Sports Mama Tip: Hassle Free, Crockpot Hot Dogs

Kiss the days of having to tote around a small grill or a million individually foil wrapped hot dogs goodbye! My favorite way to prepare hotdogs for a sports team is in the crockpot! Yes, you heard read right. YOU CAN MAKE HOT DOGS IN THE CROCKPOT!!!

Why do I like making them in the crockpot? Let me count the ways! For starters, it's super easy. All you need is a crockpot and hot dogs. Here's what you do:

1. Remove the hot dogs from their packaging and place them into your crockpot. You can stack them or stand them upright. Your preference. I have fit up to 50 hot dogs in mine!
2. Place the lid on your crockpot. No need to add water! Cook them on high for two hours or low for four hours. That's it. The slow cooker will do all of the work!
3. Remove them with tongs when ready to serve.

Could it get any easier?!?

Another reason I prefer making them this way is because they are portable, which makes for easy traveling. You can even cook them at the field, so long as there is an electrical outlet.


They also stay warm. Once they are finished cooking, simply set your crockpot to the "warm" setting and walk away until ready to serve.


And finally, no more soggy buns! There is nothing worse than soggy bread. I keep them in the crockpot until the very last minute possible. They go from crockpot to bun to mouth. Yum!

I hope this tip was helpful. Next time you have an army to feed, buy some hot dogs and whip out that crockpot!

What's Up Wednesday- September 27, 2017

Happy hump day, mamas! Here's what's up today:

What we're eating this week...

Monday- Crockpot meatballs, rice, and veggies.

Tuesday- Chick-fil-A for No. 3's school's fundraiser.

Wednesday- Lasagna and garlic bread.

Thursday- Leftover lasagna and more garlic bread.

Friday- TAILGATE at the field with No. 1's football team- hot dogs, chips, fruit, brownies!. (Stay tuned for a post on how I organize our tailgates).

What I'm reminiscing about...

Coach Hubby and I are celebrating 14 (FOURTEEN!!!) years of marriage this upcoming Saturday. I'm reminiscing about all of the time we've spent together; the good, the not so good, and the crazy (busy). I can't wait to celebrate with him!

What I'm loving...

I'm loving pumpkin spice EVERYTHANG.

Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cream cheese muffins... I wonder if they make pumpkin spice flavored chapstick? Hmmm...

What we've been up to...

Lots of sports; soccer, football, and more football!

What I'm dreading...

Today's 90 degree weather. Seriously?? October 1st is in 4 days!

What I'm working on...

I've been working quite a bit on my blog lately. Trying to find new inspiration to continue putting helpful content out to you all, pondering with the idea of creating a sports mama product, and growing my social media presence.

What I'm excited about...

iSplack featured my recent review of their colored eye black on their Facebook page! How exciting is that? Check it out HERE!

What I'm watching/reading...

Dancing With The Stars is back! All is good in the world again!

What I'm listening to...

I crank up the volume on my car radio EVERY time Charlie Puth comes on. I just love his voice!

What I'm wearing...

THESE!

As well as these headbands in my boys' team colors.

What I'm doing this weekend...

For the first time in (at least!) the last five years, we have absolutely no games on our anniversary! Say whaaat? So Saturday, Coach Hubby and I will be going apple picking and to a local winery... ALONE! Shout out to Aunt Sue for volunteering to keep our boys so that we can spend some quality (kid free!) time together!

What I'm looking forward to next month...

Fall and Halloween, for sure! Cooler temps, colored leaves falling from the trees, pumpkin picking, hayrides, apple cider, cardigans, hoodies, mums, trick-or-treating, the annual haunted house at our local elementary school. I could go on for days!

What else is new...

I won these handmade, Redskins themed earrings through an Instagram giveaway! I absolutely love them!

They can be customized to match the colors of your favorite team. Click HERE to order your own!

That's it for now. What's up with y'all?

Sports Mama Review: isplack Colored Eye Black

I love supporting my boys and their teams in any and every way possible! From attending each and every game to being team mom to wearing their team colors- I try to do it all.  Nail polish, shirts, hats, jewelry... if it comes in their colors, I probably have it!


