BUPA Family Challenge : A Giveaway

**Sponsored Post**

So I have to admit, I laughed hysterically until I choked on my wine when I received an email from the BUPA PR people, asking if I would be interested in being one of the bloggers to take on the BUPA Family Challenge.

Me as an ambassador of sorts for a healthy family Sponsored Post?

Where does my wine and whining fit in to that scenario?

But since BUPA is our family health insurance provider, at least I can say it's a company I genuinely know well and have used extensively.

Also because it was a challenge, people.  Far be it from me to chicken out when challenged.

The Challenge

The BUPA Family Challenge was put together in conjunction with Life Education.

It is a 7 day challenge intended to make you reassess your everyday ways and be, well, healthier.  Be it in the form of actual exercise, diet, or how you choose to spend your time.

OMG...they're asking me (and #1Hubby and Miss7) to detach from my electronic dependence and actually interact....wait for it....IRL**

Over the course of seven days I was challenged to improve the health and wellbeing of my family.  Assessing our usual habits in relation to diet, exercise and the quality time we spend together as a family AKA synchronised internet and/or TV viewing.

Challenge Accepted

We spent the recent Australia Day long weekend with the #1Grandparents at their house in Lancelin.  It's a 90 minute drive north of Perth, therefore it totally counts as quality family time, spent in the country.

There was no Foxtel, no Wifi.  It was positively primal, heh.

So the kids got acquainted with ye olde worlde forms of healthy entertainment in place of Nickelodeon, Nintendo and YouTube:

Our first park visit in months a while

Picnic under a shady tree - video game free - FTW!
Shady tree located on front lawn at #1Grandparents' house, meaning Mum could sit on the verandah and sip wine while supervising - double FTW!

Getting their Slip 'n Slide on - kicking it old school style, yo

Old school Totem Tennis abandoned in the first 5 minutes after Miss4 discovered the bat doubled as a weapon, choosing to ignore the game to run after her siblings screaming "I'm going to smash you! Ahahahaha!"

When they were done with the physically taxing sporting activities, they soothed their tired little muscles, including Miss4's newly developed Tennis Elbow:

And when they finally crashed, #1Hubby and I went all Bear Grylls with our own attempt at healthy outdoorsy stuff:

One teeny tiny, inedible blow fish.  The one and only catch of the day... unless you count the one that got away that was positively massive...

Challenge Complete

Sure it was a 7 day challenge, but we nailed it in 4 days.

Also, I was developing a nervous twitch in my mouse scrolling hand, and fretting over all the Facebook status updates I had to catch up with, lest I miss any important relationship updates or selfies.

Plus #1Hubby had to go back to work and it takes the power of two to manage The Feral Threesome in the wild great outdoors.

And I had to get back to my Foxtel and The Real Housewives of all the world.

I was beside myself when we ran into a couple of Mums from school - they would clearly assume we were always such awesomely active and outdoorsy parents, not being blog readers who know better.  #Winning!

We have even maintained the active family togetherness in the entire week since the challenge -

For my part, lunches are usually spent outside on the trampoline.  The kids are much more inclined to eat a healthy lunch if its presented picnic style.  Plus I tend to bar their entry back inside until they've done something remotely physical and active, even if it's just hurling sandpit sand at each other.

#1Hubby has been taking the kids to the park when he gets home from work, as much to give me a break as to give him some active Daddy time with them.  I cook dinner and blog and enjoy a quiet wine while he tears around the local park running after them like a maniac - awesome cardio workout for all of them.  His reward will come in heaven or Vegas, whichever comes first.

So now it's over to you - will you accept the BUPA Family Challenge?

I have a $100 Visa giftcard up for grabs to help you fund your own challenge.

Whether its sporting equipment to entice the kids outdoors, or camping supplies to really get away from it all.  Maybe a day at the zoo or a theme park?  It's up to you.

For your chance to win a $100 Visa giftcard thanks to the BUPA Family Challenge:

• Follow this blog
• Check out the BUPA Family Challenge site - you can sign up to take the challenge (there are prizes, my friends!), or check out their excellent Food Switch App - amazingly handy when you're at the supermarket and not sure which packaged food brands/options are best for your kids.
• Comment below with your ideal healthy family challenge activity - I'm just saying, a day spa is totally a healthy thing and can benefit the whole family.  Tell me who doesn't need a pedicure, right?

Entries close midnight (WST) Sunday 10th February

That's #1Nana's birthday and I'm going to gift her the power of choosing the winner.  Because she is all about "in my day we didn't have video games...in my day we had to make our own fun....in my day we were always outdoors..." 

So go nuts and impress #1Nana with your non-electronic healthy family activities.

The fine print:

• Entry open to Australian residents only
• One (1) entry for commenting
• Entries close midnight (WST) Sunday 10th February
• Winner announced on the blog Tuesday 12th February
• Winner has one (1) week to respond before I consider spending their prize on wine, before realising that totally goes against the intended message of the challenge and instead conduct a re-draw

 

**IRL means In Real Life, for #1Nana who is struggling to work out today's acronyms.  (I'll let her know what FTW is after she's had a couple of wines to steel herself for yet another example of my potty mouth, despite her best efforts to make me a lady via a, clearly wasted, expensive private school education.)