Dr. Phil Puts Mom's Invention to Test! ...

As seen nationally on Friday, June 13 ...

Click here to order your "Snack-Trap"

TROY, Mich. – Christine Moss isn’t sure who coined the term “necessity is the mother of invention,” but she believes “motherhood” was the necessity she needed for a really good idea.  Encouraged by family and friends, the Troy, Michigan resident responded to the “Dr. Phil” show’s call for inventors to submit their “million-dollar” ideas.

According to show producers, thousands of ideas were submitted from across the country.  After initial submissions were narrowed to about 100 finalists, the producers used industry experts to select 5 products to be featured on the show.  Ms. Moss was informed she had been selected late on a Saturday afternoon and traveled to Hollywood, California the following Tuesday morning to participate in the taping of the show.

When she decided to leave her career as a manager for an environmental company some years ago to start a family with her husband, she did not realize how much she would miss her job.  Like many women, she quickly realized she had traded a demanding 9-to-5 job for a 24-hour on-call assignment servicing the requirements, whims and fancy of a cute, lovable, but more demanding boss than she ever imagined.  “Motherhood is a wonderful, life-changing experience, but at times it can be more demanding than any job I had,” says Moss.

Raising her first daughter, she constantly strived to make things more efficient and convenient.  “It is incredible how time-consuming being a mother can be,” says Moss.  “Dressing, feeding, bathing, washing, cooking, and cleaning constantly leaves very little time for yourself.  When we had our second daughter 18 months later, I knew two things and promised myself a third:  (1) My ‘job’ just got twice as complicated, (2) I had to get better and more efficient quickly, and (3) I was going to learn from my experience raising my first daughter.”  Caring for a newborn while her older daughter learned to feed herself was especially challenging to Mrs. Moss.  This problem led her to design a solution that allows toddlers to feed themselves while minimizing accidental spills.  She calls her solution the “Snack-Trap™.”

The “Snack-Trap” consists of a tip-resistant, handled cup that allows toddlers to grasp and hold the cup themselves.  Her unique, patent-pending lid allows toddlers to see and retrieve food with ease themselves.  The lid automatically closes when the toddlers remove their hand.  The “Snack-Trap” allows toddlers to feed themselves while helping to prevent spills when the cup is knocked, dropped, or thrown (yes, toddlers have tempers).  Moss says another major convenience is that the “Snack-Trap” is portable and useful at home, outdoors, or in the car, matching the active lifestyle of most families.

Immediately prior to the taping of the show, Moss learned that her invention along with the others would be discussed by Dr. Phil and a product expert, and then voted on by the audience.  Each member of the studio audience had been provided a green paddle to indicate “good idea, go forward” and a red paddle to indicate “stop, bad idea, don’t go forward.”  This twist took Moss and the other inventors by surprise.  “It certainly provided me with an adrenaline rush,” says Moss, “One I am not sure I needed.”

In discussing the product, Dr. Phil and the product expert commented that it solved a daily problem, tested its effectiveness through a demonstration, and concluded it had great market potential.  “The comments by Dr. Phil and the product expert were great, but what meant the most to me was hearing Dr. Phil say ‘I’m seeing a sea of green’ when the audience was asked to vote,” comments Moss.

“Being on the Dr. Phil show has only deepened my resolve to see my idea make it to the marketplace,” says Moss.  The show aired nationally on FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2003.  “The response we received from across the nation was amazing.  I believe we received order from every state and a lot from across Canada.  The orders and comments sent in by Moms who saw the show confirmed my belief that Moms would love the "Snack-Trap"!.

According to recent ratings, the “Dr. Phil” show is shown on 185 TV stations daily reaching approximately 5.1 million viewers (#2-ranked Talk Show).

Moss is currently finalizing her production run of the product and marketing it to specialty shops, grocery stores, and retail stores.  In the meantime, one can get a “Snack-Trap” by calling 248-828-7460 or via the Internet at www.snacktrap.com.

Click here to order your "Snack-Trap"