Check out my Holiday Buying Guide #Video #VLOG and interview with @RobertVerdi for my @ProcterGamble #PGHoliday Buying Guide!

Founder and Butterfly-in-Chief of Ascending Butterfly Tracy Iglesias shoots holiday buying gift guide VLOG at Robert Verdi's Luxe Lab in New York City!

Within a few days of each other I spent a week shooting my first ever VLOGs for Ascending Butterfly. I'm much more comfortable sharing my world from behind my camera and from my computer then I am with being in front of the camera or on video, but when I was offered the opportunity to film a Video VLOG for P&G with Lifestyle Expert, Celebrity Stylist and Television Personality, Robert Verdi I jumped at the chance!

Despite four years of keeping myself relatively hidden I knew after the health scare I experienced last year and the horrible way I started 2012 that it was time for me to jump in front of the camera, take risks and really meet life head on! How can you inspire others to come outside their comfort zones and be a good life coach if you don't rise up to challenges that make you uncomfortable in your own life?

The first time I was ever on television I was 5 years old and had won a national competition and the grand prize was an appearance on the television show Romper Room. I hadn't been in front of a camera since. To say I was super nervous, is probably the under-statement of the century! (I think I was a lot more calm when I was five!)

All my nerves were immediately calmed upon entering Robert Verdi's Luxe Laboratory! I was met by the 'Glam Squad' which started with Nails, and I can tell you I gave the manicurist quite a job as my nails were in really sad shape! I picked out a perfect Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in (180 Lasting Love), which was a very close match my signature red lip that I custom blend. This high gloss nail polish does not require a top coat and lasted one week chip free on my nails. No easy feat, because I put my hands and nails through a lot of typing, being in water and I kept expecting that the tips of my nails would chip fast, and was super surprised that they didn't! I also loved that they dried super fast! Later on that same day I got my thumb caught in a zipper of my handbag and it did not smudge, chip, smear or budge, color me impressed!

Then it was on to makeup, I was super happy when the makeup artist chose not to change my lip color, she liked my custom red so much she left it alone! That's quite a compliment!

Luxe lab stylist uses Aussie Hair Care Products to style Ascending Butterfly for Video Shoot!

From nails it was straight to hair where Aussie Hair Care products were used on my hair and my hair was expertly flat ironed to glossy fabulousness!

Left: Ascending Butterfly Founder and Butterfly-in-Chief Tracy alongside Right: Robert Verdi - of course as soon as the flash went off I closed my eyes!

Then I got a chance to meet Robert Verdi and it was on to the first of two video shoots! I love that Robert is exactly the same way you see on Television, he is super warm, friendly and totally approachable. He instantly put me at ease!

Ascending Butterfly and Robert Verdi all smiles during the P&G #PGHoliday Gift Buying Guide Video VLOG Shoot!

See, I really can keep my eyes open! In the first of the two videos shot, Robert interviews me and asks me about my tips for holiday shopping, here is the video:



Just in case it doesn't play nicely for you or you'd prefer to view it directly on YouTube you can just click HERE, but don't forget to come back and watch the second video!

Not bad considering I had literally run to the lab after covering an event with Jordin Sparks (if you missed our recap coverage of that event, press HERE).

After the Questions and Answers video with Robert, it was time for the main video, the Holiday Buying Guide VLOG! Here is the video:



