Ascending Butterfly

Amway Nutrilite Vitamins Review and Giveaway #AmwayHealth {Rafflecopter}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:37:00 +0000

Before my recent health scare set me back, I was on a major lifestyle revamp, and had lost 26 pounds and 3 dress sizes very slowly in 2011. I am starting to slowly begin reclaiming my new year and getting back into my routines again! I plan to continue this year to lose more weight, increase my physical activity and of course eat better, pretty much typical New Years Resolutions for most I'm sure.

Did you know that it takes regularly consuming 22 essential vitamins and minerals, 10+ servings of fruits and vegetables, and one serving of ocean fish every day to give our bodies what they need to stay healthy and strong? While I do love seafood, fruits and veggies, I am not about to say I can consume that much in one day, (an on the go schedule doesn't always allow for home cooked meals every single night), that's where dietary supplements come in. I take a multi-vitamin daily, but it wasn't until I was sent a package from our friends at Amway, that I realized I wasn't consuming nearly enough fruits and veggies per day.

NUTRILITE® Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables - Tablets - 60 Count

Description

For just over $1 per day, Amway NUTRILITE Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables provide the phytonutrient equivalent of more than 10 servings of fruits and vegetables, the amount recommended by health authorities. Phytonutrients are the natural nutrients in plants that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors and respective health benefits when consumed.

Benefits

Supports heart health with 5 apples’ worth of the phytonutrient quercetin (150 mg) and 2 servings of green tea’s worth of the phytonutrient EGCG1 (90 mg).
Supports circulatory health with 3 oranges’ worth of the phytonutrient hesperidin (60 mg).
Supports colon health with 1 ½ cups raspberries’ worth of ellagic acid (40 mg).
Supports eye health with 1 cup raw spinach’s worth of the phytonutrient lutein (6 mg).
Supports prostate health with 1 tomato’s worth of the phytonutrient lycopene (3 mg).

NUTRILITE® Fruits & Vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes

Description

With NUTRILITE Fruits & Vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes, twisting the health benefits of more fruits and vegetables into your day has never been easier.

Benefits

Healthy immune system. Contains the natural vitamin C equivalent of one serving of cantaloupe to help boost and protect your immune system.
Eye and skin health. Provides the natural beta carotene of one serving of carrots, beneficial for eye and skin health.

Convenient, refreshing, on-the-go nutrition. Slip a tube in your purse or bag and look forward to a delicious Mango-Citrus treat that will help you reach your healthy eating goals.

My Take:

Incorporating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables into a daily diet can sometimes be a challenge. A natural, plant-based dietary supplement is an option for those wishing to fill your “phytonutrient gap.” Amway's online phytonutrient tracker tool is a great first step to evaluate what phytonutrients you are missing in your diet: http://www.amway.com/shop/product/phytonutrientsnapshot.aspx

I have definitely felt more energetic since adding the nutritional supplements to my regular daily multi-vitamin. And the 2Go Tubes are great for mornings when I skip my vitamins since they are portable and fit in my purse, I can leave some there so on mornings I forget to take the dietary supplements I have my vitamins with me on the go. Not to mention, it sometimes gets pretty boring trying to drink 8-10 glasses of plain water, the 2Go helps 'jazz' up your water a bit, so you can get in enough fluids throughout the day and stay hydrated. Keeping hydrated is a must even when you are not excercising, and of course most especially when you are!

Our friends at Amway want to help you stick with your New Year's Resolutions, especially now, February is where most people find they have lost steam and start to drop their resolutions entirely, don't give up!

Win One package of Fruits &Vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes and one package of Concentrated Fruits & Vegetables ($61.80 value) using the Rafflecopter form below, if it doesn't load for you, hit refresh! (You can let me know in the comments below if you like using Rafflecopter and would like us to continue using it, this is our very first Rafflecopter Widget Giveaway!). Start by pressing the big green button that says '+1 Do It' to get started with the Mandatory Entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Ascending Butterfly received the products mentioned above free of charge for editorial consideration, and is also eligible for additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commisions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Our full Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy can be found HERE.

Win a Weekend Getaway in Boston!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:06:00 +0000

Win a Trip to Beantown!

Our good friends at Kettle Cuisine are hosting a really fun and easy contest for a chance to win a weekend getaway in Boston this Spring. Here’s a link where you can learn more (www.facebook.com/kettlecuisine). The Kettle Cuisine team has also created this short video to show you how easy it is to win http://youtu.be/ySqQ4G8_uqY. All you have to do is take a picture with any of their soup packages in a fun, interesting or every day location and post it to their facebook page. Then you just get as many of your friends as possible to vote for your picture. The great news is you win an amazing giftpack, just for entering. The contest is only open for a very limited time so check it out as soon as you can and come back here and post the link to your entry after you enter so the Ascending Butterfly Community can vote for you!

Contest Instructions: Snap a 'soupah' photo of a Kettle Cuisine package in fun, interesting or everyday places for a chance to win a fun filled weekend getaway to Kettle Cuisine's hometown, Boston, MA. To enter, upload your photo to their facebook page (press where it says 'soupah snapshots' on the left hand side, it's 3 down from where the picture is) between January 10, 2012 and January 31, 2012 and tell all of your friends to vote for your submission by liking your photo! (Make sure they vote early and often!) Voting will be open through February 14, 2012. Online votes will determine the top five finalists and a team of soupah smart expert judges will choose the winner.

Prize Details: Win a weekend getaway for 2 to historic Boston, Massachusetts to experience the best the city has to offer. The prize includes: Red Sox tickets (right field box seats! We’re talking 6th or 7th rows back in the ballpark!), dinner for 2 at one of the city’s finest restaurants, a ride through the city with the original Boston Duck Tours, and hotel and travel accommodations. It gets even better because everyone is a winner! All entrants will receive an official Kettle Cuisine lunch bag! Remember: Only persons who are at least 18 years of age can enter.

Personal Recos on Places to See and Things to Do: I absolutely LOVE Boston, and I greatly encourage you to enter this contest, you'll love visiting Boston, it's a super fun city with so much to do. Take a New England Aquarium whale watching tour while you are there, eat at Legal Seafood and you have to hang out at Jillians at least once while you are there! If you decide to visit the House of Blues out there, just don't take any pictures on the inside, they are pretty adamant and quite rude about it. Improv Boston is fun (especially with a group). The Cheers Bar is also a must visit, there are two locations. I'm not sure which hotel is part of the prize package, but I greatly enjoy The Lenox when I visit Boston. Remember these are all my personal recommendations of places to go while you are there, these are NOT part of the prize package being offered in this contest.

Souper Considerate!

OK a little pun intended here. But I just wanted to take a moment to personally thank Kettle Cuisine for a recent gesture that truly touched my heart.

When they read about my recent nightmare hospital stay, they sent me a care package box filled with assorted soups! It meant so much to me that they would take the time to do something so thoughtful, and because Kettle Cuisine soups are Gluten Free I knew there would be no conflict with my post hospital dietary restrictions.

I tried:

Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans - A slow simmered Angus Beef Chili with a blend of Southwestern spices, red beans, ripe tomatoes, peppers and spicy green chilies.

New England Clam Chowder - Fresh Light Cream from local New England Dairies, hand shucked clams, sauteed onions and potatoes.

Southwestern Chicken and Corn Chowder - Fire grilled all natural chicken, hand-chopped fresh red and green peppers, corn chowder infused with cayenne and Southwestern Spices.

Thai Curry Chicken Soup - All natural chicken, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, bell peppers, brown rice combined with aromatic green curry, lemongrass and coconut milk in made from scratch chicken stock gives you a great Southeast Asian Flavor.

My Take:

I have tried pretty much all of Kettle Cuisine's Soups and haven't found one I don't like yet! I love that they are Gluten Free, combine all natural ingredients, come in perfectly portioned sizes, and are fast and easy to re-heat. It gives you the taste of a slow simmered soup, warm and satisfying in no time at all! The soups are also a good source of Fiber and Iron as well as protein. They are good for you, yet taste good too! And if you don't have any bread restrictions, then accompany your soup with a nice crusty bread for a great lunch or dinner.

I love the facebook contest they are currently running, a chance to visit Kettle Cuisine's hometown for the grand prize winner, and everyone gets a lunch bag to tote your Kettle Cuisine Soups to work in style!

