Showing posts with label BlogHer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BlogHer. Show all posts

Monday, July 20, 2015

{#MotivationMonday} July 21st is national No Pet Store Puppies Day! Look at the cutie from @ASPCA I met at #BlogHer15



Did you know that tomorrow, (July 21st) is No Pet Store Puppies Day? This is a holiday whose goal is to raise awareness about the fact that most pet store puppies come from puppy mills. Tens of thousands of 'breeding dogs' spend their lives in these mills. Often times they are subjected to tiny, overcrowded cages in very unsanitary conditions, most do not receive proper vet care or even adequate food and water, with so many sadly living their entire lives without any kind of human affection. The Female dogs are bred at every opportunity giving their bodies very little time to recover between litters of puppies.

To help raise awareness the ASCPCA wants to spread the word with this super cute video where a little girl named Molly and her shelter dog Joey explain why you shouldn't shop at pet stores that sell puppies that come from puppy mills:



They are not leaving out kittens either, here is an informative infographic featuring interesting facts you may not know about adoptable baby kittens:

While at the BlogHer conference I got to meet this cute girl who literally everyone wanted! It was hard to pin her down to get a shot without motion/blur, but meet Dollie:


EVERYONE wanted her! Myself included!

MY TAKE:

I highly encourage families seeking a pet to visit a shelter and not buy from a puppy mill. Shelter employees are also knowledgeable in taking your lifestyle into account and matching them with a Dog or Cat that will best match the entire families' lifestyle, not to make a 'sale', but to help get the pet and the family the best possible match. If matched correctly there is less likelihood that the dog or cat will be brought back to the shelter and that's the goal!

I am traveling too much right now for a pet, but when I am ready, I am definitely visiting the ASPCA and adopting a Shelter Dog and I hope you will too! (By the way the folks at Rover where also there with Dogs and you guys definitely responded positively to my doggie instagrams while at the BlogHer15 Conference so thank you!)

Do You have a Shelter Dog or Cat? If not, will you consider adopting from a shelter next time?

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FTC DisclosureThis is NOT a sponsored or compensated post and all opinions are 100% my own!  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Review of the HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All-in-One Desktop PC with Beats Audio!



As a Blogger and Social Media Influencer I feel it is just as important to praise brands when they get it right as it is to use social to reach them when things go terribly wrong. We sometimes forget to praise as quickly as we tend to complain as consumers. Brands need to know it when they are doing a great job too!

Straight out of College I began doing Graphic Design work, and my first post College Computer in the workplace was actually a Mac, but I was so used to PC's that I had a PC at home and used the Mac at work during the day. Don't get me wrong, I'm equally proficient on both platforms to be totally honest with you, I can shift from one to the other with relative ease. Once I changed jobs I ended up in a more conservative environment, which meant going back to PC's and my next workplace computer was an HP.

After a very sad breakup with both DELL and Gateway, and a brief happy romance with a Compaq that outlasted many of the computers purchased to replace it, I made the foray into HP at home. Since I loved the HP I was using at work at the time, I thought I'd try them at home, and I bought an HP printer to go with it. That printer would actually go on to last over 10 years, but the desktop? Not so much. It didn't even survive 30 days. It took quite a bit of effort on my part to get help with this (yes this was pre-facebook and twitter), but eventually I did find help, and they did replace it, but the replacement didn't last even 6 months. I was NOT a happy camper. I was bent for some reason on the HP Pavilion Model, and both myself and my cousin who is a photographer both got lemons whose hard drives konked out before the 30 day mark. He switched brands, but I couldn't, I kept trying.

To make a long story short, between desktops and laptops I've had 3 bad HP desktops and 3 bad HP laptops, that is across the span of 20 years though. In my eyes that's NOT a bad track record. I will say it was mixed how it was handled each time, and it got better after the advent of Social Media as a customer service tool. The last experience with an HP Pavilion before I switched out from that particular model was the worst because they chose to replace it with a refurbished machine that didn't last very long. So after that I switched brands for awhile, but ended up trying HP again when I found the HP TouchSmart IQ846 Desktop PC on Amazon at a great price and that coupled with some Amazon Gift Certificates I had stored up just made it too good to pass up on.

