Sometimes you don’t know how much you need a night out until after it occurs. As you can imagine, I haven’t spent much time away from Katie recently, other than a quick manicure and a few errands. While I have a husband who often suggests I should take time for me, the mom guilt is very real. Anytime he says he’s happy to watch Katie, I always feel like I’d rather spend the time with them versus go get a manicure, massage, drinks with friends or take a nap.

Thanks to Momtrends, I spent two hours last week relaxing, meeting other mom bloggers, and toasting with bubbly while enjoying a night out and interacting with brands. It’s humorous to both Bo and me that it took a sponsored blog opportunity to get me out the door. Oh well, regardless of what finally convinced me to leave Katie with Bo for the evening, I have zero regrets even though I checked the NEST camera and texted him multiple times. In fact, he and Katie had such a wonderful evening, I’m tempted to enjoy more evenings out in the future.

The event, Mom’s Night Out 2.0, was an event organized and hosted by Momtrends and Meredith Publications (Parents, Fit Pregnancy, and FamilyFun magazines). For two hours, they hosted a lively group of NYC mom bloggers while providing the perfect opportunity to network and mingle with great brands (New Balance, Swaddle Me, Williamsburg, JIF and Munchkin) while sipping bubbly, enjoying hordourves as well as treats like foot massages and pampering!

During the course of the event, we were able to not only mingle with brands but also interact with them through different events while catching up and getting to know other bloggers. It was so nice to meet and get to know so many different ladies while we talked about the woes of balancing life, children and the chaos that is New York City. Every person I met, including the brand representatives, were so welcoming to this new mom who was clearly away from my baby girl for the first time.

I started the evening at the JIF table, where I was able to sample some of their delicious snacks as well as talk with the brand about their new campaign, Imagine If. We were each asked to write how we inspire our child on their boards which in turn, prompted some great conversations.

From there, I was able to learn about the Williamsburg region which includes Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown as well as the sights in that area. Growing up I visited Colonial Williamsburg twice but, it’s clear that in the past twenty years the area has grown and evolved a great deal. These days there is truly something for everyone ranging from craft breweries, spas, golf and of course, history.

Next, it was time to get a makeup touch-up from the experts at Glamsquad compliments of SwaddleMe. Their products, which help both baby and parents wake up feeling more refreshed, feature traditional swaddles, as well as more unique and innovative swaddles and products like the SwaddleMe Kicksie swaddle, which allows your baby to feel the comfort of a swaddle and the freedom to kick. Their new SwaddleMe® Footsie™ is a swaddle with pajama-like legs and footies, great for cooler weather and able to be used in a 3-point harness like our swing. I also loved checking out their 3 new gift sets, each of which would make great baby shower gifts for my friends who are expecting!  I’m going to talk more about our experience with these swaddles in a separate post, as they have been a game changer for Katie!

They highlight of the evening was the New Balance station where we were treated to ten minute foot massages before sliding our feet into a new pair of New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes. These stylish, breathable shoes provide all-day comfort whether you’re on the treadmill at the gym or running errands.

Last but not least, Munchkin brand, gave us the opportunity to design our own lavendar and wildflower mason jar bouquets. These bouquets allowed each of us to bring freshness and beauty into our home.

Thank you to Momtrends and these wonderful brands for treating me to a night of relaxation & laughter!

Your turn: What does your perfect night out include? 

This post is sponsored by Meredith Corp., Visit Williamsburg, New Balance, Swaddle Me, Jif, and Munchkin. While this is a sponsored post, as always, all opinions are my own.