We have been actively spreading the word about One, Two, Tie My Shoe, and we would love for you to check out some of our featured articles and advertisements. We also depend on you, our readers to spread the word about our great product! Below are some spots where we have recently gained publicity:

OnlyKaty.com - OnlyKaty supports locally owned businesses and spread the word about One, Two Tie My Shoe in hopes that Katy, TX residents can benefit and teach their children to tie their shoes!

FreckleTown.com -  FreckleTown, a haven for Katy parents, featured One, Two, Tie My Shoe as "Katy Mom Invents" and offered a special discount on the kit!

TheMcMommyChronicles.com - Blogger "McMommy" has One, Two, Tie My Shoe featured on her sidebar! She reaches tons of mothers in the blogosphere.

Little Bits of Sugar -Momma Blogger Stephanie Daugherty featured a giveaway of One, Two, Tie My Shoe, and just recently announced the winners. Here is the post about the lucky mothers of future shoe-tying experts!

The Katy News -  TheKatyNews.com and The Katy News newspaper featured an article about Mendy Kay Hassen and her United States Patent for One, Two, Tie My Shoe. Thank you for the support.

We hope to have much more to write about in the future! Oprah, here we come!

Did you know that the way you lace your child's and even your own shoes may affect the health of your feet? Depending on the sorts of activities those feet are participating in, different ways of lacing shoes will be more beneficial, or less detrimental. We found a variety of several websites dedicated to lacing techniques - some for fun and some for health. If you don't find this interesting, your junior high student may, as different lacing techniques are of high interest in the early-teen crowd.

We'd like to highlight some of the techniques that will benefit your or your child's feet in specific activities:

Hiking/Biking Lacing

This lacing technique distributes pressure evenly and also keeps knots and ends to the side, away from snagging undergrowth or bicycle chains and cranks. Your daughter might like this look because the bow looks sort of "cute" to the side of the shoe. To learn the specifics on how to lace this way, here are the instructions.

Ladder Lacing - Stays Tight!

This lacing technique is for those of you whose child has trouble keeping his shoes on! While it's difficult to tighten initially, once it's tightly on the foot, it will stay put, which is a great plus for kids that just can't keep them on. It also has a fun, distinctive look to it. To learn the specifics on how to do the Ladder Lace, here are the instructions.

Army Lacing - For More Flex in the Foot

A stiff foot can cause cramps, so for your little Army Man, this is the technique used by the British, Dutch, French, and Brazilian armies! Used often with combat boots, this allows for more flex in stiff shoes for intense, feet-involved activites - oh say... climbing trees? Recommended for some strenuous playground activity, or for brand-new, stiff shoes. To learn how to do the Army Lace, here are the instructions.

Zipper Lacing - For In-Line Skates, Rollerblades, and Ice Skates

It is essential when skating that you have great ankle support, and the only way to insure that support and prevent a sprain or break is to wear skates tightly. This is the best technique for children and people with brittle bones that are about to hop into the rink or skate around the park. To learn this technique, here are the instructions.

We hope these techniques and others will be a benefit to you and your child. While it may be the last thing you think about, lacing can be the first thing to prevent a sprain or cramp! To learn about other techniques, visit Ian's Shoelace Site.

Mendy Kay Hassen is the proud owner of a United States Patent as of July 29, 2008. One, Two, Tie My Shoe's proudly worn Patent Number is 7,404,583. The journey to getting the patent, however, was not the easiest. Filed in May 2005, Mendy endured a rejection and 3 years of working with the system.

To view One, Two, Tie My Shoe's  competition in the realm of patents, see here. As one can see, the competition and red tape to climb through was tough. Other US patents include a bow tying learning device, non-slip shoelaces, shoelace and method for easy tying, aid for teaching children to tie shoelaces and so on. The toughest competition and reason for the initial rejection was because of a patent that also happened to use a device that pulled over shoelaces.

The One, Two, Tie My Shoe Abstract reads:

"A shoe tying device or apparatus comprising a ring and a method of using same to facilitate the tying of laces in lace-up shoes and also a method of using same. The shoe tying device is lightweight and unobtrusive, allowing the shoe to often stay tied longer than typical without the device while generally maintaining a normal "bow" appearance. Further, the device is economical and reusable. The shoe tying device is particularly helpful for children, the visually impaired, and the mentally and physically handicapped."

The patent also contains eleven detailed drawings of the steps that outline the One, Two, Tie My Shoe method (like the one on our FAQ page).

One, Two, Tie My Shoe is proud to boast originality and intuitiveness through the design of the kit. The concept of teaching over aiding or helping a child tie shoelaces is what sets the concept apart.

To view the One, Two, Tie My Shoe patent and to learn more about the design and intent of the kit, visit this site.

Watching a child grow and develop can be an exciting yet saddening experience.  We all want our boys to grow up big and strong and our girls mature and beautiful, but a matronly piece of us still wants to hold onto them forever.  That piece of us is what keeps some parents doing more for their children than they probably should, hindering stages of development.  So, when is the right time to let go of the wheel?  When is the right time to teach a child to tie their shoes?  And when you figure that out, how do you go about it?

Below are a few standards that may greatly assist parents in training children to become masters of shoelaces:

• Wait until the child is truly ready.  Most kids are physically capable between the ages of 4 and 6.  Girls will often be able a bit sooner than boys, so don't worry if your son isn't picking it up quite as fast as his big sister.
• It will be much easier for you to teach and for them to learn if your child already knows right from left.
• Choose a method, such as the One, Two, Tie My Shoe method, and stick with it.  Be sure that everyone who tries to assist your child is teaching the same method so as not to confuse the child.
• Sit side by side instead of across from the child, so that they will copy and not mirror your movements.
• Give praise when they've learned!  Learning to tie shoes is a major milestone and accomplishment in a child's development.  That's what the "Look, I can tie my own shoes!" success sticker is all about.

If you have your own techniques and success stories, feel free to contact us and share!

Photo by Selva.