Huggies MomInspired Grants Reward Entrepreneurs

Diaper industry giant Huggies has announced the winners of the 2011 Huggies MomInspired Grant program. The program provides $15,000 in seed money and business resources to inventors of original products that make caring for a baby easier and more enjoyable. Moms have long been a source for ingenuity and creativity in the baby industry, and the Huggies Grant program is acknowledging and fostering this great resource.

Products do not have to be diaper-related, but they must seek to ease a parent’s workload from the prenatal period through age six. Winners are selected based on originality and creativity, how well the product solves an important parenting issue, and commercial viability.

Caring for your own child provides a front row seat to the challenges and discomforts of parenting babies and small children. While today we have many conveniences, some of the best ideas are still out there, and many of them come to new mothers in the middle of the 3:00am diaper change!

We applaud Huggies for their support of the entrepreneurial spirit! Let’s take a look at some of the 2011 winners…

Bobee Dispenses Diapers and Wipes

Bobee is a wall-mounted diaper and wipe caddy. This simple and effective product keeps diapers and wipes out of the way, but conveniently close. After the 10th diaper change of the day, it quickly becomes apparent that changing supplies need to be easily accessible. But keeping a stack of diapers out takes up vital changing table space and becomes messy and cluttered in no time, especially when toddlers can get to them.

The Bobee is an elegant solution that keeps everything close by without cluttering up baby’s room. The plastic caddy allows you to stack up to 35 disposable diapers and includes a lower compartment for wipes. The wipes compartment holds either a travel pack or a handful without the plastic wrapping. Cloth diaper inserts will also fit in the dispenser.

Grabbing a new diaper and wipe takes one hand, freeing up the other hand to secure a squirmy baby. The Bobee means no more fumbling around under the changing table while trying to hold the baby still.

Each Bobee comes with decorative decals that can be mixed, matched, and repositioned. Decals include mod-style dots in blue, pink, green, yellow and brown. And for those artistic moms, the Bobee can be painted for a more custom look.

For more information, visit www.Bobeeinc.com

Magnificent Baby Makes Dressing Baby Positively Easy

Clothing a wiggly baby can be a challenge, even for experienced parents! Clothes with snaps running up and down them are popular because they can be easily taken off for a diaper change. The problem is, they are easy to take off, and difficult to put back on! Matching snaps takes time and often requires multiple attempts, which can be frustrating to parents and upsetting to baby.

Magnificent Baby is a clothing line that uses fully enclosed magnetic clasps instead of snaps, buttons, and Velcro. The magnets are strong enough to close up when they are close to one another, but also to easily pull apart during a quick change. The concept is great for middle of the night changes, but it is also beneficial to grandparents and other caregivers that may find small snaps difficult to use.

The magnets are sewn into the hem of each item so that there are no lose ends, creating a cleaner look to the garment. Each item is made with soft, high-quality cotton with simple designs. Magnificent Baby combines the latest style trends in infant clothing with some serious innovation.

The clothing line is currently available for sizes newborn through 24 months. The line also won the JPMA 2011 Innovation award.

For more information, visit www.MagnificentBaby.com

Kristi G is a Mom with a Brand-New Bag for Dad

Kristi G is a mom of five and has created multiple products that make parenting easier. Her latest creation, and the winner of the Huggies MomInspiration Grant, is the DadPack with Kristi’s EZ-Wipe System. The grant money will be used to bring the new product through production. The masculine bag will be available this spring.

The faux leather bag is a backpack style diaper bag with a messenger bag strap. The sectioned pockets let dad separate his things from baby essentials. The innovation of the DadPack is the EZ-Wipe System. Kristi developed the system to allow for easy access to wipes. A small exterior pocket keeps wipes, and moisture, in while a small zipper provides quick access. The EZ-Wipe System eliminates the hassle of digging through an overstuffed bag to find the wipes.

The small exterior pocket is discreetly placed on the side of the bag; simply unzip, grab a wipe, and re-zip. The simple ease of this design comes straight from a mom who has seen her share of sticky faces and quick diaper changes out in public! The EZ-Wipe System is already available on the Kristi G line of diaper bags, which are so stylish they shouldn’t be called diaper bags. But the addition of the DadPack to the Kristi G line is a much-needed innovation!

For more information, visit www.kristig.com

Psi Bands Help Relieve Nausea

Pronounced, “sigh”, these bands are a “sigh of relief” for nauseated moms to be! Psi Bands are a whole new take on acupressure wristbands that help relieve nausea. The bands are FDA-cleared and moms will actually want to wear them! While other bands may be effective, they are mostly fugly (fashion ugly).

Psi Bands come in five adjustable, waterproof designs. Psi Bands are the only adjustable nausea bands on the market; they are adjustable by length and the pressure point can be raised or lowered to adjust the pressure level.

Designs include bright reds and pinks with fun flowers and stripes, or an understated black and gray or black with green concentric squares.

As with the other Huggies MomInspiration winners, Psi Bands were born out of experience. Inventor Romy experienced months of nausea with both her pregnancies and during travel. Acupressure bands helped, but she wanted something more fashionable and practical than the clinical bands on the market.

Psi Bands have been featured on Oprah’s “O List,” as well as in many nationally recognized women’s and baby magazines. Bands are sold in sets of two; one band is worn on each wrist. Psi Bands retail for $15-$20 per set.

Wholesalers can contact Psi Bands at and www.psibands.com

Through July 31, Huggies is accepting applicants for the 2012 MomInspiration Grant.