Contestant's Case to Win

I am Mother to five and Grandmother to ten children, plus have been governess (nanny) for several families. Throughout my 48 years of nurturing, caring for and raising children, I never stayed home because of a baby or young child. I made daily outings, traveled the country by car, train and plane, staying in hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts and campgrounds. Needless to say, I found ways to simplify life-on-the-go with baby; and the old adage – necessity is the mother of invention – has proven to be a truism. My talents and skills were drawn from my own up-bringing, which I adapted to my new role of motherhood in the early ‘60s here in America.
The TEND-A-TOT™, a 6-in-1 baby/childcare Diaper Bag-Tote, came about as a result of my creative endeavor to improve on the shawl sling used in Greece and elsewhere in old-world countries. I needed something that would provide nurture, comfort, security and mobility for the littlest members of our family as well as ease of care, when away from home. I started with the idea of a child carrier that could be used as an instant chair/seat on most dining and restaurant chairs, which also carried all of baby’s necessities for short- or long-term outings and travels. Although simplicity and ease of mobility for the caretaker were among my goals, my primary desire was to create a product that would provide nurture, comfort and security for baby.
Naturally, the idea for this multi-function product evolved over time, as I lived, breathed, ate and dreamed my creation over the following months. As I used the first TEND-A-TOT™ with my youngest grandchild at the time, I was approached by people on the street, in stores, restaurants, airports, and campgrounds, asking where they could purchase one and/or did I make them. “I’m expecting a grandchild in a few months! Do you have a business card?” Mothers, who looked like they should be closer to a delivery room than out and about, would give me their e-mail addresses. Others remarked how they wish they had had the TEND-A-TOT™, when raising their own children. People made suggestions that I go on HSN or other Television Network Shopping Shows or Oprah. Automotive and other design engineers, oftentimes men, stopped to comment on the design and construction. This was before finding a manufacturer and well before the development of the WWW.TENDATOT.COM website.
My experiences since day one have been exhilarating – especially upon waking in the middle of the night to jot down new features and revisions, but not without anxious moments of doubt, followed by sudden bursts of extreme confidence that the TEND-A-TOT™ is, indeed, a unique product and worthy to be brought to market.
I sold my house to launch the TEND-A-TOT™. The website is complete and the on-line Catalogue Store is open for business. The factory – right here in the USA! - has an inventory of over 60 on hand and is awaiting my successful entry into the marketplace to add any number of sewers to their employee list.