A-Game Attire with 'It Works!'

Hi BBB followers! My name is Andrea Hansen and I am married to Austin Hansen, one of the Men's Assistant Basketball Coaches at University of South Dakota. We have two girls, Hannah Jo (2 years) and Hadlee Rae (4 months), and they keep us busy! We've been to 3 different schools since we've been married and this is our first year at USD! We are loving it here and it is awesome to be back in my husband's home state! I work from home with a company called It Works! Global. I stay home with my girls while promoting health and wellness online and love what I do!

I decided to join It Works! the week I had to go back to teaching with my first daughter. I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to leave Hannah until that day finally happened. I also wanted the flexibility to travel with my husband on recruiting trips and away games. I watched my sister become a top income earner in the company and so I knew I'd have a great mentor. I tried our #1 product, the ultimate body applicator. I definitely needed some tightening and toning after giving birth to a 9lb1oz baby!After seeing my personal results I knew I had to tell everyone about this product!

 At first I fell in love with the wraps. I was in my pre-pregnancy clothes overnight and still to this day I'm amazed by that! Another one of my personal favorite products are the Greens. They are 8+ servings of fruits/vegetables and give you natural energy. They helped me kick my 10 year habit of drinking a diet pop in the afternoon, which I didn't think was possible! My all-time favorite product line might be our skin care! I've always had horrible skin and something I've felt self-conscious about so happy to find something that works on my skin.

This is 24 hours after my first wrap!

 

Coach Hansen's Results!

How did you and Coach meet?
Coach Hansen and I met 7 years ago when he was the assistant men's basketball coach at Minnesota State University-Mankato. One of my college basketball teammates introduced us at a golf course that I worked at during the summer months. I was teaching middle level science in Pequot Lakes at the time. Three years later Austin proposed to me on the 18th green at the same golf course we met at! I might add it was the only time I beat him in a round of golf...I should have known something was up!:)

Tell us a little bit about your college team?
We are now at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD. You get a small town feel living here, but you are also surrounded by larger cities for shopping/dining! The town of Vermillion loves their Coyotes!! We have a lot of community support around the Men's Basketball Program and it is special to be part of it.

Explain the girls' general, game-day attire style.
 I love dressing my girls in outfits I would wear and they tend to look like little adults! Sometimes I even have us matching, but guessing my days are getting numbered and they won't let me do that with them anymore! I love dressing them in our school colors and finding fun hair accessories to go with their outfits.

A-Game Attire with Restless Arrow

Hey y’all! I am so thankful for Michelyn for having me today! She may be regretting this once she realizes I’m truly no help at all because I don’t buy name brand so most of the clothes I have on in the following pictures are just lucky finds (or borrowed from my mom…oops!)!

As a coach’s wife, it’s fun to dress in his team colors! Not only does it give me a chance to be a little bit creative but the possibilities are endless…say if I just want to wear a t-shirt that day, then a team shirt it is and I can call it a day! But, if there’s a big game or I’m coming straight from work then I need something a little more dressy, or trendy. I also love to dress my boys in Coach’s team colors! I wish I had a picture but they were still at daycare when I snapped these! (If you're interested in how the Coach and I met, you can read our little love story...we actually met the first day of kindergarten!).

 I’m not sure if Michelyn knew this or not, but I actually used to be a coach! I used to coach cheerleading and our colors were black and gold, and let me just tell you, black is SO easy to find! Now, red and navy? Not so much! But we LOVE our little small town. Russ is actually coaching at the high school where we graduated so it makes this job extra special! We have a total of three red lights in our town but we wouldn't change a thing about the close knit community. We know people or know their families and we can always make a connection somehow. As teachers, we are both teaching in places we went to school! Russ and I actually coached and taught in a previous district before we came back home so it was fun to be able to work together, ride to school together, and learn from those coaching experiences. Now, I am truly convinced this has helped shape me as a coach's wife. I understand the demands because I lived it first hand. If I could offer any advice, it would be to be supportive no matter what...and don't ask a lot of questions if they lose. :)

Now, for what I wear! Thankfully, several weeks ago, I found a red shirt for $5 at the Dollar General of all places! My goal was to use five ways so that you see you don't have to spend big bucks to have the look you're going for!

First,I used it as a bigger shirt with leggings and boots plus a scarf my mom gave me last year. Next, I threw it on with some jeans, my mom's crochet vest, and some knee high boots!! Keeping with the comfortable look of jeans, I just took the vest off and threw on my very favorite Goodwill find--cowboy boots for $6.25! (I tied the shirt up in the back so it gave a different look.)
 I was excited next for my favorite white jeans from Old Navy that I got for $8 two years ago! I paired it with my cowboy boots and a Forever 21 denim shirt ($3.99 at Goodwill!). Finally, I just took off the denim and put on a lace vest (my mom’s) to give it a more feminine look!

