Breast Cancer Awareness Month: My First Mammogram!

I recently posted about the P&G GIVE Hope Do It For the Girls Day of Action in conjunction with the #GIVEHope Campaign, where I participated live in a celebrity hosted twitter party that was hosted by E! News Anchor, Fashion Police Co-Host, Breast Cancer Survivor and New Mom Giuliana Rancic! If you missed that post, check it out HERE! The photo above is myself and a roundtable of bloggers that were invited to participate in a special roundtable and twitter party about Breast Cancer Awareness. (Ascending Butterfly is second from the left, Center is Giuliana Rancic and far right is Allison Maxwell, a P&G employee and the youngest survivor on the panel).

Last month I had my doctor give me a referral for my first ever Mammogram. but I got super busy and never went. I had to see my primary today for a routine check up and flu shot, and he was none to happy I let my referral lapse. His office was super pro-active and got me a SAME DAY appointment to get my first ever Mammogram done at the only Hospital in Manhattan to acquire the new ImageChecker Computer Aided Detection (CAD) system for use in breast cancer screening to assist radiologists in minimizing false negative readings during mammograms.

Because of the Medical Nightmare of a year I have already been contending with, to say I was 'nervous' is probably a HUGE understatement!

But from reception to the technician everything went really smoothly. And while I'm being pitched right now by every brand under the sun who slapped 'pink' on something and want you buy it, I thought the best way to truly inspire anyone is to be open, honest and truly up front about my own experience.

Giuliana was my inspiration to follow through, she is young and she discovered a tumor during a mammogram while undergoing another round of in-vitro fertilization in an effort to get pregnant. And even though I didn't want to deal with anymore imaging this year after all the tests I have been subjected to, her story, and then meeting in her person where she shared her story and allowed us all to ask her questions, any questions, and was so open and honest, her courage pushed me to move forward and stop putting it off.

I won't have the results for a few days, but I wasn't asked to wait which I take as a good sign, and it wasn't as horrible an experience as others had led me to believe. Is it fun? No, it's a bit uncomfortable, especially if you are well-endowed like I am, think of the pressure a bit like the blood pressure cuff they place on your arm when taking your vitals, except the pressure is being applied to an area a lot more sensitve to the pressure!

My technician was very patient and really did care enough to make sure I knew what to expect and felt comfortable every step of the way.

After getting the chance to interview survivors like Giuliana Rancic, Janelle Hail, chief executive officer and founder National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., and Allison Maxwell, breast cancer survivor and P&G employee (who was actually the youngest survivor on the panel that day) they made it clear that Breast Cancer does NOT discriminate. Youth does not protect you, neither does no family history of the disease, so ladies please do your self exams monthly, make sure your primary is doing an exam even if you are, and be PRO-ACTIVE and ASK your Doctor about when you should have your first exam. While normally the first one is scheduled for women 40 and over, if there is history in your family, if you find a lump you will need to have one sooner. Your survival rate increases with early detection, so ladies, do it for 'The Girls' AND do it for YOU!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received to share information regarding my Mammogram experience.

@DuaneReade NEW Balance Rewards Program I made the SWAP! #DRBalanceRewards

This busy butterfly has been toying with changing her name from Ascending Butterfly to Social Butterfly and with good reason, all this running around and event hopping means certain things have been un-attended for awhile, like ahem, shopping for personal items! I've run out some essentials and decided it was time to kill two birds with one stone.

This is the first sign I saw as soon as I hit my local Duane Reade,  perfect reminder!

On September 16, the Duane Reade FlexRewards Program was converted to the Balance Rewards Program, and since I'm a Duane Reade VIP Blogger and Blogger Brand Ambassador, I had been meaning to swap out and switch to the new card WAY sooner, but my schedule has been absolutely insane, and while there are Duane Reade's nearly everywhere, I just hadn't had the time to stop in and actually do it.

