Football Parties Ideas.

For me, everything's an event. My sister and I discussed over her visit our love for planning. We love to making packing lists, work on to do lists and prep work for days, run around our houses like crazy people the morning before we host dinner for friends - the chaos of planning an event is half the fun, for us. I realize this is not the way for many people who would rather order a pizza and relax in the company of their friends with no cooking and no dishes to do after.

Now, don't get me wrong - I can appreciate a low key hangout as much as the next girl. I love dinners out for birthdays or nights of grabbing fro yo and plopping in front of a Lifetime movie with friends. I don't need a big event to have a good time but I do love to plan! In the last year, thanks in large part to my Tampa bestie Auburn, I've grown to love cooking (even simple meals).

This was a long way to get to announcing that my roommate, Bekah, and I have put our football party of the year on the calender! We decided to host it on Sunday Night Football (so we'd be sure to actually get the Colts game here in Tampa) and it will be a rematch of the Colt's last super bowl appearance - we're playing the Saints, again. Hopefully this time ends better than the last (darn you, Drew Brees - my fellow Purdue Alum).

So now of course my head is swimming with all the cool football party ideas (and I'm welcoming any you may have as well). To get into the football spirit now that it's preseason I thought I'd post a few party ideas I've been collecting. First off, I LOVE all things football when it comes to entertaining and last year I literally broke the budget for anything football related dining item I could find (for a reasonable price, of course).


But what about the actual food, the decor, the party itself. Well I turned to the blogs to gather a few ideas I hope I get the chance to try...

Guacamole Football Field.

Find out how to make your own here.

Want something else to dip those chips in? How about this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip? Weirdly enough I don't like buffalo wings but I like pretty much anything else buffalo from soup to dip to sandwiches. What I really need is this tray to display it on...

I'm obsessed. Seriously, someone please get me this for my birthday (which is 3 weeks away, mind you) - it's from Target. ; ]

Ever played that stupid 'guess how many coffee beans are in the bowl' game? Well, I hate that. But I do like guessing the scores/outcomes of games and I wouldn't mind winning a bowl of M & Ms.

Who else is gathering ideas and planning some football fun?! I need MORE!

Love,
B

Football Football Football.

I'm linking up with Lindsey today to show my team colors. I believe in blue - the theme of our Indianapolis Colts. I'm stoked for football season to begin this week (even though preseason is such a tease). So here's a few pictures of me supportin my boys... (and with some of my favorite boys/colts fans).

Case, me, and Sean at a game.

Casey, me, and Jeff after the win that took us to the Super Bowl (the one we beat the Bears in)

Casey, me, and Jeff tailgating before the Eagles game.

Me and my fav little Colts fan who sits next to me (or on my lap, depending) - Nathan.

Sean and I @ a game last year.

Let's go Colts!

Love,

B

East-West Shrine Game 2011.

Saturday I drove up to Orlando bright an early with a quick stop at Orlando's coolest McDonald's for a diet coke...

I texted that picture to Ellen and Candy Saturday morning to let them know Orlando McD's are nothing like Scott County - although I have to say the Scott County McD is hoppin on Saturday mornings and this one was falling behind despite it's size.

I headed to the home of the Citrus Bowl to work a pregame tailgate at the East-West Shrine game. For all my non-football fans this is bascially the college version of the Pro Bowl. The best college players from all the various teams come together and combine on two teams (the east and west) and play each other.

Shriners Hospitals for Children are teamed up with All Pro Dad and so my coworkers Jim & Brenda as well as myself went to work an All Pro Dad table at the tailgate. It was a smidge chilly (50 degrees) and we were bundled up in our multi-layers and winter coats but a good time was had by all.

The highlight of the day though, has to be Gus the camel, who belongs to the Orlando Shrine...

The Shriners who were present with Gus made sure I got plenty of Gus kisses throughout the day and they took enough pictures of me to fill an album. Let's hope I don't end up on the Shrine website kissing the camel. : ] But really, Gus was a sweetie and I learned quite a lot about camels in my time there.

I proudly sported my 'I've been kissed by Gus' sticker for the rest of the day.

What a way to spend a Saturday - kissin camels.

Love,
B

A Fairwell to a Great Football Season.

