A @DrMayaAngelou inspired #MotivationMonday

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty" ~Maya Angelou

I was born on April 4th just like Maya Angelou and hers is one of my absolute favorite butterfly quotes. Many of my butterflies noticed I changed my personal Twitter Account to the image above and I thought it would make the perfect Motivation Monday this week. And a special thanks to all the butterflies out there who email me quotes, pictures and poems they find about Butterflies, I cherish them all!

Being a butterfly is about transformation and change, but often we neglect to reflect upon the changes that get us to where we are and who we are at this very moment.

It's OK to be in transition right now butterflies. I know some of you don't feel like you are in the place you belong, or the skin you feel comfortable in, but I can promise you that it's all for a reason. These shifts, transitions and sometimes setbacks and detours are all an important parts of the process.

This Ascending Butterfly definitely mourns the loss of Maya Angelou, but I know her words are a legacy that will plant a seed of greatness in generations to come.

I hope these words will serve as a reminder to be kinder to those around you - we are all in different stages of our transitions butterflies - let's show more empathy to both our fellow caterpillars and butterflies today!

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FTC Dislcosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post.

#ThrowbackThursday - My Great-Grandmother! {#Photo} #TBT

This is my maternal Great-Grandmother. She is part of the reason I started Ascending Butterfly. When she moved here she greatly missed home and she planted a small flower box garden on her windowsill. She had the most amazing green thumb and her flowers would attract butterflies. My love of butterflies started with her. And to this day a butterfly crossing my path is usually one of three things, someone I love saying hello from beyond, a stroke of good luck or a major change (which makes sense as butterflies are the symbols of transformation).

I love Throwback Thursday almost as much as I love Wordless Wednesday! I love checking out everyone's photos, so if you are playing along today for Throwback Thursday I'd love to see your pictures too, leave a comment below with your link and I'll hop over and say Hi! (Please remember we do moderate comments, no giveaway links for Wordless Wednesday or Throwback Thursday Please!)

Happy Throwback Thursday Butterflies, hope you enjoyed my visit down memoryville lane!

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FTC: This is NOT a Sponsored Post! But should a camera company ever wish to upgrade me so I can take even better photos who am I to say no? ;-)

Last Day of 2013! Bye Bye 2013 and WELCOME 2014! #NYE

Life is to short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people

who treat you right,

Forget about the ones who don't.

And believe that everything happens for a reason.

if you get a chance,

TAKE IT.

If it changes your life,

LET IT

Nobody said that it would be easy.

They just promised it would be worth it.

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And if something like the image below is on your agenda for tonight, please be careful and safe butterflies. Don't get behind the wheel under the influence, and don't get in any car if you feel the driver is inebriated!

Gogo Shop on Etsy

HAPPY NEW YEAR BUTTERFLY!!!

If you are creating an online vision board, I'd love to see it! If you are game to share yours, please post the link as a comment below!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. This is NOT a compensated post. Happy New Year Everyone! 

{#MotivationMonday with #Butterflies} - Cultivate the habit of being grateful!

Happy Motivation Monday! The holidays countdown has begun!

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FTC Dislclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!

Motivation Monday: Are you willing to give up being a caterpillar Edition + We have a winner!

How does one become a butterly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar. ~ Trina Paulus

Motivation Monday:

Sometimes we really do have to shed the skin that is comfortable and venture straight into the unknown to make the significant changes we seek in our lives to feel fulfilled.

It's hard to give up what we know, why?

(1) It's comfortable

(2) We went through a lot just to get here, so we don't always want to embrace change

(3) The Unknown can be big and scary

But Ascending to a new level is a part of our journey, one we are not always pysched about, but often times it's just plain necessary. We learn how strong we are only at times we are challenged, only during the moments of growth that aren't always so willing to embrace. So instead of change forcing itself upon you, embrace it yourself and make small changes each day so that when your moment comes to give up being a caterpillar, you will be ready! Being an Ascending Butterfly means always being on a journey to rise higher than you were before.

We have a winner! 

