News

  • How Do You Know When You're Really an Inventor?

    by Melanie Flores
      This exchange between our 15-year-old son and Andrew Krauss, cofounder of inventRight, got me thinking. Sebastian: "My favorite part of [OctoGif...

  • Fired? Sort of....and it's a good thing

    by Melanie Flores
      Sebastian shipping his first order since firing me as his partner.  OK, I haven’t been truly “fired” -- just “demoted.” Or maybe “reassigned” is...

  • Meet Melanie Tumlin: Tool Goddess who's been building since she was a kid!

    by Melanie Flores
    Getting girls comfortable with tools at an early age was one of the cornerstones of my TEDxAlpharettaWomen talk. The Tumlin-Storey home-on-wheels is a inspiring example of what is possible when you develop tool confidence early in life.

  • How to Win Girls' Hearts with STEM

    by Melanie Flores
    "You're such a nerd. No one likes you."Middle school was social hell for me. Yet somehow my nerdiness (and love for STEM) survived intact. At TEDx...

  • A Flawed Prototype is Better than a Perfect Idea

    by Melanie Flores
      We love repurposing things around OctoGifts headquarters. Giving an object new life solves a problem and saves an item from going into the lan...

  • How to Create a Space for Inventive Kids

    by Melanie Flores
    Happy Inventors Day! "Inventors can be from any background, have a variety of experience and be any age!" -- April Mitchell As a military spouse, ...

  • Meet Warren Wilson, inventor of Better Blocks!

    by Melanie Flores
      Through our work on OctoGifts, we've had the good fortune of meeting super interesting people.   That includes Warren Wilson, the Australian inve...

  • Women in STEM Presentation at Alpharetta High School

    by Melanie Flores
     "You're such a nerd. No one likes you." -- whispered in my ear by a 7th grade classmate Somehow my love for STEM (and my nerdiness) survived midd...

  • Our Top Holiday Book and Gift Ideas for Kids in 2020

    by Melanie Flores
    Our Top Holiday Book and Gift Ideas for Kids This time of year, people often ask us to recommend gifts for kids that promote creativity and innova...

  • Gathering Folds: Accenting Your Home and Wardrobe with Origami

    by Melanie Flores
    We love hearing about people who leverage STEM in unusual ways. So when we found out about Madonna Yoder, who creates origami masterpieces for the home and wardrobe, we just had to learn more.

  • OctoGifts on the Toy Coach's Podcast

    by Melanie Flores
    What a fun conversation! We had a blast recently on the podcast Making It In The Toy Industry, hosted by Azhelle Wade. A patent holding and award ...

  • OctoGifts Learns How to Create a Delivery Blueprint on the Business Infrastructure.TV show

    by Melanie Flores
    Do you follow recipes, or do you just dive into meal prep? "Winging it" might work for your own dinner, but if you want to be able to improve and ...