Colorado cool stuff: My Munch Bug, UrgentRx, undies and shortbread

MY MUNCH BUG CD

Melanie Potock is a speech therapist with a private practice in Boulder (dubbed Chatter Bug) with a specialty in eating disorders. She’s written a “My Munch Bug” book to teach kids the joy of food, and now has followed it up with a CD of the same name. The 11 songs include old favorites like “On Top of Spaghetti” alongside such originals as “Blueberry Muffin Blues” and “The Operetta: I Love Peas,” all dedicated to healthy eating. “What I teach is, ‘Let’s be adventurous,'” Potock says. “Let’s be willing to try everything.” $13.95 retail.

Made by My Munch Bug LLC, Longmont, (303) 589-2553, www.mymunchbug.com. Also available at Amazon.com and CDBaby.com

OEL THERMO-REGULATING APPAREL

Founded in 1990, Outlast Technologies took NASA patents for “micro-encapsulated phase change materials” and applied them to the consumer market. Outlast subsequently developed fabrics embedded with tiny capsules of wax that turn from solid to liquid and back again depending on the temperature.
“They store or release excess thermal energy,” Outlast Director of Operations Mike Henshaw says. “They keep you in your comfort zone.” Typically licensing its technology to such brands as Jockey as well as numerous bedding manufacturers, Outlast is taking a different approach with OEL Thermo-Regulating Apparel, which includes two base-layer products: a T-shirt and long pants, with a long-sleeve T-shirt and briefs to come.
“We’re not just developing the fabric, but we’re developing the end product that OEL sells through its distribution channels” says Ashley Tillman, Outlast’s marketing manager. T-shirt: $44.95 retail. Long pants: $44.95 retail.

Made by Outlast Technologies Inc., Boulder; distributed by OEL Thermo-Regulating Apparel, Palmer Lake, (800) 818-2244, www.tr-clothing.com.

URGENTRX

Engineer/entrepreneur Jordan Eisenberg has made a mark for himself in the credit card-sized product market: Since 2009, he launched the Collar Card (credit-card-sized collar stays) and the Bottle Card (a credit card-sized bottle opener). In 2011, he’s moved into medicine with credit card-sized doses of aspirin and pain reliever dubbed UrgentRx.
“It’s single-dose emergency medicine in the shape of a credit card,” Eisenberg says, noting that aspirin increases the survival rate of heart attack victims by 23 percent. “You just slip it in your wallet or purse. You don’t need water.” And the product has a great track record already: Ski patrollers administered UrgentRx to a skier suffering a heart attack at Vail in February. He subsequently survived. $1.39 retail.

Made by UrgentRx (a dba for Breakthrough Products, Inc.), Denver, (888) 998-7436, www.urgentrx.com . Available at King Soopers, Pharmaca and other retailers in Colorado; a store locator is on the website.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHORTBREAD CO. COOKIES

Mary Guthery tried her hand at the cake business before she tweaked a shortbread recipe for the high elevation in Colorado Springs. She’s since opened a commercial kitchen for her Rocky Mountain Shortbread Co. and three tenants – Sugarplum Cake Shoppe, Chocoholic, and Art and Style Baking – as her cookie catalog has grown to include traditional shortbread as well as snickerdoodle, hot pepper and margarita – 30 flavors in all.
“My niche is the variety of flavors,” Guthery says. “They’re individually wrapped – you don’t want a hot pepper and a German chocolate together because then you have a hot pepper German chocolate cookie.” $1 per cookie.

Made by the Rocky Mountain Shortbread Co. (a dba for Sweet Celebrations LLC), Colorado Springs, (719) 599-4411, www.sweetgifts.biz . Available in Colorado Springs at Sweet Celebrations (818 Village Center Dr.) and the Broadmoor, as well as Hammond’s Candies (Denver) and A La Carte (Estes Park).
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