Snack Rut? How does Chocolate and Truffles strike you?

I have had a life long love of travel, and each trip I have had the fortune of taking be it for business or pleasure always has a special memory that is unique to that particular trip. For me it's not about coming back with a ton of dust catchers that get stored away to never see the light of day. I take tons of pictures, visit places on and off the beaten path, and enjoy experiences, sometimes it's the arts, sometimes it's culinary, sometimes it's just being still like at a tropical beach at sunset.

I'm a music lover and somehow am always thinking music and soundtracks to moments in my life. They say smells take us back to a time and place, pictures can do that, tastes can do that and so can music. Everytime I hear Tony Bennett's - (I Left My Heart) In San Francisco, my mind races right back to my very first trip to the city by the bay!

I was there for a convention but everytime I travel I make it a point to factor in some 'ME' time. Time to just let my feet and my mind wander. And one of my favorite 'me' time moments was a visit to Ghiardelli Square. Where I got my first introduction to a brand who had actually relocated there in 1895. Ghirardelli square is where the flagship Ghirardelli Chocolate Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop is located. And the place where I got my first introduction to the brand and their delectable chocolate. I got to try some there, and bought some that I tore into sitting outside where a local band was playing. I picked up several CD's from that band, and each time I hear them I am brought back to that moment. It is a cherished memory for me. And while much like Tony Bennett's song I fear that I may have really left my heart in San Francisco, air travel is expensive, and I don't get out there nearly as much as I'd like, but the closest I can come to an escape is putting on my CD's that I bought at the square and enjoying some Ghirardelli Chocolate at home.

Ghirardelli Milk and Truffle Stand Up Bag

While I love most of the stuff I have tried from Ghirardelli throughout the years, I keep going back for their signature squares. My absolute favorite being their Dark Chocolate Raspberry. They are rich and satisfying, a decadent escape indeed and also always take me back to sitting on the square and enjoying my find!

So when given the opportunity to try the Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Truffle Filling SQUARES^TM, I definitely jumped at the chance. Chocolate AND Truffles? Um, YES Please.

Many moons ago, when financial firms still existed I worked in a firm that had a truffle shop in the lobby. A truffle shop that made each truffle by hand, I was obsessed with that shop, and haven't ever really had a truffle that compared. Ghirardelli's Milk & Truffle Squares were definitely a sensory delight from 'square one' (really no pun intended, well maybe a little), they took me back to two very pleasant memories, my visit to San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square, and my favorite New York City Truffle Shop all in one bite!

Ghirardelli Milk and Truffle Squares

It also somewhat got me out of my Ghirardelli snack rut because each time I reach for the squares when I'm shopping I end up with the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Raspberry Stand up Bag which had been becoming a bit of a snack obsession for me until the Milk Chocolate with Truffle filling came along! In my eyes, I'm not really cheating on my favorite snack, since I'm just hanging out with a different variation.....

If you are stuck in a Snack Rut, let Ghirardelli wake up your taste buds! You can get social with Ghirardelli on Facebook and of course, don't forget to tell them you saw them featured here on Ascending Butterfly! (Who knows, maybe you can sway them to return with a fun reader giveaway!)

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FTC Disclosure: I received the product for this review for free, courtesy of Ghirardelli and SheSpeaks. However, all opinions are 100% my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commisions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Our full Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy can be found HERE.

ProFlowers Organic Extravaganza Fruit Basket Giveaway!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our giveaway sponsor ProFlowers! 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! Watch for the next bag in the ‘Spring Into Bags’ series to launch SOON. And for a special 'Back to School' themed Giveaway too!

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Ascending Butterfly Editor's Pick, Sponsored By:

You all know how much I love a well put together gift basket, both on the giving and receiving end! I'm also a total confessed chocaholic and jumped at the chance to review a Ghirardelli gift basket with ProFlowers! It was really well put together, arrived in recyclable packaging (which I greatly appreciate as I'm trying to live 'leaner and greener'), and the basket where the array of tempting treats arrived in has been 're-purposed' already. The basket is now holding a pretty arrangement of towels and soaps in the bathroom, and the chocolates are now all a very sweet memory! (no pun intended!)

There were no duds here, just tons of yummy Ghirardelli chocolates in different varieties (and it included a good assortment of dark chocolate too!), and hot chocolate (I don't drink Coffee but I love hot chocolate!) and a red mug (how did they know red is my favorite color?). I was beyond satisfied with this basket and it gets my butterfly seal of approval. Thankfully you can order it online, because if you had it in front of you, you might have a very hard time parting with it!

Now for the good and bad news, I selected a highly popular basket that is currently out of stock in the original configuration I received. That's the bad news. But the good news is that our friends at ProFlowers have a different and thankfully very much in stock basket for you to try!

While I didn't get to review the actual basket you will win, I can't see anything not to love! I hope the winner invites me over when this arrives!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Thanks to our friends at ProFlowers (who are not just 'flowers' but gifts, baskets, plants and more!) the lucky winner of this giveaway gets an Organic Extravaganza Fruit Basket  (a $45 value).

Don't you just ♥ ProFlowers? I know I do!

Winning Basket Contents:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 Certified Organic Bartlett or D'Anjou Pears
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 Certified Organic Fuji or Gala Apples
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  -2 Certified Organic Navel Oranges
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 Certified Organic Kiwi
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 Certified Organic Avocados
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 Certified Organic Grapefruit

NOTE: Plate Not Included

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 (this must be done for all others to count): Visit ProFlowers and post the URL of any OTHER basket or gift (it could be flowers or a plant link too!) aside from the review basket and aside from the giveaway basket!  (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.

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 Monday, August 02, 2010 until Monday, August 16, 2010 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 (+5 entries, leave 5 comments with the URL to your blog post!)

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + @ProFlowers #win Organic Extravaganza Fruit Basket #Giveaway - http://tinyurl.com/2eefmy6

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry. Get the Tweet's URL by clicking 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.)

For my Tweetie Lovers, ProFlowers has some additional Twitter Extra Credit for you! Tweet either of the two messages below or both about the ProFlowers Calendar or the Coloring Pages and receive 2 extra credits for each one, post 2 comments for each tweet or 4 comments with the tweet URL's if you tweet both. You can also tweet these two times per day max!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Check out @ProFlowers Flower Calendar here – http://www.proflowers.com/Calender_8_5x11.pdf

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Check out @ProFlowers Flower Coloring Pages - http://www.proflowers.com/flower-coloring-pages.aspx

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

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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow/Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook (remember when we have giveaways which allow for multiple winners, one winner will always be selected at Random from our Facebook Page, so make sure you are following us there too!) HERE

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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW! 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 products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate my review and for the giveaway. The sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.