Congratulations to Milena B. (entry #27) winner of the Smooth Jazz Cruise Rafflcopter Giveaway for this Wednesday's Phil Perry sail! If you didn't win this time, no worries, our friends at Smooth Jazz will be back very soon for the rewind sail in October which has a really great lineup, you won't want to miss it! (And by the way the winning entry was a twitter entry, so always make sure you rack up as much extra credit as you can per giveaway because you never know which of your entries is the one that will win! Extra Credit really pays off!)

Active Giveaway:

Don't forget to get in your entry for a $100 shopping spree to In Bloom, this giveaway closes soon and you've got to be in it to win it!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!

Motivation Monday: Aphrodite: Inner Goddess Edition!

I love the message on this Aphrodite Tarot Card:

"Awaken the Goddess within you through dance, self-care, and appreciating your divinity"

On this motivation Monday do something to care for and awaken the Goddess within you, whether it's a full blown day in the spa, or just a long bath and lit candle. Nurture yourself today butterflies, your inner Goddess will thank you! (And Guys this applies to YOU too! Do something that makes you feel alive and happy!)

Happy Motivation Monday Butterfly - Wishing you a day of awakened divinity and inner light!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!

Happy Butterfly Fourth of July! - New York City Style!

Wishing you a fun filled day of happiness, fireworks and butterflies in the sky!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post! Have a Happy Holiday!

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly Silent Edition!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. Shhh.....it's Wordless Wednesday!

Motivation Monday: 'A Good Life' Edition!

Sometimes we just need a little butterfly to remind us that we really do have a Good Life, and we just need to celebrate it!

Happy Motivation Monday Butterflies, let your wings take flight this week!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Make it Earth Week - Check out the Earth Day and Family Friendly title @Disneynature 'Wings of Life' on Video!

Whether you spend Earth Day outdoors or indoors, if you are looking for a fun way to engage the entire family, I would recommend Disneynature's Wings Of Life available now on Blu-ray Combo Pack and HD Digital.

The Movie opens with an amazing quote: 

"Life Depends on the Little Things We Take For Granted."

The theme unfolds in a series of stunning displays of Nature at it's absolute finest while exploring the  intersection of animal and plant worlds and how they are all inter-dependent on one another. Disneynature is the same studio behind the popular titles "Earth", "Oceans", "African Cats" and "Chimpanzee".

The latest release, "Wings of Life" is narrated by Meryl Streep, and her narration has an incredibly soothing quality to it that makes the narration from one scene to the other feel effortless and easy.

It is an intimate look into the world of butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, bats and flowers, a third of the world's food supply depends on these amazing creatures. Creatures that are increasingly threatened.

Check out the Clip Monarch Wings of Life:


Monarch - Wings of Life on Disney Video

There are so many ways to help enhance the movie and activities you can do with your child to help integrate what they see and learn in the movie and help to bring the message home!

Teach Your Children to Plant and Care for us.

and if you don't have a Garden, or are an apartment dweller, you can join in the fun too:

Plant Us In a Window Box!

Some Go Green Reminders:

Go Local, Support Your Organic Farmers and Beekeepers!

Join a Neighborhood Cooperative Garden!

and I have to admit this one, is one of my favorite tips:

Plant us alongside roadways. The land there is open to everyone!

Wouldn't you rather see flowers than trash along the roadways?

Plant us in a backyard or a rooftop Garden!

and you know Ascending Butterfly is all for this tip:

Bring Back the Monarchs, Plant Milkweed!

There are tons of great butterfly sightings in the movie:

Seeing the Monarch Butterflies in the trees and watching them fly off is one of the most visually impactful moments in the movie, it looks at first as if the butterflies are just leaves that begin to change color for Fall, but the butterflies are actually so plenty in number that they can literally bend the tree!

Watching the Caterpillar change into a Butterfly is another one of my favorite scenes in this movie, it's captured in such amazing detail, and is one of the most amazing transformations in nature!

Even those pesky picnic pests, Bees, have an important role in Nature as they are the pollinators that keep the flowers blooming by helping them to achieve what they cannot do on their own.