 
The products I selected include:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  -  Lulu Lemon 'Daily Om Duffel' (perfect for gym, travel or daily commuters like me!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  -  Cambridge 'The Metallics' Satchel in Metallic Rose Gold (perfect for New Years Eve!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  -  Olay Pro X Advanced Cleansing Skincare System
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - P&G Little Luxuries Gift Set (available at your local drugstore, you know, like the one I am a blogger brand ambassador for maybe? :)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - UGG Womens Great Jones Earmuff W/Speaker Technology (Perfect for those cold winters to keep jack frost from nipping at your ears while still listening to music on the go. This matches my new Jacket and Gloves!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - I also picked Diane Von Furstenberg Headphones in the 'Stone Leopard Red' Print, paired with gloves that allow for smartphone use and I love how cleverly the fingers of the gloves are stuffed with Covergirl Outlast Lipsticks in each finger, what teenage girl wouldn' t love that bundle?
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - I also loved the quirky yellow rubbery iPod Portable Speaker! (Needless to say that the #TwitterPartyDJ is always on the lookout for great music accessories!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - And don't forget your Tide to go Instant Stain Remover sticks, I have one in my handbag at all times and keep one in my desk at work and at home, they really do work! I've had all kinds of things spilled on me during events and these have kept favorite outfits from being ruined!

Get Social With it:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - Follow @ProcterGamble on Twitter and use the hashtag #PGHoliday
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - Follow @RobertVerdi on Twitter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - Like on P&G Beauty on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  - Like Robert Verdi on Facebook

Here is the pro shot of myself and Robert Verdi after both videos were shot:

That's A Wrap!

My Take:

I greatly enjoyed my day filming the #PGHoliday Gift Buying Guide, and I will never forget meeting Robert Verdi! Robert helped make my first time back on camera after so many years fun, Thank You Robert! Finding the right gift and staying within budget isn't always easy but with the P&G Little Luxuries Gift Sets you can knock out some of those 'hard to shop fors' with something that is thoughtful and within budget,  for Holidays 2012 P&G has got you covered!

Happy Holidays Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post, no monetary compensation has been received for shooting this video VLOG. All opinions are 100% my own.

April 19, 2012 - National High Five Day! Can you High Five for Cancer Research? @NH5D

My friends at Hayneedle tweeted out today that it was National High Five Day and I thought they were joking so I thought I'd look it up, and lo and behold they were right! But it's high fiving with a purpose and a cause, and you know how much Ascending Butterfly loves using the power of social media for social good right? Well the National High Five Project is using the power of the High Five to raise money for Cancer Research.

Giving 55 high fives on National High Five Day helps to raise money for Cancer Research! Pretty cool right? You'll get your own registration page to customize with your picture and your personal goal for how much you hope to raise for cancer research. Send it to friends and family and ask them to make donations to your page (if they do, they'll be entered in drawings for fun prizes).

Approximately 2 in 5 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. All of us have, or will, be affected by a cancer diagnosis in some way. The money raised by this event goes to four cutting-edge research institutes trying to cure cancer once and for all: The Gateway For Cancer Research, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

So high five today to help those with Cancer come closer to a cure! Kudos to Hayneedle for sharing about this initiative with their followers!

If you missed it, you can read all about my Tide Loads of Hope countdown to Earth Day with Celebrity Television Personality Vanessa Lachey HERE, and learn how YOU can win a Maytag Washer and Dryer. And also, don't forget to RSVP for our upcoming #HHMilkBank Twitter Party on April 24th at 9pm EST/6pm PST with great prizes!

Happy Thursday, and Happy National High Five Day Butterfly!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No compensation has been received to share regarding the National High Five Day Initiative and all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Not So Wordless Wednesday: My day with Vanessa Lachey in NYC!

The butterfly was out and about today and got a chance to celebrate Earth Week in New York City learning about a super easy way to greatly impact the environment!

The clever folks at Future Friendly from Procter & Gamble makers of household products that include Tide Coldwater, Duracell Rechargeable, Cascade Action Packs, Dawn Ultra, Prilosec OTC, PUR and Pampers Cruisers hosted a fun countdown to Earth Day event in New York City which featured Tide Coldwater Laundry Detergent, Maytag® Bravos XL® HE Top Load Washer and Dryer and their spokesperson and celebrity host, the very personable Mrs. Vanessa Lachey, host of the ABC television series Wipeout.

One of my favorite quotes from Vanessa was:

"This is a realistic change that everyone can do."