As you may have noticed from yesterday's post, I'm finally getting around to catching up on some big life happenings from over the crazy holidays. Life's been moving fast for me since November and it's been a bit of a challenge to keep it all documented at the rate it happens, so bare with me as I return to some 'old news' and fill you in on the craziness of the last three months here and there.

My younger sister and I were able to stay to through the New Year and catch the last regular season Colt's game. I was pleased to finish out the season having been able to see a handful of the games, despite being 17 hours away in sunshiney Florida.

For the first time since we came to be Colts I was on the sidelines for pregame which was a fun new experience. I've seen my fair share of warm ups but being down at field level had a whole new level of excitement. I loved it.

Ruth & I decked out in our blue and cheered hard as we beat the Tennessee Titans to clinch our division and the AFC South title.

Looks like Dad's still got it...

Met up with one of my Indy bff's - Adam while we were both at the game. We use to hangout more but he's too busy for me now. ; ]

Mom & I outside the stadium before the game - freezing.

All three of the Christensen (now Christensen-Breslin) girls were able to return the following week to see our Colts take on the Jet's in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately we did not come out victorious that time around. We lost and the playoffs are now over for us. But the 2010-11 season was a great one for our team, our family, and our fellow fans. Looking forward to another great season in 2011-12 - and I'm already working on which away games I plan to be at.

For the record, I'm now throwing all my support behind the Chicago Bears to win it all. Team Lovie. : ]

Love,

B

25th Birthday Trip - Indianapolis.

After a whirlwind 25th birthday weekend away I am back in Tampa and back on the grind. But before I move on to all that lies ahead this crazy/busy/lovely fall I wanted to take the time to tell you a little about my trip! I left Friday at lunch time and headed 'home' to Indianapolis, IN to see my parents for the weekend... Oh, and Peyton & Eli Manning of course!

Here I am sporting my new luggage, that was part of my of birthday presents this year. With all my travel I'd managed to do quite a number on my Diane Von Furstenburg luggage I received for my 21st birthday (man, has that been 4 years now?). I sent this lovely self taken photo to my parents on Friday morning with a message that said: 'Get ready'.

The great thing about birthday trips is you get most of your wishes. I desperately wanted some new Colts gears so Mom took me straight from the airport to Dick's Sporting Goods to stoke up. 3 shirts later, I'm set for a few weeks of cheering my boys on from Tampa area sports bars. Dad event later hooked me up with a Sunday Night Football hat to complete my take-home-gear stash.

Later we dined with Daddy dearest at StoneCreek Grill in Zionsville, my absolute favorite Indianapolis area restaurant. It was heavenly, as always. Then since we had previously discussed this birthday being sans cake (in honor of my healthier eating habits) we hit up Casey Ursay's (somewhat) new frozen yogurt joint - Huddles. Think Pinkberry.

After I tucked my parents in (they managed to stay up until almost 10), I visit my friend Mark at his new place and got to play catch up on his life. I admire (and am slightly jealous of) his sense of adventure that is always taking him somewhere new and exciting. Living life so completely is truly a gift. A good reminder that I need to break out of my routine a bit more often and take some risks!

After that Sean and I hit up our traditional hangout place - the Fox and The Hound. We stayed up so late I saw 2am on the clock for the first time in a while. But it was great catching up, as always.

Saturday I bee-bopped around seeing a few friends. Sweet Jodi took me out for Sushi in Broadripple at a cute place called the Naked Tchopstix. The food was delish - she can order for me anytime. Great catching up...seems like a lot has happened since our last sushi date, in Orlando.

Saturday night I went to a wedding (of people I hadn't met) with my friend Eric. Man have I missed spending time with him since graduating Purdue. It seems that when I come home Chicago is just not quite close enough for us to see each other every trip. Luckily, the wedding was a great excuse for us to spend a night together catching up.

Here we are taking a carriage ride during the reception - what a cool idea. : ]

Sunday was game day in the Christensen household, of course. So we went to church as a fam and then got our game faces on for a Colts victory - which was delivered!

Sean and I had a bet going with a friend to get on TV by dancing but sadly, they never showed us. Maybe next time.

Here's a few pics from the big night:

Sean & I headed into the game.

National anthem. Always a really touching part for me.

Who better to watch a game with than these two?! : ]



Mom & I after the victory! Go Colts!

