Friday, April 30, 2010

Win an Eli's Cheesecake for Mom (or for yourself)!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Eli’s Cheescake! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is Kathryn B! Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!
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Ascending Butterfly's Mothers Day Buying Guide Pick Sponsored by:




We are now launching our fifth gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide! We started with the gift of CleanRest (giveaway ended on 04/28), followed by the gift of cream perfume (giveaway ends on 05/01), the gift of One Dozen Long Stemmed Roses and Godiva Truffles HERE (giveaway ends on 05/03), and the fourth gift in the guide (giveaway ends on 05/05)  is the 'Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower' from 1800Baskets.com HERE!

(And while it's not an official part of the Mother's Day Buying Guide, the current bag being featured in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature would be perfect for mom, (this bag comes with changing pad and wipes box, it's perfect for a new mom, but stylish enough and roomy enough to make a perfect day-to-day bag! Check out the Lexie Butterfly Tote giveaway sponsored by Layla Grayce HERE).

The mother's day buying guide will encompass the rest of April and the entire month of May! So while some giveaways will close after Mother's Day itself, the month will still be dedicated to saying Thank You to our moms. For all the daily ways they show us they love us that sometimes go unheralded. While I think you should show your mom you love her everyday, mother's day should be extra special!

I know they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but trust me, moms also have a soft spot for food, especially treats! While it would be easy to say 'who doesn't like treats'? or Who doesn't love Cheesecake? Not all treats are created equal, and not all Cheesecake's are created like Eli's!

I thought narrowing a cake down to one from their vast selection was going to be torture. But I happened upon a cake that shares a name with one of my favorite ice creams, White Chocolate Raspberry, (ice cream maker not to be named here, but hopefully they are reading this!), so I thought I'd give it a go.

The White Chocolate Raspberry cake came shipped in cooler packaging and when you take the cake out of it's outer packaging, that's when the fun begins! The cake is generously sized and it's pre-sliced and each slice is individually wrapped. It literally arrives ready to serve! This 10" Cheesecake is 5lb, 13oz, and Serves 14 ( Pre-generously-sliced). It's perfect for Mother's Day, mom doesn't have to spend anytime slicing and since it's mother's day you'll do the serving right?

These are amazing anytime cakes, mother's day, birthdays, graduations, hostess gifts etc. But this cake is an editor's picks for various reasons,  my two favorite non-cheesecakes are Black Forest Cake and Strawberry Shortcake, and the ice cream which shares it's name that I mentioned earlier. This cake is somehow a magnificent hybrid of all my favorite treats rolled into one. It's truly decadent, and sinfully delicious. It's one of those food sensory delight experiences you want to have once everyone else is tucked into bed so you can savor every glorious bite. Yes folks, take it from a foodie with a sweet tooth, it's THAT GOOD. Save a few pieces just for yourself, you'll thank me for it later!

Eli's description of  the cake is such a modest understatement: "Tart Canadian red raspberries are the perfect foil for the sweet, smooth taste of white chocolate cheesecake, baked on a chocolate crumb crust." but I suppose it's because they can't say every bite is a piece of heaven. (Maybe they can't, but I will!)



Are you drooling yet? If I could insert a soundtrack, just imagine a heavenly choir singing as the picture of the cake finishes loading. Just seeing the picture is making me want to re-order, I really want to keep this in stock in my fridge year round!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Eli's Cheesecake would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win a White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake! (ARV $52.00)

Don't you just ♥ Eli's Cheesecake? 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) Visit Eli's Cheesecake - and post the URL of another cheesecake you like aside from the giveaway cake of course, as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! (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 it is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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, April 30, 2010 until Friday, May 14, 2010 at 11:59 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 address your entry will not be processed.)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit!)

