Confession: I’m a habitual overpacker. I LOVE to go on trips, but I LOATHE to pack for them.
Ways to Save Time Back-to-Sports Shopping ~Giveaway
This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and DICK’s Sporting Goods®. All opinions are my own.
Back to School also means Back to Sports for our family. I’ll admit that I love our summer sports hiatus because summer flies by too fast as it is. My boys start school mid August and fall sports start practicing a few weeks before that. When practices begin before school starts, you have to be ready. I’ve got one in football and one playing fall baseball for the 1st time this year which will keep our family occupied for a while. I didn’t want to spend a ton of time shopping for sports equipment which made a trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods a convenient stop.
So what do you need to do before you shop to save time?
- Get a list of equipment that you are responsible for from the coach
- Check for online coupons
- Bring your rewards card
- See what still fits. You don’t want to discover that your child has outgrown their cleats, apparel, or equipment after you went shopping.
- Check what the team colors are so that your apparel selections and shoes don’t clash.
- Find out how many days a week you will be practicing and when the games are so that you can plug them into your calendar. Ideally, you will want to have your shopping done before the 1st practice so that your child is prepared.
- Get a sports physical- Most teams require them and after the physical, you will find out if you need to purchase any additional items to assist with playing the sport. For example, you might discover that your child needs glasses made for sports or a brace for more support. Also, get the physical marked for any sports that you think your child might play to save time and money.
- Condense your errands. The less stops the better because your time is valuable too.
- Get advice and check out reviews from others about brands and equipment to use for the sport they are playing.
- Set a budget and let your kids be a part of the selecting process. Give them a price range to choose from and watch them become savvy budget shoppers instantly because now they view it as their money. This also helps them prioritize and determine which items they want to spend more on.
When it comes to selecting items, I let my husband take the lead in guiding my kids because he all about sports, ALL the time. Dick’s Sporting Goods is one of the few stores that my kids don’t complain about going to. If anything, my kids want to stay longer because they start to sneak over to check out the shoes and athletic apparel for back to school clothes. In their world, comfort and athletic clothing is king.
Here are some items to check off if your kids are playing football or fall baseball.
Football Player Checklist
- Cleats
- Mouthguard
- Water bottle
- Helmet- optional
- Bright Socks – These are a great way to identify you kid on the field
- Practice Football
Baseball Player Checklist
- Baseball Helmet (optional)
- Baseball glove- lefties need to make sure that they get a special glove
- Baseball Bat
- Water bottle
- Baseball
Carpool Checklist
- Water
- Snacks
- Air freshener – Because your nostrils will burn after you carpool a group of middle school boys after they’ve been practicing in 90 degree heat.
- Something to read- sometimes practices go over and you end up waiting in the parking lot for a while
Sports Parent Sideline Checklist
You can read all of my sideline essential here.
We found EVERYTHING that we needed at Dick’s Sporting Goods which relived my stress and made my boys very happy.
The selection is very large for just about any sport in store and there are also items available online as well.
Would you love to win a gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods?
Make sure that you enter the giveaway for (5) $50 gift cards.
You can find out more Dick’s Sporting Goods locations and merchandise from their website.
A Unique Watch That Makes A Great Gift
I typically don’t wear watches but I’ve found a watch that I really enjoy wearing. I had previously gone YEARS without wearing a watch before I started wearing this one. I’ve found a watch that I not only LOVE to wear, but it always gets noticed each time that I wear it.
So what’s the big deal about my watch?
- It’s made out of wood! My JORD watch is from the Fieldcrest Series “Zebrawood and Maple. The natural zebrawood and maple is hand finished and pretreated with tung oils. It’s water resistant but not waterproof. I love that it’s really unique.
- The custom gift box sets the tone for a gift that is crafted with excellence.
- It’s custom sized. You measure your wrist before you order your watch and you get a watch that is the perfect fit.
- It’s versatile and adventure ready. I love that I can wear my watch in any type of environment. My wood watch looks great in any type of environment or adventure.
- It’s an accessory that always get’s noticed. Every time that I wear my wood watch, someone compliments it. It’s an accessory that stands out every time I wear it and looks great with a variety of outfits. I like accessories that are unique and JORD offers a great selection of unique watches to choose from that fit a variety of tastes and styles.
- It’s wearable art. That’s my favorite part about my JORD wood watch. It’s a unique bracelet that tells time.
- It makes a great gift. Whether it’s Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, an anniversary, graduation, birthday or just because. A wood watch is a unique gift that the recipient will treasure and remember each time that they look at it. My husband LOVED his as an anniversary gift.
