Port Richey Women Are Mothers Of Invention

Like a lot of friends, Debra Medina and Leslie Barile often had we-ought-to start-a-business conversations during the seven years they worked together as counselors at Cody River Elementary School.

The difference between them and other would-be business teams is they got around to making it happen, finding both inspiration and opportunity during maternity leaves.

"We spent a lot of time talking about being mom entrepreneurs," Barile said. "It was just something that we envisioned for ourselves for the future."

Barile and Medina recently launched their online company, Spa Time Baby. It sells products that aim to turn baby bath time into a relaxing experience for parent and child.

Their central product is the recently patented CozyCare Cape. The cape's combination of form and function is almost symbolic of its creators' style of teamwork and the manner in which they formed their business.

Barile and Medina aren't just good friends, their personalities mesh so well people often mistake them for sisters. At the same time, each has particular strengths that compliment each other.

"I'm somebody who's always thinking of the creative way to solve something, but I'm not always so good at executing," Medina said. "And she's really good at the details, saying 'OK, if we're going to pull this off, we have to do this, this, this and this.' "

As counselors they were noted for their out-of-the box approach, including spa-like elements such as music, sand therapy, fountains and lava lamps to create a tranquil setting they both value.

Barile and then Medina had babies less than two years apart. While Medina was out on maternity leave she got one of her creative flashes. Giving her baby a bath was a less enjoyable experience than it could be, she thought. She got wet; her baby got cold. There are all kinds of products for adults to have a spa-like experience. Why not treat a baby's bath time that way?

There were bath aprons on the market, but they had to be tied in the back and they didn't thoroughly protect the bather or provide warmth and comfort to the baby. After searching in several directions, Medina got the idea of something that loosely based on the capes used at hair salons.

She had used cloth diapers, and had heard of something called polyurethane laminated, or PUL, fabric. It is used in diapers to help make them waterproof. She had the basic design - a cape with soft, comforting terrycloth on the outside and a PUL inner lining.

With the inspiration developed, Medina turned to Barile and her knack for working out the practicalities. Barile said it took her a little while to agree this was the entrepreneurial idea they were waiting for, but once she did, everything has fallen into place.

They searched online looking for someone with a facility to manufacture the capes. With the whole world at their disposal, they found Sunrays Manufacturing, in Holiday.

With a Web site and manufacturer in place, Medina and Barile are building their inventory. CozyCare Capes are available in several colors and trims, and can even be monogrammed.

After the capes were in production, they realized they could also be handy for dog owners to protect themselves from post-bath shake-offs. Medina and Barile say they plan on creating a line of capes with paw print, dog bone and other such prints and marketing them under a separate product name - Spa Time Pets.

They are also introducing three more CozyCare products, caps, mats and washcloths.

The caps are made for the baby to keep their heads warm after the bath. The washcloths have a round design.

Barile said they got the idea when they were at the manufacturer's plant and saw all the pieces of cloth that were cut out to while making the capes. The mats, similar to the capes in their design, are made to give parents a cozy place to lay the baby after the bath.

"It takes the stress out of bath time," Medina said. "It really makes it a time to bond with your baby, a fun playful time."

Along with their own products, Spa Time Baby offers a line of massage CDs, books and a line of soap and skin care products.

The CozyCare Cape can be ordered at the Spa Time Baby Web site.