Family shot post game. How cute is this?!

What a great victory we got while I was home! Again, another really late night. But I managed to get up Monday (with a cold) and have brunch with my sweet friend Katie and her precious little family. Then it was shopping with Mom and hopping a flight back to Tampa.

A fabulous weekend. 25 really may be the best year yet, it's off to a great start.

Love,

B

Rules were Made to be Broken.

After encouraging Joy to write this entry about the types of guys she's attracted too, I thought maybe I'd break my own rules about blogging about boys. Only I'm going to switch it up a bit and tell you the kind of guys I tend to attract...

The Athlete.

Almost every guy that asked me out in college was an athlete. Not all limited to one sport although I will say my intense love (and knowledge) of football kept me in that circle more than others. But as it turns out, even when I wasn't wearing a dead giveaway (like Colts gear) I still found that every guy who approached me when I was out with friends, played a sport at Purdue. Even since graduating college I find that about town here in Florida I still seem to be found by all the athletes. The slightly bizarre part about this is I'm not real athletic myself. Heck, I fall down my stairs tripping over my own feet (happened Saturday).

The Bad Boy.

Think Shane West in 'A Walk to Remember'. Apparently I'm an absolute magnet for guys who have attended more raves than college classes or are 'modern day hippies' who smoke pot and listen to Dave Matthews (who I can't stand) and Bob Marley (who I don't mind). This catagory can sometimes double as the 'hot mess' catagory. Usually including baggage of the non-louis vuitton variety. I know stereotyping is frowned upon but this is just true. These people find me! And when they do they are convinced that somehow if they can date me, the straight edge, educated, career woman - their lives will be changed. Well I'm no Mandy Moore, and this is not the answer!

The Ultra Conservative.

In somewhat stark contrast to categories 1 and 2, there is the ultra conservative. Turns out that as much as bad boys love a good girl, good guys want a walk on the wild side. I may be a good girl but compared to some more conservative Christian...groups...I'm actually quite 'modern'. I equate these hyper conservative Christian types to the 'home schoolers' my sister and I use to observe at testing every year. Think homes without hair dryers and shark teeth necklaces. Yeah, you've got it now. In the past I've attracted these guys because my vivacious personality and unladylike love for sports, crime shows, and scary movies intrigues them. The problem is, it does not intrigue their ultra conservative families. I promise, I do not want to make a 'rebel' out of anyone's son!

So, this entry may leave you wondering who AM I attracted too? That changes fairly frequently. Each guy I've liked has been unique, completely different from the one before. But as a general rule of thumb I look for:

1. Love for the Lord. My number one requirement and honestly, attraction, is Christian guys. I am way more likely to rubberneck to catch a second look at a guy volunteering or worshiping near me during service than I am a guy at the mall or at a party. Don't mistake this, I don't go to church to meet guys. I'm just admitting that while I'm there, I'm likely to notice certain qualities in the guys around me. This hasn't always been the case, but in recent years, this is number one.

2. Family. I'm wicked attracted to guys who are into their families. Not because I want some super huge family of my own (I don't even want kids) but because how you relate to your family, I think, says a lot about how you will relate in relationships. I have an incredibly close relationship with my family and I love that in a guy.

3. Football. He doesn't have to play and I'd really rather he doesn't Coach (coaches move...a lot). BUT I also need someone who will understand that I do not MOVE from in front of the TV from 1pm-midnight on Sundays during football season and even if I watched football all day, I still need to watch the highlights Monday morning before work. I don't particularly like to be talked to during any of this. And I cannot deal with questions about 'what is happening'. I just need someone who knows.

The football thing isn't a total deal breaker, but it sure goes a long way when I meet a guy who loves the game as much as I do. Somewhere in these catagories are also the requirements that he has a job, preferably that he has a college education, and yeah, looks don't hurt. So there ya go. And no, this is not an invite for you to introduce me to every Christian football fan you know between the ages of 20 and 50. I'm content with my current dating life. : ]

Love,

B

Once in a Lifetime...again.

Once in a lifetime opportunities may just come more than once in your lifetime. A few years ago my family made our first trip to Miami to play in the Super Bowl against the Chicago Bears. Our once in a lifetime was now a reality. The road to the Super Bowl had been a hard one and we had weathered it as a family. On our knees, in prayer. When you're in the NFL this is the 'end all be all' of the game and we would finally be IN one.

