Wordless Wednesday: City Park in New Orleans +

We are continuing with our Niche Mommy 2012 Blogging Conference in New Orleans Wordless Wednesday Series, I am going to take you through the conference and the City in pictures!

It started with the Airport, followed by some shots of The Roosevelt Hotel, these that I'm sneaking in today are a little out of sequence, these probably should have been posted technically before the Roosevelt, because I took a quick visit through City Park in New Orleans right from the airport before checking in to the hotel. I will also be adding all pictures to our special conference pinterest board, you may want to go there to see full size shots!

After a delayed flight (do Jet Blue Flights ever depart on time?), with no in flight entertainment (there was a short in the wire under my seat and the seat next to me), thank God for iPods, and then running straight to the Welcome Cocktail Reception, it was so great to be greeted by The Roosevelt's turn down service with Robe and Chocolates on the pillow!

So now you've seen the airport, City Park, The Roosevelt, and The 'Britax Angels', next week it's on to the conference's official day one!

How is first day of school week coming along for everyone? As for me, I promise I wasn't missing in action this week, I had a bout of Food Poisoning! Not quite the best timing with it being the advent of Fashion Week here in New York City!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!

Weekly Moment of Gratitude: New Orleans Niche Mommy 12 Conference Edition!

What I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Britax! -  I had no idea when I embarked on an Ambassadorship with @SafeConBritax that it would lead to many so new adventures! It started with a trip to Britax Headquarters, and now the opportunity to attend the Niche Mommy Blogging Conference during it's inaugural year! I loved the idea of becoming a Britax Ambassador from the very begining, because they put child safety first. I know the majority of my readers are moms. Moms from many different walks of life, but the common denominator for all moms is wanting your child to be safe. And that is Britax's goal, it's their mission. And the small way I get to be a part of that journey has been more rewarding than I ever could have anticipated. I'm grateful to be part of the program! I'm also grateful that this program has given me the opportunity to host giveaways for you so you can experience first hand just how wonderful Britax products really are! This has been my favorite Brand Ambassadorship by far, and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Team! - Britax sent 4 of their ambassadors to New Orleans to experience the Niche Mommy 2012 conference, they also hosted a Coffee and Chat afternoon break session where great prizes were given away and we got to assist and answer questions fellow attendees had about Britax products and what it's like being a Brand Ambassador and a part of their Latina Advisory Board and Hispanic Social Media Outreach Program. Britax was an official Conference Sponsor and attendees got the opportunity to see products up close and personal and win fantastic prizes! Congrats to all the winners! By the way 2 winners were MEN! Go Britax!

Here are some photos of the team in action:

I dubbed us 'The Britax Angels' You know, like 'Charlies Angels' except in this case our 'Charlie' is Britax! - from Left to Right: Vanessa from @DeSuMama - http://www.desumama.com/, ME! Tracy from @Ascending1 - http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com, Yadira from @ClubdeDiosas - http://clubdelasdiosas.com, Joscelyn from @InnovativeTalk  - http://www.mamiinnovativemedia.com/, and Divina from @DancingHotdogs http://www.dancinghotdogs.com/

These ladies certainly made 'work' FUN! :)

Oops! This angel had her eyes closed! Why is it that Camera Flash always makes me blink? Don't you just love our matching Britax T-shirts?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Roosevelt New Orleans - The Roosevelt New Orleans is a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and I can't begin to thank them enough, the service was impeccable, the food was totally amazing, and there is no detail left to the imagination! The staff was super friendly and welcoming and I can't wait to go back! Their turn down service with super comfy robe and chocolates on the pillow was a fantastic touch. The folks at Niche Mommy did a wonderful job and selected just the right hotel and venue for this conference!

Here are some pics:

The Roosevelt New Orleans - A Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Picture of my room! This was room 1003 in Tower 1 of The Roosevelt!

Lobby of The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans

Did you know that the majority of conference attendees are bloggers who have been blogging well over 2 years? This conference certainly gave 'Veteran Bloggers' as well as 'newbies' a great way to come together to learn not just from the panelists, but each other!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BlogHer! - If it hadn't been for BlogHer which is where I met Nadia, the Founder of the @NicheMommy #nichmommy12 conference, I wouldn't have even heard about the conference until much later on, I am so glad I had the chance to meet her during BlogHer. Nadia is truly down to the earth, and she definitely made it look easy but I know first hand just how difficult the details are when putting a together conference, and she covered every detail amazingly well!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Travel! - I love to travel and hadn't visited New Orleans before, this was amazing opportunity to attend a great conference during it's kickoff year, and explore an amazing city! I can't wait to share more of where I visited and what I saw, I will do so across a series of Wordless Wednesday posts! And I am so excited that the Niche Mommy Conference will be held in New Orleans again next year! There are so many amazing sites I didn't get to see this time around!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New Friends! - I met some amazing people during this conference that truly made my experience so much richer!