As a shespeaks VIP blogger at the Take A Load Off event, my day began with a pick up from NYC Green Car, an eco friendly car service that provides a fleet of advanced hybrid only vehicles for corporations who want to cut back on their carbon footprint. And this being a very small world, my driver actually lives only 4 blocks from me! You can connect with them on twitter @nycgreencar

Arriving a bit early gave me the opportunity to re-connect with some of my favorite bloggers including: @dancinghotdogs, @jenwag57,  @TinaSeitzinger, @MomMostTraveled (a fellow Duane Reade VIP Blogger!),  @SweetiesSweeps,  @barrettboys and more! (Apologies, I normally provide blog links, but twitter links were just so much faster, you can link to all their blogs via their twitter pages!).

TIDE COLDWATER

Developed by P&G to work most effectively in cold water conditions, Tide Coldwater Laundry Detergent ranked among the top detergents by a leading consumer group. It is specially formulated with different enzymes and surfactant which allows for effective cleaning in cold water and also allows consumers to live more sustainably and save money without sacrificing the results they expect from a leading brand such as Tide.

MAKE THE SWITCH TO TIDE COLDWATER

Switching to a cold water laundry detergent is such a win-win. You are cutting down on household energy use and saving money while doing something good for the environment.

Many people are hesitant because they feel only warm water kills germs, but one of the most interesting quotes from the event came from Jack English, Senior Scientist at The Procter & Gamble company who said:

"The Dryer uses heat to kill germs, but most washers don't unless they are set to 140 degrees, for the most part the germs are really being killed in the heat of your dryer"

Utilizing 'Catalytic Chemistry', the enzymes are allowing Tide Coldwater to clean just as effectively as warm water washing cycles.

So before I get to what makes Wordless Wednesday so great, the PICTURES, I know you must be thinking 'But Butterfly, what's in this for ME?', and I'm so glad you asked!

Take A Load Off Sweepstakes!

P&G is inviting consumers to pledge to wash in cold water for a chance to win some awesome prizes in their Take A Load Off Sweepstakes. Between now and May 13, 2012 enter daily for a shot at weekly prizes that include a Maytag® Bravos XL® HE Top Load Washer and Dryer and Tide Coldwater Detergent to help you keep up your pledge in high laundry style!

My VIP Blogging experience continued with a special lunch, roundtable and Q&A with Vanessa Lachey! Vanessa is a mommy to be, and it was very clear that protecting our environment to ensure the safety of her coming little one is important to her, she was super down to earth, and spends time online herself seeking out tips to help set up a safe nursery. I am sharing some awesome photos from todays event, the photos without the Ascending Butterfly watermark are from PR firm Citizen Paine and are being used here WITH their permission, please check with them before borrowing any photos. The watermarked photos were taken by Ascending Butterfly and the same applies, please contact us for use of any of our photos. You can press on each photo individually to make them open up bigger and then hit backspace to come back to the main article.

Vanessa Lachey, Take A Load Off Event in New York City, April 18, 2012

Above: This was one of my favorite shots, and I'm pretty stoked it came out so clear because I had to use a bit of zoom to get in this close, and usually when I zoom the shots get grainy. Thankfully all that time in the hospital I didn't loose my photographic touch!

 Vanessa Lachey, Take A Load Off Event in New York City, April 18, 2012

Above: Vanessa's actually quite a ham, and there were a few times where she took quirky, fun shots and I was happy I was able to catch one of those moments from my awkward vantage point.

Vanessa Lachey, Take A Load Off Event in New York City, April 18, 2012

Left: Jack English, Tide and Right: Vanessa Lachey

Above: This picture was taken during the lunch roundtable Q&A session. On the left is P&G Senior Scientist, Jack W. English. On the Right, Celebrity Spokesperson, Vanessa Lachey. At the Sagaponack Bar & Grill in the Flatiron District in New York City. 