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

Tweet this: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @elischeesecake White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake #Giveaways (ARV $52) - http://tinyurl.com/2dblcgl

(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). Please tweet once per day.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @elischeesecake on Twitter HERE

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 - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Eli’s Cheesecake (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Become a Member of Eli's Cheesecake ‘Fan Club’ HERE

Membership Includes:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Email Communications
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Special Offers
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Automatic Monthly Entry to the Win-A-Free-Cheesecake Contest (The Mother's Day giveaway on Eli's site currently is for the same cake, so you have TWO chances to win this super yummo cake!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please Vote, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my outfit 'springtime nyc' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me and also enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own here

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my mom in ICE.com's 'Beautiful Moms' Contest on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase from Eli's Cheesecake anytime between 4/30 - 5/12 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information!)

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NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's ‘Gift of CleanRest® - 2 pillows, 2 pillow encasements and 1 mattress encasement’ Giveaway Winner!


*Congratulations to 'batchicky' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's ‘Gift of CleanRest® - 2 pillows, 2 pillow encasements and 1 mattress encasement’ Giveaway! I know she is going to love these products, wishing you sweet dreams batchicky! (don't you just love that username?)

Join me in congratulating our winner!

We would like to thank our sponsor CleanRest® for this great giveaway! We look forward to working with you again soon! (and based on the enthusiastic response in your entries it seems like you all feel the same way! Seems like the majority of the butterflies who entered this giveaway are very interested in the Allergy Blocking Window Panels!). We hope CleanRest® will come back to join us again soon!

I wanted to remind you that recently we hosted our very first guest Blogger! Dr. Lee contributed the first article in our new monthly feature 'Mid-Month Moment of Health'. We want to make sure our Butterflies are happy and healthy; in 'body', 'mind' and 'soul'. If you missed the article, you can go straight to it HERE (remember to post a comment and welcome Dr. Lee). Let him know how well the excercises are working for you!

Thank You for choosing to spend a part of your day with Ascending Butterfly; and Remember to enter our active giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page!

NOTE:

(1) The latest bag in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature has launched! Enter to win the Layla Grayce Fleurville Lexie Butterfly Tote in Teal (ARV $165) HERE! (We are already on bag FOUR in the series!)

(2) The Second Gift in our First Annual Mother's Day Buying Guide offers 3 winners their choice of gift from The Cream Perfume Company! Including the eco chic packaged cream perfurmes in a wide array of wonderful scents, and even scented body lotions that match the cream perfumes are among the choices you can select from to find mom a perfect gift! Enter to win HERE!

(3) Our third gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide is the chance to Win A Dozen Long Stemmed Roses and Godiva Chocolates for Mom from 1800flowers.com HERE!

(4) Our fourth gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide is the chance toWin A 'Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower' from 1800Baskets.com HERE!

Stay tuned, the next gifts in our Mother's Day Buying Guide will launch VERY soon. Plus the next book in our monthly book club will also be launching soon so please stay tuned!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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*Out of respect for privacy, We post our winner(s) username/comment name(s) instead of full names

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

April 28, 2010 - It's Wordless Wednesday!

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While we streamline stuff around here, today is going to be a Wordless Wednesday. Do you sometimes feel inspiration is so close.....so close you could almost touch it....but somehow it just continues to elude your grasp?

Maybe it's as close as the next Exit! What do you think?



NOTE: The CleanRest Giveaway ends TODAY Wednesday, 04/28 at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time, so be sure to get your entries in ASAP for our first Mother's Day Buying Guide pick (in our first annual Mother's Day 'Mom' Blog-a-Ganza!) HERE.

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Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Monday, April 26, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain
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Today, do the thing you think you are too busy to do, if you don't it will be the thing you regret later! Mark's words couldn't be more powerful in this moment, or more timely. It's Spring, the time of renewal, the perfect time to 'Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover' - what's holding you back from doing so today?

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will do the one thing I thought I was too busy to do!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! Don't forget to use the share button below any inspiration to stumble, digg, tweet or share with your friends on facebook and twitter! And if you want to share inspiration with other members, Ascending Butterfly has a NING group with real time chat HERE!

