Saturday, April 30, 2011

{CLOSED} Earthies The Veria Shoe Giveaway! Shoes for the Red Hot Mama! Ends 05/07!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Earthies! 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!
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Ascending Butterfly's Annual Mother's Day Buying Guide Giveaway, brought to you by:


Ladies do you consider high heels 'torture devices' invented by men for men. Perhaps invented to make women suffer? Or do you fall into the category that loves them so much you wear a pair of heels to throw out your garbage? Do you wear them everyday for work and then take the entire weekend off?

Then there is the final category, that most women  fall into where you fall somewhere in between all of the above. A mix of love and hate, where you love the look, but hate the way your feet and lower back feel when you take them off.

Me? I'm a feet 'tri-fecta' of 'foot fun', (1) flat feet with little discernible arches to even speak of, (2) Extremely High Insteps, and (3) many years ago I fractured of one of my toes. High heels are not exactly practical for me. And for many years I gave them up for good, wearing dress flats when sneakers and casual footwear wouldn't cut it.

As many of you know I'm a freelance writer and write for more than one blog. This year I did quite a bit of Fashion Blogging, and during cocktail parties for Fashion Week, I realized my footwear closet was in desperate need of an overhaul.  Everytime I received an invite I cringed when I thought of footwear. I needed shoes to get me through day into night events, they needed to be functional enough to get me through very long days and well into night. Unfortunately, I never found a pair that fit the bill during that time.

It was way after Fashion Week, when attending an online Twitter Party hosted by Leah Segedie aka @bookieboo and sponsored by Earthies Footwear, that my curiosity was peaked about actually finding a way to combine form/function and fashion with footwear. While I didn't win any Earthies in the Twitter Party that day, I decided to reach out to Earthies and find out for myself why so many people were singing their praises!

The Veria = Red Hot Mama!

We’ve mused for awhile that it’d be interesting to see what would happen if we brought fashion and wellness together for a little rendezvous.  The launch of Earthies is the byproduct of that encounter.” ~ Dave Aznavorian, Vice President, Marketing, Earthies.

It was 'love at first shoe' the moment I pulled these out of the box! They are absolutely stunning, and most importantly they are absolutely comfortable! And you can best believe I hit them hard, put them through their paces and put them to the test.

I read some online reviews recommending to go up a half size (oddly enough I often times ignore this advice and it tends to turn out it was not necessary for me), I'm very happy I decided to do so. I went up a half size from my normal size, and found them to be perfect! While this may or may not be necessary for you, I thought I'd share that with you because while it is rarely necessary for me to do so, I am very happy I did with these.

Shoe Deets:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A cupped heel that sets the foot into a proper supported position unlike ordinary high heels which leave the heel unsupported and create forward slip

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - An anatomic arch that increases touchpoints in the transition area from the heel to the forefoot unlike many ordinary high heels without arch contour that force weight-bearing onto the underside of the toes

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A cradle toe area with a gentle curl to evenly distribute weight away from the toes unlike many ordinary high heels that create foot fatigue

My Take

It's been years since I found a 'go-to' pair of heels. I wish I had 'discovered' Earthies sooner, like for Fashion Week this year when I needed a pair of 'go-to' shoes! I love 'The Veria' and am definitely going back for other colors!

They are stylish, flattering, comfortable, and even have me encouraged to take my footwear makeover to the rest of my closet. I want more sophisticated, fashion forward clothes to go with these shoes! If you are shopping for a 'red hot mama' who is stylish, fashion forward and shoe obsessed, you couldn't possibly go wrong with The Veria shoe or any of the Spring/Summer 2011 styles from Earthies!

These shoes definitely deliver on all of their promises, I didn't experience the forward slip I often do with many heels, the arch support was a welcome relief as arch support is major league important to me, and I didn't experience the foot fatigue I tend to experience quickly when wearing most heels. These have a thick, stable heel which helps give you long wear without being tired, but they are still fashion forward and pretty.  Because I have problem feet I can usually find some kind of fault with most shoes (yes even sneakers), but I am super happy to report that Earthies really are 'wellness. elevated.'  If you have siblings, I honestly think your mom will elevate you to 'favorite' status if you get her these for Mother's Day!

