I've been tossing around the idea of starting a blog, which I would call "The Mediocre Mama," which is pretty much how I feel about my parenting. So, I Google it today, and it already exists! She even has 3 boys, like me :)
My other recent ideas have been:
Curbside convenience store pick-up -- been thinking about it for 2 years, and last week my BIL sent me a pic text from a Walgreens that HAS it
An "Angry Birds" live action game -- stack blocks/bricks, launch the birds -- just saw it in the Toys R Us ad last week
I've got a ton of other ideas that I get so excited about, and then later find out someone's already made it.
What have been your great ideas that are already being sold?
Yes, drive thru tampons/pads would work well too :)
ETA: My family always seems to miss the boat on great ideas. My paternal great-grandpa and his brother had a saddle-making business in Minneapolis. The brother, Ray, wanted to start up a sausage factory. My ggpa said, "Ray, why? We have this great saddle business. Everyone needs a saddle!" So, my great-great uncle went on to start his own meat packaging company--and hence was born the Schweigert hot dog. UGH! BILLIONNAIRES!!! We could have been the .05%% =)
i always wanted to do diaper creme wipes travel size and regular, like a regular wipe that had the creme on it already, so you didn't have to touch the disgusting stuff or the kids bottom at all. I still havent seen this but have no start up money...bohooo
Jennifer B Thats an awesome idea...maybe other fun products toot hat people are embarassed to get lubes...that would rake in tons from embarrassed people
Oddly enough, I wanted to do a drive through condom store...Not sure how well that would go over here in the heart of the Bible Belt! :)
That American Pickers show.
My husband and I wanted to do that years ago.
19 yrs ago, I had a stroller, a car seat, a high chair, a swing and was trying to get baby in and out of each without waking her. I thought, wow it sure would be great if I could just let her sleep in the car seat and snap it right into the stroller and when we get home, I could just hook it into her swing, and then at meal time I could just sit her in her highchair. Well....... whadaya know!
I have a few i still havent seen on market, i tried to patent one but havent seen it on the market.
One thing i paint myself that im sure has already been done. A step stool with a foot/growth chart on it. If i happen to be going shopping that day i can get an accurate assessment of my kids foot size while they brush their teeth. It had proved to be very useful with my little growing weeds.
My boyfriend thought of red box and netflix streaming movies right to your tv. His mom thought of those koala changers that are in all the bathrooms at public places, but then told her neighbors about the idea and they actually went out and invented them.
When my son was first born I started couponing to save money - but I always forgot the coupons. I remember saying to my hubby (around 2004) we should develop something where you can scan your coupons right onto the store loyalty card - then I wouldn't have to remember to bring the paper coupons.
Well...5 plus years later it's all the rage...sigh...I coulda been a contender. :-)
Lol!!! I thought about calling a blog the exact same thing. Though I assumed someone out there was using it. Now I know! :)
Too funny!
I've spent so much of my time over the years searching for remotes and keys. My idea (which I still haven't seen, but I have no idea how to implement it) - is to have a home base with a dozen or so small receivers(ideally about the size of a hearing aid battery) that can be put on a keychain, back of remote, wallet, etc. Each of them is assigned a number. You go to the home base, and key in the number of whatever item you cannot find, and it emits a sound so you can track it.
In high school, way back in the 80's, I had to do a project on what I would do to help society. It could be a product or service.
So I did all this workup for a daycare in the malls. I would rent space, have workers there on mall hours and be there for shoppers and mall employees.
2 years ago Wiggle Worms opened up in the mall--daycare in a mall space.
Half regular sheets and half flannel for couples like us, where the wife is always cold and the husband is always too hot. I thought I should cut a regular set and a flannel set down the middle and sew them together to make two sets of half and half. I googled it and found lots of people already selling these. :-(
After dealing with cleaning up after my son at restaurants back when he was a toddler, I "invented" a removeable placemat that would suction to the table and be easily wiped clean. I had never seen something like this and thought it would be awesome! I did the patent search and everything only to find that a patent had JUST been filed for exactly what I was wanting to do. About a month or 2 later, it showed up on the shelves of Babies R Us...now known as the Tiny Diner mat! ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!
Better than me!!!
NOTHING I want is ever on the market for 2-3 years.
SO irritating.
I know the feeling! :-) I used to make my own Spanx out of pantyhose in college! In the early 80's I was always on the hunt for a bottle of water (instead of soda) and would get the strangest looks at convenience stores when I asked if they had bottled water. They'd direct me to the gallon jugs of distilled water. I keep thinking that one of these days inspiration will strike again at the right time! Good luck to you.