Over the weekend we launched our fourth gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide! We started with the gift of CleanRest (giveaway ends THIS Wednesday, 04/28), followed by the gift of cream perfume (giveaway ends on 05/01), the gift of One Dozen Long Stemmed Roses and Godiva Truffles HERE (giveaway ends on 05/03), and now we are suggesting a gift that will allow you to pamper mom, check out the review & giveaway of the 'Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower' from 1800Baskets.com!

(And while it's not an official part of the Mother's Day Buying Guide, the current bag being featured in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature would be perfect for mom, (this bag comes with changing pad and wipes box, perfect for a new mom, but stylish enough and roomy enough to make a perfect day-to-day bag for any lucky lady! Check out the Lexie Butterfly Tote giveaway HERE)

The mother's day buying guide will encompass the rest of April and the entire month of May! So while some giveaways will close after Mother's Day itself, the month will still be dedicated to saying Thank You to our moms. For all the daily ways they show us they love us that sometimes go unheralded. While I think you should show your mom you love her everyday, mother's day should be extra special, and we are making May 'Moms Month' on Ascending Butterfly! Stay tuned for the next gift in the buying guide and for our next book club title coming soon.


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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Win A 'Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower' from 1800Baskets.com!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor 1-800baskets.com! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is Carolsue! Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! This was gift #4 in our first annual Mother’s Day Buying Guide!
˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

 
Ascending Butterfly's Mothers Day Buying Guide Pick Sponsored by:

We are now launching our fourth gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide! We started with the gift of CleanRest (giveaway ends on 04/28), followed by the gift of cream perfume (giveaway ends on 05/01), the gift of One Dozen Long Stemmed Roses and Godiva Truffles HERE (giveaway ends on 05/03),  and now we are moving on to a gift that will allow you to pamper mom, the 'Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower' from 1800Baskets.com!

(And while it's not an official part of the Mother's Day Buying Guide, the current bag being featured in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature would be perfect for mom, (this bag comes with changing pad and wipes box, perfect for a new mom, but stylish enough and roomy enough to make a perfect day-to-day bag! Check out the Lexie Butterfly Tote giveaway HERE)

The mother's day buying guide will encompass the rest of April and the entire month of May! So while some giveaways will close after Mother's Day itself, the month will still be dedicated to saying Thank You to our moms. For all the daily ways they show us they love us that sometimes go unheralded. While I think you should show your mom you love her everyday, mother's day should be extra special!

Is your mom the one that will give the shirt off her back to anyone? The one that makes sure you and the family always have everything they need but forgets to treat herself?

Today's Mothers Day Buying Guide Pick takes care of HER. Would you have to drag your mom kicking and screaming to step foot in a spa and be pampered? Well then, bring the spa to her, she'll love you all the more for it!

My absolute favorite way to relax is with a long hot bath. I like to draw a bath and I love scented products, turning 'tub time' into at home 'spa time' gives me much needed time to get centered and simply does boost my spirits!

The 'Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower' from 1800Baskets.com is pure delight for the senses, from the ultra cute packaging (that can be re-purposed once you've finished with all the products to hold keepsakes and stationery too! it can also be placed on your dresser to hold jewelry (and yes, that's a HINT ladies of things to come!) to the amazing contents including spa and bath products and a super indulgent package of Godiva Chocolate 'Gems' (These truffles are definitely 'gems' for your mouth!). I absolutely love this tower of treats, and the only negative I can find is that eventually I will run out, thankfully this hasn't happened yet!



Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at 1800Baskets.com would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win a 'Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower' ! (ARV $69.99)

Want to know what's in the basket?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Elegant 4-box tower with sweet pink ribbon
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Imperial Cherry Blossom Body Butter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Godiva® dark chocolate truffles
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Imperial Cherry Blossom Sugar Scrub with white loofah
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Imperial Cherry Blossom body lotion
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Imperial Cherry Blossom Shower Gel with pumice stone brush
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Reuse the boxes to store sentimental keepsakes

Don't you just ♥ 1800Baskets.com? 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) Visit 1800Baskets.com Mother's Day Gifts - and post the URL of another basket you like aside from the giveaway basket of course, as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! (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 it is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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 Sunday, April 25, 2010 until Wednesday, May 05, 2010 at 11:59 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 address your entry will not be processed.)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit!)