Colored eye black is one of my absolute favorite ways to show my team spirit. It's quick, easy, and inexpensive. Not all eye black is created equal, so isplack is the way I go.


What makes iSplack different from other eye black? It is waterproof, sweat proof, and contains NO harmful chemicals. I use it on my 12 and 13 year old's faces (as well as their teammates!), so being healthy and safe for their young, sensative skin is a must!


As previously mentioned, my boys switched football teams this season. A new team means new colors! isplack comes in fourteen different colors, so I knew that they'd have the exact blue and orange that I was looking for. Electric Orange and True Blue were the perfect match!

The colors are very vibrant, the texture is super creamy (reminds me of a high-end lipstick!), and it is extremely easy to apply.


The boys were so excited to wear it yesterday! In fact, one of No. 2's teammates even said, "we better win since we have this war paint on!". And they won, alright. 19-0! Ha!

A whole football game (and a bunch of sweat!) later...

and their colors were still on!


Don't worry, mamas. Players aren't the only ones who can rock it!

I'm wearing the color Pure Maroon in the top photo, and the bottom two are in Power Pink (which by the way is THE perfect pink to use next month to support Breast Cancer Awareness!).

isplack's colored eye black retails for $8.99 and can be purchased on their website, at your local Dick's Sporting Goods, or on Amazon.

This product is a MUST for Sports Mamas of every sport!

What are you waiting for? Get your colors on!!!










*** Disclaimer: isplack was kind enough to send me their product in the colors True Blue and Electric Orange, however, all thoughts and opinions are solely my own.***

Weekend Snapshots: Getting My Artsy Fartsy On!

Over the last week, I've managed to get a few arts and crafts done despite having to work full time, chauffer the boys back and forth to both football and soccer practices, nurse No. 2's ankle back to health, deal with a nasty stomach bug of my own (ugh!), not to mention every other thing us mamas do on a daily basis.


I made two shirts. Well, I didn't literally make them. I purchased rhinestone transfers from Etsy and ironed them on.


I made a football shirt.

And a soccer shirt!

Bling bling, baby! Quick shipping, great quality, and super easy to do. I absolutely LOVE how they came out!


I also gave some of my old cowbells a little makeover.

My original plan was to get rid of them since we changed clubs this season and have new colors. Then I remembered that I had a can of orange spray paint sitting around. Seriously, is there anything a little spray paint (and glitter tape!) can't fix?!? I can't wait to give them to some of my new football mama friends!


Have a great week, mamas!

Weekend Snapshots: Fall Sports Are Here!

Hey mamas! We had quite the busy weekend, as per usual. It all began bright and early Saturday morning. No. 3 had his first soccer game of the season!

He ended up playing against one of his good school friends. Don't worry, no love was lost!

A few hours later and we were back at it again, at the football field this time. Both No. 1 and No. 2 had their final scrimmages before the regular season kicks off on the 16th.


No. 2 played first.

He's playing receiver and corner this year!


No. 1 is playing quarterback, safety, and kicker. I'm going to have some tired kids this Fall!

I just couldn't leave out this shot of Coach Hubby. It's my fav!

Sunday was picture day for No. 1 and No. 2. Even though I always purchase the professional ones, I still like to take my camera and get a few shots to post on TeamSnap for those who don't.

The outtakes are the absolute best part!

Haha!


Unfortunately, Sunday didn't end on such a high note...

No. 2 ended up in the ER after goofing around with his friends. Boys, gotta love 'em! Luckily, it's just a sprain. He's in an air cast and we're following the RICE (rest, ice, compress, elevate) method. Obviously, there will be no football for a few days. Such a bummer. Especially after receiving the following message from his head coach just a few hours earlier.

If you'd be so kind as to send positive healing vibes our way, I'd greatly appreciate it!


Oh yeah! Before I forget. I'm on Instagram now! Follow me @confessionsofasportsmama and be sure to tag your sports related posts with #confessionsofasportsmama so that I can see them!


Have a good week, mamas!

What's In My Sports Mama Bag? Football Edition!