Ever since my Medical Nightmare that began last year, I've upped my dietary supplements and vitamins, and realized that I was out of Krill Oil, and I was also out of Red Lipstick! Now red is my daily signature lip color, some people can pull it off, others can't, for me, it's a custom blend look that includes several different varieties of red colors and gloss that help me get to my desired shade. Aside from the heart health benefits of Krill Oil (which you also get from certain foods including Salmon, my personal favorite), I also find it gives me an energy boost. And I’m all for finding healthy ways to get a good energy boost! (Since my work out routine is still ammended dietary supplements are super important for me especially right now).

Another reminder, there was one on BOTH the left and right hand side of the store entrance!

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to swap cards first, or make my purchases first, but I ultimately decided that it should be OK to just shop first and then do everything at the register. And it worked out just fine!

Bye Bye Old Friend! If cards could talk! Parting is such sweet, rewarding sorrow!

About Balance Rewards:

Getting Rewarded for Everyday Purchases Could Not Be Easier!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Balance Rewards keeps some of the most popular features of FlexRewards such as exclusive savings for members and the opportunity to earn points and redeem rewards, while giving customers even more benefits.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Balance Rewards program is now active at both Duane Reade and Walgreens. Duane Reade customers can now earn and redeem points at over 7,900 stores nationwide.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Customers can join Balance Rewards at any Duane Reade or Walgreens store at the checkout counter, pharmacy and photo kiosk. They can also sign up online at duanereade.com/balance or on their mobile phone via the upcoming Duane Reade Mobile Application due for release early 2013.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Duane Reade customers who join Balance Rewards will now be able to earn points and savings on thousands of items in store and online at www.walgreens.com.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Members can earn points for making healthy choices, including 10 points for every mile logged in the Walk with Walgreens program. You can earn points for walking up to 100 miles per month.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Duane Reade Balance Rewards members will also earn 10 points per $1.00 spent for every purchase of non-prescription vitamin, cough, cold, pain or sleep medication at stores located in NY, NJ or AR where points cannot be earned on pharmacy items due to regulations.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - AARP members will get exclusive 5 bonus point offers and 5,000 points when they spend $25 every month.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Duane Reade Flex Rewards program points will be converted to Balance Rewards and become available when customers join in the new program. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Duane Reade customers converting from FlexRewards will now have the opportunity to earn more bonus point offers on a weekly basis that can lead to a faster $5 reward redemption than ever before.

Points go further as you earn more.

Points earned	Reward
5,000	$5
10,000	$10
18,000	$20
30,000	$35
40,000	$50

Watch the Trailer to learn more:

Still have Questions? You can always reach Duane Reade's Customer Service and they will help you!

My Take:

It was super easy to make the swap, the cashier scanned my old card, there was some info that needed to be filled in and I gave it to her and she typed it in, and then I hit a button to confirm that the details were now correct and they handed me the new card and a smaller one to put on my keychain. I got enough bonus points + points with my first purchase post conversion to get a $5 reward that I could use on my next purchase, or I can just wait until I have a 1,920 more points to be able to get a $10 reward instead of a $5 reward, which is pretty cool! I like getting rewards for my day to day purchases, it makes my inner 'fab frugalista' super happy!

You can also see more photos from my 'swap mission' on google plus (where I am sure you are already following me right?)

Get Social With It:

Follow Duane Reade  on Twitter and ‘Like’ them on Facebook. - Don’t forget to tell them you saw them Featured on Ascending Butterfly and that you made the switch! For more information, visit duanereade.com or youtube.com/duanereade

Butterfly Did You Make the NEW Balance Rewards Swap Yet?

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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™. #CBias #SocialFabric #DRBalanceRewards  I am a Duane Reade VIP Blogger and Ambassador which does entitle me to additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed  are 100% my own.

Revolutionize your Health and Fitness Experience in 3 EASY steps!

After a year that has been spent mostly in the hospital and in and out of doctor's offices, all the momentum I had gained in 2011 with losing so much weight and several dress sizes was pretty much under-mined. I am slowly trying to get back into the swing of things but my routine had to be modified to accomodate some restrictions until I'm 100 percent back up to speed.

I can't wait to get there, but I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and am happy to report I found a fitness and lifestyle experience that truly works for me, and one I feel strongly about, and strongly about sharing.