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

Tweet this: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @1800baskets Serene Spring Spa Gift Tower  #Giveaways (ARV $69.99) - http://tinyurl.com/2dxrnbk

(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). Please tweet once per day.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @1800baskets on Twitter

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 - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow 1800baskets on Facebook (and don't forget to tell them Ascending Butterfly sent you!) HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please Vote, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my outfit 'springtime nyc' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me and also enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own here

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my mom in ICE.com's 'Beautiful Moms' Contest on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase from 1800baskets anytime between 4/25 - 5/04 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information!)

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

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Win A Dozen Long Stemmed Roses and Godiva Chocolates for Mom from 1800flowers.com!

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

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor 1-800flowers.com! We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! This was gift #3 in our first annual Mother’s Day Buying Guide!

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



Ascending Butterfly's Mothers Day Buying Guide Pick Sponsored by:


We are now launching our third gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide! We started with the gift of CleanRest (giveaway ends on 04/28), followed by the gift of perfume (giveaway ends on 05/01) and now we are moving on to a classic gift for Mother's Day, Long Stemmed Roses, one dozen to be exact, and to accompany the most breathtaking bouquet of roses ever? An elegant box of Godiva Truffles! An amazing way to say 'Thank You' to your mom!

(And while it's not an official part of the Mother's Day Buying Guide, the current bag being featured in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature would be perfect for mom, check out the Lexie Butterfly Tote giveaway HERE.)

If you are apprenhensive about the idea of 'Mail Order' flowers, let me put your mind at ease, 1800flowers takes special care in packaging and shipping, the flowers are attached securely to the box to prevent damage to the flowers while the box is in transit. When mom opens this box, the 'wow' factor is guaranteed!

Remember that long stemmed roses do have thorns, so take special care when removing them from the box and while arranging the bouquet. They are a very rich deep red color and will begin to bloom more fully 2-3 days after arrival. I didn't experience this, but if any petals are 'burned' in transit, just pull them off, this will not harm the flower at all, and will preserve it's beauty when it does fully bloom.

While they are Shipped overnight to ensure freshness and arrive ready to arrange, I would still suggest that when you remove them from the box you remember to cut the stem just a little bit with flower shears under running water before putting them in the vase. 800flowers also includes the 'preservative' packets which helps the bouquet 'live' longer.

This gift also comes with an 18-piece assortment of heavenly Godiva® truffles! This is definitely a gift for the 'sophisticated mama'. and by the way the Chocolates are Kosher OU-D! (For over 80 years, the Orthodox Union has maintained the highest standard of kosher certification. Today, the OU supervises more than 400,000 products, making it the world’s most recognized and most trusted kosher symbol. The OU-D communicates the presence of dairy components through the OUD symbol.)

The site even offers a guide that helps you choose the best way to send flowers, which I've included here:


And remember to customize the message to go along with your flowers, telling your mom how much you appreciate her!


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at 1800flowers.com would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win One Dozen Long Stem Red Roses & Godiva® Truffles! (ARV $74.99)

Don't you just ♥ 1800flowers.com? 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) Visit 1800flowers Mother's Day Gifts - and post the URL of another bouquet you like aside from the giveaway bouquet of course, as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! (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 it is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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 Saturday, April 24, 2010 until Monday, May 03, 2010 at 11:59 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 address your entry will not be processed.)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit!)

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

Tweet this: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @1800flowers Dozen Long Stem Red Roses + Godiva Truffles #Giveaways (ARV $74.99) - http://tinyurl.com/2aceerh

(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 once per day.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @1800flowers on Twitter

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 - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow 1800flowers on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please Vote, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my outfit 'springtime nyc' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me and also enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own here

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my mom in ICE.com's 'Beautiful Moms' Contest on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase from 1800flowers anytime between 4/24 - 5/02 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information!)

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

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's ‘Spring Into Bags’ Marissa Del Rosario ‘Sierra’ Leather Cross Body Bag Giveaway Winner!


