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?

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

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!

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

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!

Weekly Moment of #Gratitude - Thanksgiving Edition #WhyImGrateful

It seemed appropriate that this week's 'Weekly Moment of Gratitude' be posted on Thanksgiving Day!

What I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Just Being Here! -  Last year in October I began a Medical Roller-Coaster that I'm still sorting through. But considering 2012 started with a Specialist telling me to 'get my affairs in order', I'm fundamentally grateful just to have been able to wake up and have the gift of this day. This very day. The right here, the right now.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A Home Cooked Meal! - After a full year in and out of hospitals for month long stays, I am happy to be eating a home cooked meal that I can actually stomach!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My Home - With so many in the North East devasted by the Hurricane, I'm grateful for the roof over my head!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My Blogging Blessings! - Despite the uphill battle that this past year has been for me on a personal (as well as physical, emotional and spiritual) level, blogging has brought many wonderful blessings and many wonderful people into my life and for that I find myself feeling profoundly blessed and grateful. For all the brands both long term brands who have been with us since the begining, and for newer brands I have had the chance to collaborate with this year, I am grateful! (Special Shout Out to Britax, Duane Reade, Mami Innovative Media and Collective Bias for the wonderful opportunities working with you has presented me with!) And for all the wonderful blogging conferences I had the opportunity to attend, and learn and grow as a blogger (BlogHer, Niche Mommy, and the Fashion Forward Conference!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My Family - They say hospital stays and prison sentences show you who your friends are, so to the friends and family who have shown me so much love and support through this incredibly difficult year, Thank You!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly - I'm grateful for YOU butterflies! I never thought my simple love of butterflies and seeking inspiration in the day to day would grow into such a large community. And for readers who emailed me, and sent me messages of support via our social media channels during my hospital stay I wanted to thank you all again for your kindness and support!

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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

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

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

Giveaways!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ENDING SOON: Purex with Oxi and Zout Stain Remover! I can't give you Laundry Service, but I can give you a Free Product Coupon {#Giveaway}

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Super Cute Overload:  Win a Gund BOO and a mini BOO too! {@Rafflecopter #Giveaway}

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

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!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING BUTTERFLIES!

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

FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, I am a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member, Digital Hispanic Outreach Blogger Brand Ambassador via Mami Innovative Media. Being an Ambassador comes with additional incentives, however all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own. Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

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!

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

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