As I attempt to play catch up with all of my recent "events" that I've been to, I realized that I never wrote about the AMAZING luncheon I was invited to attend at Macaroni Grill in Tustin by the lovely company STOKKE.

STOKKE (pronounced stow-ka) is a Norwegian Baby and Juvenille Products company that has been producing top-of-the-line products since the 1970's. STOKKE products have been available limitedly in the United States for the past decade or so, mainly through online retailers and baby boutiques. But now, STOKKE has launched their product lines in the Babies 'R Us Stores around the country where parents everywhere have the opportunity to test and purchase their wonderful products.

I have to admit, I didn't know much about STOKKE before I went to this luncheon. Or, at least I thought I didn't. But STOKKE's products are very distinct and classic, and I've been seeing this stuff for years without knowing whom designed the products. I have to say, I love European/Scandinavian baby products. No offense to items made in the United States, but I have to say that the thought that is put in to the design of European and Scandinavian products is extremely innovative. Additionally, STOKKE is all about being as Green as possible with their designs using environmentally sustainable materials and items that can have continued use throughout childhood and teens.

The product that I have seen so much of (which, might I add... I am TOTALLY in love with) is the Tripp Trapp High Chair. The design of this is so simplistic yet absolutely perfect all at the same time. It isn't bulky, doesn't run on wheels, and isn't covered all over in prints that scream "a baby lives in this home."

The STOKKE Tripp Trapp High Chair is ergonomically designed so that your child can sit at the proper height and be part of family meal time at the family table. As we all know, children love to be right in the center of everything that the family is doing. The Tripp Trapp high chair creates the perfect environment for the child to comfortably sit at the table at meal time at any age with the entire family. The seat and footrest heights are fully adjustable, so that no matter how big or small your baby or child is they will always have the perfect center of gravity and have their feet on the proper "floor." The Tripp Trapp also comes in 11 different colors. Want to match the stain color of your existing chairs and/or dinner table? Stokke makes that possible with their array of shades and colors that are sure to match any decor.

With it's modern simplicity, STOKKE Tripp Trapp is the perfect choice for forward-thinking parents of today. If I had it my way, I would purchase THREE of them today for all of my children (including the one on the way!) to use to enjoy family meal time more comfortably.

I was also so lucky to have kicked major butt at STOKKE Bingo, for I was the lucky the lucky winner of a STOKKE Table Top!

This thing is GENIUS! I love how you can change the picture scenes, that the picture scene suctions to the table AND to the plastic table top. And the table top design itself is great, because the edges are raised to catch any spills that your baby or toddler may make without it going all over the floor. We've been using it regularly with Trevor, and I have to say that this item is great. We have a very modern taste in furniture, and when we purchased a dark walnut table with glass inlay leafs we didn't imagine how difficult it would be to keep clean with little ones. This Table Top is perfect to help keep the table much cleaner, and we just love it!

The team at STOKKE also gave us a $20.00 gift card for use at Babies 'R Us (which I will SURELY use), and a lovely Crib Blanket! Oh, and I forgot to mention we also got a four course meal while they entertained us with our children! The afternoon was a lot of fun, and I am so thankful that I was able to go and demo all of the wonderful STOKKE products and walk away with a few to try. I am now a forever STOKKE follower, and hope to purchase many of their products in the (near) future.

While their products are on the higher-end of the pricing scale for baby and juvenile products, I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for." Sure, these products cost more money than your average U.S. Company, but they will last a lifetime and look newer longer. And who likes yucky looking baby stuff anyways? It's all about it being cool, functional, environmentally kind, and simplistic.

The opinion expressed in this article is that of my own. STOKKE did not compensate me with money to write a positive review about any of their products. STOKKE did not require that we write positive press to attend the invitation only luncheon. The items that I did receive for free were given as gifts, and any review written was only because I truly like the product- not because I was told I had to. In other words, my mind belongs to me and not any corporation out there. :)