I loved that PC and it actually lasted the longest any HP computer has ever held up for me, 4 years, and it was still working, just super slow and I knew it wouldn't last long, and let's face technology gets outdated, it just made sense to start over. And that's where a blog campaign comes in, but it wasn't one I was personally participating in. HP launched a bloggers campaign for Holidays 2012 called #HPFamilyTime bloggers, and a series of reviews and giveaways hit the blogs, I went and read as many of the reviews as I could and on some sites I entered the corresponding giveaways, much to my surprise I won one! I entered the giveaway on She Scribes blog, so a HUGE thanks to her for hosting and to HP for sponsoring the giveaway.

I put it out into the Universe and made the effort to go with my intention, and got the result I was after! I was excited after reading the specs:

About the HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All-in-One Desktop PC with Beats Audio:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 3rd Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3220 dual-core processor [3.3GHz, 3MB Shared Cache Windows 8 or other operating system

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Go beyond the keyboard and mouse to get more from Windows 8. Swipe and tap using all 10 fingers on the Full-HD display. It gives “hands on” a whole new meaning.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Save space in style with all-in-one PC featuring a sleek, edge-to-edge glass design. Set up with as little as one wire, and free up even more limited space by mounting the HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart on a wall.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - optional solid-state drive, it delivers outstanding reliability day after day.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sync photos across your PC, smartphone, and tablet. Crop, rotate, add captions, and more. Then share in seconds with friends and family through your social networks. HP Connected Photo. Picture the fun.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sometimes only a face-to-face conversation will do. With the HP TrueVision HD Webcam, you always come off looking your best. Even in low light.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - With Beats Audio™ and an optional subwoofer, the HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart is designed for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a PC. So it sounds as amazing as it looks.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Get the most out of the tunes you love today and discover more music in a whole new way with HP Connected Music.

MY Take:

While I liked my HP TouchSmart IQ846 Desktop PC, my new HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart AIO has got it beat hands down! The things that were 'cons' for me about HP computers in the past, slow startup, overly bloated, shotty hard drives, have definitely all been addressed this time around. With Windows 8 the TouchSmart finally has the right dance partner! Windows 8 truly helps bring out what makes the TouchSmart so great, it's what you love about your favorite tablet, just bigger! It's smart, starts up at lightening speed, gives you literally everything you could want at your fingertips and the 1 Terabyte of built in storage means you can go nuts with music and photos (my two particular passions!).

I have had the opportunity to put this machine through it's paces, I will admit I hit my machines hard, I have A LOT of applications and programs open at the same time, client databases, spreadsheets, presentations, a TON of internet windows, and so far it's only given me 3 warnings about my browser using up to much memory. And for me that's good, my older HP Touch would just konk out or freeze up when I'd hit it that hard.

This one came with Norton built in, and in the past I've found Norton to be a resource hog, but so far I will say I'm also impressed, Norton has been doing a great job protecting my new PC, it hasn't been obtrusive in any way or slowed down my PC.

Thankfully I had attended the Windows 8 demos at last year's BlogHer conference, so I had some advantage now being thrown directly into a Windows 8 Operating System User Interface. There were some things I needed to learn to do differently but thankfully you can operate in 'view it in destop mode' which will look like the interface that you are more used to.

THE AUDIO!!!! Sorry I don't normally shout, but as 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' I have to tell you that the Beats Audio in this computer blows most onboard Desktop Audio to shreds. It's simply fantastic! I'm now using this new PC to test out Audio Accessories like Headphones and then compare the sound of the headphones on my PC to my portable music devices, and I can tell you this PC does not need separate speaker add ons, it would truly be an insult to it!

