Huntersville Herald

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Cornelius mom invents apron-towel combo that makes bath times drier.

If you've got a baby shower or dog's birthday party to go to - or better yet, some strange event that combines both - then your worries about finding the right gift are over.
And you have Cornelius' Julie Yenichek to thank for that.

Yenichek has invented - and more importantly, begun producing - a gift that will satisfy young or soon-to-be moms and dog owners alike. It's called the "Yeni" and basically what it is is a giant terrycloth apron designed to keep the wearer dry while bathing and then drying a sometimes uncooperative loved one (the baby or the dog).

While on maternity leave two years ago with new baby Jack, the 33-year-old Yenichek, got fed up with her son's bath times. She couldn't manage to stay dry while Jack splashed around in the tub, and was forced to change clothes almost every day during her busy morning schedule. The idea for the Yeni popped into her mind and Yenichek went to work. She and a friend created a prototype - an apron that could also be used as a towel - and that’Äôs how the Yeni was born. It was just in time, too, the Yenichek's second child, Katie, was born a few months later.

"It just makes it very easy," said Yenichek of the Yeni. "You don't have to worry about the splishes and splashes. It's a fun and dry bath time."

With positive feedback from every peanut gallery, including her own peanuts, Jack and Kaite, Yenichek set to work producing Yenis for her friends, among whom the invention had quickly become a staple baby shower gift. Along the way, Yenichek discovered the apron, which is made out of soft, terrycloth material, and lacks the usual tie around the waist to allow the cloth to wrap around a baby after bath, could also served the same purpose for bathing dogs. With two heavily populated markets opening up, the Yeni became a local hit that Yenichek now hopes can move a little farther afield.

Yenithing offers six different styles of unisex Yenis (get beside that tub, dad!). They are available in a variety of colors and prints, and come in baby- and dog-friendly models. Customers can choose to personalize their Yeni with an initial, a name or a phrase.

The Yeni is manufactured in North Carolina, which is important to Yenichek. Black Oak International in Conover, N.C. spins the terrycloth while Catawba Creations in Hildebran, N.C. assembles the product. The two towns are near Hickory, N.C., an hour or so away from Cornelius.

"It's been unbelievable to bring my own product to the market," Yenichek said. "It’Äôs been a fun ride."

There appears to be the demand for it. Aside from eager friends and family members, Yenichek was receiving multiple orders daily from 15 states before Christmastime.

Her next line of Yenis, with more styles and prints geared toward men, will be out in a few months. She'll have the newest designs on display at the Atlanta Gift Show in March.