Couple of companies really have oustanding offers out there (or are being released soon), while some seem designed for fraternity parties…   Here are a couple of my favorites of the former  and boy, I really hope I get some for giveaways.

Thames & Kosmos have have a few lines:  Geek & Co Science & Geek & Co. Crafts, plus Gmes and Spark, Kids First and their Signature Series.  Very, very impressed; pricing is ecent, too. Their kits are geared to kids who keep asking more from a science kit – rather than following a set of directions, these ask what happens when you do this.  kinda like that time i read about mixing amonia and bleach…not a good mix!  The Wind Power sysstem is not yet out.

Another game that totally blew me away was aa race car set caled Overdrive that, as you can see, has no tracks, but flat pieces that attach by magnets and are flexible enough to place over a shoe to form a hill!  The cars are controlled by an APP which directs them through a car camera and you can’t ruin the track.  Said you could run crayons all over the pieces and it wouldn’t affect the performance in the least.  And just think of never walking on those sharp plastic tracks again in the dark!  The main set (box) contains tracks, two cars and four charging stations.  You can also buy additional track pieces.  More posts tomorrow, but I have so many, many pictures and brochures that it’s incredibly time-consuming.  Sleep keeps getting in the way.

STOKKE had a line of absolutely beautiful infant/baby furniture, strollers, etc. – I received this lovely neutral-striped stroller blanket that I was planning for part of a giveaway. Then I saw my neighbors who are still waiting to move back after the flood – two years ago – and who have recently had a lovely little girl. I figured since I hadn’t seen them in months it was a sign and a beautiful gift for a beautiful little girl.  Sorry readers!

Liquid Oxygen is a anti-acne line of oxygen skin care products – the pouches contained moistruizers, wash and astringent, all made without the drying effects of benzoyl peroxide.  I’m giving it to PITA to use since she’s started getting small breakouts – we’ll shoot before and after shots.

Trollbeads was a table full of leather straps with clasps and bowls of colored beads; leather straps are doubled and very thin and comfortable. I’ve worn mine every day.

Just when you think Kodak is dead in the water, they come out with a brilliant new process – digital waterproof prints!  Didn’t believe ’em, so the minute the picture came out I wet my thumb and ran it over the page – not a single smudge!  Totally impressed.  This was a sneak preview since it’s not scheduled to launch until August 3, at which point I’ll be able to provide more details with both a 40% off discount code and a FREE 50 prints code.  super impressive.  Oh, and when they asked me for a picture from my phone to use…naturally I chose this one – show me the money!

Kevita Sparkling Probiotic Drink was a huge hit here, too! Got a “few” bottles of lemon ginger because you can never be too hydrated!

And I’m sure that I’ve left out sponsors or exhibitors and for this I am truly sorry – the entire event was so overwhelmingly fantastic that even when you think you’ve photographed everything (and other bloggers were kind enough to share even more), some get forgotten. I hope you understand now why my first sentence in Part 1 was that they couldn’t have pried me out of there with a crowbar!

They had tarot card readers – mine told me not to buy green bananas – gee, wonder what she meant by that?

and face readers

Seriously, though, they should probably have been telling us all to stay away from the cotton candy, popcorn

and hard cider

 

and booze balls (aka cocktail caviar).  I sucked down enough of these little suckers to see Jesus…no wait, that was the Hilton shower.  And because blogging conventions are so stressful…

This was the first event PITA and I attended – it’s an invite-only and I am honestly shocked that they always allow me in!  Prior years have included manicures, massages and the usual pampering programs, but this year?  Watch out!

Walked in for our 1-3 time slot.  Within five minutes they couldn’t have pried me out with a crowbar.

Restylane Silk was offering FREE Restylane filler injections!  I’d gotten the sign-up emails a few weeks earlier, but my first reaction was – honestly – ewhhhhh.  I was wrong. The technician numbed the injection sites first and the doctor (hot blonde in white coat) performed the injections with these teeny, tiny needles.  However….if they run this next year, I will sign up 150,000 times for a shot; these syringes can run roughly $700-800 each!  Very, very well done professional promotion and super-impressed by the almost-immediate results.  I did ask for leftover samples to take home (driving, remember?) and offered to slip the tech an Uncle Ben since she seemed to know what she was doing, but that didn’t fly either…

Silk also provided professional makeup artists who were incredible – PITA sat in a chair, the artists brushed light powder, blush and eye shadow on her face and it didn’t look like she was wearing even a bit of makeup!  That’s what we all need to buy:  Artist in a Can!

BALI Intimates was offering free bra fittings and free bras sent to your home (choice of four styles).  Very interesting to learn I’d been wearing the right size all along, except if I wanted more cleavage I could change cup size … well, who doesn’t want more cleavage!  And here I thought I only had to eat more ice cream!  Also got a few one-time use codes for 25% off any Bali Bra (limit 2 bras per code).

Spa Chicks on the Go provided excellent manicures using Essie nail products. I’m not an Essie user, only because I just never started!  Given all the rack and ruin I put my nails through over more than a week, I will definitely be picking some up.  One thing I did notice, not just at this event, but all over NYC, was that women were wearing much brighter nail shades – colors that would have shocked us years ago and are now seen on all ages…and sexes.