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


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Earthies have a very special surprise for 1 lucky winner! 1 winner will win 'The Veria' Shoe in their choice of color!

Don't you just ♥ Earthies? 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- Visit Earthies and then Link us to any other pair in the collection you like other than The Veria Shoe! (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.

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 30, 2011 until Saturday, May 07, 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 - 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 - In the spirit of Mother's Day Fun share with us your favorite advice that your mom has given you! (and yes, if you were not raised by your mom, you can share with us the best wisdom received by the person who did raise you!)

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 @earthiesusa on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter (this is Ascending Butterfly's new account, we will soon be hosting twitter parties which necessitates having a second account so you can make updates throughout the entire party!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Pls RT Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ @Ascending1 and @earthiesusa The Veria #shoe #Giveaway! Ends 05/07! http://tinyurl.com/3toctcd

(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.)

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 - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Earthies and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You on Facebook HERE (Please post the link to your facebook comment, you can get that link the same way you get your link to your tweets!)

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

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!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)


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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 product and the sponsor are my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate the review and giveaway. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. 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 27, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Sneak Peak, Denim Day and More!


Couldn't resist a little sneak peak action of something cool coming up for Mother's Day! Wouldn't you like to find this waiting for you on your bed when you got home from a long busy day? (Hint, Hint: Stay tuned to find out how you can do just that!)

Also wanted to be sure you checked out a great post by Eva at Tech.Food.Life regarding National Denim Day, I hope you had the chance to wear Denim today and for a great cause!

I will be hosting and co-hosting some amazing Twitter Parties, so make sure you check back often, this is going to be a very busy month at Ascending Butterfly. Just like the movie, things will be coming at you Fast and Furious, seriously no pun (or copyright infringement) intended!

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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Today's Words of Inspiration - Better Than



 
Have you ever found yourself wrapped up in the 'more' and 'better'?

The I want more. The I need more. The I can do better.

More of what? Better than What?

Are you taking score? How many more times you've done something for someone than they have done for you?

Today's Quote: Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. ~ William Faulkner US novelist (1897 - 1962)

If you spend today trying to beat your own personal best, and less worried about what the Jones' are up to, you can change your mindset into one of optism and pro-activity!

Today's Words of Inspiration'
 
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 'I am at one with Universe, a benign sky provides me with what I need, I want for nothing, all is well in my world.'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about 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 ! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

@Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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

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Active Giveaway!

1) Ends 04/30 - Win a Rug Mother's Day Giveaway with Madison at Main! - Enter HERE!

 
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Monday, April 25, 2011

3 Winners and a Giveaway, Oh My!


All winners listed below have been notified and have confirmed their wins.

 


Giveaway Name: Perfect Pairing Lindt Chocolate Giveaway! Ended 4/07.
Winner: CLC408

Special Thanks to Lindt Excellence for hosting!

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Winner: Margaret R.

Special Thanks to Rebecca St. James for hosting such an inspirational giveaway!

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Giveaway Name: Yanni Truth of Touch CD Review and Giveaway! Ended 04/15

Winner: Erin Cook
Special Thanks to Yanni for hosting!
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Active Giveaway!

1) Ends 04/30 - Win a Rug Mother's Day Giveaway with Madison at Main! Enter HERE

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FTC Disclosure: All winners have been notified, all wins confirmed. Sponsors will be fulfilling directly to prize winners.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Sunday Moment of Gratitude!



This week, I am grateful for
:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Making some really great connections this week! It's been super busy but very enjoyable!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It is Easter Sunday. However you celebrate, may you be blessed with peace and joy! May your day be filled with butterflies and your Easter Basket with extra Chocolate Bunnies, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and Peeps, just because!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Our Mother's Day Buying Guide has begun, so be prepared for some really great surprises in our annual Mother's Day Buying Guide. (Please remember to show our great sponsors some entry love!)

