Sippy Straw Cleaner

Have you ever accidently left your child’s sippy cup in the blistering hot car or wonder what that odd smell is coming from under the couch, only to find your child has hidden their thermos there over a week ago? Have you ever gone to pick up your children from daycare only to see some other runny nosed child drinking out of your child’s sippy cup? I am a stay at home mom that has tackled the never ending battle of trying to disinfect and clean out the curdled milk or molded apple juice from my children’s sippy cup and thermos straws. I tried using toothpicks, pipe cleaners, Qtips, even small paintbrushes… always with minimal success. I never felt confident that it was bacteria free and clean enough to have my children drink through it again. After throwing away TONS of expensive sippy cups because of dirty, clogged straws, I came up with the idea for a mini reusable straw brush cleaner…and voila … the idea for THE SIPPY STRAW CLEANER was born.

Surprisingly, it took only four months to go from an idea to an actual marketable product. During these months I spent many sleepless nights scouring the mommy message boards, online boutiques, and major retail chains for any similar products. Everyone had the same home remedies, yet none of them seemed to be a full proof method for cleaning those pesky straws. More importantly, I saw the reoccurring phrase “I just throw them out and buy another one” and it raised a huge red flag as to the amount of PLASTIC sippy cups that were being thrown in the garbage and what that was doing to our environment. In addition, parents were wasting money purchasing new expensive sippy cups, merely because they couldn’t get the straw clean.

My goal for the Sippy Straw Cleaner was three-fold:

• Save parents money by not having to purchase new sippy cups on a regular basis.
• Better for the environment due to less plastic toss out.
• Healthier for kids by cutting down on straw bacteria build up.

Over the last two years, the media has spent quite a bit of time talking about the dangers of Bisphenol-A (BPA) and how scientists have linked very low doses of BPA exposure to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, hyperactivity, as well as neural and behavior problems among children.  Being a mother, I only wanted to develop a product that was safe for both me and my children. The Sippy Straw Cleaner underwent weeks of laboratory testing in New Jersey for verification of its compound makeup. I am happy to report that the Sippy Straw Cleaner is not only FDA approved, but BPA FREE and meets all the requirements of the US Consumer Product Safety Regulations.  The brush has a nylon bristle tip, stainless steel rust free wire stem, and a polypropelene handle to allow for easier holding and scrubbing motion. The design and size of the brush allow for it to universally fit all major brands of sippy, thermos, accordion, and sports bottle straws. It also works fabulously on medicine droppers, jewelry, and keyboards.

The Sippy Straw Cleaner has been on the market for a mere 2 months now…and based on the feedback we’ve received, I’m proud to say we’re meeting our goals. Healthier kids…healthier environment…one sip at a time

HEALTHFUL HINTS:

What are the benefits for your child by drinking from a straw?

1. Drinking from a straw cup helps oral motor strengthening and speech development.
2. Straw usage helps to improve lip closure, strength, and control.
3. Using a Sippy Cup with a straw allows a child to hold their cup easier and doesn’t require tilting.
4. When purchasing bottles and/or Sippy Cups always look on the label to verify that the product is BPA free.

To help ensure your child’s sippy cups and thermos’s are BPA free, there are many websites that are full of “green” recommendations with reviews on products available on the market today.

1. The Soft Landing : Store and blog offering over 45 brands of 100% BPA, PVC, and Phthalate free baby and toddler products. 
2. Safe Mama: BPA free bottle and sippy cup cheat sheet
3. Z-Recommends: Searchable database providing information about potentially harmful chemicals in a wide range of baby products based on company reporting.

Kid’s Companion for Special Needs

A common thread for many mom entrepreneurs is the stories that have made our companies. This is mine. It’s the story of the HeartString Kid Companion. One little item that gives peace of mind to caregivers and a shot of confidence to special needs youth. Let me tell you how…

One day, with two growing children, I noticed that my daughter, with Tourette’s Syndrome and sensory issues, very much appreciated a clay heart pendant I had made for her teething sister. Maybe it should be noted that my university background is in health sciences, but I also am a jeweler (my creative side I guess). As I watched, it struck me that my 3 year old could chew and fidget discreetly while my nursing infant could tug and teeth to her hearts’ content. After a few comments from parents, phone calls to child healthcare professionals and fruitless product searches, I realized that other parents were looking for such accessories, especially for their special needs children.

This began our journey. It was 2006 and the road ahead would be long with many challenges we’d need to overcome. As a mother, I wanted to see my children happy. Part of having a happy special needs youth is having one that functions well at school, at play and especially, as best she can with her peers. With time, needing to belong to her peer group would become more and more important. That meant creating something that was chewable and tuggable while still being “cool” enough to blend in. Finally, we had a solution….a durable, colorful, non-toxic pendant that was safe to chew on…something that could help any child be him/herself, anytime, anywhere. We called it the HeartString Kid Companion.

Years of research and development went into making this a product we could truly be proud of, from finding materials for the design idea to testing prototypes and final parts. Since our products are developed for infant use, we wanted FDA approved, North American sourced/made and socially responsible materials. THAT was a tall order, but we did it! We have followed ASTM standards and have passed the new (and future) CPSIA 3rd party testing. We have our 3rd Party Certificate documenting the safety standards met. We even keep a record of all MSDS certificates from our suppliers.

