FTC Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Central Arkansas McDonald’s
Confession: I only like football games when I am there to watch them in person.
I do watch the Super Bowl, but I really only pay attention to the commercials and the half-time show. I don’t have a team that I am a diehard fan of (I do root for the Baltimore Ravens, though). But there is something about being in the crowd during a football game that is so fun and exciting. I get into the game then. I also love the energy of the crowd. I love the cheering, and the mass utterances of either joy or frustration when the players are doing their thing on the field.
In college, I attended every single homecoming game (which is like the college equivalent of the Super Bowl for me, lol) and several of the other home games. It was always a good time. My friends and I would paint our faces orange and blue (the colors of Morgan State University), load up on food from the concession stands, and try to find great seats in the stadium.
We’d cheer when our team scored or made great progress towards scoring. We’d scream when they’d fumble or when the other team scored. And, of course, we always joined in on the many chants and songs that the crowd would take up throughout the game.
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For someone who isn’t really into sports, I remember these football games as being a really fun tradition in college.
A year or two ago, I decided that I wanted Christian to have that same type of experience (though obviously he’s nowhere near college age yet). We live in a small town that has several high schools and a big college called Harding University. They have several home games, so when it fits our schedule, we go check out a game.
As a parent, I detest standing in long lines. Christian is not very patient. So, before we go to games, we stop by the nearest McDonald’s to load up on snacks. You really can’t go wrong by grabbing some of their Baked Apple Pies. They come in a container that makes it easy for you to carry and eat them. No need for a fork! We also grab some Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re only 3 for $1, so I get a couple of dollars’ worth and we are good to go!
If it’s cold outside, we also grab some delicious hot beverages to please our taste buds and warm us up. Personally, I think any time of day is a good time for coffee. Right now, McDonald’s has my all-time favorite coffee: Peppermint Mocha. It tastes like joy and happiness! Christian is more of a Hot Chocolate kind of guy (can’t blame him – I love it too!)
Before I order, I always do a quick check on my smartphone to see if there are any applicable coupons on my app. Even though McDonald’s is definitely affordable, I still love that they offer cool deals to help me save even more money on our favorites. (P.S. If you don’t already have the McDonald’s app on your phone, you should totally download it. There’s also one your kids will love called the McPlay app where you can scan their Happy Meal toys and play fun games.)
After we’ve ordered and paid for our goodies, we head to the game and have fun cheering for the home team. I count this as practice for when I’m finally able to take Christian back to my alma mater to attend a homecoming weekend.
Do you have any family traditions surrounding sports? Let me know in the comments below.