The good thing about being with the same brand for almost 20 years is I can almost feel how long it will last me, I know it's good, bad and ugly, but so far my HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All in One Desktop PC with Beats Audio is so much more than I ever expected it could be! I also tested the HP Deskjet 3052A printer, which I'm satisfied with, but I think my Kodak Hero 7.1 is a bit more robust.

If you haven't figured it out to this point, this PC is a definite 'Get it!'. I couldn't recommend this model more highly, I actually really, really, really want to try the HP Envy 2 laptop or the HP Spectre Ultrabook so I could keep the fun going during my travels!

Do you have the HP Envy Butterfly? What do you think of it? What is your favorite desktop computer?

Get Social:

Why not let HP know on Twitter or on Facebook that you saw the HP Envy 23 Touchsmart Desktop All in One PC featured on Ascending Butterfly? Who knows? Maybe they'll want to surprise Ascending Butterfly readers too!


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FTC Disclosure: I was under NO obligation to write this review, no monetary compensation has been received, this is NOT a sponsored post. In fact I won the computer, so I did not have to review it, I chose to do so because I feel it's a very high quality computer and wanted to share about it with my readers!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Motivation Monday: Weekly Moment of Gratitude!





What I am grateful for:



You can vote for Ascending Butterfly here: http://www.thebigreboot.biz/entries/508

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - YOU! -  I decided not to give up after all the encouraging messages I received when I entered the last phase of The Big Reboot, they haven't announced the winner yet of that phase, but the entries do not carry over, so I wrote a new essay entry for the next phase, never say never right? I am entering for the newest phase and if you would like to show your support with a vote, I'd greatly appreciate it! PRESS HERE! (A one click daily vote, so if you voted once, you can vote again as long it wasn't today that you voted!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Good Stuff in the Mail! - I will admit that as a blogger, most days are great mail days, but I was really looking forward to something particular that finally arrived! During BlogHer I got the chance to attend the Getting Gorgeous Gift Suite and one of the sponsors that was there was a brand I am very well familiar with because my mom actually introduced me to them YEARS ago, Coldwater Creek. They have amazing customer service, and they were just as wonderful in person as I anticipated they would be. They were offering everyone who attended a pair of jeans of their choice, and they brought a wide variety of styles and sizes for us to try out. I selected the Trouser Jeans Style and they arrived in the mail this week!

Look at the lovely box the jeans arrived in!

The presentation was lovely and they included a personal note thanking ME for visiting their booth during Getting Gorgeous. I  mean really how super awesome and classy is that?


I will post pictures of me wearing them and a full review soon, when I tried them on I realized that when they arrived I would need to get them hemmed, so I have to visit my Tailor this week and have them hemmed before I can start wearing them.

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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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 Active Giveaways!  - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Giveaways!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I am super happy to announce that our regular and highly anticipated 'Featured Handbag in the Spotlight' returns TOMORROW! On Tuesday come back here for an Amazing DESIGNER Handbag giveaway, you are going to LOVE it!

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Gratitude Journal Reco:
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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FTC Disclosure: Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html - Please note this is not a compensated post! Our gratitude posts are NON-compensated.

Friday, August 3, 2012

What does @BarackObama have to do with #BlogHer12 day one?

President Barack Obama Addresses Bloggers live during a webcast during BlogHer 2012

Butterflies, my apologies for the super brief post. There was so much to take in, and so much that I experienced just on day one, that I really don't know where to start!

BlogHer truly blew everyone away on August 2nd, when President Barack Obama addressed the bloggers in attendance via live webcast at the Hilton Hotel in NYC.

He gets it, the power behind our voices, how amazing our platforms are and the direct impact we have on our audience and our communities. I've attend a ton of conferences in general throughout my career in IT and now as a blogger, and I don't remember being addressed by a US President during a Conference, blogging or otherwise. For a moment it left many of us speechless. That's how high up blogging is being noticed! Ladies (and gentlemen too!), we have power with our words, our posts, our platforms, how do YOU want to use that power? How can you use that power to make your communities a better place?

