Whether you chose to #DOAC by day or enjoy #DOACNightlife, you can't go wrong at #AtlanticCity this summer!

#DOACNightlife Bus

I have spent a lot of time the last two weeks visiting one of my favorite places, Atlantic City. Both by night, on an Atlantic City bound Party Bus enjoying the City's Nightlife, and then again by day, exploring great eats, the boardwalk, beach, casinos, pools and more!

And of course when I find something I love I just have to share it!

My visits out there were actually so extensive I am going to split this into multiple posts, and the pictures that didn't make this post you will be able to find on our Pinterest Page on our 'Travel' Pinterest Board. I was trying to make separate boards for each place I visit, but I think it's easier to drop them all in Travel and then just label where each picture was taken!

DJ Nigel Richards keeps tunes & fun flowing on the AC Party Bus!

I boarded the Party Bus above a bit skeptical about how fun Atlantic City Nightlife would be on a Monday night, and I can tell you they don't call it a 'party bus' for nothing my friends, we actually had not one, but three DJ's on board (I would say four technically, but no one knew they had #TheOfficialTwitterPartyDJ on board and I kept that one to myself!), and the 45-foot 'Nightclub-on-Wheels' provided us a curated experience,our own bartender, and a guide to keep the group organized and show us around the city.

Steve kept the Beverages coming! :)

Below: The bus can carry up to 30 passengers and we definitely had a full house and a great atmosphere!

Below: Our first stop was the Hard Rock at Taj Mahal in Atlantic City to have some drinks and a bite to eat!

The picture above was actually taken during my day trip the following week (just thought you'd like to see it from the outside)

Below: Here are some more photos taken at The Hard Rock in Atlantic City:

Above: Couldn't resist getting a shot of this fun neon sign which reads: No Drugs or Nuclear Weapons Allowed Inside

Below: I always like to remind folks, to 'look up', here is the view up above our heads, it reads "Love All Serve All"

Below: Check out the cool guitar above the bar:

Below: Keith Richards Memorabilia at The Hard Rock Atlantic City

Below: Loved the look of the cool stained glass:

We also got to visit the popular night spot Mur Mur at Borgata! But before our group had to depart we had to leave our mark:

I got to return for what was supposed to be an overnight trip, there was a few of us up there and we were assigned to different Casinos, we got Trump Plaza, and I extended my trip and added on a night at Tropicana Hotel and Casino!

On the way to Trump Plaza on the Boardwalk, Atlantic City

Below: View from our room's window:

Below: After getting settled, it was off on a private jitney as a cocktail reception at the Pool awaited us at Golden Nugget Atlantic City:

Above: Trying to re-create the magic of my shot from 2012, not bad right? This is the view when you look up while sitting poolside, pretty sweet right?

Above: Look up! Check out the chandeliers in the lobby while on my way up the escalator!

Above: The H2O Bar, Poolside at Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Above: DO AC welcomes bloggers

Above: Crowdtap welcomes bloggers

Above: The Ascending Butterfly Editorial Team enjoying the View at the Cocktail Reception at Golden Nugget Atlantic City!

Above: I snapped this shot while I was seated, look at the cool reflection in the clouds of this shot (see the people's reflection on the upper right? And a Way to Go to Golden Nugget, that's how clear the glass I was sitting behind actually was!)

My Take:

I had an amazing time on both the DO AC Nightlife Party Bus and my CrowdTap Atlantic City Experience Sampling, so much so that I extended my stay and stayed at Trump Plaza courtesy of CrowdTap, then at Tropicana the next day on my own, there was so much to see and do both by day and by night! I have been visiting Atlantic City pretty much monthly since I turned 21 as there is always something to see and do and it's literally super easy to get there by bus from the City, it has always been one of my favorite 'staycation' destinations and one I always enjoy especially during Summer. If it's been awhile since you've been there, you should definitely check it out, and visit the Do Atlantic City website to check out events and happenings so you can  plan your trip!

There is so much more I got to see and do that I will have to recap this adventure in multiple posts, so consider this an overview, and know there is more to come!