*Congratulations to 'deb' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's ‘Spring Into Bags’ Marissa Del Rosario ‘Sierra’ Leather Cross Body Bag Giveaway! I know you are going to love this bag, may you wear it for many years in good health, ENJOY! (I know we have multiple 'Deb's', please note this Deb has already confirmed her win!)

Join me in congratulating our winner!

We would like to thank our sponsor Marissa Del Rosario for this great giveaway! We look forward to working with you again soon! (and based on the enthusiastic response in your entries it seems like you all feel the same way!). We hope Marissa will come back to join us again in the fall!

I wanted to remind you that recently we hosted our very first guest Blogger! Dr. Lee contributed the first article in our new monthly feature 'Mid-Month Moment of Health'. We want to make sure our Butterflies are happy and healthy;  in 'body', 'mind' and 'soul'. If you missed the article, you can go straight to it HERE (remember to post a comment and welcome Dr. Lee). Let him know how well the excercises are working for you!

Thank You for choosing to spend a part of your day with Ascending Butterfly; and Remember to enter our active giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page!

NOTE:

(1) The latest bag in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature has launched! Enter to win the Layla Grayce Fleurville Lexie Butterfly Tote in Teal (ARV $165) HERE! (We are already on bag FOUR in the series!)

(2) Our Mother's Day Buying Guide has kicked off with the gift of 'Clean Rest', Win the Gift of CleanRest® - 2 pillows, 2 pillow encasements and 1 mattress encasement in your choice of bedding size! HERE!

(3) The Second Gift in our First Annual Mother's Day Buying Guide offers 3 winners their choice of gift from The Cream Perfume Company! Including the eco chic packaged cream perfurmes in a wide array of wonderful scents, and even scented body lotions that match the cream perfumes are among the choices you can select from to find mom a perfect gift! Enter to win HERE!

Stay tuned, the next gifts in our Mother's Day Buying Guide will launch VERY soon. Plus the next book in our monthly book club will also be launching soon so please stay tuned!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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

*Out of respect for privacy, We post our winner(s) username/comment name(s) instead of full names

'Spring Into Bags' Special Feature - Win the Teal Butterfly Fleurville Lexie Tote!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙
This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Layla Grayce! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is ZoeHunter!  Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! Watch for the next bag in the ‘Spring Into Bags’ series to launch SOON.
˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Ascending Butterfly's 'Spring Into Bags' Special Feature sponsored by:

For Spring 2010, Ascending Butterfly has been hosting a special feature called 'Spring Into Bags' we have been reviewing and giving away hot handbags from both established and emerging hand bag designers! We are already featuring the FOURTH bag in the feature! (In case you missed them, the first bag was by Elliot Lucca, it was a convertible leather crossbody in a cheery 'poppy' color, the second bag was by Linea Pelle, it was also a leather convertible clutch in a very spring 'kelly green' color, the third bag was a leather crossbody called 'Sierra' in a popular neutral color 'latte beige' from handbag designer by night, Nurse by day, Marissa Del Rosario!).

We have partnered with Layla Grayce to give away our first 'green' bag in this feature! And 'green' is both literal and figurative in this case! We wanted to offer a bag for moms this time. We also wanted to make sure that this was an earth friendly bag in honor of Earth Day!

We have quite a special partnership working together here, Layla Grayce whose tagline is 'Love Your Life, Express Your Style' and Fleurville whose tagline is 'Essential Designs for Modern Parenting'; together this culminates into 'Parenting with Style' and this giveaway will allow one lucky 'earth mama' the chance to do just that!

I am sure by now you all know just how much I love butterflies,  and by the Spring Feature itself just how much I adore handbags. I am absolutely delighted with this tote! It is as stylish as it is functional, and it's astoundingly functional and also durable. It can take whatever you dish out and still retain it's stylish figure!

I love reading Layla Grayce's blog and visiting their site often, particularly for ideas on home decor. They have an amazing assortment of Home and Bedding items, baby, toddler and childrens gear and furniture as well as fun stuff for mom including Jewelry and  Handbags!

