I received products from Balance Bar in a sponsored collaboration to help me achieve my Summer Shape Up goals!

Did you know that, according to a survey done by Balance Bar, most of us feel most balanced during summer? A whopping 43% of those surveyed responded that this is their most balanced season!

I can relate. During summer, I don’t have to worry about all the things that go along with being a single mom with a child in school! No worries about having enough clean collared shirts to meet his dress code. No homework struggles. Best of all, no dealing with bullying issues! The school year is VERY stressful for us.

For Jacob and I, the summer can get a little TOO relaxed, though! Last summer, I had all these plans to go out and just do stuff. Go hiking, head to the pool, be active! We ended up sitting around the house a lot. Oops. THIS summer, I’m going to try these tips from The Balance Project guide Gabby Reece to stay active and eat better!

Tips to Stay Active and Balanced this Summer

•  Make it your own: There is not one right way to get it done. There is the right way that works for you. When it comes to eating healthy, find the foods you like and implement those into your daily diet. The same goes for exercise. If you hate the gym then find something outside that is manageable for you. This is not about torture; this is about creating a lifestyle that you can do week after week.
• Watch the calendar: Use summer for motivation to shape up but don’t wait for June 21st. If you wait until summer actually starts, you’ll feel rushed and end up crash dieting or doing a crazy workout schedule. I personally like to keep a calendar in my kitchen and cross off the days as I countdown to bikini weather. The visual reminder – right where you eat – is helpful in keeping you on track.
• Sign up a friend: We tend to be more successful at accomplishing some type of exercise if we have an accountability partner. Solicit a friend and maybe use this as your time to connect. You can train for a 5k together or join an outdoor boot camp; there are a lot more options now that the weather is improving.

• Plan to snack: Take snacks (like fruit, nuts or a Balance Bar®) wherever you go to prevent mindless eating. If I have an afternoon or early evening workout planned, I make sure to have one of these handy an hour or so before so that I have plenty of energy to get in a good workout.
• Variety is key: Make as many meals as you can at home so you can control your nutrition. These are some of my favorite recipes,– fresh and full of veggies for springtime! To keep things interesting and fresh at my house, I try to rotate foods. One night I may go for something heavier with veggies and grains, and then the next night focus on proteins. I really try to change up the food and create a great deal of variety.

To see some of Gabby’s favorite fitness moves, go to http://bit.ly/1HL3eO8 and for more of Gabby’s tips for balancing fitness and a busy schedule go to http://bit.ly/1Qj0pYC.

With these tips, staying active and shaping up this summer should be a breeze, right? Balance Bare Bars definitely help when I need a snack. I LOVE the Sea Salt Caramel bars. The perfect combination of sweet and salty. They help hold me over in between meals or give me a boost when I am hitting that slump. I often forget to eat in the morning, so these are perfect when I need something quick and easy. They’re also easy to stash in my purse, picnic bag or pool bag.

While I wouldn’t leave them in the blistering sun all day, I know they hold up well in the heat. How do I know? Because one of the delivery guys who brings packages to my house has decided that walking the extra 15 feet from my driveway to my front door is too difficult, so he leaves things by the garage. My bars were sitting out there for at least 12 hours before I discovered them. Thankfully, they were just fine!

What will you be doing to stay balanced this summer? Tell me in the comments!