What is your favorite Vacation Spot Butterflies?

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FTC Disclosure:  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. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Crowdtap and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Winners Announcement + Sneak Peek, Guess what's coming up this week?

A special thanks to our Sponsors Jockey, Purex, and Trop50,  for sponsoring such awesome giveaways! Here are our lucky winners:

We have two very lucky winners:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tamara B. - Winner of the Full Size Purex Crystals + Jockey Sports Bra Giveaway! Ended 01/20

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Chelsea R.  - Winner of the Trop 50 True Resolutions + $50 Spa Week Gift Card Giveaway! Ended 01/31

Join me in congratulating our winners! We hosted the Trop50 giveaway as a Flash giveaway using Rafflecopter and apparently butterflies you really like Rafflecopter! If the Amway giveaway does just as well as the Trop50 Flash Giveaway did, we will continue to use Rafflecopter as a method of giveaway entry, so if you like Rafflecopter, show it by giving our Amway Rafflecopter Giveaway LOTS of love!

And for those of you who tweeted and posted on Duane Reade's Facebook Page regarding my NYC VIP Blogger entry nomination, THANK YOU, I most certainly appreciate it. Many of you that weren't entering a giveaway here did it too and you have no idea just how much it meant to me to see that!

New giveaway coming soon! (Bet you want a hint right? Check out the picture with the Christmas theme on this page HERE, there is something in that picture that will appear as a giveaway this week! Can you guess what it is?)

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Ascending Butterfly received the products mentioned above free of charge for editorial consideration, and is also eligible for additional incentives as part of the Trop50 campaign. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commisions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Our full Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy can be found HERE.

{CLOSED} Trop 50 True Resolutions + $50 Spa Week Gift Card Giveaway! Ends 01/31

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Trop50! We look forward to working with you again. The winner is: Entry #139 Chelsea R. Chelsea will receive one $50 Spa Week Gift Card. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Ascending Butterfly's New Year, New You! Giveaway #3, sponsored by:

Trop50 wants to know about your resolutions, and you can get a $1 off coupon for their Trop50 juice beverages just for telling them, but you have to act FAST, as this promotion ends SOON (and by soon, I mean 01/31/12).

One of my resolutions is to continue with my weight loss progress and I did really well last year just by making recipe substitutions in addition to adding fitness games that I play using my Wii. I even found a great beverage substitution that doesn't require me to give up on the fresh taste I love with Trop50. It gets its name because it uses 50% less sugar and calories but it's the same great Tropicana fresh Orange Juice flavor I already know and love.

I'm not a coffee or tea person, so I start my morning every morning with OJ and Tropicana is definitely my preferred brand, I have always loved that it's never made from concentrate and contains no artificial sweeteners.

Each 8oz glass will give you 100% of your day's Vitamin C in addition to being a good source of Thiamin, Potassium, Vitamin E and Vitamin A. And the Trop 50 No Pulp with Calcium and Vitamin D Orange Juice, is an excellent source of calcium as well. Your doctor may even tell you that you don't need an additional Calcium supplement on top of it. I love when I can make a substitution that is good for me and still tastes good.

To get the word and to help you stick with your New Year's Resolutions Trop50 has some fun promotions going on, the first is to visit their facebook app here: http://facebook.com.trop50 and tell them your resolution, you can print out a $1 off coupon after you share your resolution (in fact that's the mandatory entry in our giveaway), then you can enter to win one of FOUR, yes 4 $1,000 Gift Cards to help make 2012 your most fabulous year ever. AND if that weren't enough, you also have a shot at winning a $50 Spa Week Gift Card Right HERE. Now that's what I call a win/win situation!

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below, if it doesn't load for you, hit refresh! (You can let me know in the comments below if you like using Rafflecopter and would like us to continue using it). Start by pressing the big green button that says '+1 Do It' to get started with the Mandatory Entry! (And if you experience any problems using Rafflecopter to get your daily tweets, no worries, just copy the link to your tweet and leave it as a comment on this post instead!

