Did you know the NFL requires 20 commercial breaks per game? We literally put up with this for the love of our teams, but each half alone must have 10 commercial breaks. During these breaks we get up and grab a drink or a napkin but it’s not enough time to do anything productive. Halftime is 12 minutes, but how we use those 12 minutes can really dictate the rest of your day. Unlike some NFL teams, I love efficiency, so I try to squeeze in whatever needs to be done in random slots of time, especially on Sundays! Sundays are most people’s chore-day, so when football starts at 1pm, the day gets squeezed and we are left with limited time to get everything done! What can you do with 12 minutes? Let’s consider the top 10 things to do during halftime:
10. Throw in the laundry or turn it over (put it in the dryer- I watch too much Below Deck so sometimes I speak like a 2nd stew)
9. Food prep- marinate chicken, turn on the crockpot, cut up (mise en place according to Chef Nick) vegetables so you can just get to work after the game, so you’ll be ready for the late games.
8. Re-load your game time snacks. Re-fill your dips, add more chips to the bowl, and my husband’s favorite- re-heat wings or other foods that may have gotten cold throughout the first half.
7. Get ahead of the dishes, maybe it was the football food prep left in the sink or the empty bowls from the first half. This is your chance, otherwise when the game ends you (or your husband) will have lots of work to do!
6. Have a catch in the backyard, sometimes the game just speaks to you (plus our dog loves it)! I find some Sundays I could literally be in the same spot on the couch from 1pm-9pm so this is a nice way to break up that laziness (but sometimes being lazy is the best if we are busy all week 😊).
5. Work- occasionally I will read or write whatever I can in this quick downtime. Maybe that’s insane but it’s gotten me this far!
4. Watch a rerun of The Office because you can skip the beginning or end you’ve already seen it!
3. Watch the half time programming (FOX or CBS) to catch up on the other games if you don’t have RedZone or Sunday Ticket. If you DO have RedZone, that’s the move, especially for my fantasy ballers. This pairs well with checking Twitter for halftime injury updates, analysis, or fired-up hot takes.
2. Online shopping. You can do A LOT of damage in 12 minutes.
1. Walk the dog, because when there are 2 minutes left in the game and he starts whining it’s all over…
Some things just can’t wait for halftime so any bathroom breaks, wardrobe changes, and feng shui adjustments you need to make it order to help your team win (this includes changing seats, or banishing someone to another room) you just go ahead and make those impulse decisions during commercials. Some honorable mentions to the list include, for my ladies, painting your nails or any beauty regimen you can do in 12 minutes (maybe a facemask?), or for anyone, doing a quick surface clean of a room (maybe a dust and vacuum or a Clorox wipe over some surfaces). We know every minute matters on a Sunday, so we will post more Sunday tips as the season goes along!
*Have any 12-minute halftime hacks? Send them our way! We will post them to our social media!
Omg the raccoon is killing me…