Gametime Tips

     What better way to officially introduce you to my husband, Evan than a football post!  Evan and I are huge Panthers Fans. He was so devastated when we lost in the Superbowl. It took him like a whole week to come back to normal-- not even kidding.  If we can't attend the games, we always try  watch the games when possible. During college, I went to almost every home game but after college life got a little crazy and I wasn't able to go to as many games. However, over the past couple of years, we have been trying to attend several games because the atmosphere is amazing. If you have never been to an NFL game, I thought I would give some tips for guys and gals on how to be game day ready.

(sometimes we cheer on our team from the couch)

(1) Dress Comfortably: Pull out your favorite game day gear. My favorite game day pieces are my two jerseys. They are lightweight and comfortable. You want to dress comfortably for games because you will do a lot of standing and sitting. For women, I suggest comfy jeans (these jeans are ridiculously comfy) or a cute t-shirt dress that you can accessorize with your team's colors. Check the weather to make sure you will be wearing the appropriate attire. Nothing like getting to a game and then 30 minutes later you are freezing! For guys, I suggest a similar approach. Be comfortable. Wear a loose fitting jersey or a team polo for a more polished look. Likewise, wear comfy undies. I know it's weird to talk about but with heat and changing weather... you want to be comfortable. One brand who excels in comfy undies is Tommy John (sorry girls, it's only for guys). If you want high quality, comfortable underwear.. Tommy John is the place. You will be ready to cheer on your team.

(2) Clear Purse or Bag: The NFL has recently changed standards for getting into games. It is now required that if you carry a purse into the game, it must be clear. Last year, I brought my clutch thinking I would be cute and immediately was told I couldn't bring it in. So I made the 1 mile trek back to my car. I was not very happy. So lesson learned: purchase a clear bag. There are cute ones by Dooney & Burke or the NFL shop team bags. I recently purchased a clear Panthers bag to carry into games. Guys, same goes for you. No book bags or "man purses". Anything you bring in must be in a clear bag. My suggestion is finding a clear book bag or carrying a plastic bag.

(3) Great Shoes: Okay, so kudos to those girls who wear high heels to football games. I've never been that girl. From parking your car to walking inside, hiking up stairs to find your seat, and then grabbing some food... I need comfortable shoes. I've seen too many girls walking barefoot to their car after a game. My tip is to wear cute converse sneakers, sandals, or get some cute team shoes like I have here. These sneaks are so comfy. For guys, comfortable shoes is usually easy for guys. Evan typically chooses to wear sneakers to games. These shoes pictured are from Under Armor. He uses these shoes for the dual purpose of work and play. They are super versatile which is why he loved them.

We can't wait to cheer on our Panthers this Sunday (especially #88)! If you are heading to an NFL game this week, be sure to let me know. Enjoy the tips and you'll be ready for some FUN! GO PANTHERS!

Me: [Jerseys]: NFL Shop, [Earrings/Necklace]: Kendra Scott, [Watch]: Apple, [Shoes]: Bradford Exchange, [Jeans]:Flying Monkey

Evan: [Jersey]: NFL Shop, [Jeans]: Wrangler, [Shoes]: Under Armor, [Hat]: Dick's Sporting Goods

Hawaii Update

After an amazing 10 day vacation in Hawaii, we are officially back to reality. Honestly, I'm still a little very tired. Today I wanted to share all about our recent trip. So, take a look!

