🏈My "Game Plan" to Feeding The Players💍

This Sunday we fed the offensive line.....we always try to do it at least once during the season for my husband's players.

We usually feed anywhere from 15 to 25 guys who all have big appetites. Here is my game plan of how to get it done:

1. Prepare ahead of time.

I clean the house that week, make my menu/shopping list, and grocery shop🏃🏼📝

2. Put together the side dishes.

I always make about 2-3 chili cheese dips the night before. That way I can just throw 

them in the oven and they have something to snack on right when they get to our house. A big pasta salad is always good to make the day before too. I just add the 

dressing the day of.

Chili Cheese Dip

2 cans Hormel chili 

Shredded Mexican cheese

2 packages of cream cheese.

Layer a large baking dish with two blocks of cream cheese. Add cans of chili, and top with shredded cheese. This will make one pan. 

3. Grill out.

I handle all the sides while my husband mans the grill......there's no "i" in 

team......right??😉🏈. Burgers, hot dogs, brats, or chicken breasts are the usual choices. 

4. Drinks. Keep it simple. Bottled waters,  lemonade, or gatorades. Really, anything that's already in a can or bottle. It eliminates needing cups and you can chill them in a cooler ahead of time.

5. The sides.

A pasta salad and a fruit salad are my staples, but another player favorite in the fall is my famous fruit dip with sliced apples. Super easy and they love it.  Recipe below:

Fruit Dip

2-4 blocks of cream cheese 

Brown sugar 

Best paired with green apples

I microwave the cream cheese for about 30 seconds or so too help the mixing 

process. Mix in brown sugar with cream cheese until smooth. Taste test to decide if you need more brown sugar or cream cheese. Serve on ua tray with sliced apples.

5. The Traditional O-Line dessert.

I learned a great recipe from another coach's wife (thanks Bev!) when we were at the University of Colorado. It's an ice cream dessert that the players love, and best of all its SO easy! Coaches' wives are always asking me for the recipe, and I am happy to share as it was shared with me. The only tedious part is unwrapping all the ice cream sandwiches. I make 2-3 pans of it just to be safe. Again, best to prepare morning of, 

or the night before to allow it to re-freeze. 

The O-line Dessert

Two packages of Ice cream sandwiches

Large container of cool whip

Caramel sauce

Chocolate sauce 

Peanuts (salted)

Layer a large pan with unwrapped ice cream sandwiches. Next, put half of the large tub of cool whip on top. Drizzle caramel, chocolate sauce, and peanuts. Repeat all 

steps. Chill for at least a few hours. 

6. Don't forget the little details.

I try to have the house set up with football games on TV, corn hole and croquet set up outside, and our boys decked out in team gear. I get plates and napkins in team colors and always pick up a few table cloth covers at the dollar tree. They're easy to throw away and make cleaning up easier when it's all said and done (also available in school colors). 

I always feel our dinner was a success when there are leftovers and we are sending home 15+ O-Lineman full and happy. Another successful night for our Jackrabbits.....thanks to a good game plan💛🐰💙🏈.

🏈A Prayer For The Coach's Wife👰🏼

A little Monday motivation......and prayer to help get us through this football season. I keep this and read it every year before the season starts. With fall camps coming to an end, I wanted to share this prayer with you all...........

Best of luck to you all this season ladies. Go Jacks🙏🏼💛🏈💙🐰👰🏼💍!!!!!!!!!

👰🏼🏈How a Coach's Wife Survives Fall Training Camp❤️💍

There is a reason why so many of us jokingly say to our family & friends, or post on social media......"hello August....goodbye husband."...... or maybe the old saying...."we interrupt this marriage to bring you the football season." But all jokes aside.....it's pretty much the truth.

It's not easy for any of us....period. Whether you have kids or not. Work outside the home or are a full time mama. In August, being a football wife (or as some like to joke...football widow), can be lonely and training camp can seem to drag on⏳. Our husbands are working extremely hard to prepare for the season......while we handle pretty much everything else on the Homefront👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🏃🏼🏡.

