Travel Smart this Summer with Balance Bar {Prize Pack Giveaway}

As much as I always hope that our summer days will be luxuriously relaxing, they instead seem to end up being a rush from activity to activity. Not only that, once we add in time spent visiting with friends, traveling for vacations near and far, and maybe getting some sleep in once in a while, the entire three months have passed in a whirlwind.

So, what does that all mean? That any way that I can find to help me stay more fit, eat healthier and keep more organized while on the road (locally or while away) this summer is a good thing.

Which is why it is easy to turn to the healthy nutrition, energy and convenience that comes along with the satisfying flavor and wholesome benefits of Balance Bar.

Founded in 1992 by a group of sports enthusiasts, scientists and people with a passion for life, Balance Bar was one of the originators of energy bars and the nutrition bar category.

As they have long crafted their products with the perfect balance of great taste, quality nutrition and lasting energy, it is easy to see why their 40-30-30 nutrition principle (40% of calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from quality protein and 30% from dietary fat) provides balanced energy... as opposed to a sugar rush and subsequent crash.

Add to that the many different flavors, styles and formats of energy bars that Balance Bar offers and there is no reason that nutrition can't be easy and delicious for everyone. These convenient bars can be eaten at home, work or on-the-go, so no matter if your day has you attending meetings, running errands, picking up the kids, squeezing in a workout or more, you can stay balanced and ready to keep up with it all.

The perfect grab-and-go option for summer, right?

Balance Bar wants to make it even easier to stay healthy and balanced all summer long by sharing tips, tricks and advice from their team of specialists, experts and bloggers. Join them today, June 26th, at 2pm EST at the #SummerBalance hashtag to find out more... and enter to win great prizes! Visit the Summer Travel Twitter Chat page for more and join in this afternoon!

I'm always a fan of the knowledge that Laurel House, a.k.a. Quickie Chick, has to share and her travel tips are no exception:

• Don't Forget Your Sneakers. Make a plan to work out on vacation by dedicating some of that valuable space in your luggage to your sneakers. Having them with you will be a great reminder to take a few minutes out of your day to go on a run.
  
  If you don't actually use them on your trip, you’ll be upset you used that precious space in your luggage for items you didn’t use (and guilty you didn’t work out)!

• Remember your Cs. Vitamin C doesn't just help support your immune system, it has also been shown to help fight cell-damaging free radicals. Make sure to pack a couple packets of vitamin C powder so that you have your on-the-go support plus a daily dose of antioxidants.

• Take Yourself on A Walking Tour. Familiarize yourself with a new city by power walking or running through it. You will have the opportunity to notice the details, talk to the people, and feel its beat much better while pounding the pavement instead of through the window of a car.

• Workout at the Airport (see Laurel's video on this tip here). The surprising fact is that you start racking up calories burned even before you arrive to your destination, especially if you do "carry-on only." Just the act of traveling can burn an average of 117 calories per hour.
  
  Want to burn some more calories? While killing time in the airport, try carry-on bag curls, terminal lunges, calf raises, or wall sits.

Armed with these great tips and the knowledge of what I need to do to stay healthy this summer, the only thing remaining was to stock up on delicious and nutritious bars from Balance Bar!

 
This handy travel cooler and awesome May Book from May Designs are just the travel accessories needed to ensure that I'm ready to hop in the car (or on a plane) and be prepared for just about anything.

And, as much as I was excited about my stylish new May Book and cooler, trying out these four great flavors of Balance Bar — Blueberry Acai, Double Chocolate Brownie, Sweet & Salty Chocolate Almond and Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter — definitely brought a smile to my face as well.

Each one is an excellent source of antioxidants and Vitamin D and contain a great deal of fiber and protein, so knowing that my family is getting lots of healthy vitamins and minerals while enjoying the delicious flavors makes them a major win-win!

Whether you are trying to meet your own weight loss goals or you simply know that it is better to eat healthy snacks throughout the day to stay fueled (and not starving!), Balance Bars are a delicious way to keep you on track throughout all of your summer travels... while giving your taste buds a treat at the same time.

To find out more about the HUGE variety of Balance Bars and the endless number of flavors available, visit them at Balance.com and on Facebook and Twitter. As well as keeping an eye out for these bars at your local grocery store and health food store, you can also find them at ShopBalance.com as well as on Amazon.

Plus, thanks to the generosity of Balance Bar, one person will be able to have a warm weather dose of healthy nutrition as well, because...

One lucky person will win an assortment of bars from Balance Bar, a travel cooler and an adorable notebook by May Book!

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A big thank you to Balance Bar for providing a prize pack for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.