  

Five easy outfits all from one five dollar shirt! (Psst...my accessories are from my ALL TIME favorite...Noonday Collection! These are handcrafted paper beads that help these women provide for their families. My brown wrap bracelet is from Food for the Hungry! (I know these organizations would be so grateful for your support!)

Thank you, again, Michelyn, for having me! You can check out more of my budget friendly purchases (mostly from thrift stores!) on my blog, Restless Arrow!

 

If you are interested in appearing in an "A-Game Attire" guest post, please contact me to get additional information. 

Amber was the first blogger/coach's wife to approach me about this feature, and I just love how she showcased 5 separate outfits! Whenever I buy clothes, I try to purchase versatile items that can be worn several times and several ways. Well, Amber has shown me up on my abilities. And please, please head on over to her blog! She has the most practical, yet beautiful thrifted Thanksgiving tablescape on her blog now! And, do not even get me started on her recent kitchen renovation which was so budget-friendly ($5000) but you would never guess it from the final reveal! I have read that post several times in pure amazement!

Michelyn

Miss America vs. Miss USA

Oh my, readers! You are in for a treat today! I am so giddy to have my dear, pageant friend Ashley guest post about the differences between Miss America and Miss USA! I simply love this girl! She is such a fun, fashionista, dog lover, runner, and forever "sparkler" in my eyes! She is one of the lovely ladies that supported me in my quest to run a marathon! She has the cutest fur babies, hubby that adores her, and mother that I would not mind claiming as my own.

 

With the greatest pleasure, joy and excitement; please take it away Ashley.... 

 

Hello! I’m Ashley and I write over at If You Give A Girl A Ring. I wanted to first say thanks so much to Michelyn for inviting me to write today. The two of us met years ago competing in the Miss Wisconsin pageant and you won’t meet anyone as genuine and as nice as her! Now that we’re both married and living our happily ever after’s, it’s fun to stay in touch via our blogs and social media since we have a shared love of running and our dogs.

I wanted to share some information on 2 of the major pageant systems out there, Miss America and Miss USA. To the common person, they’re the same thing and no one knows the difference. However, both have some similarities but also differences as well. Both Michelyn and I have competed in each of these pageant systems. As pageant girls, the way we explain the difference between the two is " Miss America is the girl who lives next door and Miss USA is the girl you wished lived next door.”
 

 

 

 

The Miss America pageant is a scholarship program. In order to compete at the national pageant, which is televised on ABC in September, a contestant has to compete in a local preliminary pageant where she win’s a city or regional title. From there, she goes on to the weeklong state pageant and the state winner advances to the Miss America pageant. This system started out as a marketing plan by the city of Atlantic City as a way to keep tourist around after Labor Day and since then has evolved into a way for young women in college to earn scholarship money for college. Each time you win, you earn money to use towards your education.

There are a number of different areas of competition for this pageant including swimsuit, evening gown, onstage question and the two most important and heavily weighed areas are talent and interview. Each contestant has to have a 90 second talent that can be anything of their choosing. I’ve been around pageants for nearly 22 years and I’ve seen everything from dancing and singing to archery and art demonstrations. Contestants also compete in a 10-minute interview which is harder than any job interview I have ever had. You can be asked anything from politics to current events to questions about your state or your personality.

 One other thing to note about the Miss America pageant is that each contestant has to have a platform on which they speak about. This is an issue close to their heart that they want to create awareness on. Bullying, healthy body image, texting and driving, there are endless possibilities to what a contestant wants to promote during her year of service. Along with a contestant’s personal platform, they also promote the national platform of Children’s Miracle Network. Miss America titleholders help create awareness by raising money for the organization and also make appearances to local hospitals and volunteer their time to children in need.

 WHEW! Did you get all of that? That was just one pageant system. In short, the Miss America pageant is all about giving scholarship money to young women who are active in their community. See the connection of how she’s the girl next door?

Now, the Miss USA pageant on the other hand is a different ball game than Miss America. Some states have local pageants that advance to the state pageant, but in most states, girls pay an entry fee where they go to compete at the state pageant.

 At a state Miss USA pageant, each girl competes in three areas of competition; evening gown, swimsuit, and interview. As you can tell, there are less areas of competition when you compare it to the Miss America pageant. While Miss America puts an emphasis on talent, interview and earning scholarship money, the Miss USA pageant puts emphasis on the beauty portion. Having a toned body in swimsuit, a fun personality and exuding confidence and poise in evening gown are what Miss USA is all about, all while showing a little bit of sex appeal. Now do you see how Miss USA is the girl you wished lived next door?

 Having competed in both pageant systems, both are very different depending on what you hope to gain and win from a pageant. If you’ve got a smoking hot body and love getting glammed up, then Miss USA would be the pageant for you. If you’ve got a talent, and would love to earn some money for college, then give Miss America a shot.