And any company with a heart is one that will always have my loyalty, I totally appreciate the care box of love they sent me just to let me know that they were there for me!

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FTC Disclosure: I received a box of assorted Kettle Cuisine Soup to help facilitate this review. All Opinions are 100% my own. I really do love the City of Boston, and think the person who wins this contest will be very happy! I also love Kettle Cuisine Soups!

Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent Review

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:27:00 +0000

The Power of Tide and Cold, that's right COLD Water!

There are certain things I don't compromise with when I shop, brands I refuse to substitute and my laundry detergent is one of them. I have always used Tide, it's what was used in my house growing up and now I still use it. For one simple reason. It works.

I am a SheSpeaks.com member and was invited to participate in their Tide Coldwater Challenge. I gladly accepted because I already knew I could trust Tide. And unfortunately I have been taking this challenge for years now without exactly wanting to. My apartment and regular hot water just don't always happen, so many times I start my load of laundry in hot water, and the load ends up being washed in cold water anyway. So my Tide was already proving itself in cold water before they put out a special Cold Water version.

Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent, is specially formulated to help get clothes clean when they are washed in cold water. Washing in cold water is one small step you can take in your daily life to help conserve energy and save money on your utility bill! To think I've been doing this for quite awhile without even meaning to!

Can washing in cold water get your laundry just as clean? I can definitely tell you, yes it can! Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent was just as effective on my wash as the regular formulation. When I have a stain, I use it to pre-treat the way I normally would and find the stains gone when I'm done. And one of my favorite cold water tests is that my favorite PJ's don't fade or shrink. And the biggest test for me is how white my whites come out, especially in cold water using the new formulation. I'm happy to say my whites do come out very bright even washing them in cold water with the Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent! (And if you run around doing Zumba for Wii at home on your hardwood floors wearing white socks, you need to be able to rely on your detergent to get your whites super bright!)

I am hoping to try out the Pods next (anything to avoid lugging heavy detergent bottles up five flights of stairs!) Keep up with Tide on Facebook to check out what promotions they are currently running and follow them on Twitter too! You can also keep up with all things She Speaks on Facebook too!

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FTC Disclosure: I received a Tide Coldwater Liquid Detergent sample, resources and promotional item from SheSpeaks.com to help facilitate this review. All Opinions are 100% my own.

Where Compassion Begins!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:03:00 +0000

Compassion

We all think we know just how important compassion really is and many of us even think of ourselves as compassionate. But for the most part it's not until your sick and in need of human kindess and compassion that you learn how compassionate (or NOT) the people around you are.

It is believed that we undergo hard times just to learn how to be more compassionate after someone else befalls the same fate. With my recent health scare and horrific hospital stay I quickly learned how compassionate and in some cases what a lack of compassion the people around me exhibited. Oddly enough sometimes during times of stress or illness you will find complete strangers show you more kindness and compassion than people you love and trust.

How can we turn this around? You cannot change someone's true nature, but if you are a parent, you have a shot at raising a compassionate human being, one who shows kindess to others when it's needed most.

Raising Compassionate Children

Compassion is one of those character traits that some children seem to possess in abundance right from the beginning, while others appear to have a woefully short supply of it. There's the tiny tot who runs right over to his friend when he falls, places an arm around that friend's shoulder, and inquires: "Are you okay?" Meanwhile, his peers gawk awkwardly, or continue about their business.

If it's not in your child's nature to be the compassionate one, know that this is completely normal. Many young children simply don't know how to express compassion, or are not tuned in to others' feelings. But you can introduce your child to the significance of compassion and how to express it. Here are some concrete ways how.

Nurture the idea of our connectedness to communities. All children live in a community and spend time daily with a community of peers, whether in a child care or school setting. Talk with your child about how important these communities are to us, what we get out of them, and how we can give back to them, e.g., taking part in 'stream clean up days' or similar community-wide events. The dynamic and reciprocal relationship that exists among healthy communities and their members represents an expression of compassion.

Assign to your child the responsibility of caring for something. Start with a small but significant task. If you have a pet, you can make its daily feeding your child's responsibility. Make sure your child understands the importance of what she's doing, and how this other being relies on her assistance.

Provide your children with the vocabulary of compassion. You're at the playground and the little boy swinging next to your son tumbles to the ground. This is an opportunity for you to say to your child: "Let's make sure that little boy is okay. Why don't we ask him if he is hurt, and if he needs some help." The first few times this happens, your child may just watch as you talk. But over time, he may find the courage to approach another child in need, and he'll know what to say.

Nurture your child's compassionate "niche." Some kids who see an injured bird on the sidewalk have an overwhelming urge to nurse it back to health. Others might walk right by the bird, but be the first to reach their friend who has taken a spill. Encourage your child's compassion in whatever form you find it. There's no one way, or right way, to show it.

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FTC Disclosure: This article was provided and sponsored by Kiddie Academy^®. The company has been a leader in education-based childcare for 30 years serving families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, offering full time care, before- and after-school care and summer camp programs. You can visit the KA Family Essentials blog and LIKE them on FB as well as Twitter @KiddieAcademy for additional information.

Winner's Announcement - Pair of Marc Joseph Shoes of YOUR choice giveaway winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

A special thanks to the sponsor Marc Joseph NY for sponsoring such an awesome giveaway! 2 winners had the chance to select the pair of their choice in either mens or womens, how sweet is that?

I wanted to also thank you all (as well as our sponsor) for your patience. This giveaway was supposed to close the same night I landed in the hospital which is what caused the delay in getting entries sorted out and processed.

We have two very lucky winners:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Stef
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - JanetFaye

We will return on Monday with the next 'New Year, New You' giveaway promotion!

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Wordless Wednesday on a Tuesday! Are you going Black for the cause?

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:31:00 +0000

Many Blogs are going dark for a cause on Wednesday, there is a great series of articles on the topic on Time Techland that you can read up on if you are not familiar with SOPA. In fact I've been doing quite a bit of reading on this myself to catch up as I've spent my days since the end of December in the hospital and am just getting settled back home.

Quite a few sites across the interwebs will be going dark, sites like Wikipedia are included in the one day shut down to protest SOPA, what about YOU what are you doing to support the cause?

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Todays Words of Inspiration: The Bottom Line

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:31:00 +0000

Where is My Monday Motivation?

I was debating on whether or not to write this post, but I've shared the good and now the worst experience of my life, so I figure I should share this one too!

My nightmare from Hell continues, this: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2012/01/open-letter-to-new-presbyterian.html has now cost me a job too.

The night I landed in the Emergency Room was a night I should have been celebrating, after years of searching not just for a job, but for THE job, I landed it and had over-lapped with the person leaving the role that afternoon. That day of my nightmare started off as the best day ever, on the brink of a new year, with a brand new job I was super excited for, and ended in the E.R. and me spending just under two weeks in the hospital. With me toasting in my new year with Gingerale sick to my stomach on pain meds and more alone than I had ever felt in my entire life.

I used the new job to keep me motivated when things got dark, I kept thinking, one more test, one more day and the quicker I could get past it all the closer I would be to starting my great new job.

Well I got a call today telling me I have no new job to go to. That while I was in the hospital their bottom line was suffering and they could not wait me out. (And I’m thinking how their bottom line was suffering was a particularly insensitive choice of words, technically the one SUFFERING was ME!)

But that’s reality. When life steam rolls you and your world comes to a stop, whether it’s your own illness or the death of a loved one, you find out quite painfully that the world continues to go on, it’s only YOUR world that stops. A cruel blow indeed, but that’s very much life. Corporate America cares only for itself.

So here I am. Grateful to be here after being on the brink of death. Don’t get me wrong, with all the insanity I went through I realize what is important here is that I am still here to tell the tale, but I feel cheated and quite angry.

I’d ask what more 2012 would like to rob me off? But I honestly don’t want the answer to that question.

So where is the Monday Motivation you ask? Take my setback as an example to be grateful and live each moment like it’s the last, because you have no idea when it very well could be.

Yesterday I ate my first meal made by own hands since 2011 and I can tell you it tasted better than any other meal I had made before. I enjoyed it more and savored each flavor. Just because I COULD make it for myself, made it that much better. Sometimes cooking can get tedious, but it’s when you can no longer do something that you realize just how much it means to you.