Above: Group Shot with She Speaks VIP Bloggers and Celebrity Host, Vanessa Lachey. For those playing 'Spot the Butterfly', I'm standing on the very right in a wine colored jacket!

 A few pro shots:

So now you have a full peak into my day with Vanessa Lachey! Hope you decide to take the Pledge too!

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FTC Disclosure: I am blogging on behalf of SheSpeaks/Tide and received VIP perks for attending this event. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent Review

The Power of Tide and Cold, that's right COLD Water!

There are certain things I don't compromise with when I shop, brands I refuse to substitute and my laundry detergent is one of them. I have always used Tide, it's what was used in my house growing up and now I still use it. For one simple reason. It works.

I am a SheSpeaks.com member and was invited to participate in their Tide Coldwater Challenge. I gladly accepted because I already knew I could trust Tide. And unfortunately I have been taking this challenge for years now without exactly wanting to. My apartment and regular hot water just don't always happen, so many times I start my load of laundry in hot water, and the load ends up being washed in cold water anyway. So my Tide was already proving itself in cold water before they put out a special Cold Water version.

Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent, is specially formulated to help get clothes clean when they are washed in cold water. Washing in cold water is one small step you can take in your daily life to help conserve energy and save money on your utility bill! To think I've been doing this for quite awhile without even meaning to!

Can washing in cold water get your laundry just as clean? I can definitely tell you, yes it can! Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent was just as effective on my wash as the regular formulation. When I have a stain, I use it to pre-treat the way I normally would and find the stains gone when I'm done. And one of my favorite cold water tests is that my favorite PJ's don't fade or shrink. And the biggest test for me is how white my whites come out, especially in cold water using the new formulation. I'm happy to say my whites do come out very bright even washing them in cold water with the Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent! (And if you run around doing Zumba for Wii at home on your hardwood floors wearing white socks, you need to be able to rely on your detergent to get your whites super bright!)

I am hoping to try out the Pods next (anything to avoid lugging heavy detergent bottles up five flights of stairs!) Keep up with Tide on Facebook to check out what promotions they are currently running and follow them on Twitter too! You can also keep up with all things She Speaks on Facebook too!

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FTC Disclosure: I received a Tide Coldwater Liquid Detergent sample, resources and promotional item from SheSpeaks.com to help facilitate this review. All Opinions are 100% my own.

Gratitude, Re-Discovery, and Getting Gorgeous 2011 New York City!

As you know Sunday is usually dedicated to my 'Sunday Moment of Gratitude' post, but trust me this ties in! My birthday is April 4th, and this weekend has been very much all about me, in the best way possible.

I've been trying despite all the stresses lately to devote a little more time to myself and my own needs. And this weekend I attended an event that dove tailed perfectly with my current theme of taking more time for myself, and discovering who I am under the layers of 'title', 'roles' and 'responsibilities'.

I greatly remember 'younger' me, she was a lot more fun. She spent more time on her face and hair, she had a thing for great shoes and handbags. Well this birthday I decided to 're-discover young me' again. And cast aside the thoughts of guilt that come when you take time away from one area to give it to another. This weekend I took some much needed me time, and met some great brands in the process.

This is my second Getting Gorgeous Event. The first, was last year at BlogHer 2010 in New York City. This year's event started with me checking in my coat, getting a special wristband (for my goodie bag on the way out) and being handed a Mimosa! Simply Orange Juice provided attendees with a fantastic afternoon Mimosa! I couldn't actually remember the last time I had one. (Check number one for rediscovering fun Tracy).

I had a chance to circulate in the place that is somehow slowly but surely becoming my home away from home, The Metropolitan Pavilion! (Many of my Fashion Week Photos were taken here!)  I had the chance to meet some great brands and do tons of things I normally don't do like eat Hummus (my family is going to gasp here, I'm not the biggest garbonzo bean lover and usually shy away from anything which contains it), somehow BJ's got me to try a Guacamole and Hummus Hybrid Dip, and I discovered it's delicious! (Being Adventurous, Check number 2 for rediscovering fun Tracy).

