Football tailgating is serious business. It’s what fans wait all year for. In many parts of the country, football games supersede any other events; weddings, birthday parties and anything already on the calendar. In the south, events are planned around football the football home games. Couples dare not schedule their wedding on a home game weekend! Guests will deliberately not show up and curse you for scheduling something on that Saturday. From the West Coast to the East coast and everywhere in between, here’s to another season of football fun and my Fab Finds to make sure tailgating is top notch.
Insulated Beverage Tumblers– Meet your new drinking buddy. The Brew2Go is a double-walled BPA-free SAN Acrylic plastic drink tumbler with a closeable lid that holds 16 oz. of beer, prevents spills, condensation and keeps the bugs out. This beer tumbler is sure to make your outdoor (and indoor) beer drinking fun, easy and safe. The “beer to go” plastic drink tumbler is perfect for tailgating, at a sporting event or concert, and also ideal for the pool where glass bottles are not allowed. The insulated dual chamber design keeps your beer colder for longer. $16.99; store.theproductfarm.com.
Rabbit Wine/Two Liter Bottle Chillers – The Rabbit Wine & Beverage Chillers are insulated with Neoprene—miracle fabric used in divers’ “wet suits.” This chiller chills wine, champagne and other beverages faster and longer and keeps previously chilled bottles cold for up to 2 hours. It stretches to fit different bottle sizes. $12 available at Metrokane.com.
Rabbit Wine Trek– Made to keep wine cool when the temperature outside exceeds 70 degrees! The sporty new Rabbit Wine Trek does so much more than carry white wine and champagne—it keeps it cool for hours wherever you “trek it”. Wine Trek comes with a Chiller Wrap that is ready to use after 30 minutes in the freezer. It keeps red wine cool and drinkable too—the first-ever carrier that keeps wine and champagne cool as you “keep on trekking.” $30 Metrokane.com.
Sauces and Seasonings — Henry’s Humdingers Grilling Sauces– Every good grilling meat requires just the right amount of marinade and seasonings. As seen on SHARK TANK, Henry’s Humdingers offers four mouth-watering raw honey blends with spices all created by young entrepreneur Henry Miller, now age 17. Choose from “Diabolic Dad” with habanero and lime, “Grumpy Grandpa” with spicy red pepper and garlic, “Phoebes Fireball” with chipotle chile and cinnamon and “Naughty Nana” with spicy pepper and ginger. Henry’s line will really “knock your socks off” pre game or give your tastebuds a rush at halftime. $5.99; henryshumdingers.com.
GrillGrates– The big debate this tailgating season: gas grill vs. charcoal grill? Doesn’t matter. Great grilling has nothing to do with the heat source and everything to do with the grate — where the meat meets the heat and the actual cooking takes place. Take your tailgating to another level this season with GrillGrates, interlocking panels that work on any grill to form a new grill surface. Quite simply, GrillGrate cooks food better: meats are juicier, more evenly cooked and perfectly seared. It works on steak, chicken, pork, fish, vegetables … even pizza. Starts at $39.99; grillgrate.com.
Cornucopia Gourmet Popcorn– FAVE!- Compact, portable and packed with punches of popping flavor, Cornucopia Gourmet popcorn offers more than 40 flavors that can be mixed and matched for the perfect batch to show off your team spirit. Choose team colors, up to four flavors per tin. From cherry, caramel and chocolate to blue raspberry, cinnamon toast and vegan flavors, popcorn lovers can choose large or small tins or snack bags for this pint-sized people at the party. Shipped fresh nationwide- starting at $2.25; cornucopiapopcorn.com.
TwoAlity Waterproof Boots, Totes+Wristlets– The stylish savvy Fashoinista loves to change up her look and get more wear out of her staple pieces. When it comes to rain and gameday boots, she can change as much as she wants with a pair of boots or new waterproof totes and wristlets from TwoAlity, as featured in Bobbie’s Buzz on The TODAY Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda. All she needs to buy is one pair of rubber boots and change out multiple liners or inserts in prints and team colors that pop. It’s that easy. Created by a set of twin sisters when they were just 19, TwoAlity boots are every woman’s solution to, “I need more shoes.” Now you can have them with multiple styling options too and a waterproof bag and wristlet to match. $14.99 and up. thetwoalitystore.com.
Pretty Pony’s Team Hair Ties– Pretty Pony’s are fashionable hair ties that won’t tangle your hair, won’t bend your strands and are the perfect accessories to polish off your game day look. Created by an 11-year old Alabama Choir student, Pretty Pony’s are not just hair ties but is the choir student’s fundraising effort for a 30-year anniversary trip to Japan in 2015. Sold in dozens of colors and prints, all proceeds go directly to help pay for her trip. $5-$6. prettyponysbyemma on Etsy.
YOGASMOGA- On those cool Fall game nights, a fashionable piece from YogaSmoga is chic. YOGASMOGA clothing is made from an exclusive fabric called AURUM™ –a blend of Supplex® and Lycra®. Each and every piece in this colorful line is extremely soft, breathable and embedded with moisture-wicking and antimicrobial treatments into the tiniest pores of their fabric. $128, yogasmoga.com.
Ciao Baby Portable Traveling High Chair -Everyone in the family deserves to sport their favorite college team and now your pint-sized football fan gets to show some team spirit too. This portable highchair allows you to feed little fans at tailgate parties, and the best part … ciao! baby is available in your favorite college team colors and logo (45 different NCAA teams to choose from). Now that’s worth cheering for! With a cup holder built-in and a clear vinyl tray cover, it wipes clean, unfolds easily for quick set-up, locks into place and folds up in seconds for convenient storage. Tested and approved to meet ASTM highchair standards. $99; theportablehighchair.com.
Phlat Ball– Move over bags, beer pong and Jengo, and say hello to Phlat Ball, the unique sports toy that transforms from a 9″ disc to a 6″ ball when thrown. It’s time-delay transformation adds a twist to outdoor and tailgate games. Throw a disc, catch a ball! Phlat Ball is sure to be a big hit in parking lots across America this tailgating season. It’s soft so it won’t scratch or dent cars in parking lots. $14.99; goliathgames.us and toysrus.com.
Daisy Cakes– Save the best for last and let them eat cake- The one who shows up with dessert on game day is considered my hero especially a Daisy Cakes of southern home goodness. As seen on SHARK TANK, every slice is baked to perfection from caged-free eggs and ingredients that your grandmother used to make her delectable, mouth-watering sweet happiness. This South Carolina bakery ships its world-famous cakes nationwide. These decadent desserts will leave a lasting impression with your guests and will no doubt have party goers asking for your recipe! Starting at $50 ilovedaisycakes.com.
