With my days of lugging diaper bags and assembling strollers safely in the past, it has been a while since I've investigated gizmos and gadgets that make life easier for mothers. Mothers who are traveling with children, in particular, have special needs. A few inventive mothers have come up with products that I've recently had the opportunity to review. They may make traveling with your children a little easier.

The SnuggL'Up Pillow was my favorite item. It was silky and soft, not abrasive, and with nothing that a child could pull off and put in his or her mouth. This hypo-allergenic pillow, with its soothing colors and stretchy fabric and cushy feel is like a cross between silky maternity shorts and a huggable stuffed animal.

It was invented by a mom to help her hyperactive child stay calm on long car and plane trips. It folds and stores easily and is very washable. SnuggL'Up retails for $24.99 - $34.99 and can be purchased via the company website at www.snugglup.com, 818-439-5893, or at various retail locations throughout the country.

I thought that the "Auto Mobiles" were a cool idea. These mom-invented portable baby mobiles easily attach to the car's headliner and do not obstruct the driver's view. Using Velcro, it is easy to remove and don't damage the headliner of the car. Auto Mobiles come in three fun designs: Garden Friends, Galactic Friends, and Barnyard Buddies, each with expressive and vibrant colors. Mine had a happy sun shining over perky flowers, smiling butterflies, and cheery bees. The entire mobile was constructed of soft foam, without any little moving parts that children might choke on or poke themselves with.

Mom-inventor Cheryl Wells developed the Auto Mobiles soon after the birth of her second child, who often sat alone in her rear facing car seat as Cheryl shuttled her older daughter to and fro. She wanted to create something entertaining and visually stimulating for her younger daughter, and the result was the development of Auto Mobiles.

Auto Mobiles retail for $12.99 and can be purchased via the company website at www.upandawayinc.net, 214-342-1396, or at various retail locations throughout the country.

The SuperBlankie is another idea whose time has finally come. I've seen many baby blankets dragging along behind a stoller, getting dirty, tangled, and lost. While I can't see it as becoming a baby's favorite blanket, its Velcro attachments are bound to make it mom's. It attaches securely to the harness of almost any baby carrier: strollers, car seats, joggers, bike seats, backpacks, bouncy chairs, and even swings. I tested out the sport model, with a water resistant nylon shell and a soft, comfy fleece lining. It's bright color makes it easy to notice.

SuperBlankie retails for between $14.95 and $20.95 and can be purchased via the company website at www.superblankie.com, 303-651-9234, or at retailers nationwide.

One of the problems of traveling with children is that car seats let them slump uncomfortably while they are asleep. ToddlerCoddler is a two-part padded travel support, designed to prevent sleeping toddlers in forward facing car seats from slumping. It provides head, neck, and lateral support. It consists of two firm vertical bolsters, covered with soft colorful material, that nestle in beside the child. When his or her head rolls to the side, it rests against the ToddlerCoddler and doesn't disrupt his or her sleep. Straps hold the bolsters in place on a car or airplane seat by looping over the headrest or around the back of the seat. I also liked that they came in an easy-to-carry container.

ToddlerCoddler retails for $29.95 and can be purchased at www.toddlercoddler.com, 877-263-3537, & various retailers nationwide (Current list can be found at: http://www.toddlercoddler.com/find_retailer/find_retailer.html)

I thought that the Teeny Towels were an especially neat invention. These clean-wipes in a palm-size keychain dispenser can be looped around the stroller handle, clipped to the diaper bag, slipped into Mom's pocket book, or even go on Dad's belt loop. They come in the more traditional anti-bacterial baby moist wipes and also deet-free pest-repelant wipes. The package comes with two colorful keychains and a total of four packets to go in them. These are for parents because the metal-bead chain may be something to keep out of the hands of small children.

You can get Teeny Towels online for $7.95 from www.cyberbabymall.com, or at other locations described on their website at www.parentsofinvention.com.

The Who's Shoes ID is for parents who worry about losing track of their children. These brightly colored ID bands slip around the laces on the child's shoes with the velcro safely hidden under the laces. This makes them easy to spot, but hard for a child to remove. I would recommend them for older children who don't take their shoes off at every opportunity.

You can get these id tags at www.whosshoesid.com for $7.99.

The Snack-Trap is the only product I tested that leaves me wanting just a little more. The design has flexible flaps over the top of the snack cup that keeps Cheerios and baby carrots from falling in a minor spill. But I was concerned that the flaps were a little rough and not completly flexible. I was also concerned about the chance that a child might panic if his or her little hand is held too long by the flaps. I'd recommend this for older toddlers, or at least carefully monitoring the child on the first few uses. But if it works for your child, it can keep the oyster crackers from spilling on the floorboard of your freshly cleaned car.

You can get Snack-Trap for $4.99 online at www.snacktrap.com

Finally, the Stroller Stretcher is a great invention. This handle attaches firmly to practically any stroller making it easy to control with one hand. That frees up the other hand to direct another child, steady a diaper bag on her sholder, or even talk on a cell phone if necessary. The handle feels solid, like the handlebar of a bicycle, and it's bolted on with an allan wrench supplied with the handle. Simple instructions with lots of pictures make it easy to attach at the most convenient angle or even raise the handle for a tall parent's grip.

You can get the Stroller Stretcher online at www.inventiveparent.com for $14.95.

The one item I was told about but didn't get to check out was the dad-invented Ba Ba Seatskins. They are custom made for every car seat and come in 14 colors of natural sheepskin, including pink, baby blue, and ivory. The Seatskins are more than just fashionable; they provide deluxe, soft sheepskin comfort for kids in all seasons, great for keeping car seats warm in winter and also cool in summer.

Ba Ba Seatskins can be purchased via the company website at www.babaseatskins.com, 949-305-3233, or at retailers nationwide.

Many of these items could have made my child-rearing easier, especially when I had to pack the kiddies into the car to visit grandma. Many thanks to these inventive mothers who have come up with these marvelous products that can make traveling with your children a little easier.

About the author, Linda Eagleson: Linda Eagleson has been a writer for as long as she can remember. She has been published in local papers, anthologies, and columns, and participates in poetry slams throughout the state.

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