Team Mama Idea: Valentine's Day Care Package

Valentine's Day is just two days away! My boys may be 20, 18, and 15 (whoa, that makes me feel old!) now, but that won't stop me from doing a little something extra to make them feel special. Even for the one away at college.

Two of my Sports Mama BFFS (our boys played high school football together and are now each playing in college) and I got together last Friday to make our boys Valentine's themed care packages. We all brought a home baked good as well as other store-bought treats. 

We ended up with a smorgasbord of goodies, everything from brownies to hand warmers to jerky to chapstick! Each boy got one (or two or three!) of everything you see pictured. This is definitely the way to do it!

We put it all in boxes, added some pink, red, and white crinkle shreds, and a super cute card with a handwritten note. We then taped them shut and they were ready for the post office. You definitely want to pay the bit extra for priority mail due to the baked goods. 

No. 1 received his package yesterday. It arrived in perfect condition. 

Seriously, how cute is that card?!? He was super surprised and super grateful. Proof that they still appreciate surprises from their mamas... even if they are 20-year-old big, bag college football players!

Don't have a kid away at college? No worries. This would be just as special if it were hand delivered.

Have a great day surrounded by those you love and cherish, Sports Mamas!

*** Click here, here and here for some of my past Valentine's Day ideas!

Sports Mama Review: Vettex Doubleguard Mouthguard with Lip Protection

Hey Sports Mamas! I'm back with another review for you all! 

As a football player, mouthguards are a must. No ifs, ands or buts about it! No. 1 was recently sent a Vettex Doubleguard Mouthguard with Lip Protection to try out. They offer 4 key features; ultimate protection, breathability, comfort, and no boiling needed.

They are custom fitted with double impressions to absorb shocks and lock down defense for lips, teeth, and braces. This makes them safe for braces and orthodontics. Vettex are also made with pliable thermo rubber for extra comfort. The adjustable strap attaches to helmets and face shields... no more lost mouthguards! As a sports mama, I know you all can appreciate that! 

They also have two built-in breathing channels to ensure maximum breathability and airflow during play. Another cool feature is that you can skip the boil! Vettex are ready to wear right out of the package (they can still be boiled and molded if your athlete prefers). And finally, they come in 23 different colors... players can rep their team or any other cause near and dear to their hearts.

So what did my collegiate QB/WR think about them?

He really likes them! Says he can breathe easily while using it, great range of colors to choose from, and they look good (in big part due to the minimal branding). The only drawback he gave is position specific; he said it's tough for him to talk/call plays when he's in at quarterback. He did mention that Lamar Jackson uses them though! At only $11.99 each, I'd definitely encourage your quarterback to buy one and form their own conclusions. 

I hope you found this review helpful! If you did and are ready to purchase one for your athlete, click here. (They offer 10% off when you buy two or more at the same time!)

Good luck to your athletes this weekend!

*** Vettex was kind enough to send me their product, however, all thoughts and opinions are solely my own (and my collegiate athlete's!) ***

Sports Mama Tip: How to Mail Your Collegiate Athlete Homemade Treats!

Two posts in a week?! I'm on a roll! Just wanted to jump on here really quick and share an idea with you all, especially for the mamas with collegiate athletes.

We never stop missing our kiddos; no matter how old they get. And whether they like to admit it or not, they miss home too. They miss us, their siblings, their room, pets, and of course homemade food! Because let's be honest, those dining halls get old. Quick!

I recently started mailing No. 1 baked goods. One of his absolute favorite things I make are rice krispie treats. I use this recipe here. It calls for more butter than the original recipe, as well as vanilla extract. The recipe also has you stir in whole marshmallows at the very end and cautions against packing them down very tightly. They come out ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

Perfectly sweet, moist, and fluffy. I have to stop myself from digging in the pan one too many times!

So how did I get them from VA to PA, you ask? I mailed them!

Once they were completely cooled, I cut them into squares. I then individually wrapped each square in saran wrap. And finally, I put each individually wrapped treat in a freezer bag.

And added a little handwritten note, of course!

I then headed over to my local post office and mailed them. Two days later and he had homemade rice krispie treats! And I had a happy boy!