What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for, and the more reasons that the universe will send you to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

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

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Great giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Active Giveaway!

1) Ends 04/30 - Win a Rug Mother's Day Giveaway with Madison at Main! - Enter HERE!

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For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and where to purchase it:
















Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

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Saturday, April 23, 2011

{CLOSED} Win a Rug Mother's Day Giveaway with Madison at Main! Ends 04/30

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Madison at Main! 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!
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Ascending Butterfly's Annual Mother's Day Buying Guide Giveaway, brought to you by:



Yes my butterflies, I do realize we are nearing Easter, but writers have to think a few holidays ahead! And today my mind is on Mother's Day.

My mom is an amazing person who takes tremendous pride in her home. She is an amazing hostess and goes out of her way to make sure all of her guests feel welcome and at home. She is also incredibly creative and I take my love of both giving and receiving creative hostess gifts from her.

I am not going to divide my buying guide by 'mom type' because I personally find that a bit annoying, I think we all have diverse sides to our personality and ever changing needs and wants, but one common denominator we all have is the love of a comfortable home. One that is warm, inviting and that we look forward to coming home to!

Meet Deveraux



Isn't he handsome? Better still he can live indoors and outdoors with equal ease. Thanks to Madison at Main, the traditional tired looking beat up 'Welcome' mat can be exchanged for something infinitely more creative!

Rug Deets:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Machine Washable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Versatile for Indoor or Outdoor Use
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fade Resistant
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Made From 35% Recycled Materials

My Take

Because I live in an Apartment Building, Deveraux lives indoors! He has a very proud place to nest in my Kitchen! I like to cook and every time I step into the Kitchen he makes me smile.

Narrowing it down to Deveraux was not an easy choice! And I'm sure you are all thinking it, and yes I can confirm they had very nice butterfly rugs too! Some standouts are:


 and :
While you know I adore butterflies I very much appreciate when a brand I work with gives me options and I wanted to sincerely thank Madison at Main for allowing me to select something I love for my Kitchen!

Madison at Main is Rugs AND MORE! They also have a fantastic selection of Throws, Afghans and Blankets! There are three throws I fell in love with (maybe we can have them back for Fall with a Lovely Throw Blanket!), I love the Mink Throw, the Chinchilla Throw, and the Betty Throw too! They are perfect for the sofa, over a chair and for a lovely layering effect in the bedroom!

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Madison at Main have a very special surprise for 1 lucky winner! 1 winner can select their choice of one Jellybean or Homefires Accent rug. (Not one of each, but one rug from either of the two brands)

DISCOUNT ALERT: Can't wait to find out if you've won? Then enter the code FLYINGHIGH, good for 10% off any order!

Don't you just ♥ Madison at Main? 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- Visit Madison at Main and then Link us to what Rug you would select if you win! (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.

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 23, 2011 until Saturday, April 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 - 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 - In the spirit of Mother's Day Fun share with us your favorite advice that your mom has given you! (and yes, if you were not raised by your mom, you can share with us the best wisdom received by the person who did raise you!)

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 @MadisonatMain on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter (this is Ascending Butterfly's new account, we will soon be hosting twitter parties which necessitates having a second account so you can to make updates throughout the entire party!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Pls RT Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ @Ascending1 and @MadisonatMain Rug of Your Choice #Giveaway! Ends 04/30! http://tinyurl.com/3wk77u7

(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.)

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 - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Madison at Main and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You on Facebook HERE (Please post the link to your facebook comment, you can get that link the same way you get your link to your tweets!)

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

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!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)


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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 product and the sponsor are my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate the review and giveaway. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. 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 21, 2011

Op Ed: Corruption: Shame on YOU!



Luis Santos was fatally stabbed outside a San Diego State fraternity party in 2008. (Family photo)

While I try to keep Politics as far away from Ascending Butterfly as possible, it's been super difficult to cover the sky with one hand and pretend that the news hasn't been affecting me lately!