Here are some ways I try to look at the positive sides to fall training camp:

1. Travel. You can go see family or friends you haven't been able to see.  I have spent many Summers going to visit my family while my husband started fall camp✈️🛣🚙.

2. Meals Just Got A Whole Lot Easier. My kids make me feel like I am some big time chef when I make buttered noodles or chicken nuggets & fries. I can also remember many nights of fall training camps over the years eating cereal for dinner....just to be easy. No elaborate meals
necessary!

3. That Extra ME Time. I have some nights to myself for a mani/pedi or face mask. I'll go get my hair done (the season is approaching😉), or even catch up on my favorite shows.....Housewives anyone?💅🏼💆🏼💇🏼📺🍷

 

4. Less Housework. Having four babes that are all boys is an endless amount of laundry and things never seem or stay clean. Eliminating one boy (the biggest one) some how makes things seem a little bit easier👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼.

5. Football Wives Night. Almost every school we've been to, (9 in 14 years to get specific), there is some kind of get together with the other coaches wives during camp. It's always comforting being around women who actually get why you haven't seen much of your husband. It's also nice to have some adult conversation.....without hearing the theme song of Paw Patrol in the background. Plus wine and food is always a great reason to get together🏈😉🍷.

6. You Can Finish Your "Must Get Done  Before The Season List." From getting the kids ready for school (supplies, haircuts, clothes, appointments, etcetera), deep cleaning the house (we always visitors in the season), washing the car before the first home game (ok, I admit, I am a little superstitious about that one), and planning and stocking up the fridge/pantry for tailgating, there is a lot to get done before the first game. I know we all have our own version of the list ....right🏈😉📝?

7. DIY Time?! I've been crafty enough during camp to make a football wreath a time or two (probably more) for the upcoming football season (we've moved around....trust me). Plus I know we all have that one board on Pinterest on some random things we have to make. It's also a time I like to catch up on scrapbooking my kiddos. 

8. Another Summer Break in the Books. I love enjoying the last few weeks of summer with just my kiddos and I.....there is only so many summer breaks you have with them. Have a movie night, play a board game, go to the pool, go watch practice (four boys+football field=❤️), and just keep busy enjoying those last moments of summer with them....they grow up so fast.👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🏈🏃🏼☀️🏊🏼🚲

Some days can be long and lonely, but there is a reason why our husbands chose us to be their wives. We are strong, understanding, dedicated, and independent women who just happen to love football.....boy are they lucky!!!!!👰🏼💍🏈❤️. 

At SDSU we are officially over a week into fall training camp....not that I am counting...and Team Eck is excitedly anticipating the football season.....Go Jacks!!🗓💙🐰💛🏈

I wish you all the best this season 😉🏈❤️🙏🏼.

🏈The Football Wife👰🏼

This was given to me by another coaches wife back when we were at the University of Idaho. I thought it could help motivate us during fall camp and the upcoming football season. Best of luck to you this season.

The Football Wife👰🏼

The good Lord was creating a model for football wives, and was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared.  She said, "Lord you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one.  What's wrong with the standard model?"

The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order?  She has to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect hostess to 4 or 40 with an hour's notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if she is pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years.  And oh, yes, she must have six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head.  "Six pairs of hands? No way."

The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we will make other football wives to help her.  And we will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say, 'I understand,' when she doesn't, and say, 'Iove you,' regardless."

"Lord," said the angel, touching his arm gently, "Go to bed and get some rest.  You can finish this tomorrow."

"I can't stop now,"  said the Lord.  "I am so close to creating something unique.  Already this model heals herself when she is sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave goodbye to her husband and understand why it's important that he leave."

The angel circled the model of the football wife, looked at it closely and sighed, "it looks fine, but it's too soft."

"She might look soft, " replied the Lord, "but she has the strength of a lion.  You would not believe what she can endure."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation.  "There's a leak," she announced.  "Something is wrong with the construction.  I am not surprised that it has cracked.  You are trying to put too much into this model."

