Super Bowl XLVII: Touchdown

Oh the Super Bowl… possibly the most celebrating sporting event of the year! Football fan or not this is the one day where acceptable party refreshments include the likes of potato chips, burgers, beer and anonymous bowls of mystery dip… effortless entertaining if you ask me. But while most of us are typically drawn to serving soiree clichés such as cheese dips and fried foods due to their convenience why not mix it up and host a party your guests don’t see coming! The Super Bowl or football for that matter isn’t typically a topic which provides much discourse from my perspective, however parties on the other hand and new ways to put your hostessing skills to the test… I'm all about it! (not to mention being a CA native I figured I would show some love seeing as the San Francisco 49ers are a stones throw away from my hometown) So even though I myself will not be throwing a fancy fete, I have created a web round up of what my perfect Super Bowl party would entail. Here’s to inspiring you to shake up your next house party on game day!

Invitations:

No matter how big or small the party an artistically crafted invite is essential. It not only makes your bash more official, but gets potential guests excited about attending too! I am a big fan of the iPhone app Red Stamp. Without going out and spending $$$ on fancy invites you can hop right on iTunes, download the app, select one of there awesome invitation templates, create and send away. You can even send these sweet little invitations via text! Convenient right?! Above are a couple I mocked up to inspire you!

Maximize Your Space:

Seating isn't optional to include when hosting a party for a room full of football fans. I'm not suggesting clearing the sofa from your living room and moving in a set of stadium bleachers, but its important to maximize your space for optimal seating, especially if you don't have enough chairs to go around. Make room for everyone and get this done before your guests arrive to ensure all attendees will have a great view of the game {or the commercials and halftime show depending on what they are into more...}

Put It On Ice:

So important and often times forgotten... ICE! Nothing can turn an otherwise amazing Super Bowl Party stale than a ton of luke warm beer...or soda, agree?! Don't forget the ice and lots of it! And coozies are always fun too! {You can encourage your guests to bring their own in honor of their favorite team even if their particular team is not one of the two playing in the Super Bowl.} Think of the coozies as game day wine tags! This will also limit the amount of half full beer cans you will be cleaning up once everyone has gone home.

Game Day Food:

Any football fan knows that top notch game day food is a must when throwing a successful Super Bowl party and without it, frankly you don't have much of a Super Bowl party. With hot wings, potato chips and various other fried and finger foods being the go-to items to serve... this can make for a rough Monday morning especially when a;; being washed down with beer. Instead try serving a few of the items I have included below. (For more Super Bowl Party inspiration don't forget to check me out Pinterest)

Cucumber Sandwich:

 

So simple and healthy too! Slice and dice and add your fave toppings to make these cute little health conscious treats!

Mini Spinach Football Pizza:

Rather than take-out/delivery pizza which can get greasy and unhealthy at times why not serve mini pita pizzas! Easier on the waist line and will score a touchdown with your guests because they are just so darn cute! 

 Burger-Potato Bites: 

 These bite size burgers are a great grab and go! Easy and just as yummy!

 Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos:

If you know anything about me... you know a reserve a big piece of my stomach heart for spicy foods! So obviously when I came across these hot mamas I couldn't pass up the chance to include them! 

Get Creative:

{49ers printable decorations avail by Hello My Sweet ETSY shop}

Once you've sent out the invites, thought about the best ways to maximize game day seating, chosen your menu, and added buying ice to your to do list now its time to get creative! Whether you choose a specific team for guide the theme of your party or just football in general HWTM has plenty of game day printable freebies! 

 Added entertainment is also great element, think Super Bowl Bingo! You can even use M&M's in the specified team colors {and yes, personalized NFL M&M's exist!} How fun, especially for those who aren't so savvy on the football speak, this will give them something to banter and cheer about!

Be sure to check out my Super Bowl Party Pinterest board for more inspo! Let the countdown begin! 

 

A Photo Worth 1,000 Calories: Meal Snap

 

Its no secret I'm a fan of working out (and yes, as I have admitted before… this is a borderline obsession but honestly now, I enjoy it, its good for me and it keeps me happy and feeling good) nonetheless, a person can work out 7 days a week and even twice a day, but if you’re not maintaining a healthy/balanced diet than you probably are not seeing your desired results. I can honestly say I have never been one to utter those 4 (what I refer to as) empty words, those words being I’m on a diet… I don’t believe diets work for me and I certainly am not one to count calories all day long, points or no points. I must however admit that I work out pretty hard and daily for that matter yet I'm not completely satisfied with my level of results as of lately…  A reevaluation is in order. I am fully aware that the focus of this reevaluation, for me, needs to be directed at my "diet".  Recently I decided to try keeping a food journal… No, not like one of those annoying ones people carry around the gym tracking their every step and every lb they lift, but a photo food journal. And what do you know, there's an App for that! That app is called MealSnap and this little technological food photo snapper/calorie counter is seriously “magic” at my finger tips!

If you re not buying the legitimate calorie results this app yields, you're not the only one... but check it out for yourself... you just might be impressed! 

   

It has been an excellent tool this past week and a half which has helped me get a good idea of how many calories I'm actually eating during the day (and trust me when I say this can be a real eye opener). We have all heard things like "Abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym" as well as "in order to loose weight you must burn more calories during the day than you consume" and as much as these words may be true, I must say, that having to take a picture of every meal or snack I'm consuming throughout the day has made me far more conscious of the types of and amounts of food I am consuming, than any quote fact or article that has ever crossed my path. Meal Snap has forced me to instantly become more in tune with the food choices I am making… I'm not using this app to put myself on a diet by any means, but more so using it help myself make the necessary adjustments I need to in order to break the plateau I feel I have hit.

 

If you were to seek a consultation with a nutritionist, the first thing he or she would have you do is start a food diary. Feeling better can be as simple as eating better and the same goes for looking better too. Meal Snap isn’t going to teach you how to eat, but if you ask yourself the right questions about the food you are consuming it really almost comes down to common sense… At the end of the day I'm confident that we could all write the book “Eat This Not That…” Take a look below at a day in the life of my meal snap!

 

{I love that Meal Snap kinda holds you accountable for all your meals during the day! Apparently I missed lunch on the day pictured above...}

With the continued advancement in all this high wired gear from smart phones to game systems to 3D flat screens there is certainly a biased view out there that all this is troubling to the health of society with the potential of making us fat... I believe it can go either way...
Recently when asked “How does technology aid in health and fitness goals?”  Jillian Michaels answered:
Technology is the key to success in health and fitness goals for one very simple and obvious reason: It provides accurate and unbiased information that people can utilize to take effective, informed action that's going to yield powerful results and positive change. Without the proper information, you're going to be lost like a ship at sea.

{this is not a a meal snap mash up from me just another example via pinterest}

 

Meal snap, this camera powered calorie counter is awesome! I give this app 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone trying to adjust their eating habits!