Ann Arbor doctor invents hidden wine purses

(WJBK) - If you want to celebrate your bad mom side this weekend, a wine purse may be the perfect choice.

Dr. Jennifer Thomas-Goering from Ann Arbor practices anesthesiology by day, but started a little company in her basement that founded hidden wine purses.

Each purse, or bag, comes with its own empty, reusable 3 liter bag. You pour whatever drink you want inside -- "water, juice, we don't judge" -- and the spigot is hidden under some sort of flap. Some are decorated with bows or fabric flowers that hide the flap. 

She says you could even pop in the bag from your favorite boxed wine.

The bags aren't just for wine, though, and that wasn't the bag's original intention either.

Jennifer thought of the idea through her experiences with her son, Dayton, who has autism. She says whenever they'd go out on family outings at zoos or swimming pools, the artifical dyes in the juices available for purchase made her son extra hyper, so she was always thinking of ways to sneak in organic drinks in her purse.

"So, we started doing that and a girlfriend started seeing them, and they're like, 'Wow, what else could we put in this bag?' And so that's kind of how the whole concept started," she says.

One of her bags is named after her son, and is even lined with special edition autism puzzle piece trim. A portion of her proceeds go to support autism research and awareness, too.

The bags are sold at iT...The Boutique on Main Street in Ann Arbor and online at www.vivajennz.com.

Most purses are $50. Bigger totes are $70 and Jennifer's newest bag with interchangeable scarves goes for $78.