Elisa Camahort Page, Lisa Stone BlogHer Founders


My day was a busy one as this year I'm working the conference from the inside, and I attended the Healthminder track today, I live Blogged, mic wrangled  and listened to some amazing speakers. I will provide real session recaps in a few days when I've fully had time to absorb the experience.

This year more bloggers are connecting with EACH other, and that makes me truly heart happy, those are the memories and ultimately relationships that last the longest. I'm so happy to see more bloggers make connections with fellow attendees, and go out of their comfort zones and not just talk to their friends all night long, but introduce themselves to someone they don't know. During the People's Party all the tables were already taken and a few of us just started camping out on the floor, there were exhibitors/brands, bloggers and PR folks too, just having a good old fashion camp out together. In those moments, breaking bread and talking while on the floor, we had amazing conversations, would those conversations come up at a table if we had been lucky enough to score one? maybe. But they were that much more fun in a mock campfire circle. While I will never forget Obama's webcast, I will also never forget the new people I met during The People's Party either!

And there were 3 specific online friends I wanted to meet in real life, and fate just put me in the right place at the right time to meet them ALL on day ONE, How cool is that?

I even met Nadia, from the Niche Mommy Conference I'm considering attending and wrote a great post about this week!

Now I hope the Favor Gods are smiling down upon me and I get picked for the #Windowstyle makeover too! I would be super stoked if I won!

I've received a few discount codes throughout the day, I'll compile the rest on Thursday and Friday and be sure to post about them all for you so you can nab some amazing deals even though you might not have been able to attend the conference in person this year!

I got to meet some super awesome PR folks I work with throughout the years and that was really cool, we could finally put faces with the names! I met some new PR folks and have some super fun collaborations coming down the pike that means super awesome giveaways for you! Who loves you Butterfly?

I'm having a blast, I'm exhausted as I'm writing this post, but it's a good kind of tired!

So far the conference collective voices are speaking, they are guiding, they are encouraging us to find our bliss. For me, it's my travel writing posts. I love to travel and that's the track I'd like pursue a bit more of in 2013. How do you feel about your butterfly flying all over the world sharing what inspired her, from deserted Sandy Beaches, to gorgeous architecture, to gourmet food, local wines, local art and dance? I think that's the perfect path for me in 2013, and I hope you do too! I hope you are ready to take this journey around the world with me!

TGI Friday Butterfly!


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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I am a BlogHer Conference Volunteer this year. I have received my conference pass in exchange for volunteer services during the conference. I am under no obligation to share my experiences about the conference on my personal blog.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

{Bump} Top 10 Family Friendly NYC Destinations + Live Tweets during #BlogHer12

Today is day one of BlogHer and while I'll be live blogging FOR BlogHer, I'm not entirely sure when my blogs will go live on their site, as soon as I know, I'll post the URL!

So in the meantime, I'm bumping Monday's post as you guys have given me great feedback on the Top 10 Family Friendly Destinations in New York City Post!

For those of you who mentioned that you can't make it to BlogHer this time but are planning a trip to NYC, feel free to email me and I'd be happy to send over additional recommendations that did not make this list!

I will be tweeting during the day and trying to recap my experiences in those 140 characters or less digital soundbites otherwise known as 'tweets', be sure you are following us at both accounts @Tracy_Iglesias AND @Ascending1 to stay up to date on BlogHer 2012!

Happy Thursday Butterfly!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!





Wednesday, August 1, 2012

I am on my way to #BlogHer12 so why are my thoughts on the @NicheMommy Conference?



Witchcraft, Voodoo Legends, and Vampire Folklore - OH MY!


This week the BlogHer Conference is coming back to my city, New York City! And I'm live blogging this year FOR BlogHer which I'm totally excited about. So why is my mind already on the Niche Mommy Conference?