Kristin McGee, certified Yoga and Pilates Instructor, ACE Certified Personal Trainer

I tried Yoga for the first time ever last year, and I really enjoyed it! I was hoping to incorporate it into my day to day fitness routine when I got sidetracked. This summer I got the chance to try again, I had an amazing Yoga Session with Kristin McGee (Kristin is a certified Yoga and Pilates instructor as well as an ACE certified personal trainer), the class was held at the Reebok Sports and Fitness Club in New York City! When you check out Kristin's site you'll see a ton of testimonials from her celebrity clients including: Steve Martin, Bethenny Frankel, Tina Fey and more. She is absolutely phenomenal and I get why her clients love her. It's her mind, body + soul approach to fitness that keeps you both grounded and energized at the same time. She made working out fun for me again, and in a way that made Yoga easier for me. She gave me ways to alter certain poses that I can't quite do just yet and still get the same workout as everyone else. I never felt intimidated, I never felt like I couldn't keep up and I definitely appreciate that. She also specializes in Post Natal Yoga so for those moms who want to get back in the swing of things again and lose those last stubborn pounds, you will definitely get the support you need with Kristin!

The Yoga Session was sponsored by CoachClub, who offers a unique approach to fitness, by bringing the gym TO YOU and not the other way around! It's 3 easy steps to get started!

Ever find yourself saying:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It's raining.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It's Snowing.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It's too hot.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I'm tired.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I had a busy day.

All perfectly wonderful excuses for not going to the gym. Until Now! CoachClub allows you to customize a fitness plan that is tailor made to your specific workout goals and needs. Whether you are in College and trying to get rid of the 'Freshman 15' or a mom who has post-pregnancy weight to contend with you are going to be able to customize a routine that not only works for YOU, but works with YOUR schedule.

If you thought 'Movies-on-Demand' were great, wait until you try 'CoachClub-on-Demand'. With CoachClub you can go 'On-Demand' and get over 200 workouts - 3 intensity levels, No subscription, No Commitment and Choose the Video you want, or you can go 'Premium' and set your goals, and get a Coach and unlimited access to fitness videos (so your routine never gets boring!)! Not sure which is right for you? No Worries Butterfly, for a very limited time you can try out Premium FREE. Yes that's right, you read that right, FREE. Premium is in Beta through August 31, 2012 so you can try it out for free and see if it works for you.

While I don't have the money to have Kristin train me daily, (let's face it in this economy hiring a personal trainer is a luxury!), I can certainly afford CoachClub, and love that I can work out when I want, and am not restricted to a specific class or gym schedule that I may not have time for. This is fitness at a time that works for me, in the comfort of my home, so I am at more at ease, can work out in whatever I want to wear break a sweat and not worry about anyone watching and then follow with a shower that has all my favorite beauty products at the ready! Fitness at MY schedule, my way.....CoachClub where have you been all our lives?

Kristin McGee, certified Yoga and Pilates Instructor, ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Here are some tips from Kristin and Coach Club to help make CoachClub work for YOU:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Right after you drop off the kids at school do your workout! If you put it off, you'll find excuses not to get moving.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Invite a friend or other mom over to your house and workout to CoachClub together. It's a way to hang out and be social and sneak in exercise

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have your kids do CoachClub workouts with you after school, it keeps the whole family moving and is a fun way to unwind and blow off stress from the day. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - If your kids are too young to get moving with you, play a game where they have to judge you and see if you're doing the moves correctly like American Idol!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Set your iphone, blackberry, computer alarm to alert you that it's time to get up and move and just do a 25 minute Coachclub routine even 25 minutes a day will re energize you.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Take turns with your husband getting the kids ready for school in the AM and do CoachClub on alternate days. You can even set up a little contest with your hubby.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Do some post natal yoga on CoachClub if you're a new mom when the baby is napping to rebuild strength and tone. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sign up for CoachClub with friends from all over the country and skype or email with each other to share notes.

We were also sent home with Mission Ready 'Omega-3 Ready' which delivers 50% more EPA and DHA than most Fish Oil supplements!