Would you love a discount to purchase a JORD wood watch
for yourself or someone special as a gift?
Make sure that you check out this link to get a $25 discount code. (*limited number available)
You can check out more of the unique wood watches from the JORD website.
Disclosure: I received the JORD watch for review purposes. All opinions are my own. I loved the watch so much that I’m now an affiliate. That means that if you purchase a watch, I get a percentage at no cost to you.
How to make the most of your first visit to Bargains and Buyouts
When you step into Bargains and Buyouts for the 1st time, it’s easy to feel like a kid in a candy store. The space is enormous and there is eye candy everywhere!
4 Ways A Fitbit Can Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals
This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Dick’s Sporting Goods ®. All opinions are my own.
It seems like my health is all or nothing. I’m either in the routine of fitness or I’m falling off the fitness wagon. I’ve had fitness seasons where exercising was such a part of my life that it was just like brushing my teeth each day. I even had enough willpower in years past to run a half marathon and also a sprint triathlon. Keep in mind that my goal was to FINISH not to be FAST.
How I fit all of my ski clothes in a carry on suitcase
I LOVE traveling but there always seems to be a part of my brain that shuts down when I’m trying to pack ALL of my clothing options into a suitcase. I’m a habitual overpacker because I tend to want to be prepared for any fashion emergency. My trip to the Pocono Mountains presented a packing challenge. I needed to fit ALL of my clothing options in one carry on suitcase. My challenge was that I didn’t want to pay the extra baggage fee for a 4 day trip. I’ve always previously driven to winter destinations so that I could overpack without limits but this trip was not an enjoyable driving distance for my time constraints.
Sideline Essentials for Sports Parents
This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Dick’s Sporting Goods. All opinions are my own. #DSGFit4U
As a sports mom, I spend A LOT of time on the bleachers watching my two boys play multiple sports. If your kids play sports, you might as well come prepared to make the experience more enjoyable. Here are a few sports parent essentials to bring to your next game.
3 Ways to Use Coke for a College Football Rivalry Themed Party
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareYourSpirit #CollectiveBias
When we moved back to Kentucky, one of the first things my husband did was put a flag up outside our front porch representing his favorite college team from Michigan. We were not even unpacked yet! Our new neighbor across the street, who we were friends with prior to moving away, told his wife that he thought that we moved into their neighborhood after noticing a facebook post with the flag. The funny part is that he is a BIG fan of that popular team from Ohio. Even though our husbands’ have their differences in college team allegiances, they can still set aside their differences and agree on a few things which includes great game day food.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Workout Clothes
I have to start out with a confession. I work at a gym a few hours a week and I have a hard time getting back to the gym to actually work out. The pounds have been creeping back on and stretchy pants have been my wardrobe of choice for about a year now. That needs to change. Not only because I have a lot of amazing clothes that no longer fit, but also because I need to take better care of my health for myself and my family. So if I talk to you about it here, it will make me more accountable to you about starting to do something about it.
One of the first places that you start when getting back into shape is evaluating your workout clothes. It’s a lot more motivating to go to the gym or to workout when you have an outfit you are looking forward to wearing. I chose several different pieces from Dick’s Sporting Goods that I knew could be staples in my fitness wardrobe.
A Game Plan For Your Kids Who Play Sports
My boys LOVE football which means that they spend a lot of time in the summer/fall wearing a helmet between practices and games.
Last season we noticed that there were some dandruff flakes in their hair but what I didn’t know was that helmets and hats can make dandruff even worse!
This season we are using a different game plan.
Lots of teenagers often have to deal with dandruff but don’t want to talk about the “d-word.” You can either choose to talk about it or be a little more subtle by placing the shampoo in their gym bag.
I let him know that he had a new special shampoo that was just for him to use that would also help get rid of the “d-word.”
Head & Shoulders with Old Spice is a great solution because it works on the dandruff but has the “cool factor” of Old Spice which is a product he is already familiar with. My son said that his hair felt really smooth and that he also smelled manly after trying it for the 1st time.
Did you know that Head & Shoulders is the Official Shampoo of the NFL and the Official Shampoo of Major League Baseball? That means that teenagers are not alone in the struggle. Now you know how to help them with the solution.
JOIN THE #DFREEDEFENSE TEAM!
Tell Vocalpoint how you helped your son deal with dandruff (the dreaded D-word) for a chance to WIN NCAA tickets to the football game of your choice.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Head & Shoulders. All opinions are my own.