According to google, they should stay fresh for up to five days. I advised him to put them in the fridge *if* he still had any on day four. And that was a BIG if.

College kid not a rice krispie treat fan? No worries! Two of my sports mama BFFS were telling me that they've mailed their boys cookies and brownies (one of them mailing all the way to Florida!). No complaints whatsoever!

I posted about them in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook group and received even more tried and tested ideas:

• protein balls
• muffins
• candied pecans
• oreo truffles
• homemade tortillas
• blondies

I will definitely be trying some many of them! Speaking of the Facebook group, have you joined us yet? 57,000+ real sports mamas, just like yourself!

I hope you found this post helpful. Do you mail your collegiate athlete something not mentioned above? I'd love to hear about it!

Sports Mama Review: SHOC Zero G Plus Football Visor & Visor Clips

Hi there, Sports Mamas! Long time no see blog. Like many of you, I'm knee deep in football season. No. 1 is in his second year of college football! (Seriously, how did we get here so quickly?!). Our weekends are filled with traveling, tailgates, and games. But I promise you that I wouldn't have it any other way. The days are long, but the years are short, way too short.

Ok, enough with the sappy stuff. I wanted to jump on to give you all (especially my fellow football mamas) a review. How many of your football players wear visors? How many of them want a visor? How many of you have no clue what a football visor is? Well, I'm here to help!

No. 1 has worn a visor since youth league. Their primary purpose is protection. Visors shield players eyes from injury. They also keep grass and turf out of them. As well as reduce facemask injuries and penalties due to the openings being reduced, which block fingers from grabbing on to them and bringing you down.

And for many players they choose to wear them because: Look good. Feel good. Play good!

No. 1's visor of choice is the SHOC Zero G Plus.

SHOC's visors are made from the highest grade of ultra-light polycarbonate in the industry, providing the highest of breakage strength as well as the best UV protection. Because of their exceptional fit as well as the quality of the lens material, they are highly unlikely to crack. Making them the safest in the game.

No. 1 says the visor fits his Riddell Speedflex helmet perfectly. (Although this particular visor was originally manufactured to fit that helmet specifically, testing has shown it to fit ALL current football helmets in today's market- with the exception of the Riddell Axiom). He also said that it is easy to put on and off and does not fog on him.

He's tried other visors over the years and says that the SHOC is definitely his top choice and superior to others.

SHOC includes a storage bag as well as a pair of visor clips with every order.

Their visor clips fit all SHOC visors as well as ALL other visors on the market. They have 13 colors to choose from, from carolina blue to hot pink!

Don't have a football player? SHOC also makes lacrosse and softball visors! Click HERE to purchase and receive 15% off your athlete's visor today!

I hope I've helped answer all of your visor related questions. 

If not, please feel free to reach out to me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. 

Enjoy the rest of your football season, Sports Mamas!!!

*** SHOC was kind enough to send me their products, however, all thoughts and opinions are solely my own (and my collegiate athlete's!) ***

Sports Mama Review: Breanna's Blankets

Happy *almost* Friday, Sports Mamas!

I know I'm not the only who saves their kids' jerseys and sports t-shirts. I've saved them all! From basketball to soccer, football to track. From 4-year-old "Little Kickers" to a Division 1 quarterback.. if they wore them, mama's got 'em! 

I always knew that I wanted to make each boy a keepsake from them, so I've been storing them in a big old box ever since. No. 1 recently finished his Freshman year of college (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?). This felt like the perfect time to finally do something with his. Sixteen years of organized sports = a whole lot of jerseys/shirts!

Enter Breanna's Blankets. A sports mama of 5 handmaking t-shirt and memory blankets. Owner Breanna (a member of the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group) reached out to me about her amazing blankets. As soon as I saw her work, I was sold. I knew that this was exactly what I had been waiting for.

She handmakes every single blanket. Turning your shirts and years of memories into a piece that will be cherished forever. 

Here is the blanket she made for No. 1.

Isn't it beautiful!?! When I opened the box, I cried. It brought back so many memories; from my son and his team winning the championship in youth ball to Senior Night to realizing his lifelong dream of becoming a collegiate athlete.