Speaking of handbags,  I was sent the Lexie Tote in the butterfly style and teal color, and I just love this bag! It doesn't skip any of the details important in a daily use bag, it has 5 feet at the base (most bags give you four, but if the bulk of the weight in your bag is in the center, then the center will touch the bottom of the table or floor where you set it, picking up tons of germs, YUCK!) That is why I especially appreciate the bag having '5 feet'. There are enough organizational compartments both inside and outside to carry your cell phone, mp3 player, wallet, bottles and find them all with ease. And the SlipNot™ universal stroller attachment is pure genius, it allows you to attach your tote easily to your stroller (and to your luggage when you are traveling! Bonus!)

Lexie Tote



The Lexie Tote from Fleurville® takes functional luxury to a new level. Built out of  PVC-Free™ Green-LAM™, the Lexie has many of the standard features of our best selling MotherShip® and Sling Tote, plus more. This elegant shoulder tote has custom hardware, "Green" Leather trim, a seam sealed, water-proof main compartment, multiple pockets and comes complete with our new universal stroller attachment, the Slip Not™. It can be worn as a shoulder tote, stroller bag or even messenger style with the included messenger strap, the Lexie Tote is ready for whatever your day dishes out. Classic styling makes it great for after diapers as a go anywhere, durable handbag.

Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - PU faux "Green" leather trim
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Non-skid tote handles
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Spacious end pockets
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fleece lined pockets
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 5 feet on the bottom of bag
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Changing pad
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fleurville® see-thru wipe case included
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Carabiner/Key-clip
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Green-LAM Water-resistant exterior
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - SlipNot™ universal stroller attachment
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Messenger strap included

Special Features:






Dimensions:

L 11.75" x H 12.25" x W 6.5"

They call the technology behind it 'Green Lam' and I call it Green Glam!

While searching for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, I found Layla Grayce’s Mother’s Day boutique that has categorized their fabulous gifts by type of mom! They have gifts for moms on the go, moms who love to cook, new moms, romantic moms, moms who love to read, moms who love to entertain, and trend-setting moms. If you happen to find something that you’d love to receive as a Mother’s Day gift, there’s also a function to create an account and add items to your wishlist that you may then send to your husband or children—I love it! I’m also excited to offer an exclusive discount that can’t be found anywhere else  —  15% off jewelry purchases with the code MOM15. Happy Mother’s Day!
  
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Layla Grayce would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win the butterfly Lexie Tote! (ARV $164.95)

Don't you just ♥ Layla Grayce?

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) Visit Layla Grayce - and post the URL of another product you like aside from the Lexie Tote of course, as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! (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 it is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

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 Thursday, April 22, 2010 until Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 11:59 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 address your entry will not be processed.)

EXTRA CREDIT(NOTE: Followers Please Remember Extra Credit is NOT Required, the only required entry is to pick another item you like from Layla Grayce and list it's URL as your comment entry)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit!)

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

Tweet this: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + @LaylaGrayce Fleurville Lexie Butterfly Tote #Giveaways (ARV $164.95) - http://tinyurl.com/29dwb2r

(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).

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 - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please Vote, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my outfit 'springtime nyc' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me and also enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own here

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my mom in ICE.com's 'Beautiful Moms' Contest on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase (using the link on the right)  from Layla Grayce anytime between 4/22 - 5/06 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information!)

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NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Even A Nice Butterfly Can Get Pushed Too Far!

Even A Nice Butterfly Can Get Pushed Too Far!

Shame on you iVillage! There was supposed to be a Review of Letters To Juliet here today, but there won't be. And I was pretty much dared to tell you why and so I will.

My first dealings with iVillage was years ago. I worked in Staffing and I was a Talent Manager who placed IT professionals with various companies. At the time, they were one of my favorite accounts. My talent liked being placed there, I liked my contacts there and it was happy times all around. Well NOT anymore! That was then, and apparently this is now!