My fitness routine got a boost this summer and now a way to keep it up through winter, and I hope this info helps you to step it up a notch too! And if you are super active during summer but less so during winter, use this program to help you maintain your fitness routine through fall into winter!

Left: Kristin McGee, Right: Ascending Butterfly

Get Social With it:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like CoachClub on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @CoachClub on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Kristin McGee on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @thebendigirl on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Get Mission Ready on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @getmissionready on Twitter

So Butterflies, What are you going to do to kick up your fall/winter Fitness Routine?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post. No monetary compensation has been received. I did attend a Yoga Fitness Class led by Kristin McGee at Reebook Sports & Fitness Club NYC and I did receive Get Mission Ready 'Omega-3 Ready' dietary supplements to try. I do feel strongly about health and fitness and enjoy sharing fitness and health finds with Ascending Butterfly Readers, however I am not a medical expert, so please see your doctor before embarking on a new fitness routine or trying any new supplements!

Do you 'Dare to Bare'? Are your pits Little Black Dress ready?

This post is sponsored by Dove(R) ClearTone(tm) Deodorant - designed to visibly reduce underarm dark marks and even skin tone.

I"m in the middle of a New York City Heat Wave, and we are days away from August, the most sweltering month of the year in the city that never sleeps. This is primarily a public transportation city. A transit system that unfortunately is sorely lacking in many ways, (yet the prices continue to soar, but that's a topic for another post!), one of the things many NYC subway trains lack is AIR CONDITIONING! The platforms are usually feel like it's 200 degrees. And when you get a subway car with no AC on, particularly during 'rush hour' you come home feeling like you just did vikram yoga. Layers of clothing, starting usually with suit jackets get peeled off, and whether you are standing or sitting you are assured of one thing, seeing (and unfortunately often times smelling) many armpits! The people lucky enough to get a seat have a view of a sea of armpits!

In the summer most of us have no choice but to Dare to Bare. Are your arms 'summer ready'? Little Black Dress Ready? And guys, don't for one second think this can't possibly apply to you, I see those pits when you put on those white t-shirts!

You can either solve a beauty disaster or prevent it, and dark under arms are totally both 'solvable' and 'preventable'. Like all of the skin on our bodies, armpits need some exfoliation too, so make sure when you use your favorite scrub, you get those pits too! It's the shaving that causes the dark marks on your armpits so be sure to use an ounce of prevention to spare yourself from that pound of cure!

photo credit: babble.com

Tips for keeping underarms from getting 'dark':

1) Make sure to use a sharp blade - never use a dull razor and that's good advice for anywhere you shave, not just your pits. Dull blades make you go over the same spot multiple times and that's exactly what you DON'T want to do. Make sure your blade is sharp and you shave in one direction.

2) Balance your 'dry vs wet' - Built up sweat is a bad thing, so be sure to use an anti-persperant, not just a plain deodorant to keep your armpit area from building up sweat. But like all skin it does need moisture too, so be sure to give it some moisture, a dab of lotion in the evening is a good idea, and if you play sports in the summer a sunscreen lotion should be applied to your underarm area as well, while it will probably get way less sun than other parts of your body, the SPF protection is still important.

Photo Credit Torsten Schon/iStockphoto/Getty Images

3) Lightening - What works for your elbows, works for armpits too, good old fashioned Lemon Juice! You can make a paste with 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1 tsp of cucumber juice and 1 tsp of Tumeric Powder and let it sit for 15-20 minutes (my recommendation would be for those gals who color their hair, to schedule some time on the weekend and kill two birds with one stone! You could also put on a facial mask and then just jump in the shower afterwards and wash it all off!). Remember lemon juice can cause irritation if used too often, so please don't do this daily! (Licorice Paste and Sandalwood powder work well too!) And because I love a bonus, with the leftover tumeric and lemon, make a tea, as a tea, turmeric and lemon helps sooth the pain from a sore throat and works to fight free-radical damage. Lemon, reduces the risk of some diseases, such as nephrolithiasis, a kidney condition. Lemon also has antimicrobial and antiviral action that works even better in conjunction with other ingredients including turmeric. So this combo is a one/two punch that works wonders for your insides as well as your outside!