So Who Is In Your RSS 'Fab Five'?

Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend's wish!

That Phone Isn't the Only One With a Fab Five!

Remember those wireless phone commercials asking 'who is in your fab five'? Well today I ask you 'Who is in your RSS Fab Five?' - Name Five Blogs you make it a point to read daily.

I can't ask you to take up that challenge if I don't do it myself right? (I do hope I'm one of your fab five!)

1) Layla Grace - The Backroom Blog - I absolutely adore Layla Grayce's blog, it's called the 'The Backroom' and while it's not an individual voice, but a corporate one, it manages to give you a welcoming and very personal feel. They really do engage with their readers about almost anything under the sun, holidays, recipes, color schemes, decor, it's just a melange of fab all around, and the graphics are always outstanding. I get home decor ideas from them, enjoy reading the recipes, and each year look forward to their pictures from the Rose Bowl Parade which is apparently right outside their door! They do fun giveaways and polls to also help keep readers engaged and coming back. If you are not currently reading them you should be! Tell them Ascending Butterfly sent you!

2) Kim Coles - I'm definitely not celeb obsessed, and have to admit I rarely even think about what they are up to in their private lives. However when my very first celeb blog follower, Kim Coles, left a comment on Ascending Butterfly it totally blew me away! It truly made me wonder how she even heard of me. After getting over the excitement, I decided to visit her blog also, and I found a voice that was fun and familiar, a sort of big sis and best friend rolled into one. I like that her blog invites readers to 'celebrate their true potential' and she has a section on her site, called 'G.I.F.T.S.' this is an acronym for 'Gratitude, Intention, Forgiveness, Triumphs and Self Love.' This is very much in line with how I try to live my life each and every day. And when I miss a few days, I find myself going back and reading each and every post I have missed. She is incredibly open and honest about her journey, that's a rare gift. Very few people are that willing to truly bare their soul!

3) Angela @ Mommy PR - While I remind you that I am not a mom blogger, I do have nieces and nephews, and a godson. I am always on the lookout for product reviews when it comes to all things related to kiddos. I like to keep up on new trends and products, it helps me score world's coolest Aunt points and makes me feel better knowing what I purchase has been actually road tested and rates highly! I turn to Mommy PR for her great reviews. But she is also an amazing person. She is helpful to other bloggers, and even offers up plenty of opportunties for brands and bloggers to connect. She is happy to SHARE knowledge and make connections, very rare these days! If you don't yet know Angela, you certainly should!

4) Hispanic PR Blog - As a Latina I find it's important to stay abreast of industry trends, to become more savvy about the interest of Corporate America in relation to the Hispanic Community, and as a result, The Hispanic PR Blog is definitely one of my Fab Five! (I also enjoy HispanicBusiness.com, although they are technically a magazine and not a blog!)

While this year has found me more overbooked than ever, these blogs are a must read for me, they are a mixture of different sides of my personality and of my personal and professional interests. I don't always get to read them each day, but when gaps exist, when I do go back, I find myself spending a great deal of time reading over the posts I've missed to get 'caught up' again!

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to support a friend's wish. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

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Active Giveaways!

1) - Ends 01/27 - Spotlight Handbag of the Month: Win Marissa Del Rosario's Leather Prairie Tote in color 'Kaffir' Giveaway! ARV $350! - Enter HERE!

2) - Ends 01/30 - Bearpaw Bella Boot Giveaway! ARV $101! - Enter HERE!

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Advertising Special:

For the month of January only, you can purchase ONE month of  homepage advertising on Ascending Butterfly for only $20.11, send all inquiries to us via our online contact form (you can use this promo during the month of your choice, but it must contracted before 01/30/11 to secure the promo rate!) here:

http://www.contactify.com/2ee21

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FTC Disclosure Info: This is a Sponsored Post. While Tropicana as part of their Trop 50 "Fabulous Five" campaign did sponsor this post, my affection for each blog mentioned is very much sincere! These are five blogs I do make it a point to read daily!