“Who Dey! Who Dey!” chanted my CINCY boys, Brooks and the hubs, as we made our way to our very first NFL game last fall in Charlotte, NC. Todd, a diehard Bengals fan since the age of seven(ish), passed his tiger stripes right down to our eldest, who proudly calls himself a “Bungle for life.” Beckett, our “Mary Mary Quite Contrary” guy, wasn't crazy about either team but still rocked his big brother’s CINCY tee like a champ.

That first game was a total family highlight - a quick two-hour road trip, a perfect fall day, and nosebleed seats that gave us the best view in the house. Sure, our legs got a workout on those stadium stairs, but that’s part of the deal. We’ve made it a little family tradition: you don’t start in the primo seats, you earn your way down. As the boys get older (and their appreciation grows), so do the views.

Fast forward to this early fall - our third (the second deserves its own post!) NFL game! We road-tripped to Washington, D.C. (total secret mission) to see the Bengals take on the Commanders, which also meant a nostalgic 30-hour detour through our adult hometown. Between cheering in the stands and strolling the cobblestone streets of Georgetown, we squeezed in all our fave things at all our fave spots - ice cream, window shopping, self guided G'town uni tour and a little people-watching on M Street. The best part? This trip was a surprise for our two football-lovin’ boys - short, sweet and just us. Shhhhhh.

And because game day style matters (at least to me + Becks), when the official fan gear didn’t quite fit our vibe or budget, I got crafty, literally. DIY crafty. A plain black Walmart hat turned into my favorite Bengals cap thanks to a $6 vintage tiger patch from eBay and a little superglue magic. The boys’ Champion hoodies (best 80s, I mean 1930's brand sweatshirt out there!) from Amazon became custom team hoodies after a local seamstress stitched on eBay-found patches. And my clear game-day bag? It’s on its third life. I just swap out the purse strap from Amazon to match the team colors. Game day style: achieved.

From nosebleeds in Charlotte to closer seats in D.C., every game feels like a small graduation - proof that the best adventures don’t have to be far-flung or fancy. That’s the real win. Oh, and our game day vibes, you ask? My recs page is full of team spirit flair (plus a little extra, of course!).

smiles + SONshine,

-SeaChelleB