The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence.  "What you see is not a leak," he said.  "It's a tear."

"A tear?  What is it there for?" asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride and a dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear."

"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.

The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there"

👗Be a Game Day Fashionista🏈

Football is just around the corner ladies and we all need to be getting ready for our game day fashions. One of my favorite spots to shop for football clothing/accessories is on Etsy. I have bought custom accessories and clothing that make you feel like a one of a kind game day fashionista🏈💃🏼.

Don't get me wrong, the book store always has some cute gear, but who wants to see your game day look on hundreds of other ladies....am I right? Plus, a hoodie can only be so cute......comfy, yes....but not always the most flattering. 

Here are some tips to spruce up your game day look👗🏈💅🏼:

#1 Always ACCESSORIZE!! I bought the most adorable football cuff bracelet on Etsy. It's always fun to have a little bling on to show your team spirit. I am also not afraid to sport team eye black stickers for the big games! Even my purse or diaper bags has to coordinate🏈👜.

#2 Go custom girl. I am currently having a cute custom scarf made through a boutique I found on Pinterest. The boutique, takes a couple of your team t-shirts and makes a cute scarf out of it. Another great online boutique I found takes a team t-shirt and turns it into a fabulous dress (maxi, short, strapless, sleeved, or even one shouldered.) Plus she works with you on finding a fabric that coordinates amazingly with your t-shirt. Love my new one of a kind Jackrabbits dress💙🏈💛🐰👗!!!

#3 Shop Team Colors. Because I usually have football season on the brain, whenever I am out shopping I am always thinking team colors. I found a cute navy/white chevron maxi dress at Sam's club (yes, I am dead serious) when I was pregnant. I paired it with a cute gold scarf to wear for a game last season. Or pick a cute flannel for colder games to wear with leggings  (in your team colors of course💙🐰💛🏈.)

#4 Best foot forward. I have a collection of game shoes/boots I love to wear for games. Uggs are my favorite for cold weather because they keep your toes warm and you can find them in many colors. I have a growing collection and they've all been very good to me on a chilly game days. Or for those wet games, a Hunter boot is fun because they also come in an array of team colors and pair nicely with sweaters, or a flannel with leggings. 

#5 Search the Internet. I have found the Custest clothes online just by searching "game day gear" , "football fashion for women", etcetera on Google. You can also follow my Pinterest Board "Football Wife" (under Kimberly Eck) to get links to online boutiques, custom pieces, or other gameday fashion ideas.

#6 Nail it!!!! Step it up with a great mani/pedi in team colors. I prefer gel/shellac because it lasts longer with kiddos and I am constantly washing my hands. It's also fun to try some cute nail art. Bring those spirit fingers to the game girl 🙌🏻💅🏼🏈!!!!

#7 What's old is new again. I had this really cute under armor top from a school my husband used to coach at (sometimes I keep a few of my favorites😉). I went to our book store and bought a team patch for $5.99 and covered the old logo with our new team.....GO JACKRABBITS!!! The top was pricey, and now I get a little more use out of it💙🏈💛🐰.

#8 Game Day Hair!!! I always get my hair done (highlights and lows) as close to the first football game as possible. My favorite is to mix up styles for game day. Straight, curled, also who doesn't love a side pony, but my fave look is beach waves with a bandana headband. Beach waves are very forgiving on a windy game day.....plus you can find any color bandanna you can imagine at a Hobby Lobby💆🏼💇🏼👩🏼.

#9 Don't forget the Babes!  I make sure I'm not the only one geared up from head to toe on game day! Jerseys, eyeblack, football leg warmers for baby, game day bows, beanies, mittens, etc...... Go big or go home 🏈👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🐰.

So with our first game of the season, one month away (but who's counting😉), I am anxiously awaiting for the mail to bring me my new looks for SDSU's 2016 season......GO JACKS👦🏻🏈🐰💙! In this house we are always prepared for football season👍🏼. Bring it on gameday ladies....and be a football fashionista🏈👗.

