Buggy idea takes a big bite

The adage about necessity being the mother of invention fits perfectly for Sarasota entrepreneur Tiffany Christner.

The mother of twin boys was in desperate need for a solution to her biggest anxiety: having one of her sons fall out of a cart while she shopped at a grocery store — a not uncommon worry among parents of twins. It happened once to Christner, and the memory of that experience literally kept her up at night with dread about her next grocery store visit.

So one night in 2011, Christner, now 27, stayed up until 4 a.m. drawing sketches of a solution. The product from that brainstorm is Buggy Bench, a portable shopping cart carrier for an infant or toddler with a capacity of up to 40 pounds. The Buggy Bench costs $39.95, and is available in denim blue, mint green or pretty pink.

“I knew I had to think of something to help me and all the other moms out there with two or more children,” says Christner, mom to Tayden and Tanner. “That's why I took the time to do this. I thought there has to be a better way.”