See the 2006 'Mothers of Invention' Finalists

May 13, 2006 — -- For the second year in a row, "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" has put moms all over America to the test with the "Mothers of Invention Challenge."

People have until midnight tonight to vote on who they think should be this year's winner.

The finalists are Joyce Gomez, whose family struggled to get through Hurricane Katrina; Michelle Meert from Gainesville, Fla.; and Mary DiCarlo from Pittsburgh.

Gomez invented a storage shelf for hair bands and accessories.

"It was very frustrating digging through my drawer looking for that perfect barrette," Gomez said in her application tape. "Here it is. No more disorganized drawers. This is the ultimate hair accessory organizer."

DiCarlo created a diaper with extra storage for many of the things moms need when changing their babies on the go.

Meert invented a colorful, fun tablecloth to help teach her son how to set the table.

"It's time to set the table," she said on her entry tape. "Look what I've created to help make table-setting more fun."

The competition is stiff, but the winner will be presented with a check for $5,000 by Tamara Monosoff, president of Mom Inventors Inc. and author of "The Mom Inventors Handbook."

"We'll meet with our team of engineers and develop the product, and then we'll work with our graphics department to design a retail-ready package," Monosoff said. "I'm thrilled to announce that Babycenter.com will be selling the invention through their Web site."

Monosoff, who says that a great invention "solves a common problem in a simple way," offered three tips for would-be inventors:

Gain knowledge: Don't throw a lot of money at this until you know what you're doing. So often people just jump in without really investigating. Make sure you know what you're doing before you invest a lot of cash.

Set realistic expectations: People think it's a get-rich-quick scheme and they can make $1 million fast, which isn't true.

Take action: If you have a great idea, chances are someone else has had it, too. So start now.

Monosoff said that last year's winner, the beverage barricade, was launched at a trade show, and it's "selling like gangbusters."

You can learn how you, too, can become a mom inventor by visiting the Mom Inventors Incorporated Web site and to see where you can purchase the winning invention, visit BabyCenter.com.