View from our room at the Hilton

Na' Pali Coast

Volcano National Park, Hilo

[Shorts]: TJ Maxx, [Tank]: TJ Maxx, [Shoes]: Nike

Kona Coffee Tour, Kona Joes

Cocoa Tree

[Top]: Vanilla Brazil, [Shorts]: Forever21, [Shoes]: Converse

[Hat]: Marley Lilly, [Pants]: Becca Swim, [Book]: The Woman in Cabin 10

Horseback Riding in Kauai

[Kimono]: Red Dress Boutique, [Tank]: Lilly Pulitzer, [Shoes]: Converse

[Beach Sweater]: Bevello

Attempting to surf in Oahu

North Shore, Oahu

The beach sweater I lived in! Relaxing on the Pride of America

[Beach Sweater]: Bevello

Where We Stayed
For the first leg of our trip, we stayed at the Hilton Waikiki Beach on Kuhio. The hotel was beautiful and a perfect stay. We had a mountain view that overlooked the city. We couldn't stop staring at the view! The hotel is a quick walk to Waikiki beach (about 5 minutes). For the second part of our trip, we did a Norwegian cruise. We were on the cruise ship, Pride of America. The ship specifically sails the Hawaiian islands. The ship was so patriotic with a Presidential seal, John Adams Coffee Bar, and several other patriotic areas on the ship. I'm not a huge fan of cruises but Evan loves them...However, I ended up absolutely loving this cruise! We had a beautiful balcony that overlooked the ocean. I loved sitting outside and reading at night. The staff was also amazing on the ship.

Where We Went
While staying at the Hilton Waikiki Beach on Kuhio, we were on the island of Oahu. Oahu is home to the Dole Factory, Pearl Harbor, and the North Shore. This was one of my favorite islands. I would definitely go back to this island in the future. It is a beach city with shops, food, and all the glam. On our cruise, we went to Maui, Hawai'i (the big island), and Kauai. Everyone has been asking me... the Big Island is my favorite island. Evan and I went there in 2013. The big island was just as wonderful as I remembered. The two main sides of the island is Kona (think delicious coffee) and Hilo (think volcanoes). If you are taking a trip to Hawaii, I recommend Oahu and Hawai'i (the big island). Kona has better beach weather but Hilo is the rain forrest!

What We Did: My Favorites
(1) Horseback Riding: As ya'll know, I love animals. So anytime I get to love on animals, I'm in. Especially when I am away from my sweet doggies. So horseback riding was a MUST. Evan and I have rode horses in Antigua and I've rode horses at Disney World. However, this was the best experience. The views were unbelievable. You got to see mountains and the beach. The ride was two hours on the island of Kauai. CMJ Ranch was super nice and great to us. They made the experience personal and fun. I also may have fell in love with my horse, Zooann. She was a little sassy but also a sweetie...I can appreciate that. She kicked Evan's horse who handled like a pro. Evan's horse was named "TJ Maxx" which is fitting because we ended up shopping there on this trip!

(2) Rainbow Falls: I enjoy hiking and getting outdoors (don't tell my younger self that) since I work indoors. I've never actually seen a "real" waterfall. It's been on my bucket list for years. So finally, I did it in Maui. During the hike, our group saw three waterfalls and got to swim in them. The water was FREEZING! I swam some but it was so cold I couldn't breathe. Evan also lived a dream and jumped off a waterfall which was cool awesome!

(3) Everything Else: We had the opportunity to do many excursions and events. I can't write about them all because this post would be wayyyyyy too long. However, I'll share about some briefly. Kona Coffee Tour had some breathtaking views along with some delicious coffee. Kona coffee does not compare to any coffee you have ever had. Next, we had the chance to see the volcano in Hilo erupting into the water at night. It was kind of surreal. You could see real lava dripping into the Ocean. The bright red magma glowed for miles in the night. Cool fact: the big island grows one acre a year because of the erupting volcano. Finally, the Na' Pali coast was gorgeous. Our cruise ship captain did a drive by of the coast so all passengers could get a close up.  Oh and we surfed... or should I say attempted to surf? We had a a blast even though we had no idea what we were doing. It was incredibly peaceful to be out in the open water. I just enjoyed sitting and watching the ocean rise and fall.


What I Wore: During our trip, all of my Lilly Pulitzer sale items were essential. On the ship, we would dress up every night and I wore so much Lilly. I don't have many pictures in my Lilly because nights on the ship were busy with dinner and shows. The most essential item of the trip, my beach sweater. I am so obsessed with my beach sweater that I went back to Bevello and bought another. I enjoyed wearing it over my bathing suit in the afternoon. I could read on the deck or relax in our room. The sweater was comfortable and I even wore it while traveling home. I am wearing a size medium for a loose fit. I like the loose fit because I wear it over a suit or with jeans shorts. To me it shows an effortless look.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and details from our Hawaii trip. We have several trips planned for the next few months. If you would like to see more pictures, follow me on Instagram @themeganwhite.  Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Fall Favorites

     Hopefully you had a great Labor Day weekend! Can you believe Fall is knocking on our door? It feels weird because I went ahead and decorated for Fall today. So as I am writing this, I'm surrounded by pumpkins, leaves, and fall arrangements. Which goes perfectly along with today's post. As Fall approaches, it will be time to snuggle up and relax. Today I'll be sharing my favorite shows, podcasts, and books. I feel like my blog readers are like close friends so I want to share all my favorites with you.  Finally, make sure you enter my giveaway. Details are at the bottom of this post!