Midway in, I passed a tempting tower of cupcakes provided by Georgetown Cupcakes and decided to sit a spell and try one out. (Cupcakes before dinner, I'm smelling a check 3 here!)

Another highlight was meeting the Tide reps who handed me a Tide 2 Go mini sample and me breaking out laughing, I reached into my handbag and pulled out my full size Tide 2 Go which I never leave home without. I compared it to an American Express, which made them laugh so hard I couldn't help but laugh too! It's like they had me in mind when they invented it. Even when I change handbags, my Tide 2 Go always come with me. I can't tell you how many outfits that thing has saved. How many times have you gone out and had someone spill a drink on you, or a waiter/waitress accidentally put the plate too close to you and get food on your shirt. (and why is it usually your favorite white shirt?) (I’d say a check 4 here for laughter!)

Another table that was memorable for me was Sarah Potempa because she actually made us work for our goodie bag! She did a celeb hair trivia game that was super fun! When I light the candle I won I am sure I am going to remember her!

As you can see from the photo above, I also had the chance to get my picture taken with a life size standee of Brooke Elliott who plays lead character Jane Bingum on the Lifetime TV Series Drop Dead Diva! I love that show! I wish they would have also had a Standee of Margaret Cho who portrays Jane’s fiery Assistant, Teri Lee, I would have definitely posed for that picture as well! I have this thing for taking photos with mascots or standees! (Drop Dead Diva Moment, definitely a check Five!)

Another fun time was had meeting the reps from Sandals! ‘Fun Tracy’ (the one I’m trying to reconnect with!) usually visits a warm, sunny beach vacation each winter. Responsible Tracy has not had her annual beach vacation in 2 years so speaking with the Sandals Reps was a bit bittersweet, as now I’m having visions of sun, sand and fun floating in my head! I’ll be dreaming of Turks and Caicos this birthday weekend!

There were tons of fabulous brands in attendance including: Tide, Hanes, Simply Orange Juice, Dream Water, Goody Hair, Miraclebody, Shopafrolic, BJs Wholesale, Lifetime Moms, Weight Watchers, Hair Room Service, Amy Tara Koch, Sandals Resorts, Georgetown Cupcakes, Belli and great brands in the gift bags including: Affresh, Nyx Cosmetics, Smashbox (great friends of Ascending Butterfly, we love all things Smashbox), Sue Devitt, Restaurant.com, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Studio Jewel (Lisa Lehmann Designs included a pair of totally fab earrings), Lichi Supplements, Soft Lips, Secret Sleeves, Nick Chavez (his fantastic wet/dry conditioning spray was included in the gift bags), and while I was not able to get my hair done by Hair Room Service (which I would have loved since my big day is coming up!), they did provide great hair samples as well!).

The title sponsor of the event was Degree Women, and I’d like to thank them in addition to the other sponsors and exhibitors for supporting the efforts of Getting Gorgeous, a woman owned events business that does fantastic work connecting bloggers and brands! Degree provided samples of the NEW Degree Women Deodorant with motionSENSE, which I am looking forward to trying out!

I had a fantastic time, and it was a great way to spend my pre-birthday! I like to do goal setting on my birthday instead of New Year’s Eve, and the time I spent at Getting Gorgeous, is a perfect reminder that this year one the biggest goals I plan to set for myself is better work/life balance and increasing the time I spend on myself.

As for me, this ‘drop dead diva’ plans to make everday a perfect excuse for ‘getting gorgeous’, care to Join me?

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FTC Disclosure Info: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products and the brands listed are expressly my own experiences. Getting Gorgeous organizers are hosting a giveaway for attendees who post a recap of the event to have a chance to win $500, this post is my entry for that giveaway, however all experiences cited are my own with each brand. I did receive a gift bag for attending.