Thankful Thursday- March 23, 2017

• It's SPRING! Finally! Though it's currently only a "whopping" 28 degrees (brrrr!) with an expected high of just 47 degrees today. Boo. I'll take it though! Good days are ahead. Saturday is going to be a sunny, mild, beautiful 74 degrees! I'm thinking that calls for a pedi! Wouldn't you agree?
• Comfiest sneakers ever. I've recently become of a bit of a sneaker girl. Gasp! Years ago, you couldn't pay me to wear a pair (unless I was working out). I'm finding myself reaching for sneakers more and more these days. My newest pair are Nike Free RN Flyknits. Let me just tell you...they are THE comfiest pair of shoes I have ever owned. Seriously! Go out and get your a pair, girl!
• Outdoor homework. Guess what No. 3's homework was this past Monday? To plant cabbage! How awesome is that?!? I loved seeing him get his hands dirty (well, not too dirty. He used my gardening gloves. Ha!). I wish more assignments were like this. Children need to spend more time outdoors and less time in front of screens. It also gives him some responsibility; making sure to water his cabbage, that it receives enough sunlight, weeding it. There is even a $1,000 scholarship being awarded to the child who grows the largest cabbage. And if you know my boys, you know that they are all competitive. He is determined to win!
• First tournament, first win! No. 1 is playing AAU basketball this Spring and Summer. His team had their first tournament this past weekend and WON!!! A big win, might I add. They went 4-0, never trailed in a single game, and won them all convincingly. They beat one of the teams 56-8...holy cow! You'd never know it was their first time playing together. They all looked good! Hopefully, this is just the beginning. We have our second tournament this weekend. Fingers (and toes!) crossed. Go Stars!
• Today is my FRIDAY! Woot woot! I took tomorrow off to spend with my mom before she heads back home and it just so happens that my boys have the day off from school as well. No plans have been set in stone just yet, but we're looking at a trip to the nail shop, bowling, and hiking as possibilities. I can't wait!

What are you thankful for today?

Team Mama Idea: Basketball End of Season Ideas

Basketball season has come and gone! At least non-AAU basketball which is a whole different animal. We'll talk about that sometime soon, I'm sure.


Although I was never officially "crowned" team mama (none of the boys' teams had one), I tried to help out where I could. For No. 3, I ran our TeamSnap and took pictures here and there. I also took up the collection for his Coach's gift. His coach has been nothing short of amazing with the team. Coaching 8 silly and super energetic, third grade boys (who also happen to have some of the shortest attention spans I've ever seen!) is no easy task!


We presented him with an Amazon gift card as well as a framed picture of a basketball, signed by all of the boys on the team. I found the picture on Pinterest as well as these cute, FREE printable gift card holders. Just download, print on cardstock, and attach with the gift card of your choice-that's it!

Coach absolutely loved his gift! He said it would be going up in his office.

No. 3 earned a new medal to add to his collection! (Click HERE to see how I organize them).

And the end of the season just wouldn't have been complete without cupcakes! I bought blue liners and decorated them with orange sprinkles to match our team colors.

I decorated the other half of the cupcakes like basketballs for No. 2's team. Click HERE to read my original post, if you'd like to know exactly what I used.

How awesome is the thank you card the parents gave Coach Hubby?! I absolutely love it! The mama who coordinated the coaches gifts said she had it made at Walgreens. I will definitely be using her idea in the future!

Speaking of awesome, check out my shirt y'all! I'm obsessed.

Not that two basketball games, baking, and cosmic bowling with a bunch of eleven year old boys counts as staying in bed.

Until next season!

5 Bad Sports Parent Habits to Break...Now!

We all have probably been guilty of at least one of these at one point or another. However, don't be "that" parent. Break the cycle, now. Your kids, their coaches, and fellow sports parents will thank you later.