Netflix
Stranger Things: SO GOOD! Evan and I watched it about two weeks ago. So, the show is really similar to "Sci-Fi" and trust me when I say I hate movies or shows like that. However, this show is different. It took me two episodes to get hooked and took Evan about three. Without giving too much away, the story is set in the 80's in a small town. A young boy goes missing and a quest by his friends, mother, and whole town takes them on an unforeseen journey with an unknown creature from another dimension. Currently, there are only 8 episodes. BUT.... it was announced this past week that another season will be released in 2017. So get on board now!

Gossip Girl: So, I just got on this party train. I wanted something girly and fun to watch. A lot of my friends had recommended the show. Two episodes in and I was hooked. If you've never seen it (you may be like the one in a million like me), the show is about high school students who live on the upper Eastside in New York. The show has lots of girl drama and really cute fashion. The show stars Blake Lively. Gossip Girl is perfect for the girly-girl in us all.

Damages: I love a good criminal show. Damages is a thriller story about a young, new attorney who begins working for a high-end law firm. The show takes you through how her personal and work life collide. The story works backwards and forwards at the same time. It keeps you guessing but allows you to work the mystery on your own. The show stars Glenn Close (think Cruella De Ville). The show is gripping and one you have to continue. Damages has about 5 seasons.

Podcasts
Serial: I'll be honest, I had never listened to a podcast before Serial. I'm not a huge fan of books on tape but trust me, this is different. If you are going on a long-distance car ride, you need this podcast. Podcasts are free to download to your phone. Serial follows one mystery case involving a high school student after the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. This is a true story which makes it all the better! The voice of serial is really good too and she keeps you interested. This podcast actually got a new case for those involved.

Criminal: So after Serial, I was a little lost. I loved Serial and wanted something similar. So what did I do? I googled it. I found this podcast and it's amazing too. It's a little different because Serial follows one story but Criminal follows a different story each week. The voice of both podcasts are very similar. Criminal tells stories of mystery cases, criminal conduct, and much more. Each podcasts is something new. These podcasts are shorter than Serial so the are great for a short work commute.

Books:
The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson: When this book by Jeffrey Tobin was made into a series, I fell in love with it. I wanted to read the book behind the series. If you love true crime books or love the details behind real life cases, this book is for you. Although I watched the series, I still learned so much from the book. The author has inside knowledge with the main players in the O.J. Simpson case. The book for the most part is written pretty unbiased. You get to know the attorneys, victims, and O.J. Simpson like never before. The trial of the century is still one of the most talked about cases.

The Woman in Cabin 10: So, I haven't started this one yet but I've heard lots of good things about it. I'm planning on reading it on my upcoming trip. I've never read a "mystery" type book, so I hope I enjoy it. I'll let you know! The book is about Lo Blacklock, who thinks she is boarding a luxury cruise. However, there is a murderer on the cruise and a missing person. This book is by Ruth Ware. I hear that the book is an easy read. I'll be sure to let you know!


      I hope you enjoy some of my fall favorites. What are your current favorites? I'd love to her them! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram to see our next adventure! Finally, don't forget to enter my Kendra Scott Giveaway. I am giving away a new gem inspired nail polish from Kendra Scott. The color is KS Yellow. To enter, tag three friends on my Instagram account (themeganwhite) for a chance to win. Giveaway will end at 5:30pm today (Sept. 6th). The winner will be announced tomorrow night. Good Luck!

[Dress]: Target- Under $25, [Shoes]: Red Dress Boutique/similar linked- Under $25, [Bag]: Tory Burch/similiar linked, [Earrings]: Kendra Scott, [Stone Ring]: Kendra Scott, [Bracelets]: David Yurman, [White Bangle]: Kate Spade, [Phone Case]: Nordstrom

** Giveaway C/O Kendra Scott. Items are linked in the photos (click photo for direct link to product featured).