Not only did we make it to the Super Bowl that year but the Lord delivered us a victory and we returned with the trophy. It was one of the most exciting, emotional, and amazing experiences of my life to date. My whole family was there together through the whole experience. I can't even put it into words.

And now, we're going back! Only a few short years later we're returning to the Super Bowl and it's back in Miami. I'll head out a week from Friday to meet the parents, Rach, Ruth, and Chris to cheer on our boys to (hopefully) our second Super Bowl win! I can't even BEGIN to tell you how pumped I am.

I watched the game at home so I could be a crazy person (as I usually am during the playoffs). Two of my best girl friends here in Tampa came over and watched with me. Jess, Jen, & I camped out on my floor and an air mattress in my still fairly empty new condo and screamed, shrieked, and yelled (oh wait, that was just me) as the Colts delivered a W! We toasted the victory with my optimistically pre-cooked victory cake. If I couldn't be in Indy screaming my guts out live, this certainly eased the pain. Great friends, great food, and finally having cable in the new condo. I have fallen in love with making new, lasting memories in my home. My home...still feels weird to say it.

2010 is certainly shaping up to be an exciting year for me. And it's JUST getting started. Stay tuned for more talk about the Super Bowl and I will be in serious need of outfit advice.

Thanks for sharing in this special day with me.

Love,
B

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20

Ps: What should I do as a Super Bowl giveaway?!

A Season.

There is a time for everything, 

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die, 

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal, 

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh, 

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, 

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up, 

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend, 

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate, 

a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3, the Bible

This passage has always held a special place in my heart.  Perhaps not for the reasons you would most expect.  The part that touches me in a way I feel is unique is the use of the word 'season'.  God's promise that for everything there is a 'season' has to me always felt personal.  

As a child I measured everything in football seasons.  I am after-all, the daughter of a coach.  My fellow coaches kids, players wives, coaches wives, or players kids will related to this.  When I was in the 5th grade we moved to Tampa.  I remember being asked 'how long was your Dad at Clemson?' and saying '2 seasons'.  This response was met with a bit of a puzzled expression.  Where I come from we don't understand years, we only understand football seasons.  Later I would say that I lived in Tampa for 6 football seasons.  And so on.

In some ways my life was defined in football seasons for the first 22 years.  So in my childlike faith of years past I found this passage and I thought, 'hey, God thinks in football seasons too'.  It brings a smile to my face to think now.  Honestly, I bet he does.  When he thinks of me and my family and of the families of football households like ours - I bet he does understand exactly what seasons are like.  Though, for us I guess the verses would be a bit more like...

A time to win and a time to lose

A time for victory and a time of defeat

A time to pack and a time to move

A time to come and a time to go

A time filled with boxes and a time filled with loneliness

A time filled with challenges and a time filled with hope

A time filled with bad articles and much criticism

A time to be on top of the world

A time to have beer spilled on you and a time to deck the patriots fan behind you

...

You get the idea. : ]

I guess what I want to convey in tonight's blog is that I love the fact that I serve a personal God.  A God that has been there while I cried in the stands after hearing my Dad called bad names.  A God who rejoiced with me as I cried on the field after our first Super Bowl win.  A God who's heart broke for me through countless moves and left behind friends.  A God who cheered me on through victories and held me through defeats.  For everything there is a season, and not one have I faced alone.

I'm 17 hours away from the football chaos now.  But my life continues to be filled with seasons.  From job changes, to housing decisions, to new and old friendships, to relationships with boys (no, I won't blog about these!).  Life is a constant journey. Life is always in transition.  Seasons are still coming and going with regularity.  This year has brought a new season in my baby sister being in college!  This has brought a new dimension to what being a good big sister looks like.  This year has brought a new season in my relationship with my older sister as she's exited school (finally - DR. Breslin!) and entered the full-time work force.  It has brought a new season in my time as a daughter - being 17 hours away and living on my own but loving every bit of love and advice that's coming my way.

Hey, speaking of seasons - I'm loving this season of being undefeated.  I know better than most that you can't win em all but 11-0 sure feels good.

Here's to seasons of all sorts.

Love,

B