The movie ends with a song that says "Where there is life there is love and hidden beauty"

My Take:

The cinematography is breath-taking, and this family friendly movie has a lesson in it for all ages, this has to be the perfect way to bring a bit of Earth Day home!

Get Social:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Disneynature on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Disneynature on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For more beautiful Nature Photos, Follow Disneynature on Pinterest too!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - And you can catch all things Disney Trailers on YouTube too!

Enhance the Learning with The Educational Kit:

What 'Green' Thing Did You Do For Earth Day?

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FTC Disclosure: Disneynature provided Ascending Butterfly with a DVD for editorial consideration, all opinions are 100% my own. 

I'm Celebrating Easter with Hershey's, and you can too!

While church has always been an Easter Tradition in our family, my fondest 'after church' memories include dying Easter Eggs, then hunting for said colorful Eggs, and of course my Easter Basket (or as I remember it, multiple baskets! Grandparents RULE!)

Right: Little Ascending Butterfly!

Above: Me and my best friend dying Easter Eggs! Let's not discuss what year this was! (Special thanks to Mama Butterfly who gets the photo credit for taking this picture! And for letting me borrow it for this story!)

I don't know about you butterflies, but some things never change! I still love decorating the eggs, and I still love Easter Baskets! This year I'm not celebrating Easter alone, I'm celebrating it with Hershey's!

Hershey's let me customize my own Easter Basket virtually (how cool is that?) and then shortly after it arrived special delivery filled with the treats I had selected! And the basket is only half the fun, if you visit their super cool website you can Celebrate with Hershey's too!

Check out my cool Easter Basket:

Custom Easter Basket from Hershey's!

I took another shot just in case:

Hershey's Custom Easter Basket loaded with sweet treats!

There is something about an Easter Basket that just takes me instantly back to my childhood, all the great memories, me and my friends swapping out treats from each other's baskets, dying and decorating our own eggs, and sometimes being silly and putting two balloons on my head and pretending to be an Easter Bunny!

Hershey's Easter Basket De-Constructed!

My Basket Included:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Reese's Mini Reester Bunnies, each bunny is individually wrapped!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Reese's Peanut Butter Egg

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - York Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties, each piece specially wrapped in Easter Packaging

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses each wrapped in it's own pastel color

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -and a Hershey's Snappy! An all Chocolate Easter Bunny that you can share by 'snapping' off a piece!

And I restrained myself from tearing all the treats open to take a few artistic shots:

It was almost too pretty to tear open!

I could not wait to finish snapping photos to tear into those delicious treats!

But the fun doesn't stop with the basket, on the Celebrate With Hershey's Website they have products, Basket Ideas & Crafts, Recipes, Fun Stuff (like a Happy Easter Screensaver for your Mac or PC), Videos, and a Hershey's Virtual Bunny Trail of Easter tips, memories, and stories from other bloggers across the blogosphere as well!

Happy Easter Butterflies! Bloggers, feel free to post with the link to your Wordless Wednesday photos too so we can hop over to your site and spread the comment love!

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FTC Disclosure: Hershey's provided Ascending Butterfly with one customized Easter Basket for editorial consideration, no monetary compensation has been received and all opinions are 100% my own.

Butterfly Irish Blessing for You! #HappyStPatricksDay

May the wings of the Butterfly Kiss the Sun,

And Find Your Shoulder to Light Upon.

~Irish Blessing

Happy St. Patrick's Day Butterflies! May the luck of the Irish be with you today and always!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!

Wordless Wednesday: I'm like a #butterfly edition!

Graphic Reads: I'm like a Butterfly, Pretty to look at, Hard to Catch!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Bloggers feel free to comment with a link to your Wordless Wednesday Posts so we can visit you too! 

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly Chakra!

Just feeling 'Butterfly Zen' on the advent of my first transformation of the year, details to come!
Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Bloggers post your Wordless Wednesday links here!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!