My kitchen, a small humble one, became a working meditation for me as I prepared a meal for myself with my own hands.

Todays Challenge: REJOICE IN THE LITTLE THINGS – They are NOT as little as you may think.

I am back at square one in my life today on many levels, but I refuse to let it defeat me!

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{CLOSED} Full Size Purex Crystals + Jockey Sports Bra Giveaway! Ends 01/20

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:21:00 +0000

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsors Jockey and Purex! We look forward to working with you both again. Entries are being processed. Once the winner has been notified and upon winner confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage.

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Ascending Butterfly's 2012 New Year, New You! Giveaway #1 brought to you by:

and

Is Fitness part of your new years goals?

As many of you already know I slowly lost 26 pounds over the entire year of 2011, and this year I've lost a bit more weight already but not quite for good reasons (see this post for why: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2012/01/thank-you-not-quite-way-i-had-in-mind.html). Before my medical setback hit, I had dreams of a Fitness fueled January, I had been enjoying my Wii Dance Games and seeing great results with them.

For me I need a lot of variety in my fitness routines to keep up with them so I can see good results, and my dance games via the Wii have offered me just what I need in terms fitting MY schedule, being challenging (particularly the latest Zumba that really keeps track of your progress and allows for an adjustable intensity in the workouts), and they are FUN. I play both alone and on weekends with family and friends, which makes fitness and health goals much more fun. I can't wait until all this over to get back into my routine again.

Before my medical setback hit in December, I had received an exciting review package from Jockey and Purex that included a Jockey® Sports Bra along with one full-sized Purex Crystals in the 'Tropical Splash' scent. I am both a Jockey and Purex Insider!

About the Jockey Sports Bra

The Bra is a 93% Poly and 7% Spandex Blend with a racerback and an inside key pocket (stash your locker key while at the gym!) with breathable mesh panels and mouisture wicking fabric. I also like Sports Bras as sleep bras (I'm ahem a 'blessed' chested gal) and like the extra support even at night. This bra is my new favorite bra while doing Zumba (under my workout tank of course, I don't think I'll ever be that girl working out in just my sports bra and nothing else over it). And as most workout tanks are made in that racerback style it's nice having a bra that holds up the girls to go under those tanks!

About Purex Crystals

Purex Crystals are 92% natural crystals that go in your wash at the start of the cycle. Which means no more second guessing or remembering to pour in the fabric softener, how convenient is that? The scented crystals get to spend more time with your clothes, infusing them with long-lasting freshness! Purex crystals do not contain oil making them perfect for all your laundry needs. I've made a complete to switch to Purex and find they impart a much more long lasting scent than the liquid fabric softener that I had been using for years!

Why the collaboration between Purex and Jockey? Fabric softeners have oils that can harm garments but Purex Crystals are 92% natural crystals that infuse long-lasting freshness into the fabric fibers of clothing without harming garments. So the crystals impart softeness and a fresh scent without harming in any way the mouisture wicking properties of the sports bra. Which means your Jockey Sports Bra will hold up longer!

My Take:

Workout clothing and under-garments in general are an investment. Well endowed girls especially know just how quickly straps get stretched and worn out and bras have to be replaced often in that case, which is not cheap! And let's face it, while hand washing will help most garments last longer, WHO has that kind of time? I certainly don't!

I love that Purex doesn't harm the mouisture wicking fabric of the Jockey Terry Sports Bra, and I love using this bra during my favorite Zumba workouts (which I can't wait to get back to!). I definitely recommend them both. I have sensitive skin and there are some fabric softeners I'm actually allergic to, and I love that my skin does not react at all to the Purex Crystals!

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Jockey and Purex would like you to help you keep to your fitness goals this year, and have one prize pack with the same items I reviewed for one lucky winner! Winner will receive a full size Purex Crystals and one Jockey Sports Bra (choice of size which includes: XS, S, M, L, XL)

Don't you just ♥ Purex + Jockey? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2)MANDATORY ENTRY: Share your top New Years Resolution for this year and how you have started accomplishing it. (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes. No purchase necessary. One entry per Household, see Ascending Butterfly Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Friday, January 13, 2012 until Friday, January 20, 2012 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In honor of Bras and Fabric Softener, which is your favorite? Favorite Bra of all time? Favorite Fabric Softener? Share it with us and we'll give you extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment. (If your blog post contains more than just a pic and link you'll get 5 extra credit entries! So be sure to post the URL to your blog post 5 seperate times.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join the Ascending Butterfly Blog Frog Community HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our NEW Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you have our old one, please swap it out, our URL address has changed!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter

Tweet This:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - @Ascending1 + Full Size @Purex Crystals + @Jockey Sports Bra #Giveaway in choice of size! Ends 01/20 - http://bit.ly/wViMxl

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet TWICE per DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.) Please remember we do not process twitter entries from PRIVATE accounts. If your account is private we will not process your twitter entries. NO exceptions so please do not email us regarding this policy.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW! - I really want to win Duane Reade's VIP Influencer Contest and become one of the ten New York City based bloggers that help Duane Reade get promo and product announcements out and more. Can you visit Duane Reade on Facebook and tell them they should pick Ascending Butterfly as one of their 10 NYC VIP Influencer bloggers? or tweet the following: Hey @DuaneReade I think @Tracy_Iglesias of @Ascending1 should be one of your 10 VIP Influencers! #DReade #CBias

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is NOT a sponsored promotion. NO compensation has been received from the sponsors in exchange for this post. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor. An Affiliate Link is used for EZ Win game.

2012 DUANE READE VIP INFLUENCER CONTEST ENTRY + Calling my fellow NYC based bloggers! #DReade

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:54:00 +0000

Are you a NYC Based Blogger and LOVE Duane Reade? Duane Reade is looking for 10 NYC based bloggers to become 2012 Brand VIP Influencers. Think you have what it takes to be one of ten Duane Reade VIP Bloggers?

Enter now by writing a blog post telling us why you love Duane Reade and why you should be chosen to be a 2012 Duane Reade VIP Blogger. As a VIP Blogger you'll receive:

$200 in Duane Reade gift cards per month

Exposure from Duane Reade via Facebook and Twitter.

Exclusive knowledge on Duane Reade promotions and products

Opportunity to be featured in the Duane Reader, the circular and new website.

Opportunity to attend executive level meetings

And much more!

As a VIP Blogger, you'll be expected to write up to 2 blog posts a month, share content via Twitter and Facebook, and participate in corporate meetings, in-store events, and serve as a brand advocate. Read Official Rules for more information.

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My #DReade Entry:

So while I'm happy to share the information about this contest with fellow NYC based bloggers, this post today is also my entry!

Working my way through College in New York City I signed up for 10 local temp agencies, I needed flexible schedules and spent my time from week to week and sometimes from day to day being switched to a new company, new department, new team and new desk. My time temping in New York City made me flexible, adaptable, able to learn new proprietary databases with ease and I've even learned to design my own databases since those days. In the begining being somewhere new each week and some weeks each day, was incredibly daunting, and even lonely at times.

The only constant in my travels around the city was and still is Duane Reade. There was always a Duane Reade near my job site. And I found myself visiting pretty much daily. There was something comforting to me about going inside. I have them near my home, near school and work, it gave me something consistent at a time when my life's normal was inconsistency.

Since my College days, nothing has changed and everything has changed. Duane Reade is still my go to no matter what I'm shopping for. Back then it was more soda's and sweet snacks for the afternoon after 3pm slump, now it's more multi-vitamins and dietary supplements as well as household and toiletries, but they are still my first choice for my weekend errands to pick up those essentials!

My lifelong love of my city has often been shared on the pages of this blog. I was also briefly pre-med (I wanted to be cardiologist since Kindegarten, YES I was THAT specific) and was a contributing writer during College to a local newspaper's medical/health section. I can't imagine a more perfect blogging opportunity for me, I love NYC (I know the city quite well), I love Duane Reade, and I love writing about Health topics because although life got in the way of my plans to pursue a career in medicine and treat patients, I still have a love for Science, Medicine and Health topics.

I hope my readers will post a quick comment here or on Duane Reade's Facebook Page, telling them just how much Ascending Butterfly would be a perfect fit for Duane Reade's 2012 VIP Influencer Program! (Never know if giveaways will be part of this program, and if there are, you know Ascending Butterfly always looks out for her readers!)