I guess since I already live in New York City, and I'm not taking a plane to get there, I'm not getting that 'travel rush' I normally get before a conference, so my mind is drifting and wandering towards thoughts of new sites and sounds. A city I have never visited. A city with Vampire Lore (Hello, life long Horror and Vampire Movie lover here!), a city with a rich Jazz musical history and great restaurants, New Orleans!



I have been researching this city for years now, and according to the Haunted New Orleans Tours website, "New Orleans, (is) America's Most Haunted City" - It seems to me it's part haunted and part enchanted and that is a strong part of the draw for me. I don't know why none of my travels to date have yet to take me there, but I'm thinking the Niche Mommy Conference sounds like a perfect excuse, I mean ahem, a 2012 'business' trip! Yeah, that's the ticket! While I know most folks immediately think about Mardi Gras madness, I don't want to try push my way down crowded streets, I want to take leisurely strolls and get great pictures of local architecture, meet tons of locals and hit the restaurants on my wish/research list. Yes I have actually been compiling a list of must try restaurants, I'm such a hopeless foodie!

You know how I feel about Vision Boards, and how they help you put the power of attraction in action! I have been compiling info on New Orleans for awhile now, and here is an advertisement that I clipped from a  magazine that highlights some of the things I want to do while in NOLA!

My 'Big Easy' Vision Board:

Press on each picture to see them as a full page and then backspace and come back here to see the next one!









I was robbed of quite a bit of travel time in the last year (due to a medical nightmare I certainly didn't see coming), and I plan to make up for it! While there are all the obvious reasons of why I love conferences (connecting with online friends from across the miles in the real world, learning how to make my business grow stronger by blogging smarter not harder, meeting great brands and making new friends), I also love travel and I love exploring new cities. I'm totally excited that Niche Mommy will be held in New Orleans this year, and I totally hope to make it out there!

For all those coming in this week for BlogHer, please be sure to visit my post that outlines the top 10 family fun New York City sites and attractions, if you missed it, you can click HERE.


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FTC Disclosure: While this is NOT a sponsored post, this is a personal essay entry into a Britax Competition for an opportunity to win a sponsorship to the Niche Mommy Conference. This is a closed competition for members of their Latina Advisory Board - Hispanic Digital Outreach Blogger Brand Ambassadors. This post is my entry, all opinions are 100% my own. I have NO personal affiliation to the Niche Mommy Conference organizers or the New Orleans Tourism Board. I am however entirely fascinated by the supernatural and have always wanted to visit New Orleans!

Monday, July 30, 2012

NYC Summer Fun! My Top 10 list of Family Friendly New York City Things To Do! {Photos}

With a ton of bloggers about to descend upon Manhattan for the BlogHer Conference (where I will be Live Blogging), I know invariably some will be bringing family and many of you extending your stay for a few days to take in all the family friendly sites New York City has to offer!

My Top Ten Family Friendly Fun things to do in New York City include:



1) OK so I'm a bit biased here and will start with the fact that there are three major NYC family friendly landmarks in my 'backyard' - Take in a game at Yankee Stadium. Summer is synonymous with Yankee Games for most New Yorkers and the stadium is just a train ride away no matter where in the city you may find yourself.



2) A little more bias here, and even closer to my home is The Bronx Zoo, check out this link for a major discount on tickets! Yes I am a Wildlife Conservation Society Blogger Brand Ambassador, but I have been visiting the zoo since I was a kid, and the tradition continues today with my nieces and nephews. Our summer isn't complete until we have visited the zoo, there is always something new going on there!

The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York


3) Also near me is the New York Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are as fun and as family friendly as it gets, your prettiest photos are going to come from here!

Central Park, New York City


4) Central Park and the Central Park Zoo - It would be difficult to do the park in one day as there is so much to do and see, but the Central Park Zoo is a must visit with your family.

