Its official, I have finally found the best tasting protein bars that money can buy! Let me start off by saying that this post is in no way sponsored and as part of our fitness journey that Sonia and I have shared on Instagram, we are also on a journey to eat better.
Snacking is our ultimate weakness, after all we are Chicks And Salsa! So eating leaner and lighter between meals has been on our list of things to improve upon with summer winding down. We have both been working out 3-4 times per week and drinking plenty of water, but what about those cravings??
Our Dad is a HUGE protein bar buff and has been for years. Over time, we have tried almost ALL brands out there if they are available for sale at Costco or GNC.
I recently had the opportunity to sample Built Bars and these are a true GAME CHANGER. I am not sure how they have done it, but these bars taste and feel like a Milky Way bar and here are the numbers:
110 calories, 4.0 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 13 g carbohydrates, 4 g sugar, 15 g protein, 6 g fiber, 3 mg sodium
I recently
(finally!) sat down and really spent some time on Roblox with my
daughters. After spending hours on the
well known gaming app, my kids had become addicted and I needed to figure out
what it was all about.
In case you are not already aware of this, Roblox is a game-creation website where users design and upload their own games. This basically means that there are thousands of games buried on the app. As a parent I find this VERY difficult and frustrating to keep up with. On the app they are constantly selling games and ‘Robucks (in game currency)’ to keep the children engaged and active. My kids have asked for Robucks for their birthday, wth?!?
As a rule, I usually reference Common Sense Media before downloading apps to get an idea about what parents are saying about a particular movie or video game, but with Roblox – I admit – I went along with the masses (250 million downloads to date), so that my girls could play with their friends.
Games That Disgust
Currently they are playing a game called “Broken Bones.” In this game, a player jumps off a building or cliff, depending on the number of bones they break they are paid money to ‘level up’ to a jump off a higher ledge where they have the opportunity to break more bones and make more money! As my husband put it, “What idiot made a game like this!?!?”
(Note: with parental controls, my kids did NOT have access to Broken Bones or another ridiculous game called Growing Up)
Similarly, a game called “Fashion Famous” that my girls love is a popularity contest based purely on appearances. In this game, players dress up according to a theme and then are rated by other players and then ranked. Yuck!
There are so many others, Jailbreak, Growing Up, and so many more.
This is a screenshot from Growing Up where chat rooms are disguised as phone texts.
Tips for Parental Settings
If you feel the same
way I do about what I have learned, I have a few tips for you before you hand
over the ipad to your child tonight:
Know your child’s login and password (our kids had set up accounts using their school email addresses and forgot their own passwords which made all of this extra frustrating).
For users under 13 years of age, use parental controls to enter into safe-chat mode, better yet, disable it all together.
Set a 4 digit PIN that will be required anytime changes are made to the account.
Adjust the security settings to only allow access to age-appropriate games only (but these standards are according the administrators, so be weary)
Roblox’s free-and-open communication policy –including the ability for unregistered users to chat — means that your kids’ interactions can vary widely, from legitimate player engagement to potentially risky involvement with predatory users. ~ Common Sense Media
The Takeaway
If I could do it all over again, I would not have downloaded it, here is why:
It is highly addictive, 10 out of 10 times when
I ask my kids what they want to do, they say Roblox.
The parental controls are just OK, you can in
some cases block the chat features, but that does not mean that you can control
the content that they are exposed to.
I can’t keep up! I try it be a diligent parent,
but with so much content on the app, it’s just too much!
This summer my girls were gifted a Nintendo Switch and suddenly Mario Cart and Just Dance aren’t looking so bad. For now, I have deleted Roblox from their ipads and my life (much to their dismay).
Bottom line is keep your kids offline for as long as you can!
Let me know your thoughts on this. I feel helpless in this fast paced world of video games. I really prefer to revolve my life around a dozen or so ‘known’ things like board games, family friendly movies and tv shows, and of course getting into nature.
I cannot stress enough how much I love resources like Common Sense Media for things like this. I acknowledge that our kids are exposed to so much already on and off the computer, in and out of the classroom, but I don’t want them to ever see ‘broken bones’ as a good thing.
** Please note that not everything on Roblox is bad, you just need to keep a close eye on what games your child is playing.**
Rules as stated in a game called Gymnast Gymnastics
My husband and I have moved around quite a bit in our 12 years of marriage. We both grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and lived a few years in the city before having children and moving back to the suburbs. However, like many, we moved back to the city five years ago in search for a shorter commute to work for my husband. We now live in the Lincoln Park and absolutely love it’s neighborhood feel and access to fun free things to do. Here is how I am keeping things fun and budget friendly for my family.
Benjamin Franklin Park
Just south of Lincoln Park Zoo, near the Benjamin Franklin statue at 72 West LaSalle Drive is a large grassy area where the most robust Lincoln Park events take place. During the summer months, the Green City Market is the BEST farmers market in the city. We also had a great time at the Women’s World Cup viewing party this summer. Keep up with events in the area by joining these Facebook groups:
Just off the lakefront is Lincoln Park Zoo. With no entry fee the Zoo is the perfect family outing and has amazing city views! They also have fun things to do in the winter, Follow them on Facebook for events and animal births! Also, be sure to visit during the holidays, they have an amazing Christmas lights display.
OZ Park
The Wizard of Oz themed park is nestled in the heart of Lincoln Park on the corner of Lincoln and Webster. It has dog free picnic areas, baseball diamonds, basketball courts and of course a playground. This has fun for people of all ages and best of all, it doesn’t cost a dime!
Bike The Beach – Fullerton Beach
A quick walk or bike ride will take you to Fullerton beach. With sweeping views of the Chicago skyline this is a beautiful way to play in the sand, swim in the lake and create wonderful family memories to last a lifetime!
Adams Park
With a small splash pad for children under the ages of 12, Adams park makes for the perfect family day! Located near Armitage Avenue and Seminary Street, this park has a splash pad, sandbox, play set and plenty of swings! All free!
As a dog owner and lover, I enjoy taking the kids to play at PAWS Chicago. At no cost you can go visit animals at the shelter who need homes at PAWS Chicago. There is no obligation to adopt and the dogs and cats could surely use the love!
For two years I have been planning on throwing an epic “Decades Party” because so many loved ones in my family were born ten years apart. This was the year to celebrate all my family members born in 1949, 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999, and 2009! What a great opportunity to get everyone together to celebrate life and love.
A Picture With The Whole FamilyCelebrating 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70!
Since time truly is the greatest gift, there was no better way for us to spend time together than on the Odyssey! No stress, no planning, no cleanup- it was a dream!
A very special thank you to the Odyssey staff for making this special occasion so memorable. We will be back!
Thanks for checking out this post!
Your Chick,
Rina
Take a peek at our video from the lunch cruise last year.
