Soup's On! + The Winter Market at Bryant Park’s Fountain Terrace! cc @DuaneReade @CollectiveBias #cbias #cbiasNY #DRAsianMeals

Perhaps it's because I was born in April, but I am a total Spring baby. There is something about the mere thought of Spring that makes me perk up! Me being ever the optimist, I was ever so hopeful when Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early Spring. And I have tried to find signs of Spring being on the way, I really have, but when your streets still look like this:

Snow very much still on the ground around here!

It's a bit hard to think Spring!

Even with this little cutie on the windowsill:

Check out that sweet little birdie on the windowsill!

It is still FREEZING out! The wind was actually so strong today it was pushing me along and I kind of felt like I was skiing along as I ran my errands today!

On my way home I decided to stop off at Duane Reade to pick up some stuff:

Duane Reade, Bronx, New York

Not sure why that happened, but these shots were actually taken at the same time back to back but one looks like it's darker than the other, I guess it's the shooting angle:

Duane Reade, Bronx, New York

This isn't my regular Duane Reade shopping location so I had to check the Aisle names to find what I was looking for, in my usual location I have all the Aisles pretty much memorized. (I could probably shop my usual location blind-folded!)

Aisle 1, Duane Reade, Bronx, New York

I am trying to change my eating habits so I bypassed those tempting bags of chips and since my fingertips still felt like ice cubes I thought I'd check out the soup aisle! And I spotted something new!

Asian Meals Malaysian Noodle Soups are sold Duane Reade!

Asian Meals currently offers 3 varieties of Noodle Soup being sold at Duane Reade, Sesame Ginger, Shitake Mushroom and Lemongrass Noodle. The Sesame Ginger was not available at this location or another one I tried, so I was only able to purchase two out of the three varieties.

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle and Lemongrass Noodle Soups

While most soups are way better than any bag of chips, some can be very high in sodium, and while I don't have any dietary restrictions when it comes to sodium, it's still something I try to be very careful not to over consume, so I am definitely a label reader.

Asian Meals Malaysian Lemongrass Noodle Soup

What I loved about the label:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 0 grams trans fat

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No MSG

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No preservatives

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No artificial color

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No 3-MCPD

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Non-GMO

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A portion of every AsianMeals purchase helps children with cancer.

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle Noodle Soup

You know just how much I love 'give backs', when I can do something good for me and my family and also give back to others at the same time, it's a total win/win in my book!

Feeling artsy and created a cute vignette with my soups!

A soup that will warm up my heart and my tummy? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! As you can see I decided to bring them both home! They are super easy to prepare, they can be put in the microwave, or you can just add boiling water.

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle and Lemongrass Noodle Soups

I chose to heat mine up in the microwave, don't you just love getting home cooked, simmered all day taste in just minutes?

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle Soup

It's B.Y.O.C, yep, bring your own chopsticks, it's that easy! I'm definitely going back to Duane Reade to try and find the the Sesame Ginger, I might add some of my own extra chicken or shrimp to that one, I added a few extra mushrooms to my Mushroom Noodle! Soups are my favorite place for leftover proteins!

My Take:

These are warm and perfect anytime for dinner, you might want throw in some extra proteins or vegetables if you have something in the fridge leftover, or add a nice crusty bread to it. They are also perfect if you brown bag your lunch to work, since you can make them even if your office doesn't have a microwave with just boiling water! I do like to keep readers fully informed, and I think it's important that you are aware that they are manufactured in a facility that uses wheat, peanut, tree nut, soy, fish and shrimp, while they do follow good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients to help avoid cross contact with allergens, I just thought I'd be sure to point that out. They contain soy and oyster so if you or your children are allergic to either you may want to avoid these. But if you are not allergic to any of the ingredients, go for it!

EVENT:

Just wanted to be sure my New York and tri-state area readers got the heads up about The Malaysian Winter Market at Bryant Park’s Fountain Terrace! On February 20 - 21, 2013 Malaysia Kitchen for the World will host The Malaysian Winter Market at Bryant Park’s Fountain Terrace, featuring a variety  of signature Malaysian dishes and traditional Malaysian food products by restaurants and vendors in New York City and the Tri-State area. The event will be held in the heart of Bryant Park, under large, stunning heated tents near the iconic Bryant Park fountain and skating rink, surrounded by colorful umbrellas and lanterns reminiscent of the street markets of Kuala Lumpur and Penang. The Malaysian Winter Market will be open all day, but be sure to stop by for lunch and dinner on both February 20 & 21 for great Malaysian dishes for up to $8 each:

Lunch: 11:30am – 2:30pm (or until sold out)
Dinner: 5:30pm – 9:00pm (or until sold out)

The event is open to the general public. Chef demonstrations and special performances by an authentic Malaysian dance troupe will take place on an elevated stage throughout the day. 