The entire process was seamless. I shipped the shirts to her, and she did the rest being sure to keep me informed along the way. I was even allowed to pick the layout order.

If you too have been saving your athlete's jerseys and shirts, I can't recommend Breanna's Blanket's enough. Her attention to detail was amazing.

She not only does sports blanket, but memory blankets of all types; baby clothes, wedding dresses, military uniforms. 

Please check her out and be sure to tell her I sent you. I promise you won't be disappointed!

*** Breanna's Blankets was kind enough to send me their product, however, all thoughts and opinions are solely my own ***

Sports Mama Tip: College Football Game Day Must-Haves!

Long time no see blog. Life is still busy, per usual. We moved No. 1 into his college dorm room a little over a month ago. He had to report early for football camp. No. 2 is a Senior and No. 3 is a Freshman. My baby... a Freshman! I'm still working full time, momming, on the Board of our High School Football Booster Club, and trying my best to keep up with all things Confessions of a Sports Mama (including our Facebook group which by the way has over 30,000 members now!). Speaking of, have you joined us yet?

This past week I attended No. 1's first college football game!!! Talk about all the feels. It was 5 hours and 45 minutes away from home, so I wanted to be sure that I was as prepared as possible. There was absolutely no turning around if I forgot something. So I asked for help in the group, and of course, they came through!

Here is a list of our college football game day must-haves, in no particular order. Except for the first.:

• Clear stadium bag. Just about all other types of bags (backpacks, fanny packs, purses) are banned in most stadiums. The only bag you are allowed to bring in? A clear bag no larger than 12" x 6" x 12". I found mine on Amazon. You can even find some with colored handles, for those of us who want to match them to our team colors.
• Hand sanitizer. I always carry it. Pretty self explanatory. Came in super handy after meeting/shaking hands with parents, especially during the tailgate.
• Sunscreen. Who likes to be sunburned? And because you already know that you're going to be sitting in direct sun if you're at an away game. Isn't it funny how that always happens?
• Sunglasses. Refer to the previous must-have.
• FAN. Paper fan. A battery operated fan. A piece of mail. Anything to fan yourself with. Game day is HOT. Especially in the beginning of the season.
• Portable phone charger. Game days are long. Nothing worse than a dead phone.
• Poncho. Because Mother Nature. And because umbrellas are a no-go in most college stadiums.
• Wallet. To purchase food/drinks from the concession stand. Or to buy some new team swag (can we ever have enough?). One mama suggested carrying cash too, just in case the credit card machines go down.
• Spirit items. Cowbell. Pom poms. Streamers. We are their number one fans after all!
• Positivity. College football can be an emotional roller coaster. Remember, they aren't in high school anymore. Coaches are playing to win, not to make everyone happy. Cheer loud. Be proud! Only 7% of high school athletes make it to this level!

Something I missed that you don't leave home without? Please let me know. I'm still learning the ropes!

GO TEAM!

Team Mama Idea: FREE Baseball Printable for Senior Night or End of Season Gifts!

With many baseball seasons wrapping up, I thought it would be the perfect time to share this post. Kelly S., one of the amazing mamas in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group (which by the way now has over 23,000 members!!!) was sweet enough to share not only the idea, but the printable to go along with it!

The cute, home plate shaped printable reads "On this dirt you've literally left it all- blood seat and tears. You've made friendships that will always be a part of you. You've fought side-by-side with the guys who relate with how bad you want to win. This dirt holds your laughter as tightly as it holds your frustration. Life goes on off this dirt but nothing can compare to the feeling you get while standing on it. Each time you look at this jar of dirt, know in your heart what it stands for and remember these years and all of the wonderful memories it holds."

Click HERE to download.

Once downloaded you simply print it out on cardstock, punch a hole in the top, and attach to a mason jar filled with dirt from the baseball field. You could make it even more special by adding their name to the jar.

They make the perfect Senior Night or end of season gifts.

If gifting them on Senior Night, you could have each player collect the dirt from the field as they are announced. Shout out to Adrienne W. (another mama in our group) for the idea!

Thanks again to Kelly S. for her help with this post! More from her can be found HERE.

And for more daily sports mom inspiration, be sure to join our Facebook Group!