Duane Reade, I am definitely one of your 10. My approach to wellness - a mind, body and soul endeavor means the sky is literally the limit in the ways I can blog for you! My diverse approach makes me the ideal candidate! Last year I worked with Kmart as part of their 10 Kmart Latina Smart VIP Bloggers, and it's given me great experience working with a brand that is so much a part of people's daily lives and homes, I'd love to do the same thing this year with Duane Reade!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This post is an entry into Duane Reade's VIP Influencer Contest. This is NOT a sponsored post. All Opinions Expressed are 100% my own.

Thank You + Not quite the way I had in mind to lose more weight!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:03:00 +0000

As many of you know I'm going through the fight of my life right now and I have been sharing my journey along the way, you can refer to these posts to get caught up (in order of most recent post about my experience to oldest):

1. An Open Letter to New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, (and to New Yorkers) and . .

2. Wordless Wednesday: More Prayers!

3. Prayers and Good Vibes Needed

4. Today's HA! HA! Moment!

5. Happy New Year Butterfly!

While in the hospital amazing online groups I belong to have rallied around me to help make this difficult time much more bearable. In many ways my online friends have rallied for me harder and faster than some of my real life ones! A beautiful flower arrangement (done inside a tea cup) and a balloon appeared at the hospital from:

http://llbloggers.com/

I was so surprised and they defintely lifted my spirits, including the messages of support from the group too! And a visit from one of the members of the groups where we got to meet IRL (in real life) for the first time was such a wonderful surprise!

And another amazing surprise was that the Latina Bloggers Connect crew created a chip in account to help with my Medical Expenses, donations have started to come in, and honestly it all brought tears to my eyes. I'm usually the person who gives, and at first was a bit uncomfortable with the idea. But I realized that this isn't a time to worry about pride, but to worry about my health. This gift allows me to focus on my health and not worry so much about bills. It's not just the donations that have come in, but many being from perfect strangers with messages of support and encouragement that have really touched me.

My articles about my harrowing experience at the hands of a hospital have had an amazing trickle effect even I didn't think about, be it from reading my article, or donating to my chipin, people have shared THEIR stories with ME. Horrible medical experiences, their own medical challenges, or those of someone they love, and all the stories have been so moving!

So I also want to thank the amazing folks behind:

For setting up the following Chip In Fund (you can press on the button below if you'd like to also contribute and you will also notice the button on my sidebar as well):

And a special thanks to each and every one of you who have contributed so far!

Now me being the cheeky person I am and having the wicked sense of humor that I do, I have to share I have lost more weight since all this craziness began. The almost two weeks under heavy meds made food pretty un-appetizing and now clothes and even underwear are very loose on me, not the way I had in mind to loose more weight this year! But I guess I have found one positive in all this negative. Last year I slowly lost almost 26 pounds. And this year with this medical struggle I'm losing even more weight. So unlike most, I've kept the holiday pounds at bay! But not in a way I'd recommend of course.

I'm temporarily back home, and enjoying escaping that crazy hospital and my crazy hospital roomie. I can sleep in total darkness and silence again! Well, at least until I have to go back to the new hospital I am changing my care to. I can eat 'real' meals again, and get some air/sun and of course take real showers in a bathroom with a working shower. Even a long bathe. Something we think of as commonplace and even take for granted until we can't have them.....

Have a friend in the hospital? Here are some do's and don'ts:

DO - Visit them. Hours are insanely slow when your life screeches to a halt.

DON'T - Give them the 'poor baby' look. I'm not saying lie and tell them that they look fab, they don't need or want that either, but the 'poor baby' look makes people want to scream.

DON'T - Over tax the patient, don't bring them stress, theirs or yours.

DO - Leave after a reasonable amount of time. The person may feel like they have to keep up energy they really don't have to make YOU feel comfortable.

DON'T - Arrive empty handed. BUT:

DO - A little recon, find out if they can have flowers (not all units allow the patients to have them in their rooms. My unit did NOT allow flowers in the patient's room which I was super bummed about.) Things most patients will always need: PJ's, toiletries (invariably you will forget something that they don't have), lotions (your skin ends up feeling like sandpaper in there), treats (waiting on the food tray to arrive is nerve wracking, many times you don't get what you want, it tastes awful and you end up hungry way before the next tray is set to arrive). So once you find out what they can have and can't have, be sure to bring treats or food, it will be greatly appreciated.

DO - Ask about the patient's care with the patient and the team, patients who are being looked after get better care. period. Make sure enough people are visiting that patient so the hospital staff knows you will notice anything out of place or any negative treatment or problems.

DO - Keep in mind the patient's schedule is no longer their own, they often have to take tests so may not be in their room, and when they just get back to the room be it after surgery or after testing, they are exhausted. If they fall asleep, LET them sleep and come back to visit at another time.

Right now it takes so much extra time to do things I normally never had to think about, but I'm actively working at keeping my spirits up and remaining inspired.

If I can keep my spirits up despite my current challenges, so can YOU!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored Post. I am choosing to thank the online groups that sent cheer my way during a very difficult hospital stay. I was under no obligation to do so and all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

Laughter - It REALLY is the Best Medicine, and Then Some!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:31:00 +0000

Did you know that babies begin to laugh when they're just 12 weeks old, and that the typical 4 year old laughs several hundred times a day? While we may take humor for granted, we shouldn't. Because by the time we're adults, we're only laughing a handful of times a day. That means we're missing out on the incredible benefits of laughter.

It's no joke. The experts, including those at the Department of Health and Human Services, tell us that having a sense of humor is good for a child’s mental and physical well-being. Just look at this laundry list of benefits we can glean from laughter:

· Relieves stress

· Loosens muscles

· Lowers blood pressure and may lower hormones that create stress and weaken immunity

· Helps move blood to our heart and lungs, boosting energy

· Triggers a point in the brain that helps us feel pleasure and want to have that same feeling

· Eases depression

· Strengthens immune system

For children, laughter offers not just these immediate benefits. Having a sense of humor also allows children to maintain a youthful, positive outlook on life. It's something they can turn to as a coping mechanism during challenging times. Humor also can help children develop social skills and maintain emotional and physical health. Last, but not least, laughing just plain feels good.

So, how can you encourage your child to develop and appreciate a sense of humor and the laughter that follows? Try the following strategies to get the giggling going in your home.

Make them laugh: Tickle your baby's tummy. Play hide-and-go seek with your toddler. Tell your 5 and 6 year olds funny jokes. Finding opportunities in everyday life to laugh with your children will make your home a happier place now, and will plant the seed of laughter in your children forever.

Be a good role model: Sure, our lives get weightier as adults, and we may not find as much to laugh about. But you won't raise laughing children if you're wearing a frown much of the time. If you can find the humor in everyday life and let your children see it, you'll help create a home environment that feels safe, comfortable and fun.

Add time for fun: Kids get so over-scheduled with activities during the day that we often forget they need time to just veg out and have fun too!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

An Open Letter to New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, (and to New Yorkers) and . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:28:00 +0000

Written January 5, 2012 based on the care journal of my personal experiences regarding my stay.

RE: An Open Letter to NY Columbia Presbyterian Hospital by Tracy Iglesias

A warning to fellow New Yorkers and the Battle of my life:

I try not to use to my blog ever for snark, or for arm pulling. But I do use my words carefully and very much honestly at all times.

While I don't expect a response to this open letter because these details make for a good lawsuit, I feel it's important for a teaching institution who has signs everywhere taking pride in being a top 10 care institution for the past 10 years to really know how they are doing from the perspective of someone who just went through the fight of her life in their care (and I use the word 'care' to apply to this institution very loosely.)

I was transferred to the NY Columbia Presbyterian Millstein Building Oncology Ward on 12/31/11 after having spent an entire night in the ER of the Allen Pavilion which is located further uptown. It was during imaging taken at the ER where a mass was discovered on my lung, Allen didn't have a bed for me, and so at the urging of a doctor I met while in the ER at Allen (who actually was phenomenal) and the urging of a nurse who was taking care of me (who was also phenomenal), a bed was found for me where I have spent the past week at 6 Hudson North of Columbia Presbyterian. If only a bed had been found at Allen instead. A mass that had been there since imaging taken in October that I was NEVER told about. Had I been told in October I would have started this battle WAY sooner.