Coney Island, Brooklyn New York


5) Coney Island - The amusement park and beach are a NYC landmark. This is just plain fun.

Rye Playland, Rye New York


6) Rye Playland - Another New York Amusement Park, it's a bit further out but not difficult to reach.

The New York Aquarium, Brooklyn, New York


7) The New York Aquarium - Another one of my favorite annual summer things to do, it's family friendly and kids love watching the animal feedings!

View of Lady Liberty from Smooth Jazz Cruise, photo used WITH permission

Staten Island Ferry, New York City


8) Statue of Liberty - There are tons of way to see her, but us locals still recommend seeing her from the Staten Island Ferry! I got to see her last year from the Smooth Jazz Cruise and had a fantastic time!

Museum of Natural History, New York City


9) The Museum of Natural History - Not that any of the museums in 'museum mile' should be missed, but this one is hands down the most family fun of all them all.

Empire State Building, New York City


10) Empire State Building - The view of NYC from the Empire State Building is bar none, that's why it's been in numerous movies and tv shows throughout the years. Just please be prepared that there is a security line to contend with and a long ride to the top. Only you know how well your child handles long lines and LOTS of people. and depending on their age, they might not find all that work to get to the top is worth it.

Any bloggers coming in that need additional recos, please feel free to comment here!

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, I am a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member and Blogger. I am also a Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society Blog Ambassador. All opinions are 100% my own.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Weekly Moment of Gratitude - The Thank YOU + Pre #BlogHer12 edition!







What I am grateful for:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - YOU! -  Yes that's right YOU! Ascending Butterfly has certainly evolved quite a bit throughout the years, and while the transition to 'living out loud' as a blogger hasn't always been an easy one (I'm more comfortable behind the scenes, except for a brief stint on TV as a child), it has expanded my life both personally and professionally in ways I never dreamed were even possible. Throughout my whole medical nightmare that started last year the emails that I received from readers (and even from brands and PR firms that I have worked with throughout the years) has been incredibly heartwarming & encouraging to me. On Tuesday I made a post that was a personal entry to a contest, and I was literally floored that my humble call to action was embraced and acted upon by so many of you. Your tweets in support of my entry really means a lot to me, and win or lose, just having that many of you show me your support filled my heart with gratitude this week so I knew it had to be my first entry in this week's moment of gratitude. Thank You! Hopefully I'll be one of the five winners of an awesome makeover by Windows during BlogHer! (Can you believe BlogHer is now just *days* away!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fun! - Sometimes being a blogger can be filled with random, goofy fun. This week I attended gaming  previews for both Ubisoft and Majesco and got to try out Video Games like Zombii U for the new Wii U gaming system from Nintendo, FarCry 3, Assassins Creed 3, NBA Baller Beats and many, many more which will all get their own reviews as we get closer to their release dates. In case you missed it, I got Zombiefied with ZombiiU and posted a cool Zombie photo of me as my Wordless Wednesday this week. My schedule doesn't often permit me to play video games very often, so getting the chance to 'just play' and demo new games was super fun! I actually got to meet an NFL player during one of my game demos and a few retired players as well!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Counting my Blessings!-  While I still have a ways to go, I got great news during my recent medical visit, and I feel like I can slowly starting putting it all behind me and focus on the road ahead!




Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Getting Caught Up - I'm pretty much caught up on posts that needed to go live before BlogHer, which will allow me to really focus my energies next week on the conference! If you are going to the conference I'd love to meet as many of you as possible in person! Post a comment here if you are attending BlogHer!

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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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 Active Giveaways!  - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Giveaway Winners!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The two winners of the Purex giveaway are Gloria M. and Caseyle2010, your free product coupons are on the way, Congratulations!

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Gratitude Journal Reco:
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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FTC Disclosure: Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html - Please note this is not a compensated post!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Tips to Tackle Parenting's Messes and Stresses! #HuggiesLatino



I already know what you are thinking! But Butterfly, you are NOT a mom what would YOU know about Parenting Stress?

