This post is sponsored by Lavelu Lounger. Learn more about this KC mom’s invention that makes baby bath time easier!
I am always intrigued by momtrepreneur stories, especially when they are a local KC mom. I recently had the chance to virtually meet Emily Crawford, a Kansas City mom to three – that has designed the Lavelu Lounger, a new product designed to make bathing babies easier!
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a wife, and mother to three children – Haddon (8), Eleanor (3) and Lula (1), as well as two huge dogs Beulah and Cordelia. By day I am a partner and creative director at Treo Marketing in Lee’s Summit, MO. I am also the owner and creative engineer of OA Creative Concepts. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Missouri in Public Relations. Every product I create is the birth of something good. Whether it’s a widget that helps you get through the day or a device that changes the world, my goal is to invent and bring to market products that make your life easier. I create products that help parents keep their sanity! I recently auditioned to be on Shark Tank season 12 during a casting call held in Kansas City. I’ve always been a creative person, making jewelry, movies with my siblings, or carving wood sculptures. However, only recently I started working on physical products that sell on a national level.
Can you tell us what it’s like to be an entrepreneur and mom?
First and foremost, everything I do is for the benefit of my children. I’m building an empire, a lasting legacy for them to have and continue (if they wish). I work smarter, not harder to show them that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. When I’m working on a new idea I try to involve them as much as possible so they feel like they are part of the process. Whether it’s product ideas or testing (of which sometimes they are reluctant to test), I bring them along with me on the journey in hopes of instilling some knowledge early so one day they can take over my company or start their own. Children are always watching. It’s important for them to see me focused and determined even when a prototype doesn’t work or something bad happens; I get back to it and keep moving forward.
What was your inspiration for creating the Lavelu Lounger?
If you’ve ever had to give a newborn a bath you know it can be a difficult task. Screaming baby, cold plastic, head and neck slumping over, water splashing everywhere. It’s stressful! After giving my daughter Lula her first bath home from the hospital, I was so frustrated with the available options. I thought, “there has to be a better way,” so I invented one!
Tell us more about the product and how it helps moms.
For over 200 years, we have been bathing our babies the same way – in a metal, plaster, or plastic tub. Until now, parents all over the world have been using clunky and awkward bath and sink inserts that are not supportive, cold hard plastic, bulky, require filling and draining water and don’t store well. Parents are hurting their backs and knees trying to bathe a newborn hunched over a bathtub, or creating a sloppy wet mess filling and emptying a plastic tub that requires additional accessories to make the baby more comfortable during the bath. If you’ve ever had to give a newborn a bath you know it can be a difficult task. Screaming, cold plastic, head, and neck slumping over.
SOLUTION: The Lavelu Lounger is unlike any baby sink insert option on the market today. The lounger is made of waterproof material that allows the water to flow through and serves as a plush cushion that conforms to the baby’s body emulating the soft comfort of a mother’s womb, eliminating your baby’s discomfort and subsequent screaming, while fully supporting the vulnerable neck and head of a newborn baby. Bottom line, they feel safer and you aren’t leaning over the bathtub killing your back and knees! The lounger will fit in any sink type – square, round, kitchen or bathroom sink, tiny home, camper or RV… it’s universal! When you are done it’s not heavy and soaking wet like other products on the market. The water drains through the lounger into the sink drain during the bath. You simply Use It, Drain It, Squeeze It, Hang It!
Bonus: After your baby outgrows the lounger it can be used as a bath pillow for adults! Reducing product waste in the first year of your baby’s life.
What Does Lavelu Mean?
“Lave” means to wash and “Lu” for my daughter Lula who inspired the idea. Pronounced “La-vay-Lou.”
Where can moms purchase the product? How do they find you?
Purchase: Amazon or on the product website.
Cost: $33
I am offering doorstep delivery in the KC Metro area during the COVID-19 Crisis.
Disclaimers: This product is not for use in a bathtub, it will float and is not intended for use in any other capacity except as an insert in a kitchen or bathroom sink. Hand wash, air dry only.
