My #1 Tip for a Stress-Free Weekday Morning

Weekday mornings can be unpredictable, so having an efficient routine can help avoid unnecessary stress and afford you a few more precious minutes of beauty sleep. Over the years, I've found that one thing can make or break my morning — my outfit. We've all been there, standing in our closet staring hopelessly into an abyss of clothes with literally nothing to wear! What about this? No, I wore that two days ago. What about that? Ugh, it doesn't fit! What about those? They don't match this shirt. Omg, I'm late! Before you know it, you've put on whatever looks reasonably acceptable and dashed out the door because you're late for work and oh, by the way, you actually hate what you're wearing and just remembered you have that important meeting today. Sound familiar? It's happened to the best of us!

I learned a long time ago that this is the worst way to start off your workday. The stress, the rush and the sting of a bad outfit linger for hours because you have to live with the results of your bad decisions all day. Trust me, I've been there, worn that. So I decided long ago that I wasn't going to let poor planning get the best of me.

My #1 tip for a stress-free weekday morning is to plan your outfit the night before! This also includes having a back-up option in mind in case plan A doesn't work out. Just taking 10 minutes the night before to set out what you're going to wear will make getting ready in the morning a lot more pleasant and kick up your confidence to take on the rest of your day. If you're an overachiever, you can even plan out your outfits for the entire work week, but personally, I like to take it one day at a time in case something comes up, the weather changes or some #outfitinspo strikes me.

In order to establish this new weeknight ritual and stick with it, I recommend designating a special space for it, whether it's a new hook in your closet or a clothing rack in your bedroom. It will keep your clothes separate from the rest and serve as a visible reminder to pick your next outfit!

Here are some options to help you create your outfit planning space that range from budget-friendly to Pinterest-worthy.

Do you plan your workday outfit the night before? If not, are you going to start doing it?

Giveaway: Back to College Football with FOCO

Can you feel it?! College football is almost here! I'm so excited for the beautiful sights, sounds and flavors of football season to return and it all has me in the mood for a giveaway!

For me, one of the best things about college football is repping my team and doing it in style. It's why I started my blog in the first place. Whether you're spending gameday at the tailgate, in the stadium, at the sports bar or even at home having your own watch party, remember to dress for success. I believe wearing a great gameday outfit makes you feel confident and puts good vibes out into the universe that will help your team win...at the very least, if you lose, you'll still feel awesome about what you're wearing. :) Trust me — as a USF fan, I have plenty of experience with that!

FOCO is one of my new favorite websites to shop for fan gear, so I've partnered with them on a fun giveaway to kick off college football season. This men's floral button up shirt and women's tie-breaker tank are available in lots of different college teams, so be sure to check out FOCO's website to find yours!

We're going to help a couple of USF fans get back to college football in style! We're talking serious #USFcouplegoals. Enter below for a chance to win both of these styles just in time for USF's home opener. The winner will be announced Monday, August 12, 2019.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you're having trouble seeing the giveaway form, click here. 

Who are you rooting for this college football season? Let me know in the comments!

My Favorite Places to Shop for Sports Team Gear

Ok, college football fans — we're officially only FOUR weekends away from the start of college football season on August 24. That means it's time for my favorite tradition: pre-season shopping! All the anticipation and excitement about a new season is a great excuse to treat yourself to something new. However, you might be wondering where to look, especially if you don't live in your sports team's hometown. Luckily, I've become a professional shopper when it comes to this (considering how challenging it is to track down good merch for my beloved USF), so to get you started, here are my favorite places to shop for sports team fan gear:

Your College/University Team Bookstore

This is a great place to start your search because most college and university bookstores are guaranteed to have plenty of team goodies, especially new items that might not be available through national retailers.

Fanatics / FansEdge

These two online retailers are owned by the same company, so they offer basically the same product selection. From my experience, they stock the most teams in the most leagues, so if you can't find your team on either of these websites, you've got your work cut out for you!

Bealls

Bealls is affectionately known as "The Florida Store" and for good reason. Based in Bradenton, Florida, Bealls has stayed true to its Florida roots and offers an AWESOME selection of fan gear for Florida college teams. If you root for the Gators, Seminoles, Knights, Bulls or Hurricanes, be sure to check out Bealls. They usually have items I haven't seen anywhere else and at great prices, too.

NFL Shop

When it comes to NFL team gear, this is your one-stop shop. The website carries every professional football team in this season's current styles, so look no further for your pre-season shopping spree!

Flying Colors Apparel

I recently stumbled back across this website after a few years and color...me...impressed! Their women's collection is trendy, eye-catching and stylish. They carry USF (bonus points!) and tons of other college teams, in addition to items in popular team colors.

Amazon

I think I shop on Amazon an average of 2-3 times per week and why wouldn't I when I've got Amazon Prime 2-day shipping?! They have everything and unsurprisingly, this includes sports fan gear as well as home decor and gifts.

Walmart

Walmart's Sports Fan Shop is a relatively budget-friendly place to look for sports team gear, but it's powered by Fanatics, so you'll find similar items here, though not necessarily at a huge price cut.

Little Earth Productions

Chances are you've probably never heard of this company before (unless you've been reading my blog for a while!), but you've most likely seen one of their products. They create fun, innovative products like ponchos, clear handbags and pet gear.

Dick's Sporting Goods

You can find some unique items at Dick's, so I recommend doing a quick spot check here just in case.

Lids

Like Dick's, Lids is another one that frequently pops up in my search results, so I recommend checking there, especially if they're running a sale or offering a coupon code.

'47 Brand

If you're shopping for a team hat, go straight to '47 Brand's website. They make the coolest, most stylish ball caps in the game and are on top of the trends when it comes to this staple accessory. Their hats are sold through various retailers, but my advice is to go straight to the source and good luck picking just one!

Where are you planning to start your pre-season shopping? Let me know in the comments!