🏈💍10 Things Every Coach's Wife Wished You'd Understand👰🏼❤️

#1 It's not just a game. It's our livelihood. Our husbands spend an obscene amount of time working during the season. So be supportive and understand losses are hard on us too. I have literally cried after a game knowing how important it was to win that particular one. Our husband's invest so much into every game.....and coaches wives spend A LOT of our time making sure that can be done......by holding everything else together. I'm also not going to miss a single home game because of that (Sorry to all of you with fall weddings👰🏼🍂🍁👎🏼!)

                                                                  

#2 Our loyalty is to the team where we are at. I really don't care about any other score during the season, but my husband's team. He played for the Wisconsin Badgers, and even though I am from Madison originally, I truly only care right now if the Jackrabbits win......ok ok.....maybe the Minnesota Vikings too😉💙🐰💛🏈💜.

                                                                   

#3 It ain't over till it's  over! Nothing drives me more nuts than when people leave early before the game is even over. I don't care how much we are ahead or behind......it's called being supportive and a good fan. Don't even get me started when they leave when the game is close.......are you kidding me🙄?!???

#4 There is no "i" in team. Our husbands work a ridiculous amount of hours during the season, have weeks of recruiting in the winter and spring, camps in June (and some through July), and August training camp. Coaches wives are truly the glue that holds it all together. When I gave birth during football season, I had to deal with recovering from a C-section on my own. Last May, our moving truck unloaded, and my husband left that next morning recruiting. I can literally say I packed and unpacked the entire house by myself.....with four kiddos.We wear many hats as coach's wives 🕵🏼🔨📦📚👮🏻👷🏼💪🏼.

                                                                                    

                                                                       

#5 It can extremely be lonely. Sometimes our only meal together during the season is Thursday night after practice. Recruiting.....that could literally be a whole different blog post🙄.  But during recruiting, in all honestly, weeks can go by without seeing each other. Then there’s moving......saying goodbye to friends and having to start all over again. It's always nice to hear from family or friends! We also greatly appreciate visits.....even better....stay for a game!

#6 Vacation?!?? There is only a small amount of time off for coaches-usually in July. Sometimes we spend our vacation traveling far to see family/friends.  Sometimes a family vacation means him working an out of town football camp....or moving to your next job that summer. It's never easy traveling with kiddos (especially little ones).....but it is still important to get away. Even, if many times, it's worked around something related to 

football 🙄🛣🏈👍🏼.

                                                                     

#7 We can't help geography. Coaches need to go where jobs are.....even if it's not close to home. The luxury of having family members close is something that many coaches do not have. We miss a lot......from help with babysitting (it gets expensive 👶🏼💰) , celebrating special occasions (birthdays, holidays, baptisms, etc), and even those little moments you might take for granted like baseball games, school concerts, science fairs, and baby's first steps⚾️🎺🔬👶🏼.

                                                                               

                                                                                         

#8 We have a football family. Some of my dearest friends are coaches' families.....they just get this crazy life. I get many messages from coaches' wives (some I have only known for just a season) seeing how a move went, how a job search is going when my husband is out of work, or how I am holding up in general. I will always be extremely loyal to their love and support❤️🏈.

                                                                           

#9 Our kiddos didn't choose this life. I chose this life when I married a coach, but please remember our kiddos didn't. We have moved 9 times in 14 years of marriage, but just because we have done it a ridiculous amount of times, it does not make it easy on the kids. They need all the support they can get as they navigate making new friends and being the new kid at school.......even a phone call just to see how the first day of school went goes a long way👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼.

#10 Getting fired is part of the business. Every Saturday, 50% of the teams who play, lose their game. Administrators and fans have much higher expectations however, which leads to good coaches with winning records being fired every year. So while at your job, you may have to commit some major misconduct to be fired, in coaching, firings are very common and they do not carry the same stigma. When your livelihood is linked to the performance of 18-21 year olds.....what could go wrong....right😉🏈?