Wordless Wednesday: Blue Butterfly #Inspiration

In light of this week's events, this seemed like a fitting Wordless Wednesday!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Today's Words of Inspiration: The Greatest Gift!

Butterflies it's super easy to get wrapped up in the 'Gimme!' 'Gimme!' 'Gimme!' during the holiday season, take a moment to reflect on what's truly important to YOU!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!

Wordless Wednesday: Visit to @AudubonZoo during #NicheMommy12 Part 2 of 2! #NOLA

Asian Domain in the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana

I am back to our Wordless Wednesdays from New Orleans series! During the NicheMommy 2012 Blogging Conference in New Orleans I got to sneak in a little time to visit the Audubon Zoo. They brought some of the animals to us, and gave us the opportunity to also visit them! A group of intrepid bloggers headed out for a fun adventure to the Audubon Zoo! We tweeted the Audubon Zoo from the bus on the way over and they tweeted us back! I couldn't fit all my zoo pictures into one post, so I split them and today's focus is on the Asian Domain in the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Check out the cool Elephant Fountain below:

Check out the three elephants in the Asian Domain Area picture below, cool Decorative Fountain!

Close up of one of the Elephant Statues in the Asian Domain area of Audubon Zoo, New Orleans,  Louisiana

Found a lovely spot to Meditate:

Meditating Buddha Statue, Asian Domain, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, Louisiana

Left: Meditating Buddha Statue, Asian Domain, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, Louisiana Right: Ascending Butterfly enjoying a moment of reflection!

The Wordless Wednesday series from New Orleans will continue, we still have the Insectarium, some street signs, some supernatural, and some amazing eats to feature from our Journey to New Orleans! And slowly but surely, all of the pictures taken in New Orleans during Niche Mommy 2012 are being added to our Pinterest Page as well so be sure to check them out. On Pinterest you can see them in their original sizes!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies - Bloggers feel free to link us up to your post too in the comments section below! I look forward to seeing everyone's photos!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received to post my recap of my day at the Audubon Zoo. However ALL bloggers in attendance at the Niche Mommy Blogging Conference were offered tickets. I attended the conference as a guest of Britax. I am a Britax Hispanic Digital Marketing and Outreach Blogger and Blogger Brand Ambassador.

Wordless Wednesday: Visit to @AudubonZoo during #NicheMommy12 Part 1 of 2! #NOLA

Entrance to Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, 2012 Credit @Ascending Butterfly

I am back to our Wordless Wednesdays from New Orleans series! During the NicheMommy 2012 Blogging Conference in New Orleans I got to sneak in a little time to visit the Audubon Zoo. They brought some of the animals to us, and gave us the opportunity to also visit them! A group of intrepid bloggers headed out for a fun adventure to the Audubon Zoo! We tweeted them from the bus on the way over and they tweeted us back!

Dave from The Audubon Zoo shows bloggers in attendance at Niche Mommy a Spider! Photo Credit: @Ascending Butterfly, 2012. Niche Mommy 2012 was held at The Roosevelt, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New Orleans.

Dave from the Audubon Zoo was showing Spiders and other assorted creepy crawlies, he was very close to where I was eating my Seafood Gumbo and I was afraid one of them would jump into my bowl! You can tell how close he was to where I was sitting by the shot, I was seated, and did NOT use zoom to take this picture!

Rose from The Audubon Zoo shows off an Alligator from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans!

Rose offered to let me touch it, but despite that sweet looking smile, I declined! It was lunch time and I figured the smell of food all around might make it hungry and it would confuse my hand for chicken fingers!

Rose from The Audobun Zoo shows off an Alligator from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans!

Thankfully Founder of Niche Mommy Nadia Jones husband wasn't as squeamish and he touched it instead! And to think I once had a Reticulated Python as a pet!

Rose from The Audubon Zoo shows off an Eagle from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans!

Now this guy I wanted to pet, but they wouldn't let us! This Eagle had so much personality!

Rose from The Audobun Zoo shows off an Eagle from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans!

The Eagle was totally taking everything and everyone in!

