**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:
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Our first park visit in |
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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! |
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Getting their Slip 'n Slide on - kicking it old school style, yo |
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:
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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.)
both of my daughters (4-years and 3 months) love the water! We're very concious of wanting them to grow up being able to swim and being confident in the water so we'd probably make a trip to the pool most days (I swear pools were NOT this expensive when I was a kid!)
ReplyDeleteAs always - a great read to start the day !!! Sounds like you had so much fun - only need to keep it up for another couple of weeks and it will be a habit and you'll all be as healthy as ever !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave the best weekend and take care !
Me
Food challenge: I will introduce a new healthy food each day, whether it be a new vegetable or grain or juice. This should make our meals more interesting, create conversation at the table, and expand my childrens’ palates more.
ReplyDeleteFamily challenge: I will enforce a half-hour walk each day with my children. Less time in front of the TV equals more exercise, more fresh air, more exploring and more family conversation time!
Adult challenge: I will start having spa baths with my husband. This will make me exert energy in running the bath, having the bath, and engaging in post-spa-wink-wink-nudge-nudge activities!
#1Nana has decided you're the winner Effie, for going all out and tackling multiple challenges. Congrats and please email me ASAP with your details.
DeleteThank you so much! Will email you now :)
DeleteMy healthy family challenge is for my family to go through magazines, books and find all Ryan Gosling and Channing Tatum pictures/cut outs. Hand it to me and everyone's happy ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome!! My kids are at great ages at the moment and I'm not too pregnant-fat, so I'm formulating a plan to take the lunatics for a little camping trip at the spot my family camped every summer. I'm banning iPads, DS's and mobile phones and we're going to spend 48 hours reconnecting and enjoying nature.
ReplyDeleteAnd as a special connective challenge with my kids, I'm thinking we'll make stuff with mud - because mud is great for the skin, and any chance to act like an overgrown child is winning to me!!
My ideal healthy family challenge activity is to do the 5km COLOR RUN to walk, dance or run, have awesome fun, and help raise much needed funds for a charity. It is supposed to be happiest 5km on the planet but we'll see if we have to piggyback the twins.
ReplyDeleteWith a baby due in 2.5 weeks time, I am looking forward to getting more active with my toddler and husband because at present, I'm an elephant waddling and panting just from walking from one side of the house to the other! Our family challenge would be to go to the beach. We are the most active when we are away from the TV's, computers and Ipads. We would make a couple of days of it, swimming in the surf, walking to the park, building sandcastles oh and I would get a much needed massage and pedicure!
ReplyDeleteFor me it has to be the old backyard vegie patch. I can't buy a decent green bean, so that's it!!
ReplyDeleteWe will be super healthy working in the garden & then eating our organic produce that does not cost a fortune.
I kind of figure too that it will be great to do something as a family, & hey, people may actually WANT to eat more vegies.
We exercise our brain, with some quality family time over a board game, a jigsaw puzzle or even building Lego.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is involved and it teaches skill such as creativity, lateral thinking and sharing but most importantly it teaches that the simple things in life are often free!
On weekends, I want to have "a game a day", something outside one day like soccer or tennis and something inside like scabble the other, hopefully that will suit the "please, I just want to stay inside all day teenager" and get him outside also, he might need a "daylight ring" like the vampires wear when they are in the sun!!!
ReplyDeletekim m galwayst@hotmail.com
I have just started getting back into walking now my 3rd baby is 7 weeks old. I get the kids ready before school (one is at school) and we then go for a 30-40 minute walk then I take my daughter to school. I think it is very important that kids see their parents out and about with natural exercise and it's great for fresh air, a time to talk to your kids without having the tv as a distraction.
ReplyDeleteI can't limit it to one, I've got ten!
ReplyDeleteChallenge one'll be:
A family dance-off on the Wii.
Healthy challenge number two:
More fruits and veggies -long overdue!
Challenge three leaves me puffing,
Exercises for body buffing!
