Our Top 9 Tips for the Perfect NCAA Basketball Bracket

One of our favorite times of the year is just around the corner; the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament! Hooray!  If you’re like us, you’ve been plotting for months on how to fill out the perfect NCAA bracket to win the company pool and beat all of your coworkers.  And if you’re like most of us, you have no idea what you’re doing.  That’s why we combined our My Brands brain power to create a list of tips that we think will bring us to victory! You may notice that none of the following tips have anything to do with the athletic ability or record of the college basketball teams. If we’ve learned anything from past NCAA tournament heartbreak, the stats don’t matter! That’s what puts the madness in the March. So we are skillfully basing our tips on cold, hard superstitions.  Take notes.

1. Do not, under any circumstances, do any research. Remember, there is nothing predictable, rational or fair about the tournament, so what’s the point? Just listen to our awesome advice.
2. Go with your first gut reaction. When you’re staring at the two teams on paper, go with your instinct and pick the first one that jumps out at you. No hesitation! Bonus: it cuts down on time!
3. Pick the pretty colors. When you look good on the outside, you feel good on the inside. And then you win! Makes sense to us.
4. Go for the meanest mascots.  Pick the mascot that, in real life, would be tough to beat.  Who do you think would win in a fight, a Kansas Jayhawk or a Michigan Wolverine?
5. Make it personal. If you have any (any!) connection to a team, we suggest you pick them.  Your childhood neighbor’s dad went to Ohio State? Pick them.  You always wished you had a butler? Pick Butler. 
6. Pick the team playing closest to home.  Nothing beats a good night’s sleep. You can bet the team that had to travel farthest with be the sleepiest.
7. It’s all in a name – If you have never heard of the team before, odds are no one else has either. That includes the good players coming out of high school. Seriously, if you were a hot shot basketball recruit would you choose Arkansas-Pine Bluff or Duke University? 
8. Call the ultimate shot! – A 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed in the men’s tournament. Never! So, it is bound to happen at some point. Isn’t it? It’s super fun to brag after predicting an upset, so increase your chances by picking them often.
9. Have fun. You can drive yourself crazy trying to pick the perfect bracket.  Just do it for fun and en joy watching the games with family and friends. At least that’s what we’ve been telling ourselves.

Support your favorite team with one of our College Game Day Boxes! They're the perfect tailgating supply kit and feature officially licensed collegiate products.

Holiday Gift Ideas

It’s that time of year again!  Looking for some last minute gift ideas?  We’ve got you covered.  My Brands has lots of great gifts that are sure to please family and friends.  We’ve crafted a list of four types of gift recipients, check it out to see if anyone on your list matches ours!

The Cook:

When it comes to creating the perfect meal, “The Cook” knows best.  That’s why giving him or her a fabulous culinary gift is a great idea!  My Brands has a wide variety of cooking gifts, including premium gourmet products, well known brands, regional specialties and just about everything in between! 

Every great chef needs their own signature barbecue sauce.  Why not give them a little help?  A few of our favorite barbecue brands are Two Fat Guys, Open Pit, and Road Kill.

A truly unique cooking gift is a bottle of Wright’s Liquid Smoke.  Known by many as their “secret weapon”, Wright’s Liquid Smoke has plenty of creative uses.  It can be mixed into ground meat for hamburgers, added to marinades and sauces, basted on meats and is perfect for grilling.

The Fan:

Do the following words apply to “The Fan” in your life; fanatic, obsessed, and crazy?  Then My Brands has some great ideas for you! 

Prepare your fan for the big game with one our Game Day Boxes. Each box features corresponding college Duck tape, college candy by Kencraft, and tailgating food and gear.  You choose the 6 items you want to include in the box. We currently have 14 college team boxes and are adding to the list every day.  Don’t forget to select a gift box!

Looking for just college team themed items?  Look no further than College Duck tape or college candy by Kencraft. With over 70 colleges represented (and growing!) you are sure to find your Fan’s favorite team.

The Sweet Tooth:

Satisfy “The Sweet Tooth’s” cravings with something from our wide selection of candy and chocolates. 

If you’re looking for a chocolate gift, Ritter Sport chocolates are a premium treat imported from Germany.  With combinations such as Dark Chocolate with Marzipan and MilkChocolate with Hazelnuts, you can’t go wrong! 

Chupa Chups are fun, vibrant lollipops that are a favorite around the world!  They come in interesting flavors such as Mango Yogurt and Chocovanilla.

Laffy Taffy is a well-known candy that comes in tubs of various fruit flavors.  If your “Sweet Tooth” has a best-loved flavor, buy him a tub of his favorite!  Banana seems to be one of the most popular.

The Health Nut:

Help “The Health Nut” in your life stay on track with some of our healthy product options. 

Better’n Peanut Butter is a delicious, all natural, low fat peanut butter spread that is a dieters dream!  It comes in 6 awesome flavors that are sure to cause cravings!

Adora Calcium Premium Chocolate will change the way you think about calcium supplements.  Made from all-natural, premium chocolate, they come in milk or dark chocolate.

My Brands has a wide selection of sugar-free candy.  One of our favorites is Crystal Light SugarFree Hard Candy Fruit Assortment.