**Sending a special prayer to all the local NOLA bloggers I met this weekend and for the entire city of New Orleans as Isaac is about to hit during the 7th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, please join me in sending prayers and positive thoughts to the people of New Orleans, Florida and all in the eye of the storm!**

This past week has given me so much to be grateful for, so much new knowledge, new ideas and new inspiration, I feel I've come home *renewed* and with a renewed sense of passion for what it is I do best!

I actually took over 250 pictures, and it will take awhile to sort and watermark them, but I've already started my pinterest board for the conference and included the pictures used in this post, you will see more photos on that board in the coming weeks!  (Bloggers that attended Niche Mommy and want to use any of the photos should feel free, please be sure to credit Ascending Butterfly and link to us! And if you are also open to sharing your Niche Mommy photos, please post the link to them  here!)

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 - Giveaways will be back very soon, including our two favorite regular features that took a mini-hiatus this summer, The Featured Handbag in the Spotlight, and our Monthly Book Club! And look for a fun Britax Giveaway which I will post very SOON!

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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?  I am a member of the Britax Latina Advisory Board and Hispanic Social Outreach Blogger Campaign via Mami Innovative Media, being part of this ambassadorship does come with copensation and incentives, however my opinions are 100% my own. I am not required to share my experiences about the Niche Mommy Conference or New Orleans, nor am I being compensated to do so. I did enjoy the conference and the City and am happy to share my experiences!

Wordless Wednesday: #GettingGorgeous During #BlogHer12 Edition

As promised Butterflies here are some more photos from my BlogHer 2012 experience, this week I thought I'd focus solely on the Getting Gorgeous event that was held offsite at The Warwick Hotel. As I was working BlogHer this time around, I couldn't stay as long as I would have normally and didn't get to meet every brand there, but I did have fun with the brands I did meet! Some years I wonder what I look forward to more, is it BlogHer itself or is it Getting Gorgeous? Probably an even mix of both, but I will say the Getting Gorgeous event is one I will gladly miss out on conference time for, with pleasure!

Getting Gorgeous founders Audrey McClelland and Vera Sweeney

Ascending Butterfly at Getting Gorgeous Event During BlogHer12

Coldwater Creek showed off a variety of fall fashions and attendees got to try on jeans and were also gifted with a pair sent straight to our homes. I cannot wait for these to arrive, I selected the 'trouser style' jeans! Isn't that brown 'blanket inspired' jacket FAB?

Easy Closets gave away jewelry organizers and showed off their amazing closet designs, I so need a closet makeover! I wish my closet was as organized as the demo closet!

Downy Infusions offered a super fun photo booth, you  know I had to ham it up!

Ascending Butterfly at #PopCapMoms Booth

I also met CVS, Mabels Labels and UnderBrella as well, but I didn't get a photo! Did you attend Getting Gorgeous During BlogHer12 too? I'd love to see your photos too, please feel free to post your link here!

Butterflies, I'm off to the inaugural year of Niche Mommy 2012 thanks to my fantastic sponsor Britax! I am filled with tons of pre-trip excitement, I can't wait to hit the big easy, New Orleans here I come!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterfly!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I was under no obligation to share my event recap. I was not a sponsored blogger during BlogHer either, this recap is my own personal experiences at an offsite event during the BlogHer12 Conference.

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!

Laissez les bons temps rouler - Let the Good Times Roll

Today would be a day that would make Marie Antoinette smile, she could declare freely 'Let them eat cake!' - a King Cake that is!

Those in Louisiana today are enjoying Mardi Gras and the rest of us are living vicariously watching it on TV and hopefully enjoying some King Cake anyway!

How are you spending your final day of Carnival? If you aren't in New Orleans or Rio, it may not be as big a deal for you. And for others, midnight tonight marks the begining of Lent, with tomorrow being Ash Wednesday. Some are observing 'Shrove Tuesday' today burning Palm Fronds from the previous year's Palm Sunday today to create the ashes that will be used on Ash Wednesday tomorrow.

I know this is also traditionally a day where Pancakes are enjoyed in the morning. Whether you are celebrating today so you can begin the season of Lent tomorrow, or are spending the day in more quiet observance and prayer, take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures today, you will find them equally as meaningful!

How are you spending your Fat Tuesday? 

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