Participating restaurants include:

• Bentara Restaurant 

• Fatty Crab

• Laut 

• New Malaysia Restaurant

• Nyonya 

• Penang (Upper West Side, NYC)  

• wichcraft

   

Participating vendors include:

• Duane Reade

• Author and Chef Susheela Raghavan

• Auria's Malaysian Kitchen

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Malaysia Kitchen USA on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @MalaysiaKitchen on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Visit the Malaysia Kitchen Website

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Duane Reade on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like @DuaneReade on Twitter

Check out a few more photos that didn't make this post on the Google + album of my shopping trip!

So butterflies, SOUP it's what for dinner! What are you making today?

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FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®. Duane Reade and Malaysia Kitchen #CBias #SocialFabric #DRAsianMeals

Learn how you can WIN with the @DuaneReade 'Show Us Some Leg' Facebook Campaign! + Video #DRLegwear

As my regular butterflies already know I am Duane Reade Brand Ambassador and VIP Blogger. Before joining the program I was already a long time customer of Duane Reade. For New Yorkers, there are certain stores that are a long time part of the city landscape, we fondly tease that certain stores are almost 'one on every corner' around here so they shouldn't be hard to find! Duane Reade is definitely one of those stores along with a very popular coffee shop....(no need to say the name right?)

Duane Reade Branded Legwear Video Shoot Blogger Check-In Signage

Being a Blogger Brand Ambassador has come with a wide variety of diverse campaigns and fun experiences. The chance to try out products that I might not have known about otherwise, as well as unique in store opportunities and events. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a campaign surrounding Duane Reade's (which is owned by Walgreens) newest seven-week social media campaign to raise awareness of Duane Reade-brand hosiery products produced by Doris Hosiery Mills. (And if that name sounds familiar ladies, Doris Hosiery Mills also makes the pricey hosiery you see in many department stores!) The campaign which commenced at midnight November 18th, will run through January 7, 2013.

Behind the scenes shot of all Five Bloggers walking toward Duane Reade! Far Right: Ascending Butterfly in the Green Jacket! We were being filmed walking toward the store and this is a candid shot of us as we were being filmed.

To kick off this campaign, 5 NYC Duane Reade VIP bloggers were selected for a style makeover with Jess Zaino (Style Expert regular on Biography Channel's Fashion Groundbreakers, TV Guide Network's Fashion Team and creator of Cheap Chic Shopping Tours) to help them achieve 5 distinct looks using Duane Reade brand hosiery products (and achieving the look for less than $100), and I was one of the bloggers selected to participate in this campaign.

This Duane Reade location is central to Radio City Music Hall, a very popular NYC destination for both tourists and locals!

This was my second time on camera in a very short period of time during the same week and I never really realized how long it takes to film what amounts to a very short amount of time actually on air! It was a pretty intense day. Unfortunately, I ultimately was not actually styled by the stylist, and personally don't think I'd ever even want to put myself in a stylist's hands ever again, but I did enjoy learning about the new legwear and hosiery at Duane Reade!

Hosiery Display Signage at Duane Reade

It feels like we skipped Fall and went straight into Winter here in New York City, with long Sweater dresses I always love to wear tights, and for me the fact that I can now pick them up at my local drugstore is a huge timesaver for me! The more I can buy in ONE store in just ONE shopping trip the easier it is for me. Let's just say that time has definitely NOT been my friend lately!

I did leave the experience with a new pair of Duane Reade Legwear and as soon as I get the chance to wear them I'll take a picture of me wearing them, but it's been all pants for the past few weeks, and with impending snow in the next few days I think I'll be in pants all week this week too!

Above: Check out the Show Us Some Leg Facebook Duane Reade Branded Legwear Video shoot, also on Duane Reade's YouTube page. (I'm in the first few seconds, did you spot me?)

Contest - How YOU can win some great prizes (Just for showing a little leg)!:

Show Us Some Leg. (In the begining of the video you will see yours truly!) You can enter the contest on Duane Reade's Facebook page. All you have to do is snap a picture of yourself in Duane Reade brand hosiery for a shot at great prizes. There is a different theme each week during the contest and Jess Zaino will be judging the entries. The Grand Prize winner will receive an Apple iPad, $200 Duane Reade Gift Card and $100 in Duane Reade brand hosiery. There will be 3 Weekly Prizes for each theme: 1st place will receive an iPod Touch, 2nd place will receive a $200 Duane Reade gift card and 3rd place will receive $100 in Duane Reade brand hosiery. Get 'tweety' with it by following @DuaneReade on Twitter and using the Hashtag #DRLegwear

My Take:

Last week I found a great new eco friendly printer paper at my local Duane Reade, and this week I discover they have great hosiery too, from the day-to-day, to a night-on-the-town, Duane Reade really has you covered! I'm still on the hunt for the perfect sweater dress to pair with my new tights!