I want to start with a bit of background on the type of person I am. I will avoid aspirin for a Migraine if I can and try and start with meditation first and see if that dulls it. While women are not usually that way, much like a man, I'm private, stoic and tend to not share my pain. The pain that led me to the ER on 12/30 had me curled up in a ball in my bed, literally writhing in agony. I've never in my life experienced a pain so intense and pray to never experience something like that again.

It was a super long night in the waiting area of the ER before I was even triaged which is surprising for me, because as an asthmatic I don't normally experience super long waits. When I did finally get in the ER, a battery of tests and imaging was taken. I knew by the look of surprise on the person's face who took the images that things were not good. An amazing doc broke the news about the mass, about what the possibilities of the mass could be, and that I was definitely staying, they just didn't know where at that point. A bed could not be found at Allen, which I honestly regret to this day. I wonder how much easier things might have been there.

After a bumpy ambulance ride to the Millstein Building at Columbia Presbyterian, I arrived exhausted, in intense pain and in desperate need of rest. Who knew it would be the first and only time I'd see my bed made.

In the morning an agonizing trip to the bathroom made me wonder if I was in a hospital room or a movie theater. The all too familiar to most New Yorkers feet sticking to the ground and squeaking sound greeted my feet. The bathroom was entirely like something from a cheesy motel from a horror movie. Filthy floor, a large piece of missing tile (that can't be sanitary), a gross mirror you can barely see yourself in, a broken paper towel holder with paper towels above the holder just floating loose, and the remnants of my 'roomie's' bedpan still stuck to the upper lid because the folks emptying it don't take the time to lift the lid (a daily occurence by the way). What a lovely day one.

My bed was never made, I was never offered a shower. My mother thought she'd give me a shower, but cut her fingers on the broken shower head.

After 5 days I put my foot down about new bedding, and someone finally arrived with this bedding and threw it on a chair and began to walk away. I asked her should I move to the chair so she could make the bed. She barely glanced back and said 'It's not my job to make your bed', 'contact your nurse'. After about another hour a harried and apparently put upon NA made my bed, huffing the whole time. I'd pay you to find me the infamous 'hospital corner' I've heard so much of. When asked about when beds get made I was told every other day. That did NOT happen. My bedding was only changed once (quite a nightmare since you wake up every single with night sweats from the pain meds), and that's because I literally put my foot down about it or it would have NEVER happned the entire visit. Even most dogs have neater beds.

While my room was not hospitable in any way for a human, it would have made a great spare freezer. I thought my body temperature may have been off because of my meds until every single visitor I have had would put their coat right back on including scarf. I asked a nurse about raising the room temperature and she said she couldn't adjust it (she did try) and would contact maintenance (it seems like there is a person for every single thing, but you never find out who that 'person' is.). Maintenance has still not adjusted the temperature and I've endured a room as cold or probably colder than the current temperature outside here in New York City.

I was supposed to have a 'Bronchoscopy' on Tuesday, so I was placed on an NPO order (nothing by mouth Monday after midnight). After a tense morning, I was never taken in, and of course had to miss meals just to find out they wouldn't have an OR for me until Wednesday. So again Tuesday night another NPO order after midnight, and because of the time the procedure was scheduled I missed pretty much a whole day of meals. But that would actually turn out to be the easy part.

The transport person to take me to the OR, didn't come in my room, didn't offer to transfer me to the stretcher or even help me walk to it. My family got me to the stretcher, and asked her for a sheet because I was freezing. She literally sucked her teeth and muttered about what a pain in the ass 'these' patients are and practically threw the sheet on me. Honestly despite my weakened state, the New Yorker in me and Bronxite that I am was rising to the surface. And oh does it get better. We get to a walkway with a steep downward incline, and she locks the wheels of the stretcher while at the begining of the downward part of that incline and walks away leaving me in a position that would block anyone trying to get by on both doors and it was freezing there, not to mention if a wheel had unlocked my stretcher would have went careening over like a top. I ask her where she is going, and this was her reply 'YOU are too heavy for me this thing is too heavy and I need a man to wheel this thing over the incline so just stay there and deal with it.' So after a long chit chat with this 'man' about their respective holiday weekends, he began pumping up the stretcher much like you jack a car tire. I firmly asked him to STOP, that he was causing tremendous pain in the area where the mass is located and I had it made to clear to avoid my left side, and asked that they avoid bumping the stretcher against walls. He looked right at me and replied 'I have to worry about MY health'. And I made him repeat it just to make sure I had heard right.

As they pulled me in to the endoscopy waiting area, I was wheeled into a twilight zone of people pale as a sheet, moaning, some louder than others, and had a feeling I was in for something....

I was told the lead doctor was a Dr. Bulman, he never arrived, which means my procedure was performed by an attending, I did NOT agree to that. But that's not the worst part, it is what happens next that gets interesting. This was going to be performed under what's called 'twilight' sleep. You are breathing on your own and not entirely put under. You are asked a series of questions to gauge your readiness for them to begin. I didn't miss a question. No answer was incoherent. I told the Doctor, I'm still too lucid, all of my answers are still making sense, I don't think you should begin.

I've seen those shows on TV, even movies where someone undergoing a surgery wakes up and sees, hears and worsely FEELS everything. Count me among them.

I woke up with a start, my glasses had been removed so I couldn't see with focus, but saw the camera, felt what was happening, and coughed so hard I'm sure everyone's fear was I would cough up the camera.

Of course then they decide to overcompensate for the error and give me too much Twilight. When I wake up, not ONE person came and spoke to me and the nausea was so severe I literally felt like I was dying. Thankfully the exasperated rude woman who transported me there wasn't the one who transported me back, but that's still not saying anything. I was wheeled in front of my room and just left there moaning. I was in no condition to walk back to my bed and needed a transfer. My nurse and my mother (who has a bad back and now injured fingers thanks to the showerhead in the bathroom here) had to slide me from the stretcher to the bed. Hard on them and hard on me. And shouldn't have happened in a hospital that prides itself on the quality of the care they provide.

On Wednesday I missed an entire day of meals and when something finally did come, I couldn't tolerate it because of the meds. (I was given morphine to manage the pain post procedure). We asked for soft foods as the endoscopy still had my throat sore, and it wasn't until 1:30 in the morning that one cup of lemon ice and one cup of pudding arrived. You try being on enough meds to choke a horse for a week and skip an entire day of meals.......

My psycho, racist room-mate puts her TV on so loud you can hear it from the elevators and this is ALL day long, she does not put it off, and she never turns off her light. And pre surgery when a nurse was speaking with me, she literally told that nurse that because she has money, that whenever she needs something it will always get precedence over me and my needs. She also told someone she was speaking to on the phone that for a 'Hispanic Woman' I didn't seem to smell as bad as most of them normally do, WTF? Seriously? I know for a fact I wouldn't be allowed to get away with half of the non-sense this woman pulls.

But I will say that her theory about money and treatment is one that doesn't surprise me as I have experience working in a hospital myself, but seeing just how much the staff here agrees with it themselves and just how differently people are treated here is still a shocker in this day and age.

Apparently warm blankets are for the 9th floor, 'You know for the folks with MON....' and then a long pause which is what my mother was told when she asked for one for me since the heat was never fixed in my freezer, I mean room.

Sleeping in a bed I call a 'dogs nest' because it doesn't get made, no shower, not only because the shower in my room is broken and has not yet been repaired, but no one would do it for me even it was working. Thankfully I do have family and friends willing to if and WHEN the shower ever gets fixed (IF that happens before I get discharged remains to be seen). A procedure that wasn't even performed by the Doctor who I thought would do it, and then a team who was discussing the possibilities before they even had the dissection nevertheless the actual results from pathology has made for a surreal experience to say the least.

Even the seedy motel rooms you see in those 'b' horror movies have more potential than where I am staying. How are you supposed to take on the battle of your life in these conditions?

I am a woman of Faith and I am trying to walk in that Faith, speak in that Faith (despite such dire circumstances) and live in my Faith. It's been super difficult to keep my energy and spirits up here.

New Yorkers, if you ever find yourself in an ambulance (and I pray you do NOT) and you are coherent enough to hear you are being taken to Columbia Presbyterian, INSIST you be taken ANYWHERE else.