🚣🏽A football family and experiencing the Cabin life🌲

                                                    Eck family Vacation 2016

Our summer vacation this year was heading to Northern Wisconsin. Some of my fondest memories growing up were from my family's annual week at the cottage each summer. Now, with four babes (kiddos) of my own, I get to share the same kind of experience with them......with an Eck family twist to it.

1. Pack into the vehicle like sardines. I don't know how to pack light with a baby!!! The Pack'n Play, portable high chair, diapers/wipes, multiple outfits for each day, baby blankets, baby's sound machine, and on and on. Plus still fit in the bags for the 5 other family members. If anyone has some tips on how the heck they pack light with a baby....and would like to share.......it would be greatly appreciated👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🚐💼🎒🙄

2. Speeding ticket......reallllllly!!!!! After a couple hours into the start of our trip.....my husband gets pulled over for speeding. It wouldn't be an Eck family trip without a little drama.....trying to get there on time. Why?!?!?! We have 5:30 dinner reservations.....with over a nine hour drive🙄🚨😳🚔👮🏻🍽

3. What ETA? Drive. . . stop. . . .drive. . . . .stop. . .drive. . . .stop. Seriously!!!! My family texted me for our ETA.....really?!?!? There isn't an actual ETA traveling with a big family. From nursing the baby, to answering every "I am hungry," hearing recruiting calls, potty breaks, stopping for gas, poopie diapers, DVD changes, the list goes on. Why don't family vehicles have those nifty windows that go up like in limos.....seriously?!?!? Can't a mom just get a nap after some greasy McDonald's👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🚐🙄🍟🍔🛣⛽️💩🕑🕔🕗🕚🕚

4. Relaxation.....really?!?! Do you know how long it takes to plan and pack for four babes (kiddos) for 5 days? It took almost an hour just to pack up the car.....an another hour to unpack it. Then you have to put together the pack n play, high chair, and practically be on your hands in knees in a bear crawl making sure there isn't anything dangerous for baby when you get there. You know no place is ever safety proofed like at home. 🐻👶🏼That brings me to my next point.

5. Rest.....on vacation.....what sleep? Someone SERIOUSLY needs to figure a way to make portable cribs more comfortable. My baby was sleeping through the night before our trip and during vacation was waking up 2-3 times during the night UGGGG!!!!! Plus not having the convenience of having him in his own nursery. When baby figured out he was rooming with us......guess who was eagerly ready to wake us up that much earlier every morning?🛌 👶🏼😴

😫

6. A Football family in Nature 🐟😳🌲?!?! My kids really did love this whole lake/up north experience this past week. My 5 year old caught his first fish....of course he did drop it immediately after how "slimey" it felt LOL😝🐟. We roasted marshmallows.....losing more than a few to the fire or on the ground. My older sons tubed for the first time.....which I almost lost the bottom half of my suit trying to teach them how to get on it🛥👙😳. Plus we also had to jump into the lake once after losing Maverick's perfectly matched sun hat to the wind......baby's still have to look cute and accessorized up north....right??!👶🏼💙 Yes, we were pretty much rookies to the up north lifestyle.

 

So after 5 days of vacation we are on the 9 hour drive back to South Dakota. A DVD playing, all of us itching from one too many mosquito bites, listening to Colin Cowherd's latest podcast, the kids all packed in tight...again, and full of some happy memories of being on the lake. This football family enjoyed cabin life and all the new outdoorsy experiences that came along with it🌲👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🌙🚣🏽

For me, in all honesty, I am now anxiously awaiting my greasy McDonalds breakfast and latte, my own bed, all my baby gear/safety proofing at home (I know all mamas out there can agree it makes life so much easier👍🏼), and some much needed sleep......once I get the baby back on schedule that is. Really......I have to admit.....I truly get now the whole "I need a vacation after a vacation."

So we may not be the most outdoorsy/up north kind of family, but they experienced a different way of life that can't be found on the football field🌙🚣🏽👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🌲🐟.