Thursday, January 28, 2016

Gear Up for Game Day with Family Traditions, Great Food and Company and FOOTBALL!!! #GameDayTraditions @ProctorGamble @Walmart @SheSpeaksUp #ad

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G.  However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.


Are you ready for some football?!...


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That is what you will hear people asking just days before the big game and as they enter our home.  I don't know how, but ever since my husband and I got together and moved in together, we have played host to family and friends for all football games. And, now that we have kids of our own, that makes for a fun addition to the Sunday football game days at our house.  






While I miss the tailgating we used to do back in our college days and before the kids, I have to say that I love being home and cooking for family and friends.  It is my excuse to get into the kitchen and cook up a variety of foods -- both finger and for a sit down meal.  You never know how long a game will go for, so I have to be prepared to feed everyone over a long period of time.  




Even if a game doesn't go into over-time, I am still ready to feed excited football fans and even those who just saw their team lose (as we always have fans that come that root for the other team), so that they are sent home with a full belly. :-)  Come on, I am Italian, so I am used to being around food and making sure everyone is well fed, with a meal and sweets.  I just can't help myself. :-)


Do you have any fun Game Day traditions in your house? In addition to being in charge of cooking the food, I also make a point to keeping everyone else in my family on top of their duties. My girls are in charge of the snack table and letting me know when something is getting low so that we can re-stock.  I never want a guest to reach for dip or a chicken wing and find the bowl empty.  As for my husband, when he is not making up or grabbing drinks for the adults, he makes stops into the kitchen periodically -- usually during the commercial breaks, to help with the dishes or taking out the trash, which always seems to pile up.  


When it comes to food that I put out for guests, if you were to visit on game day, you would find the must haves...chili, chips and dip (at least 4 different kinds including ranch, salsa, bean and cheese dips), potato chips, chicken wings (mild, medium and hot), salad, rolls, finger sandwiches and other snack bag foods that are quick to tear open and pour into bowls. I try to please everyone's tastes, so make a point to have an assortment of food available.  And, I never have to worry about storing leftovers, are there are never any left, or if they are, I have takers ready to take doggie bags home with them. :-)  


Want to see what I have served up at our recent Game Day gatherings?  Hopefully you are not reading this post on an empty stomach as your mouth will water...just warning you beforehand...


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Red Beans and Andouille Sausage

Image for Southwestern Stuffed Burger w/ Black Beans and Pico de Gallo
Southwestern Stuffed Burger


Game day - Chicken tostadas with tomato avocado salsa and mashed black beans


Mushroom Philly cheese steak with provolone cheese


Cheesy arepas with mushrooms and a tomato avocado salad

Pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches with fingerling potato salad and creamy coleslaw


Turkey chili sure does warm the belly


Meatball subs with melted fresh mozzarella and Caesar style romaine salad


Hungry yet?  Sorry about that, but I was so happy to see everyone leave with smiles on their faces and happy bellies, and the time spent in the kitchen preparing everything was so enjoyed and well worth it. 

As for who we all root for on Game Day, we usually don't have to discuss the attire of the day. :-)  Don't worry, I will not go into great length to talk about my families favorite football team.  We are from New England, originally from the Boston area, so it is always the Patriots.  



Well, at least everyone minus my two girls who are total cheese heads.  I think they just like to wear the cheese head hats on game day -- which I have to say makes for goofball photos and entertains kids and adults of all ages.   




Recently, I was asked to share my family's game day traditions and were sent some wonderful products from P&G to try and incorporate into my and my husband's beauty routines on game day.  




More about the above P&G products...

COVERGIRL LashBlast Mascara


  • Available in three collections
  • Volume (available in regular or waterproof)
    • 100% more volume
    • COVERGIRL’s biggest brush ever
  • Clump Crusher (available in regular or water resistant)
    • 200% more volume
    • No clumping
    • Double-sided brush
  • Fusion (available in regular or water resistant)
    • 100% more volume and length
    • Fuller, more dramatic lashes
    • Oversized brush
Crest Prohealth Advanced Toothpaste


  • Advance to Healthier Gums and Stronger Teeth from day 1*  
*vs ordinary toothpaste with continued use. Starts fighting plaque and protecting enamel form Day 1.

Gillette Fusion ProGlide


  • FlexBall Technology for maximum contact
  • Precision trimmer on the back for accurate edging
  • Gillette's thinnest, finest razor blades for less tug and pull
  • Enhanced Lubrastrip for smooth glide
Oral B Vitality


  • Round brush removes more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush
  • MicroPulse bristles clean between teeth
  • Two-minute timer
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Indicator bristles fade when it’s time to replace your brush head
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While it is important to have the food ready, TV tuned to the big game and enough seating for guests, you can't skimp on your beauty routine and looking good. :-)  It is funny how the men lounge around in their Patriots jerseys, work boots or sneakers and ripped jeans, while the women dress to the 10's, highlighting their love for the Patriots with done up hair and makeup, and a well put together outfit which includes a jersey to match our husbands and kids.  Yes, even the kids are decked out in Patriots attire that Santa brings and we pick up when we take in a game or two at Gillette Stadium for a Patriots home game. Those times are truly memorable moments that I love sharing with my family, as they remind me of my childhood when my grandfather, who was a huge football fan, would take us to a game or have us over to watch the game on television, while enjoying Sunday dinner.


Like I said, I was sent an assortment of P&G products and had a blast trying them out.  My husband loved the Gillette Fusion PROGLIDE razor, which he says gives him a close shave.  I have to agree as his skin is smooth and soft like a baby's bottom when he goes in for a kiss or snuggle. I will not lie, we did fight over who would get the Oral-B Vitality rechargeable toothbrush, but in the end I won as I snuck if before he had a chance to use it.  And, he wasn't game to sharing a toothbrush.  We do, however, share the Crest Pro-Health Advanced toothpaste, which leaves our mouth's feeling and smelling fresh, even after chili, hot wings, beer and other food consumed on game day.  In addition the new rechargeable toothbrush I scored, I also got to try out the Covergirl Lashblast Volume mascara.  I had saw this mascara in the drug store recently and was meaning to pick it up on my next trip...but, thanks to the box of P&G goodies I was sent from SheSpeaks, I didn't have to remember to add this to me shopping list.  I don't know about you, but I have found that as I age my lashes seem to thin and fall out more, without growing back. So, I have to rely on volume mascara like this one to add follow and make my eyes pop.  I am so loving this mascara and ended up tossing out all other mascara I had as they didn't so what this one did.  My husband, who usually doesn't notice my makeup, noticed that my lashed had more volume and stood out.  I got a "wow" out of him, and he wasn't commenting on the game. :-)

Even though the Pats didn't make it to the end, we will still gather for the upcoming Big Game with family and friends, to enjoy a great food, an amazing game with must see commercials and most of all spending quality time with family and friends.  This is the only time we seem to really slow down and enjoy life and not worry about to-do lists.  Funny how football becomes the center of everyone's attention and can bring so many people together around a television.




I would love to hear some of your family's game day traditions so be sure to share some in the comments section below.  And, if you want to try out some or all of the P&G beauty and grooming products I mentioned above, you can find them at your local Walmart stores, as well as learn more about these and other great game day must haves at www.traditionsforgameday.com.



Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G.  However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.

2 comments :

  1. The recipes did make my mouth water and I really like the Mushroom Philly cheese steak with provolone cheese! This is going to be a great sandwich to make for Super Bowl Sunday and I like all the P&G items and use the mascara-it is the best~

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  2. We are so ready for some football! These look like some great game day goodies thanks for sharing these great ideas.
    heather [email protected]

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