I recently traveled to Anaheim, CA to attend Expo West. Not only was it AMAZING to FINALLY meet my colleagues in person–I didn’t realize I missed being around so many people at once! One of the reasons I live in NYC is that I love a lot of people around me walking on the streets plus the non-stop energy and excitement.

At Expo West, there were 80K attendees learning about plant-based, sustainable, organic, gluten-fee, keto and clean brands and products that I sampled, tasted, drank and made sure there was room in my suitcase to take home.

Several brands caught my eye and I wanted to share with our community here:

Pipette: I can’t say enough about this brand and really appreciate that it hits all the marks when it comes to sustainability and organic ingredients. We all need to be prepared for summer from our babies to ourselves and I will be sure to purchase this Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 that is fragrance-free, clean, non-toxic, and non-nano. How do I know that? All Pipette ingredients are written on the front of the labels of each product! No mysteries searching the fine print in the back label for the busy shopper.

Green Sprouts: I’ve loved Green Sprouts products since my girls were little. They are priced well, and the Sprout Ware Straw Bottle line is award-winning, made with stylish, interchangeable parts to create your own unique bottle in different colors and is made from plant-based plastic(!). The Sprout Ware line has a removeable base for easy clean up and the soft silicone straw bottle encourages oral development. Most importantly, the line is dishwasher safe, so they are a time saver too, in addition to being BPA, BPS and BPF free.

9 Elements: I love when I hear of moms launching a product out of need. Sarah and Sunny, both scientists at P&G, knew there was a better way to deal with Sunny’s chronic health condition and Sarah’s son severe skin rashes. Start with cleaning products which touch our skin via surfaces a million times a day. 9 Elements is made from vinegar (IMO the best cleaning agent on the planet) and scented with either lemon, eucalyptus, or lavender. There are never more than nine ingredients in each 9 Elements product and the best part is that you can pronounce them all.

Ritual Zero Proof: I’m love tequila and couldn’t have my regular tequila, seltzer, lime juice with a twist of lime cocktail was I was expecting my two girls—this was before liquor alternatives were available, now they are and have changed everything! Including Ritual in your beverage allows EVERYONE, including expecting mamas to enjoy their favorite alcohol beverage without the alcohol. I love this mocktail option, especially for baby showers and happy hours—an expecting mom just doesn’t have to feel like they are missing out. Of course, there are other flavors available including gin, rum and whiskey so make sure you stash a bottle in your suitcase for your babymoon and feel confident that Ritual is gluten-free, non-gmo, crafted with all-natural botanicals, and no or low calorie.

Simple Mills: I can live on crackers and anything that I can dip. I should be eating more vegetables…shouldn’t we all? However, give me a gluten free Simple Mills cracker and I am in heaven. Simple Mills is perfect for entertaining where we all want a product that is delicious and that we can read every ingredient. Simple Mills’ variety of baked flour goods and gluten free products are beyond delicious, with and without dip! I also feel good buying Simple Mills as all products are non-gmo and there is nothing artificial in them, ever. I love savory over sweet and fell in love with the Cracked Black Pepper at Expo, took them home and nosh a couple a day, dip not necessarry and have not shared!