I also learned that not every stylist is cut out to style a curvy frame and it's really OK to be yourself and just say No when something doesn't work for you. I don't think I get the point yet of a stylist, we spend what feels like a lifetime getting away from our parents dressing us so we can be our own person, I'm not sure I see the point of having someone else try to mold me in their idea of what my body type should wear. Maybe at some point I'll feel differently. But since I spent this afternoon on the phone with Gerard Butler (Yes Ladies THAT Gerard Butler!) I'm floating on a butterfly happy cloud! You can check out the rest of the photos from this shop on our Pinterest Board or on Google Plus!

Butterfly, Have you tried the new Duane Reade Branded Legwear/Hosiery yet? If so, what do you think of it? Have you ever relied on a stylist? If so, How was YOUR experience? If you do decide to enter please let us know here so we can vote for you!

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FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Duane Reade #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions are my own!

Find out how I got to the 'Corner of Happy & Healthy'!

Earlier this week I had the chance to see Elf The Musical (yes more on this to come), and during the play Duane Reade is actually referenced which made me laugh as I've spent this year as one of Duane Reade's VIP Bloggers (Sign from the Universe? You decide!). So when I got my newsletter the next day and saw this:

you know I had to go shopping! I can spend over $30 there easily so spending $30 and instantly getting rewards that amount to getting $5 back is just a pure win/win! I picked up my weekly circular as well as the NEW Holiday Magazine and got to 'circling'!

New Happy & Healthy 'Storezine' Holiday Edition 2012: Available in Stores from November 4th until December 31st, 2012

Duane Reade Holiday Magazine and Weekly Circular Display

I have to start by saying this week has been pure insanity. Because of Hurricane Sandy being followed by a Nor-Easter in New York City, a week's worth of meetings and events were post-poned, all those meetings and events were shifted to this week. I have not had one single solitary moment to myself all week and have events on Saturday and Sunday as well, to say I'm stressed out and had very little time for personal errands is an under-statement!

I'm not sure what the point of 'e-tickets' are when you are expected to still print the tickets and show them at the door or print the confirmation email, I literally ran out of printer paper this week (I know this month has been insane but my printer feeder tray really does hold a lot of paper! I was pretty surprised to get the 'paper low' warning message pop up. I thought it was a mistake, but lo and behold I only had 5 sheets of paper in there and no new ream of paper in my supply cubby!), that would normally mean a trip to an office supply store for me, and an extra shopping trip I did NOT have time to add in. Thankfully Duane Reade saved the day by saving me an extra trip. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to find printer paper at my local Duane Reade!

Exclusive to Walgreens and Duane Reade, Ology brand products provide assurance that these items work as well as the larger brands but are also free of the harmful chemicals that today's pediatricians are so concerned about. And, best of all, they're available at an affordable price.

Made from readily renewable sugarcane husks that would otherwise be disposed, and quick-growing bamboo that regenerates in as little as six months.

• For copiers, printers and fax machines
• 100% tree free
• Low moisture paper means less paper jams
• Whitened with H2O2, a non-chlorine based bleach
• 94 brightness, 20 pound
• Biodegradable

I got to save myself an extra trip to the office supply store AND support a product that's eco-friendly? Um, yes please! I got two of these! (Note this item is an 'in-store' only right now, and prices may vary per store, these are NOT available for purchase online.)

And while on a paper theme, I picked up some bathroom tissue from the Ology brand as well.

Duane Reade ology Facial and Toilet Tissue Display

Soft and strong, this biodegradable bath tissue is made from readily renewable sugar cane husk that would otherwise be disposed, and quick-growing bamboo that regenerates in as little as six months.

• 300 two-ply sheets per roll
• Septic safe
• 4 in x 3.7 in sheets
• 370 sq. ft. total area

My Take:

I'm seriously thinking that Ology could easily become one of my favorite Duane Reade brands! I also bought Vitamins, Laundry Detergent (Notice in the picture it's the 'Butterfly Kiss' scent, yes I really am all butterfly all the time!), Fabric Softener, New Toothbrushes + Toothpaste, Air Freshener, frozen meals and quite a few of my favorite ice cream in a limited edition flavor that they only launch several times per year. By the time I was done and the cashier packed me all up I had two super heavy bags to lug home, and a Total Savings of $14.80 (9%), and 5,480 balance rewards points earned this visit! On my next visit I will have $10 in spending money in my balance rewards because I had some to start with plus an additional $5 when I completed this shop thanks to my ology purchases which earned me extra rewards. Getting all that shopping done AND getting money back for my next visit - Not sure it gets any better than that!

