March Madness

Disclosure: The links in this post are affiliate links. I was not compensated for writing this post, but Family Christian provided merchandise certificates for me to purchase some of the products you'll see below. All ideas included in this post are mine and the opinions are entirely my own.

All this snow and ice has really gotten me thinking about basketball. Here in the South we may not be huge football fans but we certainly love some college basketball!  As the season swings into high gear I've got 6 things you can do now to get ready for March Madness. So get your pom-poms out and get ready for some hoops!

Number One

Make a t-shirt to show your team spirit. I got some Tulip fashion paint from Family Christian and took some t-shirts I had stashed away and painted some catchy team related phrases onto these T-shirts. I made this one for my husband...

I'd rather be lost in Raleigh than found in Chapel Hill

...and this one for my son.

Finally, I made this adorable little one for my niece.

I only cry when Duke fans hold me

"See! This is how I cry!"

Number Two

Decorate your house with this trendy wreath. You can make one in your favorite team colors. You can get 10 yds of Deco Mesh Ribbon at Family Christian for $9.99 and that's plenty enough to make one wreath. Add some ribbon and other embellishments and hang it on your door to let guests know which team you're rooting for.

We made this one for our house.

We made this one for my mom's house.

Number Three

ACC Basketball Pennant printable made by yours truly for your personal use.

 

Just string it up and hang like a garland wherever you'll be watching the games. So cute and easy!

Free Printable

Note: My garland is missing the Duke pennant because we can't have that nastiness hanging around in our house. Kidding! It's because my printer ran out of blue ink at the last minute, but I'm not crying about it.

Number Four

Bake some basketball treats! You can get a cake pop pan or a mini muffin pan and bake up some basketball treats like the ones linked below. Wouldn't your kids love coming home from school to such a fun snack?

Basketball Whoopie Pies from MomEndeavors
Basketball Mini Cupcakes
Basketball Cupcakes from Betty Crocker

Basketball Cake Balls from Cutest Food

Or you can stash some basketball themed snacks into your kiddos lunch boxes. Here's an orange I threw into Julianna's lunch today and it took me less than 2 minutes to draw the bball lines on it. Easy peasy!

Number Five

Read a sports themed book, devotional, or watch a basketball related movie. There are lots of good ones listed below and there are plenty of lessons to be learned from the greats (both coaches and players). Plus, sports themes go well with Biblical lessons of perseverance, dedication, endurance, pursuit of the goal, strength, and training. I got this one to read through with my son each night.

• The Pistol
• Coach Wooden's Greatest Secret
• Sports Trivia Devotional
• Maravich Memories - The LSU Years: The Amazing Documentary of Pistol Pete Maravich
• Bounce the Balls and They Will Come
• The Greatest Coach Ever: Timeless Wisdom and Insights of John Wooden
• Man Does Not Live By Sports Alone: Devotions for Men
• 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son
• Coach John Wooden: Winning With Principle

Number Six

Go ahead and fill out your tournament brackets. My family has been known to put a giant white board up on our mantel and see who gets the most guesses right throughout the games.  Here's a link to the ACC Tournament bracket (games March 10 - 14) and the NCAA Tournament which starts March 19th.

Right now you can get free shipping on any $50 order at Family Christian and you can always ship for free to your local store. It's a great time to order some crafting supplies and get ready for March Madness!

This post was a lot of fun! I hope it's encouraged you to get into the spirit of March Madness! Even if you don't decorate your house, host a basketball themed party, or read a sports devotional, I hope you'll enjoy watching a game or two. Goodness knows those of us who live here in ACC territory will be glued to our seats with our Wolf, I mean foam fingers raised high!

I'd love to know:
Do you like football or basketball best?
Which basketball team is your favorite? Is your house divided?
Who do you think will win the ACC Tournament?
How about that NC State/Carolina game last night, huh?