What some of you may not know about me is that I worked for a Politician awhile back and spent some time representing the City Councilman I worked for at Police Precinct, Hospital and School Board Meetings as he couldn't be in all places at once. Prior to my time working in Government, I worked as a local reporter and covered quite a bit of Political Reporting. I think that's one of the reasons I've kept this blog Politics and Op Ed free for so long. I made a living doing it, and I wanted this site to focus on things that inspire and keep me inspired.

I'm the first to say that not ALL politicians are bad, or corrupt, many take very limited resources and make impactful changes in their respective communities.

But watching interviews with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger where he has been yawning to express his boredom on being questioned repeatedly by reporters for his decision to reduce the prison sentence of (the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez), Esteban Nuñez, who had pleaded guilty to participating in the killing of college student Luis Santos have literally outraged me! He also granted several other commutations and pardons and gave government appointments to political allies and the spouse of his chief of staff. A court of law found Esteban guilty, as far as I'm concerned he should have served his full sentence! Not to mention how disrepectful is his childish action of yawning in front of the cameras to the victim and his family? If roles were reversed, and he was the Father of a Murdered Child how would he feel?


Danroy Henry, photo credit @Gothamist
 And if that wasn't enough, back in my home state of New York, there is the decision by The Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association to award Officer Aaron Hess, who shot and killed the Pace University Student Danroy Henry, the "Officer Of The Year" Award. WHAT???

He was honored for the "dignified and professional manner [he's] conducted himself throughout his career and this ordeal." First of all, I don't understand why he wasn't fired, nevertheless to now be receiving this award, recognition and 'honor'.

I have New York Finest in my family, and I know the struggles and sacrifices that Police Officers make on a daily basis. I appreciate their sacrifices and don't blame the bunch for a bad apple, but how does someone consciencly decide to award this man? How do you bestow honor on him and sleep at night?

My heart truly goes out to both of the families affected by these decisions.

This Op Ed isn't meant to throw stones, there is no one alive who can say they have a decision somewhere along the line that they don't regret, but when you make a poor decision, and continue to rub it in the face of those you hurt, the least you can do is not be 'bored' or 'surprised' by the backlash.

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Officer Aaron Hess are not even sorry nevertheless contrite, what does that say about them? What does that say about us? Where is this nation headed, why are we giving honors and awards to the wrong people?

While my normal way of affecting change is to highlight an unsung hero, there are times when the injustices are just so great that they can't continue to be ignored!

I chose to post photos of the victims instead of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Officer Aaron Hess.

Please note that while I don't agree with their decisions or politics, I did not personally bash them, and I ask that any responses to this post be equally respectful.

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FTC Disclosure: This is a pure opinion based editorial, I was not asked to write about this. If you would like to read more about these cases, sources I used in this editorial include both the LA Times as well as Gothamist.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

What is on your Earth Day Agenda?


Normally a Wordless Wednesday would go here, but I'm a member of an amazing group of bloggers the Latina Fashion, Lifestyle and Beauty Bloggers and we have decided to collectively make today about Earth Day in some way, shape or form as a group as an effort to help draw attention to our first tweet chat scheduled for Wednesday April 20th from 4:00 p.m. PST/7:00 p.m. EST to 5:00 p.m. PST – 8 p.m. EST. The theme of our first Tweet Chat celebrates the group launch and focuses on “Earth Day,” with hash-tag #LLBlog. Participating group members will also post their Earth Day themed blogs in the morning to showcase the Latina Lifestyle blog content diversity!

While I am sure that with over 180 bloggers participating in this initiative, there will be tons of different ideas and perspectives on Earth Day, lets make sure we are all giving more back to Mother Earth than we are taking from her. Let's leave things nicer than we found them. The rules our parents taught us about visiting someone's house for the very first time, are not bad rules to apply to how you treat the earth while you are outdoors!