Aside from poor treatment and care, poor conditions of the rooms and staff that makes you feel you are putting upon them (despite the fact that in spite of my pain, not one person who dealt with me can say that they didn't get a please before I asked for anything and a Thank You after it arrived), this hospital has a caste system that is almost medieval. I am in the fight of my life right now and I haven't quite been given the tools to fight here.

They say that God helps to turn all bad around for our good, that there is a lesson in our trials, moments of sadness, moments of pain, I'm still trying to figure this one out, but I do thank all of my readers for their outpouring of prayer and concern for both my health and my wellbeing/spirits. It is because of you that I have had the courage to live out loud since 2009, to share my life and my feelings, my victories and my failures, each and every day and every day to day moment I have shared with you, and this is probably my most raw and open post to date. But please dear readers, avoid this hospital at all costs!

My aunt encouraged me to journal about my experiences and this post is shared from those journals. I am sure I won't get a response because they will be more concerned about a law suit than they ever were with my quality of care, but if they do respond (some pat answer sent by their PR folks after legal approves it) I will be sure to share it here. I'm sure we could both use the laugh.

If any Lawyer reads this and would like to contact me, please feel free, you can use the contact us page of this site to be in touch.

UPDATE:

I've taken some photos which will be added to this post as soon as I'm back home, but I thought I'd share my day today, Friday, 01/06/12. Today I was scheduled for a Pet Scan, I was not told the scan was in another building and I'd be transferred to the procedure from the outside. Let's remember, what's compromised is my Lungs, and I was transferred externally in the cold with a robe, never told I'd need my coat, Does that make any sense? Now I have a dry cough that is exacerbating the pain I am already experiencing. Transport was given incorrect information so after my test I was left in a HALLWAY to wait almost one hour for transport to come return me to my room, again with an external building transfer in the winter for someone with a compromised lung....... I ran into my doctor in the hall on my way back and he asks me are you going to your scan or coming from it? He asked this as he turned away and kept walking, it even got the transport person angry, and she replied before I could, she said, 'how about if you ask a patient a question that you turn and at least acknowledge her response?' He tersely replied he would come see me when he had the results, it's 9:09 pm and that was 1:30 pm and he has still not arrived. And yet yesterday and today I was told if the bone scan went well, I would be going home.....Looks like that isn't going to happen. My prayers are for Saturday, but it's getting harder to hold out hope. And then the fun really begins once I have all the test results back and finally know what I'm up against!

Best,

Ascending Butterfly

Wordless Wednesday: More Prayers!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:14:00 +0000

Butterflies as many of you already know I am in the hospital and my procedure date has been changed from Tuesday to today/Wednesday (putting a whole new meaning on the whole 'Wordless Wednesday' thing that's for sure), I would greatly appreciate your continued prayers, virtual hugs, and positive vibes!

I may not have the energy to post again on Wednesday night, but God willing I will make a post on Thursday!

I hope the new year is treating you way better than it's treating me! Many of you have opted to contact me privately or via email, and while I don't have the energy to personally respond to every email and ecard, I just wanted to thank you all for the abundance of love and positive energy you have sent my way, be it via facebook, twitter, email or comments here, I am seeing each and everyone of them. I am convinced that I have the best readers ever and I thank you all for your support!

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Prayers and Good Vibes Needed

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Butterflies as many of you already know I am in the hospital and Tuesday morning will be a big day for me, I would greatly appreciate your prayers, virtual hugs, and positive vibes!

I may not have the energy to post on Tuesday night, but God willing I will make a post on Wednesday!

Hope the new year is treating you all well so far!

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Today's HA! HA! Moment!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:34:00 +0000

Much like Oprah is fond of sharing her 'A-Ha!' Moments, I thought I'd share a 'Ha! Ha!' moment I had today! I decided (with the help of family of course for support) to venture outside my room and take a walk around the floor, figuring it would help build up my strength, change the scenery and keep my mind busy. Harmless enough right?

Well what song comes piping out of someone's room?

While I do think it's a pretty song and all, If I Die Young by The Band Perry is the last thing you really want to hear as the youngest patient on your Oncology Ward! LOL

There's my Today's HA! HA! Moment.

Alanis Morrissette's song "Ironic", which contains the line, "It's a black fly in your Chardonnay." is coming to mind, I'm thinking my HA! HA! Moment is a tiny bit more ironic than a black fly in your Chardonnay.......

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FTC Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Happy New Year Butterfly!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:32:00 +0000

My Dearest Butterflies,

While Ascending Butterfly is spending her holiday weekend in the Hospital, I certainly hope you all have way more exciting plans than mine.

I loved this picture the moment I layed eyes on it, while the Mayan Calendar ends in 2012, many astrologers take this to mean the end of an era of thinking, not the end of man.

While being in a hospital bed sending out my last butterfly update for 2011 was not exactly what I had planned, I am very much excited to see 2011 come to an end and ring in 2012 with an open heart and mind.

Despite my current circumstances, my spirit is very much filled with hope for what 2012 will bring and I hope yours is too!

Be safe. Don't drive under the influence or ride with anyone under the influence. Wishing each and every single one of you a very happy, healthy and safe New Year. May 2012 be your most fulfilling and empowering year yet!

Love,

Ascending Butterfly

{Not So} Wordless Wednesday - Getting Fit with Cheryl Burke + Ideology + a Kardashian too! {Photos}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:13:00 +0000

Earlier this month fashion editors, Manhattan’s social elite, and taste-makers alike celebrated the announcement of Ideology’s new face of the brand, Cheryl Burke, who was on hand for the festivities at the chic Dream Downtown Hotel.

Cheryl Burke, a renowned professional dancer and two-time winner of Dancing With The Stars, will appear in the campaign for the line launching in February 2012.

Guests sipped on cocktails and previewed the collection to the tunes of Reality TV’s newest DJ, Rob Kardashian, who spent time in the DJ booth and mingling with guests. Fashion celebutants Phillip Bloch, Richie Rich, and Supermodel Irina Shayk, were also in attendance. Professional dancers surprised guests with hot and original dance routines wearing the new line.

The new line reflects a modern design comprised of functional easy to mix-and-match pieces that add a beat of unexpected fashion to any errand, tango, or work-out. And as we transition from our Holidays promos to our annual 'New Year, New You!' features, I couldn't think of a better Wordless Wednesday, since I'm sure most people will have Fitness somewhere on their New Years Resolutions list.

I'm mixing my photos (which are watermarked, please do not 'borrow' them, with the photos supplied by the PR firm (non-watermarked, but I suggest contacting Factory PR for permission, they are being used on my site with permission).

I had a fun time, and needless to say 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' was tempted to take over the turntables. Although with DJ Rob Kardashian spinning the tunes, I was able to just mingle and relax! :)

Tip: Press on any photo to see them bigger!

I love how the tops work WITH a woman's curves!

The pants come in different lengths so there is something for everyone!

The Sport Bra comes in a wide variety of colors

A Belief in the Power of Movement - I just love that! I'm 26 pounds down and counting!

Who Says Workout Bras have to be utlitarian? A little something for my girly girls!

(Left) Rob Kardashian, (Right) Cheryl Burke

Second from Right: Rob Kardashian

Cheryl Burke, Face of Ideology, (exclusive to Macys) Workout Apparel

(Left) DJ, (Center) Rob Kardashian (Celeb DJ), (Right) Cheryl Burke

(Left) Cheryl Burke of DWTS, (Right) Rob Kardashian

(Left) Ascending Butterfly, (Right) Mama Butterfly

Dancers all wearing Ideology Fitness Wear! Love that they made this one B&W!

(Left) DJ, (Center) Cheryl Burke, (Right) Rob Kardashian (Celeb DJ)

Cheryl Burke (Center) surrounded by Dancers

(Left) Mama Butterfly, (Right) Ascending Butterfly in the background holiday decor at Dream Hotel NYC - How about that scary Polar Bear?

(Left) Mama Butterfly, (Right) Ascending Butterfly and hiding behind the small tree, a Reindeer!

Ideology, which will feature neutral and brightly hued jackets, sweatshirts, tops, bras, pants, shorts and accessories ranging from $7.98 to $58 will launch at Macy's Spring 2012 (hopefully we can get them to come back, and host a reader giveaway once the line actually launches in the new year!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received, no gift bags were received. I attended this event as a member of the digital press and was under no additional obligation to post. All Opinions Expressed are 100% my own. Non-watermarked photos used with permission by Factory PR.

