Sports Mama Review: Double A Designs Custom Photo Tee

If there's one thing you all know about me, it's that I'm a loud, PROUD football mom! I literally have drawers full of nothing but my #footballmomswag. I am always on the lookout for anything and everything I can find in my boys' team colors.

One thing I didn't have though? A shirt with my boy's picture on it. Enter Double A Designs!

Double A Designs is a one-stop shop for all of your custom needs! They do shirts, hoodies, tumblers, pillows, blankets, bags, invitations, announcements... the list goes on and on. They can even do sublimation, customized party treats, and back drops! Did I mention they are woman owned?!

For this awesome custom tee, all I had to do was send in my favorite photos. It couldn't have been any easier. They did the rest! I was sent a proof for approval prior to them being made.

I couldn't have been any happier with the results. The quality is amazing. I am literally OBSESSED with my shirt! It definitely stood out from the rest on game day. I received compliment after compliment while wearing it.

Coach Hubby loved it too! As did my collegiate athlete! I'm already thinking about my next one.

Check out some more of their work.

From start to finish, Double A Designs was a pleasure to work with. I seriously cannot recommend them enough. Be sure to check them out on Instagram and Facebook for even more inspiration!

*** Double A Designs was kind enough to send me their product, however, all thoughts and opinions are solely my own ***

Sports Mama Review: Faith & Grace Chenille Football Number Hat

FOOTBALL IS BACK, MAMAS!!! We made the 16-hour round trip to cheer on our boy and his team this past weekend. I'm exhausted, but I promise I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm riding this train until the wheels fall off... the days are long, but the years are short. Way. Too. Short!

You guys already know that I'm a loud and proud sports mama, so I was super excited when I was sent these cute, personalized hats from Faith & Grace.  

Faith & Grace is a family owned, small business specializing in personalized items. I received their Chenille Football Number "baseball cap". They come in 15 different colors and 2 different sizes (adult and youth). I love the fact that they are adjustable too.

I absolutely love it! It's so cute and fits perfectly. The quality is great as well. I received SO many compliments. It's the perfect way to rep your favorite player!

My college football mama BFF's were so excited to rock theirs as well. I mean, are they cute or what?!

Not a football mama? No worries! They have softball, baseball, basketball, and soccer hats!

If you're looking to add some new #sportsmamaswag to your collection, this is it! Click HERE to order yours today and be sure to use the code SPORTSMAMA for 20% off!

Here are a couple more ways I repped my #8. 

I will always be his number one fan!

*** Faith & Grace was kind enough to send me their product, however, all thoughts and opinions are solely my own ***

8 Things I've Learned as a College Football Mom

No. 1's college football season is about to kick off in 17 days! We'll be making the eight-hour truck from Virginia to Ohio to cheer our boy and his team on. I seriously cannot believe that football is back!

This will be my third year as a college football mom, so I'm no longer a rookie. Here are EIGHT (in honor of my boy's number) things I've learned along the ride:

1. It's a full-time job. You thought high school football was a lot? Collegiate athletes (specifically D1 players) have jam-packed schedules; literally from sunup to sundown. A typical in-season day for No. 1 begins with 7am breakfast, followed by practice from 8-11am, lunch, 3pm lift, meetings from 4-7pm, followed by a walk-through until 8pm, dinner, rest and repeat. Once school starts in two weeks, class and homework will be thrown in. And yep, your professors still expect your work to be turned in on time... game week or not!
2. Summers are short. See above. No. 1 was home for less than 20 days this Summer. I never want him to feel left out of our family vacations, so I am always sure to schedule them around his availability. 
3. Everyone is talented. There's a reason only 7% of high school athletes go on to play in college. You're competing with the best of the best. Work hard, be patient. Your time will come! Which brings me to number 4.
4. Redshirting is a blessing in disguise. Of course your child wants to play as soon as they get to college. They were probably always on the field (or equivalent for their sport) in high school. They wouldn't be collegiate athletes if they weren't! BUT, you will learn very quickly that the size, age, and experience of those you are competing against is drastically different. As a 19-year-old Freshman, my son had 24(24!)-year-olds on his team. (Think re-classing, redshirts, etc.) He was redshirted (as were 99%) of the Freshman on his team. This ultimately gives him an extra year of eligibility AND schooling. Looking back, it's definitely a win-win situation.
5. It's a lot of travel. For the athletes AND their families. Even though No. 1 didn't play his Freshman year, he still traveled with the team as a signal caller. Hubby and I decided early on that if he traveled, we would too. Gone are the days of playing your local hometown teams. You will be traveling to several different states. Plan early! As soon as that schedule is released, start booking your hotel stays. The closer to game day it gets, the higher the rates will be. Not only that, but rooms sell out!!
6. Those post-game 10 minutes are everything. EVERYTHING. After each away game, the families gather near the busses to await our players. That is when you can sneak in that big mama bear hug. There is nothing I look forward to more. They make every single mile worth it!
7. Find your tribe. Because just like in youth and high school sports, it takes a village. We have an amazing group of families that we tailgate and cheer with. For home games, we also do post-game tailgates and feed our boys as well as any other teammates who are hungry. Such a great tradition!
8. It goes by fast! I'd say even quicker than high school. At least it feels that way! I feel like I was just crying my eyes out and dropping him off for Freshman year. How can this possibly be year 3?! So savor every moment, mama. Take it all in. The good, and the not so good. Remember that only 7% of high school athletes are playing at this level. Never let a day pass without letting them know just how proud you are of them!

Wishing you all a healthy, successful season! GO RED FLASH!!!

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!) ***