Ascending Butterfly likes a life in balance! Mind, Body and Soul are very important, they must be in balance for you to be happy. I don't beleive that taking time for yourself, your needs or some pampering is silly or selfish, time spent devoted to your beauty routines is very important to your overall wellbeing. The moment you walk out the door, you can almost tell the kind of day you are going to have. You should always put the best face you can out to the world it makes a tremendous difference! When you are taking extra care of yourself, you feel more energized and enthusiastic to face the day! And if you still want to show your skin some much needed pampering and TLC but want to keep it Earth Friendly, one of my first beauty brand besties, Origins, has a variety of offerings on tap and great ways to keep your skin at it's absolute best, while HELPING the planet! How cool is that?



For one day only on April 22 (While Supplies Last) Trade in your current skincare to receive a **FREE** Full Size Origins Cleanser! Now swap harsh chemical ingredients for the puritty of Origins. Bring your current skincare (full or empty) to any Origins counter and we’ll trade it for a full-size of one of our gentle, high-performance cleansers. Fill out this form and print it out and take it to your local Origins retail location. 








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Plant A Tree: By donating $1 during checkout, Origins will plant a tree on your behalf in partnership with Global ReLeafTM.

To learn more about Origins Plant A Tree Program, click here.

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So on Earth Day Origins is offering you the opportunity to bring old makeup/skincare product containers in for recycling, which literally gives you the ability to kill two birds with one stone, get rid of old product and do some spring cleaning of your beauty draw, and the chance to replace them with earth friendly packaged products with good for your skin ingredients. Its definitely a win/win for you, for your skin, and for the Earth! And for $1 more you can literally have a tree planted, if that's not 'power shopping' my butterflies, I don't know what is!

So get out there and do the right thing for your skin and Mother Earth!

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FTC Disclosure Info: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences.

Monday, April 18, 2011

HPNG Entrepreneurs Event


Let this post serve as an open letter to my fellow bloggers, to small business owners and everyone and anyone with an Entrepreneurial Spirit in and around the New York City area on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, that there is an event you absolutely MUST attend!  The Hispanic Professionals Networking Group (HPNG) Entrepreneurs Event!

Because I have a very old school journalism background and my first Editor drilled it into my head to 'just give 'em the W's! The Who, What, When, Where and Why' I figure that is where I better start!

Who: The Hispanic Professionals Networking Group (HPNG)

What: Entrepreneurs Event

When: Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Where: Elmo @ The Lounge, 156 Seventh Avenue, (btwn. 19th & 20th), New York, NY

Why: To get answers to the business issues faced by entrepreneurs!

How: Building on the success of HPNG networking events, the event will deliver a live, one-on-one interview with the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services, Mr. Robert W. Walsh. Who will discuss certification programs, including the Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program, the Emerging Business Enterprise (EBE) Program and the Locally-based Business Enterprise (LBE) Program.

On tap will be in depth discussions of business strategies, sales and marketing as well as the sharing of best practices to learn how to overcome business challenges.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to network and service providers will showcase their products or services by way of exhibits and a 'learning theatre'. This learning theatre allows exhibitors to deliver a 3-minute elevator pitch to the audience about their product or service.

Cost: $25.00 pre-pay online or $35.00 at the door

With an impressive line up of Supporting Partners you won't want to miss this one!

*Special Thanks to Louis Pagan for the heads up on this!*

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FTC Disclosure Info: This is not a paid insertion. No monetary compensation has been received. I will be attending this event and like keeping my readers informed about New York based events and happenings!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sunday Moment of Gratitude



This week, I am grateful for
:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Taking some much needed time off Friday and Saturday!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It is Palm Sunday. However you celebrate, may you be blessed with peace and joy!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I wanted to thank you all again for your votes in the Mom Central Grant Program Contest! I was really touched by how many you of left encouraging posts on the facebook voting page. I don't know how it will turn out, but I appreciate your support and encouragement. Ascending Butterfly readers are the BEST! :)

What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for, and the more reasons that the universe will send you to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

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

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Great giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Active Giveaway!

1) Ends 04/19 - Easter Basket of Your Choice Giveaway! - Enter HERE!

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For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and where to purchase it:
















Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

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