Actually I probably manage more little ones at a time than you do, when you are the only single girl left amongst married siblings, you somehow become the built in babysitter. And not just to one of your siblings kids, but try ALL of them! (and sometimes without even being asked if it's OK to bring them all over, but that's a story for another post I'm sure!) Let's not also forget about the Godchildren!

Sometimes it's not just for an afternoon or a day, but entire weekends with a tribe running around my tiny NYC apartment wreaking all kinds of havoc. Don't get me wrong, I love my nieces and nephews, and as a blogger I thankfully have an assortment of things to keep them busy even at various ages, and that coupled with my background as a Special Ed teacher (many moons ago), I have learned a thing or two about patience throughout the years!

TV personality and father of two, Poncho de Anda and family
Parenting can be overwhelming, but my wife and I work together to constantly improve upon what we’ve learned over the past few years with our children,” said Poncho de Anda. “And we’ve learned a lot – like relying on Huggies diapers and wipes, which stand up to the tests of our little ones and have helped us make it through long flights and even spaghetti night with ease!” 


My tips for managing Parenting Stress:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No Mom is an Island - Rally the Troops! - Remember when the baby was born, and everyone came to visit? They all OOhed and AAhed and promised to watch the baby like 'whenever'? Call in those markers ladies. Take an afternoon to yourself. I know you'll be tempted to run household errands with that precious time, but I highly suggest you take that time and do something for yourself. It will make you a happier mom/mami in the long run! (As a loving Auntie, I highly suggest calling and asking first!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Treat MESS like a Virus - Quarantine it! - Try to keep the mess contained to one room. If you can keep kids in one designated play area (particularly in winter when they are stuck indoors) it will make things easier to manage later.

Poncho's Youngest, Dani


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Embrace your Inner Santa - That's right everyone likes an important job, tell your little elves, ahem I mean 'Helpers' how important their job is, and have them put away their toy as soon as they are done with that particular toy. Before taking out a new toy, make sure you put the first one away.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Let Go of the Better Homes and Gardens Ideal - Very few of us have maids, butlers, gardeners, and pool boys, let go of the idea that your home should like the inside of a featured house in Better Homes and Gardens. When you are living your life, it sometimes gets messy!

Want a peek at how Poncho's family manages Parenting's Messes and Stresses? Take a look at the YouTube Video below:



Want a shot at a cool prize? Put the new and improved Huggies Diapers and Wipes to the test for a chance to win a fully stocked Huggies Diaper Bag by visiting Huggies Latino on Facebook!

With BlogHer swiftly approaching, I haven't had time to post as many reviews and giveaways as I'd like, so as I hear of neat giveaways going on online, I'll share them here! After the conference is over we'll resume with some fun giveaways of our own!

(P.S. - And if you are feeling tweety I still have one more day to bug you all for votes, please tweet this:

@KristinaLibby Pls pick @Ascending1 to go from Chrysalis to #Butterfly during #BlogHer12 with a #windowstyle #Makeover ow.ly/cvwOm



You can check out yesterday's post and Tuesday's for more information as to why I need you to tweet this!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Huggies and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are 100% my own.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly Zombie! Rated 'S' for Scary!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies, I recently got Zombified at a Ubisoft Media Preview Day where I got to play ZombiU™, a Survival Horror First-Person Shooter game for the Nintendo Wii U™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Horror has always been my favorite movie genre so I jumped at the chance to test this game out. I actually got the chance to try out a ton of new games that will be hitting the market later in the year, and all of them, including this one, will get more extensive review coverage as they are closer to their market release dates, but in the meantime I just had to share my zombie picture with you!




Notice I am wearing a pair of butterfly earrings? LOL

If this picture isn't proof I really need that #windowstyle makeover that I let you know I'm entering for in yesterday's post, then I don't know what is!