My first dealings with iVillage as a blogger did not go very well. The event they held awhile back in conjunction with Dove and Gallo wines did not start or end well in my opinion. Now I exclude Dove, Gallo and the beauty brands that were there and I also exclude the folks working the venue they were all very nice.

Going in there were two tables, those who had invites and were on the guest list and one for those who were walk ins. I wish I had said I was walk in sans invite. That line ran smoothly. When I get to the front of the 'invites line' I was asked my name. I attend enough events that I do the following on auto pilot. I say my first name and automatically spell out my last name. Pronouncing my name phonetically some people will automaticlly begin looking under the wrong letter so that is why I spell it. My last name does not begin with an 'A' to find it you invariably have to flip pages on your guest list to get to it. The exasperated rep didn't even flip one page and declared 'You are not on the list' NEXT! I informed her I was, but my name could only be found by flipping the first few pages. I kept my patience and handed her a business card, 'perhaps this will help'. She pocketed the card and did not look for my name and said 'You are not on the list.' thankfully, someone else came around her, and asked me for another card which I produced and she flipped the pages and Lo and behold my name was there. Not a great begining.

Then I asked for my gift bag and was told not until the end. I was OK with that. Then I noticed tons of people milling about the event at it's mid point with the gift bags. I went up and asked for it again, I was told no on the way out. On the way out, (which was before the end of the event by the way) I smiled and said I am on the way out, may I have a bag? and was told 'There are none left' and I asked directly why I was not given a bag when I requested it a half hour ago when there are clearly tons of people milling about the event with a bag in their hand. A shrugged shoulder a dissmissive click of the tongue and eye rolling was her response.

Why on earth would they invite bloggers to events and be so rude?

I tried to shirk this off as an isolated incident until yesterday. I arrived way earlier than necessary (5:30 pm for a 7:30 pm screening) to make the line for the 'Letters to Juliet' screening that iVillage sent me an email asking me to post on my blog. (I will gladly produce that email upon request, I've kept it just in case!) The confusion there was outrageous, no one knew what was going on. Even the staff in the venue/theater said they didn't know what 'the deal with the ticketing' is. And they touted this as a fun night out for my readers, HAH! I'm so glad I didn't waste my readers time. (While the staff of the theater weren't informative, they were not rude, I can't say the same for the event/screening organizers).

After waiting on that long line, even going inside and asking several times, I finally get inside and get told I needed to have a different ticket! I  noticed that the people closer to the front went up to the desk and by the time I got up there I witnessed many leaving in disgust. And with good reason. If you are inviting bloggers to attend an event and invite their readers, keep track of the readership of each blog, my blog has over 1,000 and that is not counting the other bloggers and their reader count, if you invited over 4,000 people and only had 400 seats, why didn't you have someone out with there a clicker like most screenings. Once you hit your seat count you put up the cones and END THE LINE. Not too difficult, logical even. But iVillage proved that the golden rule and logic both seem to elude their staff. But I digress. So I get to the front, and have this (bottle) blonde woman in a skirt shouting at me "well too bad you should have been here earlier!" I told her I was there early, two hours in advance is more than sufficient, then she shouts again "well I doubt you were here this early or I would have seen you" (calling me a liar!) and then she shouts this gem 'Well too bad!'. I said what did you just say to me? and she repeated that and some other stuff too, and I shouted back "oh I am definitely going to write about this", and other people chimed in that they were too (I sure hope they do!), and she looked at us all and said "Well go ahead then!" Write it all up I don't care!' But when asked her name by ALL of us at the desk at that moment, she refused to give it. What a coward! I wanted to snatch her from behind that counter by her hair and beat her to a pulp! She's lucky I have learned to live by what I write!

I am a motivational writer and I enjoy sharing tips with others on how to live their best lives. But sometimes people mistake kindness for weakness; and nice for stupidity; sometimes people can push even the most patient and nicest person too far. And yesterday was it.

I am absolutely disgusted with iVillage! Do they think being part of NBC Universal gives them the right to treat people that way?

I hope the other bloggers she did this to write about it too. How dare she? Shame on iVillage!

