I love blogging because I get invited to pretty cool events. Ditto on learning about cool new brands. My favorite event of the season is the Momtrends holiday soiree in Manhattan.

So what’s the inside scoop of the hottest trends for the holiday season? Glad you asked!

Pom Wonderful

First I have to say how happy I was to see Pom Wonderful. There was a time in my life that I would have been hooked up to a pomegranate juice IV (if socially acceptable). Therefore, seeing their curvy bottle made me smile. As with many obsessions I’ve had over the years, tasting it brought back memories from my youth (read: 20s before kids). However, I was more excited to learn about the leaps and bounds the brand has come in the last decade. I even got the eponymous fruit to bring home and attempt to gut. Challenge accepted.

Mudpuppy

I was super excited to meet the team from Galison Mudpuppy, one of my favorite brands for years. I was excited to see all their high quality offerings including their awesome Double Draw collection. Think Victor Victoria for the erudite coloring enthusiast. But I LOVE the idea of their Make-A-Mask line even more. From puzzles to puppets, the Mudpuppy quality always impresses me. Better yet the Make-A-Mask book  occupied my kids for quite some time on our day off today!

SockTabs

Forget Romeo and Juliet – no true love is stronger than between a pair of socks. Who hasn’t wept at the loss of a favorite one by the dreaded dryer monster? If you too think about this you’ll love SockTabs (spoiler alert – they’ll be featured on Shark Tank November 20^th!) a quirky gift for the person who has everything.

Tessemae’s

The holidays and cooking go hand in hand. I highly recommend trying one of Tessemae’s all natural dressings, marinades and spreads. If their delicious taste isn’t enough, know they are made by hunky Maryland lacrosse players. The recipe is their mom’s and the story only gets cuter from there… but the proof is in dressing – which sold out in Whole Foods on their first try in only four days. Add some veggie love to your dinner table with their easy fix – chopped romaine and some lemon garlic Tessemae’s dressing. I kind of need more right now.

Net Nanny

If your kids are big online surfers and you’re worried about all the grossness that exists out there, take a look at Net Nanny. Net Nanny is a highly acclaimed, #1-rated parental controls software that protects your family by keeping them safe online. We can look over our kid’s shoulder every time they go on the computer but Net Nanny can.

Bedgear

I was thrilled to meet Bedgear. I was hooked the moment I felt their performance pillows. But the thought of sleeping on one of their performance mattress toppers had me begging for one. My mattress is on its way out yet we can’t decide on a size, so a quick fix like this might be the perfect answer. Please can I have one? Please?

Igloo

I was so lucky and received a HUGE Igloo Soft Side cooler tote. As the leaves fell off the trees this bag gave me hope that beach weather is right around the corner. Looking at their Party Bar made me long for just one more barbeque, yet the weather is cold and rainy.

Hasbro

What holiday season would be complete without toys? My two favorite Hasbro games regardless of their age are Operation and Jenga. I genuinely enjoy playing both games. Not to mention Jenga offers a University of Michigan version – so cleary it’s the coolest game EVER! My jaw dropped as I approached the booth and every game displayed (classics was the name of their game last night) brought back a memory. Luck took over and I went home with Battleship – a game I’ve wanted for literally 30 years.

I See Me Books

Better than toys (sometimes) are really great personalized books. I am obsessed with personalized books. They make great birthday and new baby gifts. They take up less room than toys and can be enjoyed for years. I love I See Me books. My favorite is their My Farm Friends book but this holiday season will be bringing my kids their two new titles: My Very Own Trucks and It’s Fancy to Be Me. Such a nice gift idea.

Bottomless Closet

With the holiday season often comes thoughts of charity. Last night’s event introduced me to Bottomless Closet with the mission to inspire and guide disadvantaged New York City women to enter the workforce and achieve success. If you’re looking to donate lightly used or new work clothing, please consider Bottomless Closet.

I Love Meeting New Brands!

I like looking at things from different angles and finding something new. With that said, the common thread with all of the brands above was they all offered slightly unorthodox (read: creative) gift ideas that would be really useful to your family and friends. I hope you too can “meet” these brands by reading this post and that they find a place under your holiday totem of choice.

Reach Out on Twitter!

Besides the brands above, I was lucky enough to chat with or receive samples from the following companies. Take a look, you too may find a new favorite thing!

Bedgear – @bedgear

Epson – @EpsonAmerica

Teleflora – @Teleflora

Net Nanny – @netnanny

The Nanny League – @thenannyleague

Cabi – @cabiclothing

Pom Wonderful – @pomwonderful 

Hasbro – @HasbroNews

American Girl – @American_Girl

Mudpuppy – @GalisonMudpuppy

Glam Squad – @GlamSquad

I See Me – @ISeeMe_Books

Igloo – @IglooProducts

Tieks – @tieks

Susan Mallery – @SusanMallery

Lego – @LEGO_Group

SockTabs – @socktabs

Dream on Me – @DreamOnMeInc

Tessemae’s – @Tessemaes

Bottomless Closet – @BttmlessClstNYC