Winners Announcement + Extended Deadline!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:13:00 +0000

We have winners! It's been a busy holiday season and it took a bit longer than expected to process entries and notify winners for the last three giveaways, but I spent some time getting caught up, and have 3 winners to announce today. Yay!

J Winners J

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - {CLOSED} Make 2012 your most fit year yet with our Zumba Fitness 1 and Zumba Fitness 2 Prize Bundle Giveaway! Ends 12/18 - The Winner is *'Centsable Lady'*

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - {CLOSED} 3 Month The California Wine Club Review AND Giveaway! Ends 12/15 - The Winner is *'Gina Nuzio'*.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - {CLOSED} Earthies Jasko Boots Review and Giveaway! ARV $209 Ends 12/22 - The Winner is *'Swtlilchick'*.

Extended Deadline:

This extension is mostly for me, but definitely benefits you as well, if you were away for the holiday weekend and thought you missed the chance to get in our Marc Joseph Giveaway, we extended the deadline! It will now close on 12/30 giving you a little more time to get your entries in if you haven't, and a chance to rack up more extra credit entries if you have already entered!

Active HOT Giveaway:

Remember you can select a MENS style shoe or a WOMENS style shoe:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pair of Marc Joseph New York Shoes of YOUR Choice Giveaway - Mens or Womens - 2 Winners! Ends 12/30

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Calendar Shock!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 04:57:00 +0000

This new week is moving too fast! Happy Motivation Monday! Don't forget to enter our latest giveaway it Ends SOON! If Santa didn't bring you the shoes you wanted, enter to win yours here: Pair of Marc Joseph New York Shoes of YOUR Choice Giveaway - Mens or Womens - 2 Winners! Ends 12/27

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Please Note: Christmas is Cancelled and Apparently it's all YOUR fault!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 07:20:00 +0000

OK, so I couldn't resist being a bit cheeky! But seriously, have you been naughty or nice this year? Ascending Butterfly is taking a pause for the holiday cause, I'm wishing all my butterflies a very happy, healthy, SAFE and prosperous Holiday Weekend!

Merry Christmas Butterflies!

Don't forget about our active giveaway: Pair of Marc Joseph New York Shoes of YOUR Choice Giveaway - Mens or Womens - 2 Winners! Ends 12/27

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Growing an Empowerment Community and Re-Defining What You Already Know

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:58:00 +0000

I'm sure many of you have noticed the Latina Smart badge proudly displayed on my sidebar, and many of you remember me sharing the announcement that I had been selected as a Kmart Latina Smart Brand Ambassador which entailed juding the allocation of $25,000 in scholarship funding (you can read that post HERE if you missed it the first time), but another part of what my ambassadorship entailed was helping to grow the Latina Smart community on Facebook.

I've spent years building my own empowerment community and I thought the hardest part of the process would be judging the scholarship entries, and while the scholarships contest was the foundation of how the community began to grow, it is the Ambassadors and Facebook Page Moderators that helped foster, sustain and continue to grow it, with incisive questions to the community to provoke thought and seasonal sharing such as share your favorite summer vacation photo, as well as members sharing information with another that helped the community to flourish.

Do I consider myself Latina? Definitely! Do I consider myself Smart? I'd like to think so! But being part of a community that helps Latina's re-define for themselves what that means has been both challenging and empowering. It's helped me to re-define not just what those specific things mean to me, but to allow me to look at my life and my goals a lot more strategically.

I'm going to be taking what I learned into this upcoming new year, re-defining what I think I know about myself as a writer, as a blogger, and as an empowerment coach and community builder and making myself better and more efficient, which only benefits Ascending Butterfly (and other communities I am involved in) to grow stronger.

I've learned to re-define what I already know including:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sharing resources and information blesses everyone (including YOURSELF).

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - You are not the only one going through something, sharing it, helps you work through it.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - There really is power in numbers, when you ask for advice, within the many perspectives you receive, it does help you to see things in a brand new way and tackle an idea, creative project or an even a problem you couldn't before resolve, in a much different way.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A community can only grow when everyone contributes their fair share.

While it seems obvious, take these lessons about community and apply them to your own, be it your place of work, your place of worship, your neighborhood, or your family, you can approve any area of your life with focused effort, purpose, and a spirit of sharing and giving. Which is also an incredible thing to take with you when visiting family for the holidays. It really doesn't have to be the drama and fight fest that most people dread. A community is a call to action to be of service, do so graciously, and you will derive way more from it, than you give to it.

I look forward to seeing how this community grows, evolves and develops in 2012, I am proud to be a member of the Latina Smart Community, and I am proud to be an Ascending Butterfly. My butterflies have taught me so much about inspiration and encouragement that I was able to take those lessons with me to another empowerment community and share in it's growth. In being part of both my own community of inspiration seekers and the Latina Smart Social Media community on Facebook and Twitter I have learned to continue to give the best of myself and receive such amazing blessings and opportunities in the process.

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Active Giveaway:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pair of Marc Joseph New York Shoes of YOUR Choice Giveaway - Mens or Womens - 2 Winners! Ends 12/27

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - We still have more surprises coming up in our annual Holidays Buying Guide, and right after the annual Holidays Buying Guide, is our 'New Year, New You!' series of promotions, so don't blink! We will be going from one set of promotions to another in the blink of an eye! ;)

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FTC Disclosure: I am participating in a Brand Ambassadorship with Kmart Latina Smart which makes me eligible for additional incentives.

Christmas Delights! LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:36:00 +0000

I'm a total LUSHIE! For those in the know when it comes to the finest handmade cosmetics and skincare, my revelation doesn't mean I need AA, it just means I'm addicted to all things LUSH. Their fresh handmade cosmetics have fun names, smell divine, and make you both look and feel fantastic. It's aromatherapy for the mind, body and soul because their products are so uplifting!

I have been asked quite a bit this week about 'last minute' gifts and 'hard to shop fors' and my recommendation remains the same, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics! Do you have a teacher to shop for? (trust me when I tell you they'd prefer apple scented body treats to an actual apple!) Letter Carrier? Did a co-worker you least expected to give you a holiday gift end up surprising you? I would advise you to stock up year round so you already have these things on hand, but with both an online presence as well as convenient brick and mortar locations you can't go wrong with Lush. There is something for everyone! And better still, they have pre-made gift sets that are delightfully packaged which is a total blessing for last minute shoppers.

Last month I had a chance to check out the launch of the 'Lush Fresh 15' and I posted a review of those products HERE. I gave you guys a sneak peak of a cute holiday gift idea, and now that I've tried it all out I thought I'd give you some feedback!

About Christmas Delights

Christmas Delights is a super cute gift tin created by the elves at Lush, the gift tin includes:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Angel's Delight Soap 3.5 oz - This one uses Tangerine Oil, which gives a nice pick me up on a cold winter morning!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Candy Cane soap 3.5 oz - This soap is a perfect blend of English Peppermint Oil and sweet almond oil, if you want your body to smell like Christmas or for your spouse to want to lick you, this soap is it! ;-)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Heavanilli Massage Bar 1.9 oz - I'm a total addict of Lush Massage Bars, they go on like silk, your skin will drink this without ending up all greasy feeling and you will want one for your purse, desk at work as well as home, I can tell you that whoever you gift this set to, will love it for this alone! With natural shea and cocoa butter, it emits a warm scent of jasmine, vanilla and tonka. And as they only use Fair Trade Shea Butter, it's a double delight! The only complaint most people have regarding this product is that they don't make it BIGGER, it's that awesome!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Snow Fairy Shower Gel 3.3 fl. oz - A sweet bubblegum and cotton candy scent mixed in with iridiscent glitter, lather up in mounds of sparkly pink bubbles, you can wash your body or hair with this, and if you like to layer, do both!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sugar Babe Sugar Scrub 3.5 oz - Scented with perfume from Ylang Flowers and mimosa blossom and made with Coconut Oil (reduces symptoms of psoriasis and eczema, this oil also provides natural balance to the skin) and Beeswax absolute (known for it's soothing, protective and antiseptic properties) your skin will probably send you a Thank You Letter. Seriously.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vanilla Delite Body Lotion 3.5 oz - So everytime I use this I get the over-whelming urge to sing 'Groove is in the Heart' by Deee Lite (since I'm always thinking music my nickname as 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ totally fits), This smooth blended Vanilla Moisturizer contains Illipe Butter (moisturizes and restores skin flexibility), Hawaiin Tamanu and Monoi Oils, and Organic Coconut Water, this body lotion is a perfect follow up to the Candy Cane Soap!