1. The drop-off parent. You know, the one that uses the two hour practice as free babysitting? I get that we all have lots to do and not a lot of time, however, try and make it to a few of their practices if you can. You will stay up to date on team news, meet some pretty cool parents, and possibly even see why it is that your kid didn't get as much playing time this week as they did last week.
2. The non-volunteering parent. I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and again!), it takes a village. There are so many ways to get involved with your child's team/league. Volunteer to bring snacks after the game, volunteer to work the score board, volunteer to help with chains at home games, volunteer to work the concession stand. It should never have to fall on the same people, no matter how much they are willing to do! After all, your player looks forward to the halftime oranges just as much as the rest of the kids on his team.
3. The side-line coach parent. Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. The one that thinks the real coach has the wrong starting line up. Or the one who yells his own plays from the bleachers. Or the one who tells a child to go left, even though coach specifically told him to go right. Just don't do it. If you want to coach, do it the right way. Sign up at the beginning of the season, attend the meetings, complete the required background check just like everyone else did. It's confusing and flat out not fair to your child to have to choose between listening to his father or his coach. 
4. The my kid is the best parent. We all think our children are the greatest, that's what us parents do. However, shouting it out during the middle of the game because coach just benched your all-star is not the place. Take all of that energy and practice with him behind the scenes. They can't control the minutes they play, but they can control the play in the minutes they get.
5. The no clue what time the game (or practice!) is parent. Chances are the team has some type of share site that will even send you reminders the day before the game. If not, I'm pretty sure coach emailed you the schedule at the beginning of the season. Save it. Print it out. Write it in your planner like I do. Tie a string around your finger. Do whatever you have to do to be sure your athlete arrives on time. Not only is his coach waiting for him, his teammates are as well. There's nothing worse than having to run right onto the field without having done a single warm-up...can we say cramp waiting to happen?

At the end of the day, the money we spend, the countless time we invest, and the gas our truck guzzles running all over town is all for one thing, them. Let's not ruin it!

That's it... unless you have one that I missed!


End rant.

Team Mama Idea: Basketball Breakfast Kabobs

I'm snack mama again, y'all! Being that today's game was at 9am (yawn!), I wanted to be sure that I included somewhat of a breakfast(y) component. Here's what I came up with:

Basketball breakfast kabobs! Strawberries, grapes, donut holes, and a marshmallowy treat...what's not to like?


Want to make them yourself? Here's all you need:

• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Donut holes
• Marshmallows (large)
• Orange color mist
• Black edible color marker
• Skewers

I did all the prep work last night (wash and cut the fruit, color the marshmallows, and draw on the basketball lines).

I waited to assemble them until about an hour before the game to ensure that the donut holes and marshmallows didn't get soggy from the fruit.


TADA!!

I also included a traditional snack as well as drinks to go alongside the kabobs.

They were a big hit with the team AND the parents! No. 3 even said that I was "the best snack mom". Totally makes the extra work worth it!

GO HOYAS!!!


***Click HERE to read my most recent early morning snack idea or HERE to read my previous basketball snack ideas, including a free printable!