In the end, we learned a lot. From injection molding, to lab testing, to exporting and distribution channels… logistics, FDA and marketing. Our business skills are becoming honed and our knowledge of the maternity/paternity and infant market is increasing daily. With the many legal and marketing loopholes we encounter, we see how important it is, that companies like ours press on with their values. (…that is a whole other story…)

Ultimately we had one goal in mind for the time-strapped parent: In a world of increasing uncertainty about children product safety, The Kid’s Companion would give parents peace of mind.

• A custom breakaway clasp will release and can be re-attached with ease - a feature that guards against strangulation, even at play.
• 18” or 20″ necklaces (lanyards) are made with durable and washable rayon/cotton that is dyed with safe non-toxic dyes.
• Pendants all pass small parts test and are actually around 2” to eliminate any possibility of choking
• Pendant and clasp materials are medical grade, BPA/phthalates free, Lead free, Latex free and Cadmium free.
• Everything can be washed!! (Pendants are even dishwasher safe).

Even more important…we discovered a way to help a child whose special needs might easily set them apart… find a way to fit in. For my daughter…for other children…we are making a difference…

Healthful Hints

There are a number of different types of products to help your child overcome sensory issues. Often recommended by both parents and occupational therapists are the following:

• Chewy Tubes, developed by a speech pathologist and great for home use.
• Tri-Chew, by Debra Beckman, MS, CCC-SLP
• Nûby™ Nibbler™ for parents to place food inside.
• Check with The Sensory Processing Disorder Resource Center for other ideas as well.

Many children with sensory issues like to put things in their mouth. To keep them safe:

• Check if the product complies with safety regulations for child care articles!
• Avoid PVC and plastic items with enamel or paint. Especially those at economy stores.
• Do not rely on retailers or manufacturers to meet voluntary standards, or even to comply with mandatory standards. Request Proof. Get informed. Supply chains notoriously have holes
• As with the Kid’s Companion, make sure the items are too large to be swallowed and can easily be sanitized (i.e. dishwasher safe or machine-washable)
• Replace any damaged products before they break, tear or can become small parts.

As always, if you’re introducing something new to your child’s routine, check with your child’s pediatrician, therapist or teacher first.

Puj Tub

Parenting is such a rewarding experience but yet one of the hardest jobs in the world. That is why after having 3 kids of their own, designers Ben and Katie decided to design products of their own that helped them raise their own children and make life a little more simpler so that they could spend more time with their kids instead of stressing over the little things. Hence Puj (pronounce like “pudge”) was born!

As most parents do, Katie and Ben went out looking for the perfect infant tub to bathe their baby in. All they found though were ones that were large and hard to store, messy and hard to keep clean, didn’t cradle and make the baby comfortable, and caused their own back and knees to ache. That is when the idea that there should be a baby tub out there that reduced all these problems that caused such a simple task as bathing to become a huge ordeal.

What came out of this was the innovative invention of the Puj Tub! The idea for the tub came from your simple everyday brown grocery sack. It is light weight, portable, stores flat, and is also able to hold mass. Why not create a tub similar to this concept? Well that is exactly what Ben and Katie did and after three years, the Puj Tub has entered into the world.

Along with the easy to use design of the tub, Ben and Katie also wanted a tub that was healthy and safe for babies as well as the parents. That is why they decided to make the tub from a soft “warm to the touch” foam that cradles the baby. Compared to the large, hard, plastic tubs out on the market right now, this is much more calming and comforting to the little one making bath time more enjoyable for everyone. Also the fear of the backaches and neck cramps that come from bathing your baby are eliminated! The tub can just simply be placed in a bathroom or kitchen sink at your height and there you have it!

Finally, when picking the material for the Puj Tub Ben and Katie first and foremost wanted something that was non-toxic (BPA Free + PVC Free) . As parents of three kids themselves, this was very important to them. From there, they looked for properties like softness vs. stiffness, the material needed to be the perfect combination of the two to enable it to be both soft and supportive.  They also looked for something that was non-absorbant so that it would dry quickly helping it to be anti-bacterial + anti-fungal. All of this resulted in the use of the foam material that the tubs are made of.   The coast guard and the FDA even approve it so it’s gotta be good!

With such an easy to use, store, and health friendly product, bathing your new born will never have been more simple which is just the way Puj wants it.

HEALTHFUL HINTS

Here’s a “top 7 checklist” from Puj Tub that all mommies and daddies should consider before bathing their new babies:

1. Location. Kitchen, bathroom, counter, pedestal. Consider where your bathing supplies are located and where is the most convenient place to bathe your baby.
2. Safety. Make sure your infant is secured in position as well as if the tub actually fits in the sink or on the counter you are planning to use.
3. Comfort for the baby. Your baby needs to feel cradled as well as secure in the tub so no sloshing or slipping of the baby occurs.
4. Comfort for the mommy or daddy. Make sure the height of the tub is comfortable so that you avoid backaches and knee aches.
5. Time. Consider convenience and what the most time efficient way is to set-up and clean-up.
6. Water temperature. Fill the tub first and then test the water with your finger so you know that water is okay for your baby.
7. Baby skin sensitivity. Make sure you are using doctor recommended soaps that will won’t harm or be sensitive to your babies skin.