The aromatherapy will lift your mood and who can resist the tin? While I was not able to nab a reader giveaway this time around, the LUSH Christmas Delights Gift Tin is definitely a holiday gift guide pick!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post. A gift tin was provided to Ascending Butterfly Free of Charge for editorial consideration. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Not So Wordless Wednesday - War Horse Screening Q & A with Actress Emma Watson {Photo + Video}

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:26:00 +0000

I have attended some great events this months, and slowly but surely I'm sneaking in event recaps during our annual holidays buying guide because I love to make you feel like you were there with me! I had the opportunity to attend a special screening of the movie War Horse thanks to Moms & The City, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and a live stream of a questions and answers session with Actress Emma Watson that was live streamed by the New York Daily News!

DreamWorks Pictures "War Horse" directed by Steven Spielberg is an epic adventure that tells the story of a very special friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man Albert who trains Joey, the adventure begins when they are forcefully parted due to The First World War. Joey changes and inspires the lives of all he meets including the British Cavalry, German Soldiers, and a French Farmer and his Grand-Daughter, meanwhile his friend Joey's life is forever changed in attempting to reunite with him. It's a heartfelt and touching tale of friendship, of the single thread that unites us all even under (or maybe especially under) dire circumstances, tenacity and friendship. I'd say the age range for young ones would entirely depend on your child's maturity level. There is some violence as this is a war epic after all!

As if Mimosas, warm popcorn, bagels and other assorted snacks weren't enough incentive, the screening was followed by a Question and Answer session with one of the films stars, Actress Emma Watson!

Here are my two best shots from the Q&A Session:

Emma Watson Center, holding microphone!

(Left) Raina Seitel, Moms & The City (Center) Actress Emma Watson (Right) Melissa Gerstein, Moms & The City

NY Daily News was live streaming the Q&A, and if you'd like to hear Emma's answers to moms questions, press on the video below (you might want to view this in full screen mode):

I would definitely recommend checking out War Horse the movie which will open on Christmas Day! Emma is incredibly down-to-earth, (a bit shy!), and super approachable, I enjoyed meeting her and greatly enjoyed the screening!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received. I was invited to a special screening as a member of the digital press, I was fed and did receive a gift bag! :)

{CLOSED} Pair of Marc Joseph New York Shoes of YOUR Choice Giveaway - Mens or Womens - 2 Winners! Ends 12/30

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:51:00 +0000

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Marc Joseph New York! We look forward to working with you again. Entries will be processed and winners will be notified soon.

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Ascending Butterfly's 2011 Holidays Buying Guide, Giveaway #12 brought to you by:

Start Your New Year on a COMFORTABLE Foot

Remember when I told you I was on the hunt for grey boots to match my favorite Kooba bag? We all know how the Universe works, you tell it exactly what you want and well sometimes you get TWO. I found two grey boots I fell in love with this season, and when I find something super fab I totally have to share!

This time around it's both a flat and a bootie from a company that gives back 10% of its profits to local charities (including an after school program + a charity that helps people pay their electricity and gas bills), they also donate to national charities like the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

For me, knowing my purchases are making a wider difference is very important to me. And for me this is doubly so with Marc Joseph NY, as Ascending Butterfly is NY based as well so I know my purchases are helping my local community and that is truly a fantastic feeling!

About Marc Joseph NY

Founded in 2006, and headquartered in the heart of Manhattan, Marc Joseph NY has become one of the hottest Brand names for Luxury Footwear in the U.S as well as internationally. Father and Son Duo (if you are sensing a trend this holiday season with us featuring family owned brands you are right!), Marc, and his son and the company's Creative Director, Joseph, work hard to design shoes that are unique, but also practical. Together they ensure that the comfort and fit is nothing less than perfect. The shoe collections are named after famous intersections and popular destinations in Manhattan & New York City.

While some of you may already recognize the name for their wildly popular driving shoes, the line is so much more!

About Union Street Suede

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Genuine leather

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Goatskin lining

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Gel heel insert for optimized comfort

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Padded footbed

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Handstitched

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Runs half size full

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Designed in NYC. Crafted in Brazil

Here is a pic of me wearing the Marc Joseph NY Union Street Suede Shoe in the 'Amber' Color:

Ascending Butterfly wearing Marc Joseph NY Union Street Suede Shoe in 'Amber' color!

I'm sure that grin has alot to do with my comfortable feet! :)

About the Gramercy Bootie

Marc Joseph NY Gramercy Bootie

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grey Leather Bootie with Suede Pleate Detail

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 3 Inch Heel Height

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Genuine leather

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Padded Footbed

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Handstitched

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Runs true to size

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Designed in NYC. Crafted in Brazil

I have worn these to several events, but no one took a 'long shot', so I definitely owe you guys a picture wearing these!

Mens: Park Avenue

Marc Joseph NY Mens Park Avenue Shoe

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Genuine Leather

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Goatskin Lining

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Handstitched

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Removable cushioned footbed

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Superior Arch Support

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Hugs foot without gapping

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Runs true to size

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Designed in NYC. Crafted in Brazil

Didn't think I'd forget my guys did you?

My Take:

From the sleek, very New York, black packaging with gold logo and signature tissue paper inside, you know you and your feet are in for a treat the moment the box arrives. You don't have to pour over tons of user reviews to figure out what size you'll need because the site tells you which styles run larger and which are true to size. I went up a half size for the Union Street Suede Flats and the Gramercy Booties run true to size, I did not need to size up for those. So I asked the Universe to deliver a great grey boot and I found two! I wonder if that works the same way for the powerball?

I can't think of anyone on your shopping list that wouldn't be totally delighted to find a pair of Marc Joseph New York Shoes under the tree! And I'm happy we get to include the guys in the fun this time around with the great selection of men's shoes!

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Marc Joseph NY would like to give 2 lucky winners the shoe of their choice, MENS OR WOMEN based on in stock size availability!

Don't you just ♥ Marc Joseph NY? I know I do!

Love what you see and can't wait to find out if you won? Can't say I blame you! How about a Discount?

Get a 15% off discount on your next order with the code: Asc11Holidaypromo

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2)MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Marc Joseph New York and select any other item aside from the Gramercy for women, the Union Street Suede for women and the Park Avenue for men and provide the URL LINK to it! (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes. No purchase necessary. One entry per Household, see Ascending Butterfly Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Tuesday, December 20, 2011 until Tuesday, December 30, 2011 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In honor of shoes, tell us about your all time favorite pair of shoes or boots!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment. (If your blog post contains more than just a pic and link you'll get 5 extra credit entries!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join the Ascending Butterfly Blog Frog Community HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our NEW Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you have our old one, please swap it out, our URL address has changed!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter

Tweet This:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ @Ascending1 + Marc Joseph NY #Shoes Mens or womens style #Giveaway! 2 Winners! Ends 12/30 #footwear - http://tinyurl.com/85yb4kn

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Marc Joseph New York on Facebook HERE (Tell them what your favorite pair is that you are trying to win from Ascending Butterfly) - Be sure you leave the link to your comment here for extra credit. (You can get the link the same way you do on twitter, press on the time you left the comment on their facebook wall, and when the page fully loads, highlight and copy the URL address and then paste it into the comment field here). If you say "I wrote on their wall" and do not leave the link that Extra Credit Entry will NOT be processed.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog -This is ONE time per giveaway, NOT daily.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you entered another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly? Let me know which one and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is NOT a sponsored promotion. NO compensation has been received from the sponsor in exchange for this post. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor. An Affiliate Link is used for EZ Win game.

Motivation Monday - Holiday Cheer!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:09:00 +0000

While most neighborhoods are starting to look a lot like this, I have to admit that my tree isn't even up yet!

I'm just getting over the flu and my throat is still pretty sore, I haven't yet been able to motivate myself for the whirlwind cleaning and decorating thing!

How about a tree full of butterflies?

Until tomorrow, please check our current active holidays buying guide giveaway - Earthies Jasko Boots Review and Giveaway! ARV $209 Ends 12/22

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