Ever try to calm a toddler with a scraped knee as you hold their hand and keep them in tow while trying to find a band aid as the child is screaming for mommy?

 

Ever try to find a permanent marker to label a child's lunch box because there are ten other firefighter lunch boxes that look just the same with no name!

 

Did your student say something adorable and you don't have the tools at hand to document it?

 

Drats! Another cute picture of Daniel and Mackenzie and my camera phone is tucked safely in my locker!

 

Those are a few of the many reasons I created "The Hipster"tm, The Original Teachers Tool Belt! 

 

Before marriage and family I worked in the restaraunt business, managing, serving and bartending in various establishments. When my children came along I chose to be a stay at home mom, volunteering at their school any chance I could get. I loved being around my children, their friends, parents and teachers. As the years progressed I actually started working and getting paid from the school district as an aid, eventually moving on to teach PreKindergartners.  I taught pre-school for five years. I loved it but I found I was exhausted at the end of my preschool day and it was not from teaching.

 

Unfortunately we teachers are constantly looking for our tools. I was compelled to find a way to be more efficient and less tired.  I wanted to get all my co-workers organized so they weren’t so frazzled at the end of the day too!

 

In an effort to find a solution to scattered and discombobulated days I enlisted a friend of mine, Harriet, an award winning quilt maker, to help me make a vest to hold scissors, paper and pens. Ecstatic to try my new invention at work, I wore it religiously for a week, unfortunately every time I bent over I would lose an item.

 

Day one of wearing the vest, I found my pair of adult scissors in the sand box. On day three, my bright blue sharpie was next to the light beige fiberglass play-structure. Lucky for me, my scissors did not get incorporated into a game of "Star Wars", nor did my permanent blue marker become a bright blue smiley face with endless legs wrapped permanently around the tube slide.  Needless to say my vest idea was a bust!

 

So on to my next prototype which was similar to a waiters apron.  Since I had been a waiter in my past life I knew how important it was to have your pen, cardholder and wine opener at hand. I decided to create my product from that simple design.

 

After folding, (did I mention my sewing skills are less than adequate!)  pinning, cutting, taping and top stitching a prototype together I sent my idea to a few more seamstresses (Thank you Joli, Candy and Darlene for your help!). Consequently several years and several prototypes later...

 

"The Hipster" tm was born.  With my new design, scissors stayed in place, Sharpies were at hand and band aids were just a pocket flap away!  My director was so pleased with "The Hipster"tm and my ease of productivity I knew I had something.

 

Since my calling has always been to help people I decided to go out into the world to share my product with fellow teachers; to give them the opportunity to have their tools at hand!

 

That is my story!