Balance is in the Bag with Balance Bar {Back to School Survival Kit Giveaway!}

It always seems like no matter how much I prepare or think that I'm ready, the back-to-school season still manages to make my life feel like I've been turned upside down. Goodbye water balloons and popsicles, hello notebooks, backpacks and pencils!

Fortunately, even though this season can feel crazy, there are a multitude of ways that we can be prepared to best handle hectic mornings and busy after-school activities. For me, one name that I know that I can always turn to for help keeping "Balance in the Bag" is none other than Balance Bar.

Balance Bar was one of the originators of energy bars and the nutrition bar category and I have long been a fan of the way that their products are crafted with the perfect balance of great taste, quality nutrition and lasting energy.

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.

So, with back-to-school underway, Balance Bar has enlisted blogger extraordinaire Jenny Ingram of Jenny On the Spot to come up with a Back to School Survival kit and great tips for surviving the season:

Keep smart snacks within reach. Back to school isn't only exhausting for kids. Moms and dads get worn down too so smart snacking is important. Pack a supply of nutritious snacks to have in your purse for when you’re running errands or going from school to practice.

ItzyRitzy’s reusable snack bags are perfect for keeping your on-the-go snacks organized and always handy. Fill them with grapes, almonds, carrot sticks and Balance bare bars for a healthy snack sure to satisfy both busy moms and kids until dinner!

The (digital) calendar is key. To make sure no one misses an activity, homework deadline or playdate, color code each kid in your calendar so you know exactly who is doing what and where and when. I love the Cozi app – it's free and great for organizing your upcoming activities and goes everywhere you do since it's on your phone.

Pack bags within your bag. If you're like me, you have a huge bag. It's great for storing lots of things, but it can be a wasteland and hard to find anything if you’re not organized. I keep a mini bag that holds my chapstick, hand sanitizer and other items I regularly reach for in a brightly colored small bag that stands out. An Itzy Ritzy snack bag can even double as an organizational bag that’s stylish too!

Miniature First Aid Kits. It's helpful to have some first-aid basics in your bag for everyday incidents that are bound to happen. My homemade first aid kit includes Band-aids, Neosporin, Kleenex and wipes. Trust me on the wipes – they’re much more effective than napkins at cleaning up whatever messes my kids have.

Be prepared for homework. With after-school activities, keep homework supplies in your car and bag so your children can do their work while you’re waiting for soccer practice. Keep rulers, pencils, pencil sharpeners, scissors, calculators and a clip board in the car to make sure you’re prepped for any homework assignments.

Label everything. With 3 kids, and all the supplies and gear that come with them, I've learned to love labels. Before schools starts, I put Mabels Labels on their lunchboxes, backpacks, jackets, shoes, sporting equipment and anything else I can get my hands on. You'll never have to hear "she's wearing my sneakers" again and it also helps avoid lost items in the school coat closet.

Pack healthy school lunches efficiently. Trying to accommodate everyone's lunch needs is hard. Make their sandwiches and then let them choose three snacks for themselves. In your pantry, have mom-approved snacks (like Mixed Berry Balance bar bars) in three drawers and every kid is allowed to choose one item from each drawer to add to their lunch.

Transitioning summer bedtimes. Yes, I'm probably guilty of letting the kids stay up a little too late during the summer. But that's what summers are for! However, those late nights are not going to work once school starts, so I like to gradually transition their sleep schedules. Four to five days before school starts, I'll move their bedtimes up 10-30 minutes. It's a slow process but really helps to ensure they're rested and ready for the first day.

I love Jenny's tips and, combined with these awesome Balance Bars, I feel more organized every time we're running from activity to activity or just need sustained energy to outlast our never ending to-do list. Bring it on, school craziness!

Ready to celebrate back-to-school with Balance Bar? Then be sure to join their Pinterest contest at BalancePinToWin.com on now until September 12th! 

One pin or repin of how you keep a balanced bag with all of your back-to-school must-haves just might win you a Lululemon tote filled to the brim with goodies or a Balance Bar Prize Pack!

Be sure to visit Balance.com (and connect with Balance Bar on Facebook) to find out more about the huge variety of flavors of these power-packed bars and see how they can help keep you balanced and organized this fall. As well as at your local grocery store and health food store, you can also find Balance Bars at ShopBalance.com and on Amazon.

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will soon be on their way to creating their own organized, healthy journey this fall, because...

One lucky person will win a Back to School Survival Kit from Balance Bar!

*Kit includes 15 Balance bare bars, an Itzy Ritzy reusable bag, a Casabella Microfiber i-pouch and a Balance Bar pen and notepad (total ARV ~$45).

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A big thank you to Balance Bar for providing a Back to School Survival Kit for me to review 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.