It's the most wonderful time of the year... FOOTBALL SEASON! Ready or not, it's here! And I don't know about you, but I'd rather be ready, than not.

Here's a look inside of my football mama bag:

• Planner. If you've read some of my past sports mama bag posts, you're probably noticing that I have a new one. It's about half the size of my old one, but still does the same job. No. 1 and No. 2 are on two different teams this season and No. 3 is playing soccer. There's just no way I can store their schedules (plus my own!) in my mama fogged brain!
• Cowbell. Because this is football! Click HERE to read a full review on the one I am using this year.
• Stadium seat. 99% of their games are played at local high schools, so no need to bring a chair. However, bleachers are not the most comfortable (not to mention that they can get super hot or be wet).
• Eye black. One of the best AND easiest ways to show your team spirit. My favorite brand is isplack - long lasting, fourteen colors to choose from, and contains no harmful chemicals.
• Touchdown Jar! Don't know what a touchdown jar is? Click HERE to read all about it!
• Camera. I take hundred of photos at each and every game and then upload them to our team page. Even if you're not ready to tackle being the official team photographer, I still suggest you taking photos with a real camera over your cellphone. There is just not comparison when it comes to the quality.
• Mini first-aid kid/icepack. Most coaches will have them, but I still like to carry my own- just in case.
• Snacks/water. Game days can be long. Especially when they're away games. Between time traveling to and from the game, and the allotted game time, someone's bound to be hungry... myself included!
• Money. Because sometimes those concession stand hotdogs smell WAY too good to resist!
• Hand Sanitizer. I never leave home without it.
• Cell phone. I use mine for directions when going to unfamiliar fields, to take videos, and even to access our team roster and post score updates on TeamSnap. How cool is that?

Anything you carry in your football mama bag that I don't? Let me know in the comment section down below!

*** Click HERE to read what I carry in my soccer mama bag and HERE for my basketball mama bag!***

Sports Mama Tip: How To Be A Great Team Mom!

Team moms make the world team go round. We are one of THE most important people on the team, right up there with the coaches!


My boys have been on teams with some amazing, and not-so amazing team moms over the years. I don't ever want to be placed on the "not-so" amazing list. While I will say it can take quite a bit of effort, it doesn't have to take a ton of time.


Here are my tried and tested tips for being a great team mom:

• Be organized- There are so many online tools to help with this; from rosters to tracking payments to posting game schedules. Click HERE to read my previous post on my favorite go-to sites and apps.
• Communicate- If you don't know what's going on, no one does! True story. 99.9% of the team emails will come from you.
• Be present- Try to attend all practices and games, when possible. Parents will have questions, and they won't always be able to get to the coach. You will serve as the point of contact between them.
• Be prepared- It is always better to be over prepared, than under prepared. Keep a sports mama bag with you at all times. Essential items to include are extra waters, a mini first-aid kit, ice pack(s), and the team roster/contact information.
• Delegate responsibilities- You just can't do it all... and you shouldn't have to! Ask for (assign if needed!) volunteers. They can help with snacks, chains, game film, etc. It takes a village.
• Plan ahead- Don't wait until the last minute to plan end of season events; party, coaches gifts, players gifts. You know it's coming. In football, having a touchdown jar is one of the easiest (and less stressful!) ways to do this. You could even tailor this to other sports (i.e. goals in soccer or three pointers in basketball).
• Go the extra mile- This is what sets you apart from the rest. Take (and share!) lots of photos , make banners for them to run through, plan team outings (local high school games are always fun!), have a cowbell decorating party, make jersey number cheat sheets, bake goodies. These little things go a long way!
• Stay out of the drama- Yep, even youth sports come with a bit of drama. Being the team mom, you are privy to lots of information. Don't get caught up in the chatter and gossip. Take the high road by smiling and keeping it moving.
• Enjoy every moment- Of course there will be some days that you'd rather be sitting on your couch than on the bleachers at the field. There will also be some parents that you would never choose to be BFFs with. Just take a few deep breaths and keep it moving. I promise that the good times will definitely outweigh the bad. I wouldn't keep volunteering to do it if they didn't!

Good luck, mama! You've got this!