WIN! And if the great deals haven't tempted you yet, how about a chance to win great prizes? (Somehow I knew that would get your attention! With the current 'Text2Win' Sweepstakes if you text HAPPY to 35350, you are entering a contest for a chance to win a $6,000 + weekend getaway grand prize, or a weekly $100 Walgreens Gift Card by answering weekly questions only found in Happy & Healthy via text.

Major Shopping Haul this weekend at Duane Reade!

Get Social With It:

Follow Duane Reade  on Twitter and ‘Like’ them on Facebook and don’t forget to tell them you saw them Featured on Ascending Butterfly! For more information, visit duanereade.com or youtube.com/duanereade

Butterfly, Did you a score great deal this weekend?

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FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric #DRHappy&Healthy #cbBigApple  I am a Duane Reade VIP Blogger and Ambassador which does entitle me to additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed  are 100% my own.

My Day as a Not So Mystery Shopper in New York City!

Years ago when the 'Mystery Shopper' idea became popular and people were looking for a way to supplement their income, programs cropped up like wildfire, some reputable, others not so much. I won't say the idea didn't intrigue me, but I never had time to pursue it.

The opportunity finally presented itself, well kind of!

As many of you know, I am now a Duane Reade VIP Blogger, it all began with my entry essay blog post where I shared a bit about what Duane Reade meant to me on a personal level which you can check out HERE. When I found I got selected it made that week's Moment of Gratitude, which you can check out HERE.

Here is a Group Shot of myself and fellow fabulous Duane Reade VIP Bloggers:

Can you spot the butterfly?

Being a part of this program has given me the opportunity to take on shopping missions and share with you a bit about my purchase experience, from how I selected what I was going to buy, the path to purchase and then the products getting used at home. It's like being a mystery shopper except without all the mystery!

For me my first shopping 'mission' was all about a lazy weekend and movie night. I knew I didn't feel like cooking, and wanted my favorite snacks at hand for my Movie Night, so I checked out the online  Duane Reader Circular to find out what was on sale before heading out to the store! (Prices in this reader are available through June 2, 2012). I was excited that right on page 1, I spotted my favorite treat, Haagen Daaz (2 pints for $7 which is a super deal) and I circled that, I already knew I'd be doing a bit of cheating on my diet that day, a better choice probably would have been the Good & Delish Veggie Corn with Flaxseed Tortilla Chips and the Good & Delish Organic Salsa. I'll probably pick those up on my next trip to the store (along with the sour cream and onion Pop Chips)!  I had already stocked up on another Duane Reader sales item The Dr. Browns Soda 6 Pack, 2 for $5 (I love the Dark Cherry and Cream Soda's from Dr. Brown's). and the last thing I needed was some eats, so I picked up a DiGiorno Pizza that was also on sale. Making movie night eats and treats complete! All my movie night picks were also on sale which made me extra happy.

During my last few trips to my local store, it was being renovated, and I was happy to see that it had been completed during my recent trip, the aisles are wider and brighter, and it's so much easier to find everything which is a big time saver!

Here are some shots of me on the way to the store, it's a busy shopping district, so it's not so easy to get shots of it without someone invariably passing by and getting in the shot!

Here's me finally inside!

Below: And as soon as I walk in, I find a super friendly employee wearing a Duane Reader tee shirt in one of my favorite colors purple, she agreed to let me take a picture of her!

I wanted to look around and see the renovations so I didn't quite go straight to my aisles.

Of course I got distracted by Beauty Brands, Products and items.

Latina Bella, beauty products made with Latina Skin tones in mind, FAB!

Finally made it to the eats!

MMM.....Pizza!

Then it was on to the treats!

Ice Cream plus warm day means I'll have to run home so it doesn't melt.

Movie Night was a blast, here are my purchases in use:

Eats + Treats = Fun Movie Night!

There are more photos of this shopping experience on Ascending Butterfly's Google+ Page, and you can connect with Duane Reade online, Twitter and Facebook. (Check out the VIP Bloggers Tab on Duane Reade's Facebook Page and you'll see a picture of me! Yay!)

Happy Shopping Butterfly!

If you purchased any specials in the Duane Reader, please be sure to come back here and let us know!

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FTC Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a special social shopper insights study for CollectiveBias. #CBias #DReade #DReadeVIP - However all opinions expressed are 100% my own. Being part of the Duane Reade VIP Blogger Program offers additional incentives for my participation. Questions about Ascending Butterfly's Disclosure Policy? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html