4) For Prevention AND Cure - Use Dove Clear Tone Deodorant daily, with regular use it will even your underarm skin tone and repair irritated skin with frequent use. What Ambi products do for your face and now body, Dove Clear Tone does for your armpits!

Whether it's to feel more confident in your strapless dresses, tank tops or bathing suit, a little 'armpit 101' goes a long way to feeling confident enough to 'Dare to Bare'.

So Butterflies, What is your beauty ritual that gets you feeling confident enough to 'Dare to Bare'?


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FTC Disclosure:  I was compensated for this post by the Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own.

Weekly Moment of Gratitude: Fitness Edition!

What I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Persistence -  This week has been so insane I feel like I lived a month in the week. I'm not sure how i made it through it all this week. I was entirely over-booked and probably pushed myself a bit too hard. I can only attribute my persistence to how I made it through it all this week. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Yoga - I took my second ever class this week thanks to Coach Club, the class was held at the Reebok Sports Club in New York City by Celebrity Yoga & Pilates Instructor, Kristin McGee . It was a fantastic class and I hadn't been able to challenge myself like that physically in a long time. I was exhausted AND exhilarated afterwards in a good way. I want to thank Southard Communications for the invite! I promise a full event recap with pictures coming soon!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Helpfulness-  I recently had a tech give me what amounts to a free small business consultation without expecting anything in return, and that is usually what I do for other people, but don't always get it return when I need the advice or help. I was truly touched by his generosity of spirit and the gift of his time. His help will allow me to make some smarter tech decisions for myself both personally and professionally, and I thought I'd share it in today's gratitude post because sometimes the smallest gestures amount to the greatest gifts in life. Sometimes it's easy to get bitter when you feel like the relationships in your life are so one sided that you do way more giving than receiving. This week I received something I really needed without really having to ask, and it just melted away the resentments.

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!

The two winners of the Purex giveaway will be selected and notified later today! New giveaways coming at you 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? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html - Please note this is not a compensated post!

When to call the Pediatrician!

Ascending Butterfly's Kids Corner, Guest Article Contributed by the experts at Kiddie Academy

How many times have you retrieved your pediatrician's phone number from your rolodex, only to stare at your phone wondering: Should I call, or shouldn't I? No one wants to pester the doctor needlessly or halt the day's plans for no good reason. On the other hand, a call to the doctor can put your mind at ease and prevent a child's illness from escalating to something more severe.

If you are on the fence about whether or not to call your pediatrician, you may want to consider the following guidelines, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), to help you make an informed decision.

When a fever warrants a call to the pediatrician

The seriousness of a fever depends largely on the age of the child and how high the fever is. The AAP urges parents to call their pediatrician if a child is:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two months or younger and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Three to six months of age and has a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) or greater.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Older than six months with a temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) or higher.

Miscellaneous symptoms that warrant a call to the doctor

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A sore throat that makes it difficult to swallow, or that lasts for more than two days

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - An earache that wakes a child from sleep or interferes with daily activity because of associated pain, or that lasts for more than a day or two

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A cough that is nonstop, interferes with normal activity (sleeping or physical activity), is accompanied by wheezing, or that persists for several days

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - An unexplained rash

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Repeated vomiting or diarrhea

Behavior counts

A fever doesn't always tell the whole story. Nor do other tangible symptoms like a sore throat. Experts inform us that our children's behavior is often the best barometer of how well, or bad, they feel. So, if your child has a fever but maintains a hearty appetite and activity level close to normal, that generally means there's less to worry about than when a fever is accompanied by other worrisome, but perhaps less tangible, symptoms—like extreme lethargy or fussiness.

The bottom line is this: You know your child best—how active, happy, or fussy she typically is. Any dramatic changes in behavior—for example, complete loss of appetite in a child who's typically a good eater—should serve as a red flag.

Do you have additional tips to share? Have you ever avoided the doctor and then found out your child really needed medical attention?

