Balance Bar mini energy bars Giveaway THIS IS CLOSED

August is winding down and families are officially in “Back to School” mode, which includes packing lunches, soccer games, play-dates, homework and so much more! Balance Bar® in partnership with the Macaroni Kid parent network surveyed more than 5,000 parents of school-aged children and found that 61% of parents thought that Fall (aka Back to School) is the busiest time of year for their families.

What else did we find from this survey? Check it out:

• 77% of parents said they have 3 or more activities/events per week on average once school starts.
• 80% of respondents said once school starts, they will be planning more meals and attending more sporting events for their kids.
• And 57% of parents said they try to have one meal together each day as a family to help balance their schedules.
• 79% of parents reported that they pack their kids’ school lunches.

To help parents, Macaroni Kid provided some tips on how to better prepare for a school day and balance everyone’s schedules:

• Do a run through. Are your kids starting a new school or a new routine? Do a run through. Wake up "school time," brush teeth, get dressed, pack lunch, have a school-appropriate breakfast and maybe even drive or walk to school. Then, take those packed lunches and head to the park for a final summer break picnic.
• Plan the menus. Give your kids several options in each category and let them weigh in on what they'd like to find in their lunchboxes... you won't have to guess each morning and they are far more likely to eat it if they've had a hand in selecting it. We love Balance Bar® minis to pack along for snacks!
• Clean your closets! Nothing gets you and the kids ready for smooth mornings like purged, well-organized closets.
• Start a good sleep routine early. Kids love to stay up late in the summer time (and who can blame them) but it makes for tougher mornings if kids are used to going to bed later and sleeping in past "school time" wake up.
• Set goals with your children for the upcoming school year. Whether it's academics, sports, or extracurricular activities it's great to help kids get motivated for success in the new school year.

Interested in hearing more tips on how to balance your schedule come this Fall? Join Balance Bar® Tuesday, August 20 at 2:00 PM EST/11:00 AM PST for a live, one-hour Twitter chat.

Giveaway Details

Balance Bar sent me a box of 10 mini energy bars and a reusable snack & everything bag (in the picture below). Balance Bar will send one lucky winner this same gift.

To enter, simply tell me in the comments what flavor you like the best: double chocolate brownie or cookie dough.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

I'll choose one lucky winner on 9:00 AM EST, Monday, August 26. Please use a valid email when commenting, so that I may contact you if you win.

For more information about Balance Bar mini energy bars, check out www.Balance.com, Balance Bar on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BalanceBar), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/BalanceBar)

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