In terms of preparation for both pageants, both are equally as hard to prepare for, but in different ways. Miss USA takes a lot of physical preparation of working out and eating right to make sure your body is swimsuit ready. Interview for Miss USA is more about your personality and doesn’t focus on questions about politics or current events in the interview. Miss America requires a lot of preparation in numerous different areas. You need to tone up for swimsuit, brush up on current events for interview, volunteer in your community to support your platform all while finding the time to practice your talent.

While both are very different experiences in competing, I’ve gained a lot of skills and life lessons through both that have helped shape me into who I am today. And, I know it’s a total pageant cliché but let me tell you that it’s true, I’ve met some of my best friends through competing in both pageant systems.

 

 

From Miss USA to MBA

In keeping with my recent posts of pageant tips, I thought it would be a nice opportunity for my readers to receive tips from, not only myself, but other former queens. Today, I have MacKenzie Green, Miss District of Columbia USA 2010, to share a little about herself and some tips of her own.

I have virtually followed MacKenzie for some time through Facebook soon after she won her title! She is a graduate of Miami University and now is pursuing her MBA. You know I love a good example of Brains & Beauty! So without further ado, please welcome MacKenzie to Brains, Beauty & Basketball....

I'm a firm believer in reincarnation, especially when it comes to branding.

When I first started my journey as Miss DC USA 2010, I had one major goal…I refused to let my reign be “the best time of my life.” I admired the titleholders that lived on after the stage, and I wanted to be like those women. I figured I lived one dream; I might as well pursue the rest fearlessly. Then some how it felt like wonderful things kept happening to me. However, most of these things didn't feel planned, and they felt more like happy accidents.

But that was a few years ago, I've learned some things since then. I've learned that none of these things were accidental; they were rather necessary steps on my journey to my dreams. And right now my biggest dream is pursuing an MBA. Beyond any of the typical work that goes towards applying to business school, it is turning out to be an amazing heroes journey of self-discovery.

...don't start to think this means I've completely hung up my crown, or that now I’m one of those ex beauty queens that wears only sensible shoes and tight topknots. I still have remnants of that glittery sparkly girl I grew to be on my way to pursuing a crown.

I wear a few less sequins, and my heels are a little lower...but never fear the beauty queen is still here. My life has evolved in a wonderful way that I could have never imagined. I sit on the national board for the National Council of Negro Women, serving as Young Adult Vice Chair. I work as a senior associate for a financial services firm and consult in digital media, marketing, and communications. I was a UCLA Riordan MBA Fellow, and served as the 2013 Class Chair and Riordan Gala Co-manager. I completed a certificate in Corporate Finance from Georgetown University. And, to commemorate the 57th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, I was awarded the Legacy Award by the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute, cited as a “Legend in the Making.”

Now you may be wondering what is the point of this humble brag. Well for one, anytime you get a chance to brag on yourself, take it proudly. But it’s for another purpose, to show you dear reader that life goes on after the crown. What your legacy in pageantry is sits solely with you. I made a promise to myself when I didn’t win Miss USA, I wanted to be the contestant that you remembered form my class. I want years from now when I’m (God-willing) receiving my appointment as Secretary of Treasury that I am one of the shinning examples of post-pageant success you can recall.

I competed in one pageant, and through divine grace had the opportunity to walk away with the crown. But I knew during my reign and beyond that I was an ambassador for my Miss DC USA 2010 fellow contestants and my hometown of DC. They weren’t lying when they said heavy is the head that wears the crown. However for me, I wore that burden proudly, because to whom so ever much is given, much is required. I am happy to have so many roles and people I represent through my achievements.

I hope what you take from my guest post today is that you can never be afraid to expect more from yourself. To continue to push yourself, and understand that everything you want badly is not always meant for you. That the road to success is never a straight line, and a plethora of other success based clichés. What I really hope is that you realize there are more than pageant stages you can shine on.

You can go to a million and one sites to get pageant tips and tricks, but what you won’t get is an honest answer to, “what happens if I don’t win?” Let me tell you the truth. You may cry, you may emotionally eat, you may beat up on yourself. But if you gave it all you can, you will get over it. And if you are like me, you will use that moment as fuel to push you to your limit. You will dream bigger, and take the lessons you learn on your pageant journey toward the rest of you life.

Pageantry is a transformative process, embrace it, and translate the lessons to your life. If I can walk on stage in a bikini, or answer an on stage question without falling all over my words, then presenting to CEOs or surviving black tie dinners is a cake walk.

Shakespeare was right when he said, "all the world's a stage , and all the men and women merely players." But RuPaul was even more right when she said, "we're all born naked, the rest is merely drag." So rather than think of my evolution and transformation as shedding one role for another, look at it as drag...and honey, I'm about to give you all kinds of business realness.

XOXO,

MacKenzie

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