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FTC Disclosure: This article was provided and sponsored by Kiddie Academy^®. The company has been a leader in education-based childcare for 30 years serving families and their children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, offering full time care, before- and after-school care and summer camp programs. You can visit the KA Family Essentials blog and LIKE them on FB as well as Twitter @KiddieAcademy for additional information.

{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!

{CLOSED} Amway Nutrilite Vitamins Review and Giveaway #AmwayHealth {Rafflecopter}

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Amway USA! We look forward to working with you again. The winner is: Jeanne F. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Before my recent health scare set me back, I was on a major lifestyle revamp, and had lost 26 pounds and 3 dress sizes very slowly in 2011. I am starting to slowly begin reclaiming my new year and getting back into my routines again! I plan to continue this year to lose more weight, increase my physical activity and of course eat better, pretty much typical New Years Resolutions for most I'm sure.

Did you know that it takes regularly consuming 22 essential vitamins and minerals, 10+ servings of fruits and vegetables, and one serving of ocean fish every day to give our bodies what they need to stay healthy and strong? While I do love seafood, fruits and veggies, I am not about to say I can consume that much in one day, (an on the go schedule doesn't always allow for home cooked meals every single night), that's where dietary supplements come in. I take a multi-vitamin daily, but it wasn't until I was sent a package from our friends at Amway, that I realized I wasn't consuming nearly enough fruits and veggies per day.

NUTRILITE® Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables - Tablets - 60 Count

Description

For just over $1 per day, Amway NUTRILITE Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables provide the phytonutrient equivalent of more than 10 servings of fruits and vegetables, the amount recommended by health authorities. Phytonutrients are the natural nutrients in plants that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors and respective health benefits when consumed.

Benefits

• Supports heart health with 5 apples’ worth of the phytonutrient quercetin (150 mg) and 2 servings of green tea’s worth of the phytonutrient EGCG1 (90 mg).
• Supports circulatory health with 3 oranges’ worth of the phytonutrient hesperidin (60 mg).
• Supports colon health with 1 ½ cups raspberries’ worth of ellagic acid (40 mg).
• Supports eye health with 1 cup raw spinach’s worth of the phytonutrient lutein (6 mg).
• Supports prostate health with 1 tomato’s worth of the phytonutrient lycopene (3 mg). 

NUTRILITE® Fruits & Vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes

Description

With NUTRILITE Fruits & Vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes, twisting the health benefits of more fruits and vegetables into your day has never been easier.

Benefits

• Healthy immune system. Contains the natural vitamin C equivalent of one serving of cantaloupe to help boost and protect your immune system.
• Eye and skin health. Provides the natural beta carotene of one serving of carrots, beneficial for eye and skin health.

• Convenient, refreshing, on-the-go nutrition. Slip a tube in your purse or bag and look forward to a delicious Mango-Citrus treat that will help you reach your healthy eating goals.

My Take:

Incorporating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables into a daily diet can sometimes be a challenge. A natural, plant-based dietary supplement is an option for those wishing to fill your “phytonutrient gap.” Amway's online phytonutrient tracker tool is a great first step to evaluate what phytonutrients you are missing in your diet: http://www.amway.com/shop/product/phytonutrientsnapshot.aspx

I have definitely felt more energetic since adding the nutritional supplements to my regular daily multi-vitamin. And the 2Go Tubes are great for mornings when I skip my vitamins since they are portable and fit in my purse, I can leave some there so on mornings I forget to take the dietary supplements I have my vitamins with me on the go. Not to mention, it sometimes gets pretty boring trying to drink 8-10 glasses of plain water, the 2Go helps 'jazz' up your water a bit, so you can get in enough fluids throughout the day and stay hydrated. Keeping hydrated is a must even when you are not excercising, and of course most especially when you are!

Our friends at Amway want to help you stick with your New Year's Resolutions, especially now, February is where most people find they have lost steam and start to drop their resolutions entirely, don't give up!

Win One package of Fruits &Vegetables 2GO Twist Tubes and one package of Concentrated Fruits & Vegetables ($61.80 value) 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, this is our very first Rafflecopter Widget Giveaway!). Start by pressing the big green button that says '+1 Do It' to get started with the Mandatory Entry!