They certainly are friendly enough when they send the invites and want attention and write ups, too bad they are not capable of following through at the actual event.

I came home last night fuming at the way I was treated and by having my time wasted. I waited a full 24 hours before putting fingers to keyboard. Hoping the angry immediate emotional response to the situation would mellow by the time I began to write, but it hasn't. I am still fuming at the way I was treated, especially since it wasn't necessary, especially since it was preventable.

And if her response to me is going to be that by the time I got up to her she had been yelled at by so many other people she was exasperated, well my answer to her is the one she gave me originally 'TOO BAD'. Just because others had been angry toward you gave you no right to be so *Witchy (substitute the 'W' with a 'B') to me.  My time was wasted, I was treated with a level of rudeness I don't find acceptable in the least.

Everyone is used to my raves, because when I like something I can't help but shout it from the rooftops. I  live the by the motto you are taught when you are young 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. Well you know what? Not this time. This time my RANT is being shouted from the digital rooftops. Enough is enough iVillage, I for one, am NOT going to take it! Bloggers time should be held as valuable as you hold your own. That simple. And as your rude employee dared me to go ahead and tell the world because she didn't care (and trust me she used other wording), well then HERE IT IS, enjoy it, this one is for you! My first RANT!

I doubt I'll even bother renting this movie thanks to iVillage.

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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!


Have No Fear Inspiration is Still Here

I have received a ton of emails lately because the words of inspiration have been Missing in Action! While they appear to have been M.I.A., I want to assure you they are not going anywhere. We are still body, mind, and soul focused. We are still 'Better Life today through Inspiration' focused, and we still want to share daily breathing meditations with you!

A ton of new stuff has been going on, and I will admit I haven't been as good at 'stopping to smell the roses' as I should have! But on the positive side, we have had a plethora of winner announcements and a ton more to come.  Our Mother's Day Buying Guide is going to move at a much faster pace than you are used to. So pay very close attention to happenings and new giveaways this month! We are going to be celebrating Mom  in a big way!

Tonight I will be attending the New York screening of Letters to Juliet. I will give you guys a review tomorrow! Oddly enough, it's a little known fact that I was a film critic for ''The Bronx Observer" many years ago. (No, it's not affiliated with the New York Observer) It was one of many part time jobs that I held as I worked my way through College. One of the highlights of the gig was interviewing the celebs during Press Junkets. I miss those days! Too bad TV wasn't ready to add a Latina to the Siskel and Ebert show!  Maybe I should pitch them now, prime time could use the diversity right?

Springtime Allergies have been adversely affecting my family and friends, and if it's getting you down too, you may not even be aware of how your very house can be playing a part in your seasonal allergies.  There are some great Household Tips you can read HERE.

Spring does have it's good sides. There is waking up to the sounds of birds chirping, all the flowers blooming, trading in the Quilted Parka (with hoodie) for a much lighter rain and shine coat. And better still, that smell in the air, you know, the one that conjures up images of starting anew and smells like hope!

Since April is my birthday month, I am still celebrating the joys of spring! Maybe too much celebrating, I still haven't finished my Spring Cleaning yet. (How are you doing with it? - better than me I hope!)

Let's make our moment of inspiration today a Spring Celebration of  'Self'. As weird as it may sound, you need to slow down to speed up. Let go, to make room for more.

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will remember to slow down and enjoy this day!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! Don't forget to use the share button below any inspiration to stumble, digg, tweet or share with your friends on facebook and twitter! And if you want to share inspiration with other members, Ascending Butterfly has a NING group with real time chat HERE!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote Butterfly Below: (This is a one time vote, if all our followers voted just once, Ascending Butterfly would sweep the category!)

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

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ENDS SOON ALERT: Spring Into Bags Special Feature - Enter to win a Marissa Del Rosario Leather "Sierra" Cross Body Designer Bag! (ARV $196) HERE! This giveaway ends Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) so get your entries in NOW!! And stay tuned Thursday when the next bag in the 'Spring Into Bags' feature is posted! Hint: Moms are going to be super stoked! This bag will be launching on Earth Day for a reason!