Thankful Thursday- February 23, 2017

• Early (heck, more like late) Spring temps.  I know it's seems like I'm thankful for the weather week after week, but I truly am. Today's expected high is 74 degrees!!! I didn't even wear a jacket out of the house this morning, just a blouse and a cardigan. I even saw kids at the bus stop in shorts. It's February, people! Amazing! I will definitely be walking to pick No. 2 and No. 3 up from school today, leash in hand. I can't wait!
• Chewy.com. I'd heard good things about them, but never placed an order until Tuesday. And guess what? My ordered arrived Wednesday (the very next day!) at 10:17am! That was WITH their standard shipping. I ordered the Furminator and a bone and was pleased with both. Ginger has been shedding like crazy lately. I'd been given nothing but positive feedback regarding the Furminator and it didn't disappoint. I can't even begin to tell you how much fur I removed with it. And the bone, well let's just say that she literally sat in the same place for an hour and a half going to town on it. I will definitely be ordering from them again!
• Unexpected mommy visits. My mama came up this past weekend! I had no clue she was coming. She loves surprising us. We took advantage of the time with an impromptu barbeque. We had burgers, sausages, hot dogs, filet mignon, corn on the cob, rice, and beans. And chocolate chip cookies. Can't forget the cookies! Hubby also lit the fire pit which we sat around for hours, laughing and making memories.
• 32 year old me. There's a new found confidence you find in your thirties. A confidence that shines bright without even having to try very hard. You learn that you don't need that full face of makeup. A bit of concealer and mascara will do just fine, you're already beautiful. You learn that just because models and celebrities are wearing it, doesn't mean you have to. You are your own fashionista. And if you choose to strut around town with your hair in a bun and in your favorite yoga pants, then by all means, do it girl. You learn that you can feel just as sexy in a nice pair of sneakers as you can in heels. And most importantly, you learn that YOU are the only one responsible for YOUR happiness in life. If I've learned all this at 32, I can't wait to see what 33 has to offer!
• PLAYOFFS!!! Both No. 1 and No. 2's basketball teams are in the playoffs. Woot woot! Both games will be played on Saturday, and it just so happens that I'll get to see them both. I love it when our schedules work out that way! They're both win or go home situations, so I'd appreciate if you could send some good vibes our way. Go Spiders! Go Warriors!

What are you thankful for today?

Sports Mama Tip: Trophy and Medal Display Ideas

My boys have earned quite a few trophies, medals, and ribbons over the course of their short "careers". I didn't want them to just sit around and collect dust nor did I want to spend a fortune to display them.


Here's what I came up with:

For No. 3 who has the smallest of the collections, we purchased this floating white shelf from Home Depot for about $20. It was easy to hang and all mounting hardware was included.

To hang his medals, I used white 1 inch Command Hooks. I wasn't too fond of the idea of drilling a bunch of holes into the shelf. The hooks are inexpensive and damage free. And of course, more can be added as needed.

I love how it all came together. And so did No. 3!


No. 1 and No. 2 have the larger collections and each have a glass display case from Ikea in their bedrooms. They have had them for years now. I like the fact that the shelves are removable. We had to remove one of No. 1's to allow for some of his larger trophies to fit.

I organized each shelf by sport.

As you can see, they hold A LOT.

My goal was not only that they look nice, but more importantly that they serve as constant reminders to my boys that (their) hard work really does pay off!


What do you use to display your athlete's awards? Let me know in the comment section down below!








*** Here is another fun idea from Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook group  member Jody D.

Click HERE to purchase one yourself! Be sure to join our group for more Sports Mama ideas!

Basketball Emoji Valentine's Day Cards

Valentine's Day is less than a week away! I swear Christmas was just yesterday. (Side note: today's expected high is 65 degrees...in FEBRUARY! What the what? I'm not complaining though!).


Leaving things for the last minute stresses me out, so I thought we'd get a jump start on our Valentine's Day cards. No. 3 is the only one handing them out this year. Sigh. Why can't they stay little forever? I asked a friend of mine to design basketball themed ones for me as choices in the stores are pretty limited, especially for boys.


Here's what he came up with:

How awesome are they (and is he!)? Totally perfect for my boy. Basketball AND emojis...winning! He hit the nail on the head with these.


We printed the cards on cardstock and taped a heart shaped lollipop to each one. The lollipops say "Yes", "Be Mine", "Hug Me", "I'm Yours", "Love Ya" and "Kiss Me". However, No. 3 made sure to not include ANY of the kiss me ones because "that's just weird". Ha!


He can't wait to hand them out to his class!

Or to taste the lollipops either, apparently...


If your all-star would like to hand them out as well, click HERE for the free, printable template.

Happy Early Valentine's Day, mamas!




*** Need some inspiration for a sports themed Valentine's box? Click HERE to see the Washington Redskins box No. 2 made a couple of years ago!