Rose from The Audubon Zoo shows off an Eagle from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans! Left: Ascending Butterfly, Right: Rose from Audobon Zoo holding an Eagle

Right before this picture was taken, The Eagle looked at me and I moved my head back and then he moved his head back and we were all laughing!

Rose from The Audubon Zoo shows off an Eagle from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans! Left: Maria from http://bloggingbabiesandthebayou.com, Right: Rose from Audubon Zoo holding an Eagle

Maria got to snap my moment with The Eagle and I got to capture hers too! The poor Eagle was probably getting Flash Blinded from all the bloggers getting pictures! He must have felt like a celebrity and thought we were all paparazzi! The zoo offered bloggers at the conference a chance to visit the zoo, aquarium and insectarium too! So Ascending Butterfly and some intrepid fellow bloggers decided to take the city bus to the zoo and check it out! 

Left: Ascending Butterfly making Peace signs! Right: Christina from http://bluekittycool.org/

Here we are hamming it up on the bus and we also tweeted the Zoo to let them know we enjoyed seeing the Animals at Niche Mommy, and that we were on our way!

Left: Maria from http://bloggingbabiesandthebayou.com, and right: Laura from My Three Ring Circus: http://kileigh7.com/

We were super stoked when the zoo tweeted us right back! New Orleans companies have great Social Media community Managers, because when Maria and I visited the Harrahs Casino in New Orleans, they tweeted us right back too! Pretty Impressive!

A beautiful sunny August Day at the Audubon Zoo, New Orleans!

First up: Flamingo Cafe, we arrived thirsty!

The first animals we see near the Flamingo Cafe? The Flamingos of course! 

I love watching them balance so gracefully on one leg!

Cute Duck Statues!

Disccovery Walk at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans!

It's like 3D Elephant Art at the Audubon Zoo, New Orleans!

We tried to wait for the Elephant to come out from there, but instead I had to zoom in to capture him.  Audubon Zoo, New Orleans!

This guy wouldn't quite turn around either! Audubon Zoo, New Orleans!

Everyone stayed here the longest, this Orangutan truly loves people and hammed it up the most for Christina, I wish I would have filmed him! This pic was shot with my iPod, so no zoom! Audobon Zoo, New Orleans.

Finally got a perfect shot of an animal facing the camera! Isn't this Siberian Tiger just gorgeous? Audubon Zoo, New Orleans!

My mom saw this picture and said it reminds her of ME! LOL Siberian Tiger,  August 2012 Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, USA.

We all needed a break and stopped off for some snacks! This sign was in view from the bench where we sitting! Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, August 2012. It's like they knew Ascending Butterfly was coming, LOL :)

The sign reads:  English: The Monkey is Weaving - a thread of insatiable lusts - on the margins of morning -  he topples a pollen-fall - startles the violet flight - of the butterfly.

I love that it was also translated and posted in Spanish: Los Monos trenzaban un hilo - Interminablemente erotico - En las riberas de la aurora - Derribando muros de polen - Y espantando el vuelo violeta - De las mariposas de Muzo. 

You know if there a butterfly sighting, even if it's just the word butterfly I had to have a picture of it!

We had to hit the gift shop, and this cute elephant was right outside! Audubon Zoo, August 2012, New Orleans.

Saw this sign at the Zoo and had to snap a picture of it! This intrepid group also visit The Insectarium, but that's a whole another post!

There was so much to see and do at the Zoo, that I had to break this into two posts, because I didn't have time to optimize and watermark all the photos in one sitting, so next week will be a whole section of the zoo I visited unto itself, but this last picture was a sign at the zoo, that speaks to another Wordless Wednesday from New Orleans series post, you guessed it, The Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium. But that one will post after the part two for the Zoo pictures!

Don't forget to post a link to your Wordless Wednesday Links here, Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received to post my recap of my day at the Audubon Zoo. However ALL bloggers in attendance at the Niche Mommy Blogging Conference were offered tickets. I attended the conference as a guest of Britax. I am a Britax Hispanic Digital Marketing and Outreach Blogger/Ambassador.