The week we invented Swaddle Strap, May 2011
About
Our Story
As new parents, we were frequently reminded that some babies fall asleep easily and sleep all the time; some don’t. Our daughter, Eve, did not. She was not one of the quick-to-sleep, easy-to-sleep babies.
Eve would not sleep unless she was swaddled. We learned about swaddling shortly before her birth, but what swaddling diagrams don’t show is that babies are really strong, and they fight back while you try to swaddle them.
One evening, just seven days home from the hospital with our new daughter, mommy nursed Eve to sleep and then washed diapers in the other room while daddy was on duty if baby awoke. And of course, she did. She had wriggled her arms free from her swaddling blanket and needed to be re-swaddled to fall back to sleep. Exhausted and incapable of the origami mastery required for traditional swaddle blankets, Robert lay awake holding Eve’s little arms down at her side so she would sleep.
As he lay there, Robert mentally deconstructed swaddling into the fewest necessary steps, using the least fabric possible. It was at that moment that he envisioned Swaddle Strap®: a strap-within-a-strap swaddle that could be done quickly, safely and securely by even the most sleep deprived, new parent.
Eve demonstrates Daddy’s idea
The next morning, he & baby Eve used a paper mock-up to describe it to Anna, who got to work sewing prototypes. It worked beautifully! Eve was instantly calmed by her daddy’s invention, and Swaddle Strap arms-only baby swaddle was born.
Six months after Swaddle Strap began helping families all over the world get more sleep, another opportunity to help ease the stress of parenting presented itself.
As all parents of babies know, when the diaper needs to be changed, you can’t wait. Inspired by a very unpleasant diaper changing experience in the restroom of an ice cream parlor that had no changing station, a sticky floor, and barely any room to move, Eve’s daddy got the idea for a diaper bag to solve the problems he encountered that day. The LifeChanger® would be a diaper bag that opens to a baby changing station you can use on your lap, while keeping all of your supplies off the floor and within reach. Robert made a cardboard and duct tape prototype, Anna refined the design and The LifeChanger began changing lives!
Eve & Mommy modify Daddy’s design
We think you’ll agree, The LifeChanger is the best diaper bag designed for busy parents on the go and makes life easier for everyone when the baby needs to go!
About Us
Anna Jones (mom), Robert Houston (dad), and Eve Houston (daughter) are the family behind Anna & Eve LLC. With Eve for inspiration, Robert’s ingenious product ideas and Anna’s sewing and design skills, Swaddle Strap and The LifeChanger were conceived, prototyped and brought to market between 2010-2012. Since then, Swaddle Strap and The LifeChanger have eased the stress of parenting for thousands of families.
- Anna has a bachelor’s degree in fine art and before starting Anna & Eve, had a career in the culinary field.
- Robert has a master’s degree in fine art and career in retail management.
The family and business reside in sunny Placitas, New Mexico, USA