If you'd like to see your favorite butterfly blogger go from Chrysalis to Butterfly, please send a quick tweet to @kristinalibby with the hashtag #windowstyle

Here is a sample tweet:


@KristinaLibby Pls pick @Ascending1 to go from Chrysalis to #Butterfly during #BlogHer12 with a #windowstyle #Makeover ow.ly/ctBRS

I didn't have time to make a formal linky, but as always you are more than welcome to link us to your Wordless Wednesday this week by commenting below!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterfly!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I attended the Ubisoft Media Preview Day as a member of the Digital Press. I am a Ubisoft Ubichamps Blogger Brand Ambassador via the Clever Girls Collective. Yesterday's post does serve as an entry in the Microsoft Windows Style Makeover Sweepstakes for a chance to win a head to toe makeover during BlogHer12. No monetary compensation has been received for sharing any of this information. All opinions are 100% my own.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Weekly Moment of Gratitude! My #Electronics Got Pimped Edition!






My Electronics Got Pimped!

What I am grateful for:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ My Love of Twitter Parties -  Before I started hosting them, I was attending them. Lot's of them. I became known as the official Twitter Party DJ because I would be the one to make fun song suggestions based on the theme of the party I was attending. Some might even call me the life of the twitter party! (Well OK, bragging just a bit!). But when I'm not hosting I still love attending them, I love the fast pace, catching up with my online friends and being introduced to brands in a fun and interactive way. I recently attended one and it paid off big time! My Television just got pimped thanks to Verizon's Somos Fios! I won the Grand Prize in their recent twitter party, a 32 inch Samsung HDTV Television! Check it out below!





Don't you just love my super cute Turkey Hill Cow sitting happily on top of the box?

You can get social with them to on Twitter and Facebook and via twitter use the hashtag #SomosFios, and hint hint, feel free to tell them on twitter and facebook that you would like them to host a twitter party with Ascending Butterfly, aka @Ascending1 as the host!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New iPod Touch - While it wasn't from a Twitter Party, I did win a sweet new iPod Touch from BlogHer! I have been following the series of giveaways from their Life Well Lived Moments Sweepstakes, and I found out recently that I won Sweepstakes #8. Because to some degree bloggers often live their lives out loud, it makes many think we share often or easily, but I'm actually very much the opposite, I'm pretty shy mostly, and essay type entries where I have to share something personal aren't so easy for me. So when I found out that I won I was truly surprised and touched. I felt grateful that doing something (that perhaps for others comes easier) like sharing a personal story paid off in such a big way. I'm a total tech nerd, it's the side of me that doesn't come across on these pages nearly enough, but I have always been the one who sets everything up when it comes to new electronics or computers. And you know what's super cool? There is still time for YOU to get in on the fun, they posted Sweepstakes 9 in the Life Well Lived Moments Sweepstakes! You can enter to win a brand new iPod Touch and a $50 iTunes Gift Card by sharing your Life Well Lived Moment regarding an important tool in your life at: http://www.blogher.com/life-well-lived-moments-sweepstakes-9

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Out and About - I have had the opportunity to attend some fun events about town (the benefits of living in New York City is that there is something going on pretty much at all times) and I'll keep posting more recaps as often as possible!

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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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 Active Giveaways!  - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Giveaway Notices

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Don't be bummed as winners have NOT yet been selected in the two most recent expired giveaways. Winners will be selected & notified soon for the Wilson's Leather $200 Gift Card Giveaway and the Hollywood Movie Money Gift Vouchers for the What to Expect When You're Expecting Giveaway. Thanks for your patience butterflies! We will have our first giveaway posted soon in the annual Dads N Grads Buying Guide series soon as well! (It's June already? Seriously, where did MAY go?)

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Gratitude Journal Reco:
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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FTC Disclosure: Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html - Please note this is not a compensated post and I was under no obligation to share my recent wins from Somos Fios or BlogHer.