in a separate case – or dig through a bag when emergency hits.

My Royal Heinie is carried in stores across North America, and by a number of major online retailers including Amazon, Babies R’ Us and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Hot Product for Barbeque Lovers

In 2006, Leslie Haywood’s husband got confused. He served her extra-spicy chicken, instead of the requested mild, because he had forgotten which pieces were which.

Thankfully, the spicy mix up turned into a great business opportunity. Haywood invented Grill Charms – stainless steel charms, about the size of a dime, placed in food before grilling. The charms stay firmly in place; letters or pictures help distinguish spices, flavors, and avoid health and allergy issues.

Despite a diagnosis of breast cancer and a bilateral mastectomy, Haywood launched Charmed Life Products, LLC in 2006. By 2007 Grill Charms were available. The mother of two’s sizzling invention comes in a range of collections and works with burgers, chicken, steak, pork, fish and more.

Making Potty Training Fun

Trying to teach her young son to (ahem) “aim” while standing up led Ann Neale to create Tinkle Targets.

The potty training aid encourages boys to stand at the potty and teaches them how to aim. The target features a fun illustration (like a soccer ball or space ship) with a small hole in the middle.  Placed in the toilet, it encourages boys to hit the target.

Tinkle Targets come in a range of themes, including sports, transportation and construction. Cleanup is non-existent, as the targets can be flushed.  With a little imagination, Neale turned a fairly unappealing part of raising a young son into a great invention.

Tracking Baby’s Health

Gone are the days of scribbling important questions for your newborn’s doctor on scraps of paper and not knowing where to find the information babysitters and caregivers need.

The HealthPod Baby is a zippered organizer that allows parents to track their child’s medical information in a user-friendly format. The HealthPod Baby is complete with growth charts, plastic pockets to hold vaccination cards, and a nylon cover that can easily be cleaned of snacks and juice.

Invented by three moms, Marci Andrews, Jana Sinclair and Nancy Scott, HealthPod Baby was influenced by Scott’s son, who had frequent ear infections. Taking him to his family doctor, walk-in clinics, or children’s hospital meant seeing different health care providers who didn’t have access to his health history; Scott realized how important a medical organizer for babies would be.

Say Goodbye to the Sniff Test

In the summer of 2005, friends Debbie Stephens Stauffer and Kathleen Whitehurst were working on ideas for a new business venture. A simple break turned into the big break these moms needed.

Stopping to feed Stauffer’s infant son, they wondered why baby food jars contained due dates dependant on when the jar was opened. With help from family, friends and experts, the DaysAgo Digital Day Counter was invented.

The unique gadget, which counts up to 99 days and attaches to a range of surfaces, can be used in the fridge and beyond. Common uses include tracking how many days ago the container(s) was opened, how many days ago the Chinese takeout has been in the fridge, or when the plants were last watered or litter box changed.

Do You Like Awkward Small Talk?

What was your best and worst New Years? How much dirt is okay in picnic food?
TableTopics, a series of small cards each with a single question in a visually appealing cube, is the brainchild of Cristy Clarke, mother of three.

In December 2002, Clarke was on her way to a Christmas party. Hoping to avoid meaningless small talk, she began thinking of conversation starters.  By morning, she was writing down questions and testing them at the dinner table.

The original TableTopics, launched in 2004, has been expanded into a range of themed editions, from Honeymoon to Golf, New Year’s Eve and Picnic editions. Questions range from the serious to the silly.

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