BUSINESS

Sweet Dreams

Stefanie Huber created Tucked + Covered to help parents and kids sleep better

PHOTOS BY LUIS CHAVEZ

By Kamala Kirk

Tired of being sleep-deprived when her 4-yearold son was waking up in the middle of every night, Stefanie Huber came to the realization that his kicked-off sheets were the reason behind his frequent awakenings. When Huber tested the theory by fasting the bed covers together so that the sheets were steady, her son began sleeping through the night with no issue. Ultimately, this sparked a business idea that would help other parents and their children experiencing the same issue. “My son had just transitioned to his big boy bed and he was waking up every night,” Huber says. “I didn’t understand why he was waking up at first, but then I saw that he was kicking off his sheets and couldn’t cover himself, so he was coming to me because he didn’t know what else to do. When I tried fastening the covers together he slept through the night, and I realized that a lot of other families could benefit from this solution as well.” Huber eventually founded Tucked + Covered, a patented bed sheet system that keeps kids covered at night to promote better sleep for the entire family. “Having an idea with no business experience has taken me several years to manifest my product for the market,” Huber says. “But I am happy to say it’s here to share with other families suffering from nighttime wake-up calls. Or even families who would like their child’s best to stay neat night and day without the laborious chore of bedmaking.” The sheet set is made from 100% cotton that is extremely comfortable, easy-to-secure elastic and oversized durable buttons to keep everything in place and eliminate the need for bed making. “What’s really great about the design are the buttons,” Huber points out. “They’re not locked to the bed, they stretch and the sheet moves with them so they don’t have to adapt to the sheet. Kids can smooth and straighten their beds since the buttons keep the sheets on the mattress where they belong and that’s one less

thing for Mom to do. I think we tend to get caught up in how the bedroom looks but what’s more important to me is knowing that my child is covered at night.” Each three-piece set includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillow case. The buttons and elastic allow for adjustable sizing and are available in twin and full sizes, in addition to fun stars and moonlight prints. They are designed for kids ages 2 to 12, but Huber is working a new concept for adults and teens as well. “I’m planning to offer more designs in the future and I’m also working on compatible blanket designs that I tailored,” Huber says. “All the layers will be able to attach to one another and you can leave a button open, in case you get hot. It’s adaptable for each person.” Other features that parents and kids love about the sets are that kids can stick their legs out and play under the sheets like a tent, and parents can also hide things in the pillow case like tooth fairy presents and they won’t fall out. In addition to being washer and dryer-safe, the easy care fabric makes for wrinkleHuber came up with the solution out of necessity because her son was waking up in the middle of the night.

free sheets. Huber says that the response to her product has been incredible and she’s received great feedback from happy parents. “Once parents try it, they love it,” Huber says. “They love that their kids stay covered, sleep through the night and they don’t have to keep making the bed. For the kids it’s a self-esteem builder as well because they don’t have to have Mommy around to keep them covered. One mom told me that her child dancers around the bed because she’s so excited about her sheets. I’m just thrilled that I can help parents and kids sleep through the night.” As a result of creating Tucked + Covered, Huber has connected with many moms and formed friendships as well. “It feels really good to be able to help other moms,” Huber says. “There’s this unspoken bond and we just want to help each other. If I can help someone’s kids get the sleep the need, I’m really excited that I’ve been able to touch their lives in a positive way.” Huber has lived in Playa Vista for the past seven years and loves the family-friendly community there. “We absolutely love living here,” Huber says. “We lived in Venice before and I was always concerned for my kids’ safety. Living in Playa Vista is such a breath of fresh air. It’s safe, everyone is nice and we all share the same agenda. We just want the best for our kids and ourselves. I find peace every day raising my two joy-filled children in this community. It’s reassuring knowing hundreds of families with like-mindedness surround us to give our families a beautiful life.”

tuckedcovered.com

Supporting Small Businesses

$390,000 distributed in Santa Monica to assist ongoing recovery efforts

By Kamala Kirk

Recently, 78 small businesses in Santa Monica received $5,000 grants (totaling $390,000) from community members, business leaders and nonprofits that donated to the City of Santa Monica’s We Are Santa Monica Fund and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “This has been such an unprecedented and challenging 18 months for our businesses,” said Jennifer Taylor, the city of Santa Monica’s economic development manager. “We know many business owners are still struggling with outstanding bills and expenses, and we hope these grants can provide extra support to our small business community.” She said 475 local businesses applied and 78 grantees were chosen through an online, randomized application system. The SaMo Small Business Recovery Grant Program was created to support brick-andmortar businesses based in Santa Monica with annual revenues below $2 million. Applicants and grantees were located across the city, and program funds were distributed and managed by Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles (LISC LA on the city’s behalf). “As cities plan and begin to implement their COVID-19 economic recovery strategies, it is imperative that they do it equitable to ensure that small businesses owned and led by women and people of color aren’t left behind – and the city of Santa Monica is doing just that,” said Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, executive director of LISC LA. “LISA LA is proud to be able to partner with the city of Santa Monica on these recovery efforts, and we hope that with additional funding, we can continue to help the city rebuild and distribute this economic relief across the city.” A variety of businesses received a SaMo Small Business Recovery Grant with funding distributed across all neighborhoods to a range of industries. Of the 78 businesses that received a grant, 50% are minority-owned or led by people of color; 51% are from low- or moderate-income (LMI) census tracts; 50% are women-owned or led; 44% of grantees reported annual revenues below $250,000; 76% of funding went to services or retail industries; and 36% of grantees are located in the 90405 ZIP code. “We are proud to support our small business community and thank our generous donors to the Santa Monica Chamber Foundation and We Are Santa Monica Fund for their contribution to such a tangible relief effort,” said Laurel Rosen, president/ CEO of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.”