Challenge number four:
Soft drinks, cordials, out the door.
Challenge five just for dad,
Quit smoking, you won't go mad!
Challenge six swap white to brown,
Helps keep the GI down.
Challenge seven awaits,
Hit the pavement on skates!
Challenge eight have more giggles,
Really tightens all that jiggles.
Challenge nine swap more for less,
Its the hardest, I confess!
Challenge ten, last not least
Only one chocolate, NOT a feast!
i would like to start with a family sport that we all do together i would then like to stop all the junk food and cordials and try water and veggies and some healthy home cooking.i would like to get the dogs and take them for a walk twice a day as ive been so lazy and have not done it very much i wont to get the kids in helping me to grow the veggies we eat as its cheaper and so much more healthier for us and its stimulating for the mind and harmony and we will reap the rewards it offers us
ReplyDeleteHubby has been on holidays for the past month. He and the girls (2 and 5) just LOVE the water. I've never been much of a water person, but have to admit I've learnt to like it a lot more - and accept what I look like squished into a bathing suit! As long as it's the pool and not the beach (sand drives me crazy), I'm OK with family swimming outings now.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing healthier than camping with the family, you get fresh air, no technology, the kids get out and explore, you can go swimming if by the beach, so many things to do rather than sit inside watching TV or playing computer games!
ReplyDeleteMy ideal healthy family challenge is to limit my 5 year old's screen time to half an hour from 3 hours a day and increase his playground time from zero to one hour on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends. Next one is to replace packaged food in lunch into homemade food and fresh vegetables.
ReplyDeleteMy Challenge would be to get all four of my boys,
ReplyDeletetogether for one weekend
Without Mobile Phones, Samsung Tablets, PSP or
even my computer.
To hit the hills running (crawling for Mum/Dad),
the beach waves rolling (yeah I can roll - over that is!),
the bush tracks jogging - who am I kidding on that one - it will be a slow walk...for us parents. Hope our boys are jogging so they get along better, sleep better and eat healthier.
Seriously - I would love a weekend anywhere in Australia, anywhere in New South Wales that has NO reception, No electricity, and allows us all to bond together. Dreaming? Yeah one can dream!
I have been thinking about the Bupa Challenge since reading your post earlier in the week- and even took the next step and signed up! It showed me that small changes to our lifestyle can result in bigger changes to our family health- physical and mental.
ReplyDeleteSo what small change did I decide on that is both simple, fun and doesn't cost much- flying a kite. Something I haven't done since I was younger and that my son has never done. I am itching to go to the local park and feel that rush when you run with the kite string and the wind picks the kite up! Can't wait for the challenge.
russellcathryn at yahoo dot com dot au
Blowing bubbles is a great way to get the kids active (especially on a windy day). I can sit in one spot (maybe with a beverage in hand), blow a few bubbles and the kids will chase them for hours (well, at least 10 minutes). Cheap, wholesome fun!
ReplyDeleteWe love board games but haven't played them in a couple of months- we have a ton of them and bringing them out for some social family time sounds like fun! :)
ReplyDeleteWe love in summer how it's stays light for longer. Our latest phase it to have each child pick a picnic food to make, we then ride our bikes to the local park and have a picnic dinner!
ReplyDeleteMy family challenge would be
ReplyDeleteto turn away from the TV
and step outside into the summer light
to indulge in outdoor delights.
From cycling to picnics at the park
in the great outdoors, we'll make our mark,
because life isn't about overusing technology
it's about special, family moments like these.
little_lama@hotmail.com
I'd take us all to Alma Park Zoo. Lots of walking + lots of learning about animals + quality family time.
ReplyDeleteTigers, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs,
ReplyDeleteKangaroos, Emus, Koalas, Echidnas,
Giraffes, Elephants, Rhinos, Zebras,
Butterflies, Penguins, Monkeys, Gorillas.
No iPad, iPod, DS or Wii,
Live Zoo entertainment with my family!
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